Mercy gazed into Judah’s cold gray eyes and felt the hypnotic draw of his masculine power. The only way to free herself of this man and keep him from taking their daughter was to kill him. But not yet. Not until she knew that Eve would be safe from Judah’s enemies.
He raked his gaze over her as if stripping her bare, then slowly released her. Mercy shivered.
“All you have to do is ask,” Judah said, “and I’ll give you what you want.”
Tightening her hands into fists, Mercy willed herself not to strike out and wipe that cocky smirk off his face. “I want you dead,” she told him.
“That wasn’t a very nice thing to say to me.”
“No it wasn’t, but it’s the truth.”
“Only half the truth.” His gaze caressed her roughly, creating an ache deep inside her. But he didn’t physically touch her again. “Before you kill me, you want me to pleasure you first, to lay you beneath me and-”
“You’re an egotistical bastard.”
“And you’re a woman hungry for what only I can give you.”
“You mean no more to me than I do to you,” Mercy told him. “If you weren’t Eve’s father-”
“But I am.” He focused on her lips. “And you can never forget how it was between us the night you conceived my child. The excitement. The passion.” He moved closer, until their bodies almost touched, never once removing his gaze from her lips. “I remember the way you whimpered and pleaded. The way you clung to me, shivering and moaning.”
Involuntarily, as if manipulated by a force she couldn’t control, Mercy reached out and laid her hand on Judah’s chest, placing her palm over his heart.
“I taught you what true pleasure is,” he said. “And you loved it.” He glanced down at her hand. “You loved me.”
Mercy jerked her hand away. “No, I never loved you,” she lied-to herself and to him. She had loved him, if only for those few brief hours before she had learned who he really was. An Ansara.
Straightening his shoulders, Judah stood tall and aloof. “Your destiny was to give me a child. You’ve done that. You’ve served your purpose.”
Mercy stared at him, suddenly realizing that she had somehow wounded him. He had switched from seductive charm to cruel indifference in a matter of seconds. Had she discovered the chink in Judah’s protective armor? Male pride? Or was it something far more personal?
Storing that insight away for later use, she asked, “Will he try to harm Eve?”
“What?”
“Your brother. Will he come here to the sanctuary and try to get to Eve? That’s why you’re here, isn’t it, to make sure he doesn’t harm her?”
“My brother’s days are numbered. It was inevitable that I’d be forced to kill him.”
“I can’t imagine hating my own brother enough to kill him.”
“It’s Cael’s hatred that will force me to kill him. He’s left me no choice.”
“What about your parents? Can’t they-”
“Our father is dead. And Cael’s mother murdered mine.”
“Oh.”
Judah picked up his suitcase. “Show me to a room near Eve.”
“The closest room to Eve’s, other than the nanny’s connecting room, is mine.”
“Is that an invitation?” Judah’s lips curved into a suggestive smile.
“Perhaps it is.” Mercy’s lips mimicked his, a smile without warmth or sincerity. “But if you come to my bed, you’ll have to sleep with one eye open to prevent me from murdering you in your sleep.”
“As tempting as the offer is…”
“There’s a guest room at the end of the hall. You can stay there tonight.”
“And tomorrow night?”
“You’ll be gone,” Mercy told him. “You and I will settle this matter tomorrow, and then you’ll leave the sanctuary and never return.”
As Judah studied her, she felt him probing her thoughts.
Don’t even try, she warned him.
If I show you a little bit of mine, will you show me a little bit of yours?
No!
Aren’t you the least bit curious? he asked.
No!
Liar.
“Come upstairs with me. I’ll take you to your room,” Mercy said aloud. “And when you wake later this morning, be sure to stay close to the house. If you venture too far away during the day, someone might see you and question who you are.”
“Don’t you think I could pass myself off as a Raintree?”
“Not with those ice-cold gray eyes of yours.”
“Point well made,” Judah said.
Mercy led him up the stairs to the second floor. He paused as they passed Eve’s room, pushed open the door halfway and looked inside at his sleeping daughter.
“Why do you suppose her eyes are Raintree green?”
“Because she is Raintree,” Mercy replied.
When Judah entered Eve’s bedroom, Mercy followed but didn’t try to stop him.
He halted beside the mattress, where Eve rested on her tummy, her arms thrown out on her pillow on either side of her head. He reached down and touched her long, pale hair.
Mercy held her breath. He lifted Eve’s hair, then parted it with his fingers to reveal the distinct blue crescent moon birthmark that proclaimed her heritage. The brand of the Ansara.
Judah allowed Eve’s hair to fall back into place. He caressed her little head, then turned, looked at Mercy and smiled. And for that one moment Mercy saw love in Judah’s eyes. Love for his daughter.
Wednesday Morning, 8:45 a.m.
Judah’s cell phone woke him from a sound sleep.
Damn! Whoever was calling had better have a good reason.
He grabbed the ringing phone from the nightstand, checked the caller I.D. and answered. “Claude?”
“Cael left Terrebonne this morning.”
Judah sat straight up. “When?”
“An hour ago.”
“Was he alone?”
“No.”
“How many?”
“We’re not sure, but Sidra says only three went with him.”
“Who?” Judah asked.
“We believe he took Risa, Aron and Travis.”
“They could be here in North Carolina by this afternoon.”
“They can’t enter the sanctuary, can they?” Claude asked.
“No, I don’t think so. Not unless…”
“Unless what?”
“Unless they can somehow use Eve.”
“Is that possible?”
“I have no way of knowing for sure. It’s possible that her presence here has somehow compromised the shield that protects the sanctuary from the outside world.”
“As you well know, that shield also protects the sanctuary from those of us who do not possess power equal to Mercy Raintree,” Claude said. “If that shield has been weakened, then think how much easier it would be for us to take control of the sanctuary. With access to the Raintree home place, we could-”
“No.” Judah lowered his voice. “Even with that advantage, we’re still not ready to battle the Raintree.”
“Not yet, but surely sooner than we had thought.”
“Before we alter our plans for the timing of the next great battle, I have to make sure Eve is safe.”
“That will mean killing Cael before he can harm her or find a way to use her against you.”
“Yes, I know. But it’s either face a possible civil war when his followers rebel or go to war with the Raintree before we’re ready. Moving against Cael now is the lesser of two evils.”
“Do you want me to send someone after Cael and the others?” Claude asked. “Or I can-”
“No, stay there. I need you in Terrebonne. I don’t think Cael will show up here himself. He’ll send Aron and Travis. When they arrive, I’ll be waiting for them, and if they try to enter the sanctuary, I’ll send what’s left of them back to Cael in a gift box.”
“Perhaps you should have waited before revoking the ancient decree,” Claude said. “Once Cael heard what you’d done, he must have known there was no doubt that there was a mixed-blood child out there. A child of yours.”
“I had no choice. If I hadn’t revoked the ancient decree, countless Ansara would have demanded my daughter’s death.”