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“Gerry, what are you doing here?” Sarah asked.

She had always loved seeing Gerry. He was the one thing she could count on.

His sandy blonde hair, blue eyes, boyish good looks, and easygoing attitude had been the silver lining of her childhood.

This was the first time she felt unease at his presence.

“That’s enough Brian. Hi sweetheart.” He walked over and kissed her cheek as he always had.

She indicated the connecting door. “How did you get in here? I only rented a single. That door should be locked.”

Gerry laughed. “I rented the room beside you and told the girl at the front desk you were my wife and I wanted to surprise you.”

Sarah crossed her arms. “And she believed that bullshit.” She had never had a problem calling Gerry out on one of his schemes.

He shrugged. “You know me, Sarah. I’m a charmer.”

“How much money did you give her?” He may be a charmer, but he was still a billionaire’s son.

He laughed. “Only a few hundred. It was nothing.” He smiled at her, but she sensed something she hadn’t before. Possession. Deception. She wasn’t sure what it was.

“Why are you here?”

“To get you to come home of course.”

Sarah turned to Brian. “You set him up to this didn’t you?” She shook her head. “I’m on a job. I’m not leaving.”

Gerry sighed. “I’m sorry Sarah. I know how much your job means to you, but you’ll be quitting.”

Sarah was startled. She looked at Brian expecting him to have put Gerry up to this, but he was looking at Gerry with fear. Brian was not the one in control.

She took a hard look at Gerry, appraising him as a mark instead of a friend. She felt a shiver of awareness, something deep inside stretched and hissed out a warning. Her eyes narrowed. “Why are you doing this?”

Gerry’s face changed. She was looking at a different man. “I have waited for you long enough.” The warmth his voice always held was gone.

“You never had any interest in men. I thought you were a lesbian. I had been looking into ways to fix that problem, but we decided there was another way.” He spoke as if what he was saying was perfectly reasonable.

Sarah put a hand on her lurching stomach. “You’re part of this?” Her voice cracked with the heartbreak she felt.

“I didn’t expect one of them to reveal themselves to you. That’s unfortunate. I only wanted you exposed to them.”

She knew by ‘them’ Gerry meant the Cascade siblings. She sneered. “They didn’t. Daniel shifted... right before I shot and killed him,” she said in a hard tone.

Brian’s face lit up. “I told you, she’s a Marksmen through and through. Perhaps her position with the Rangers could work to our advantage,” he mused.

Gerry looked at Brian with disgust. “You don’t even know your own daughter. She killed him to protect herself and put him out of his misery. It was a mercy kill.”

Brian looked at Sarah. “She’s a killer,” he said confidently.

Gerry sneered. “I have no doubt she’d kill you.”

Brian looked startled. “I am still her father.”

Gerry huffed. “Keep telling yourself that.” He turned back to Sarah. “It’s time to go.”

Sarah felt sick. She couldn’t believe she had missed this. How had her training failed her? “What happened to Daniel? What did you do to him?”

“We did some tests. He didn’t fare well. He wasn’t as resilient as former subjects.” His tone was mild as if he were discussing one of his many trips to Europe.

Sarah clenched her fists before forcing herself to relax.

Gerry’s betrayal was far worse than her father’s.

She expected Brian to disappoint her. He had been doing it her whole life.

She didn’t even recognize Gerry, now. Where was the roommate who cuddled on the couch, eating popcorn, watching romantic comedies with her?

The man who diverted unwanted attention from male admirers.

She suddenly remembered Cyril’s words. You’re his. “Did you arrange Cyril’s attack on me?”

Gerry’s face darkened. “What did that mongrel say? I didn’t realize he’d talked to you. You put him down so fast I wasn’t sure he bit you until he confirmed it.”

Sarah crossed her arms. “He’s a man, and you used him.”

“He’s a BEAST,” Gerry yelled. He straightened the front of his shirt. It was an action she had seen hundreds of times. “He was a useful one though.”

“He was insane, like Daniel.”

Gerry shook his head. “Not like Daniel. We took too much from him. We are learning as we go.”

“About?”

“The shifter races. We are particularly interested in the Cougars as they have the longest lifespans. That’s our primary goal at this point.”

Sarah shook her head. “Why? What do you need them for?”

Gerry picked a piece of lint off his sleeve, his vanity the one thing he hadn’t been able to hide. “Kevin has M.S. He gets a little weaker every year.”

“You can live a full life with MS there are plenty of...”

“We don’t want a full life. We want three lifetimes maybe MORE.” Gerry snapped.

Sarah took a calming breath. “Gerry do you have MS too?” She faked concern in her voice.

Gerry’s face softened and for a moment she saw the man she’d grown up with, loved. “No not yet, but I’m predisposed to it thanks to my father’s faulty genetics.”

Sarah wasn’t surprised he hadn’t lied about despising his father. They had grown close based on that common thread. “You tortured them then set them upon the world.”

Gerry held up a hand. “No. Daniel wasn’t supposed to escape. When he did, we simply used it to our advantage. We arranged for you to be put on this case which wasn’t difficult with your family name and your skills.”

“So, you’re helping your father because you’re afraid you may get MS one day. That’s crazy.”

“I am not helping that lunatic because I am afraid of getting a disease. I’m helping him because he’s the only person who can get me what I want.”

“What do you want?”

“You.”