This Jaden is a very weird guy. One minute he acts as if I’m the only breathing thing left in this universe, and the next he’s shut down like a guillotine. Something’s very wrong. But . . . I have made him smile. I have made him laugh. And regardless of what he says, I have distracted him. I might not know the right thing to say most of the time, but I have my moments. And we might have found Summer. I’m coming, baby.

My pulse races, and I’m not sure how much is from fear or excitement . . . of what’s ahead or of Jaden. Both make my heart hammer in equal measure. Both make me so tense I’m not sure whether I’m going to squeal or pee myself. I have no illusions about what will happen if Viper catches me. The only reason he probably hasn’t hurt Summer is that she brings him the big bucks as a catatonic courtesan in his whore house. At least, that’s what I’m determined to believe.

Jaden says nothing. His face has a stone-cold intensity. His gaze would tell most to keep their distance. Fuck, he’s focused. It’s like some kind of laser beam thing he does. I study his profile. My mind flits through a tangled web of thoughts.

God, he’s gorgeous. Inappropriate. Focus. Take a lesson from him. Is Summer okay? Don’t think about that. I want to touch his hair. Oh God, I don’t want to die.

I bite my knuckle. Shit. I can’t think about this. I squeeze my thighs together hard and try to bring order to the chaos that is my mind.

“What’s wrong?” His voice is a razor slicing through parchment.

I snap back to focus. I let out a long breath. “Nothing. I’m just . . .”

He gives me one sharp glance. Quirks a smile. “It’ll be okay.”

You don’t know that. But I hang on to it. I study that profile again. As if he’s the last human being I’ll ever see.

“So, what’s the plan?

“Not sure yet. I’ll need you to grab the floor plans for the place where they’re holding Sasha if Connor hasn’t already.”

I can’t get a read on how he’s feeling. He’s shutting me out. “But, you must have some idea. Will we have any help?”

Jaden shoots me a penetrating look before studying the asphalt for seismic shifts. “There is no ‘we.’ I’ll go in with my extraction team. You need to look for where they’re holding Summer.”

I turn in my seat and stare at him. “Wait a minute. You’re not going without me.”

Jaden taps the steering wheel. “Yes, I am.”

I fold my arms over my chest to hold in the anger. “No, you’re not. She’s my sister, and I’m coming with you.”

“She’s not there, and you’re a liability I can’t afford.”

Not there? A liability? “You can’t possibly know that for sure. I’m coming.” Now it’s my turn to study the road as the car consumes the asphalt.

Jaden heaves a huge sigh. “We’ll talk about it at the beach house.”

No fucking way is he going to get rid of me.

When we arrive at a huge estate outside of Kincardine, Jaden barely stops long enough to introduce me to Kat before marching down a hallway and through double doors with the guy named Connor. I take off after them.

“Rayne, stop.” Kat’s voice rings out behind me.

I ignore her, struggling with the handle on the huge wooden door. A huge hand grips my wrist hard. “Ouch.” I turn to look into cold steel blue eyes in a handsome, chiseled face. I shudder as I absorb the icy determination resonating from every pore. He twists my arm behind my back and propels me back down the hall. I try to shift away from him. He twists harder. He stops in front of Kat. “In the white room?”

“Let her go, Brian. She’s our guest, not our prisoner.” Kat is all cool and classy and elegant. “She’s with Jaden.”

Brian lets go so fast I almost fall into Kat. “Oh, that’s okay then.” He dips his chin in my direction. “Sorry. You’re free to go.” This Brian guy sounds almost reverential when he hears Jaden’s name. What the fuck?

Kat wraps her arm around my shoulders and steers me in the opposite direction. She looks as if she could be my older sister; a much more beautiful older sister. She wears tailored capris and a sleeveless black silk blouse with black ballet flats and carries herself with the grace of Audrey Hepburn. She looks like a movie star and has the body of one, too.

“Wait.” I shrug out of Kat’s grasp. “I need to see Jaden. Now.”

Kat takes my shoulders and turns me to face her. Ruthlessness replaces the smile. “I’m not going to mince words here. Connor, Brian, Jaden . . . not one of them will allow you to go. You’d only put their lives in danger. If you want to help, stay here and run the computer searches Jay needs.”

“I will not put them in danger. Why does—”

Kat sighs. “If someone grabs you and holds a knife to your throat, what will you do?”

Do? “Bite him.”

“And he yanks your head back and slits your throat. You’re a smart woman, Rayne. You know better.” She walks away. I reluctantly follow.

Kat takes me on a tour of the huge house, ending in my assigned bedroom. I drop my small bag and get a glimpse of ruffled curtains and antique furniture before she leads us to their computer lab.

“I think you’ll find everything you need here,” Kat says. “But if not, just ring this.” She strides over to a thick velvet cord hanging from the drapery and pulls. I hear the faint pinging of a bell somewhere in the house.

“That is so cool.” I join her and examine the braided cord. “How does it work?”

Kat laughs. “You’ll have to ask Connor that. We wanted to preserve the history of this old beast without losing convenience.” She crosses to the computers. “Let’s get you set up. Jaden sounds like there’s some urgency to whatever you need to do.”

“Yeah.” I hate moments like this. Something about her just makes me think of goodness. I have no idea how much I can tell her. “He wants me to compare some photos for a match on your security system.”

I go ahead with a request of my own. To hell with him if he’s pissed. “Oh, and are there surveillance cameras on Sasha’s apartment?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, there are. She’s hooked in through our extensive security system. ”

“Where’s the main server?” More than once, information proved to be a valuable ally.

Kat hesitates a moment. “In Toronto. In the vault of our hotel. But you’ll be able to access everything you need from right here.”

Hotel, no less. I am . . . and am not . . . impressed. Don’t get me wrong, I like nice things, but I’d rather earn them myself. I repeat my vow: I will never be under anyone’s control again.

They’ve set me up in another rad computer lab. Not nearly as cool as Jaden’s, but I will be writing Summer about it. We have a secret Facebook account set up for just the two of us. We go onto it when we can to let each other know we’re doing okay. She’s probably unable to respond, but I have to try. I hold my breath, hoping against despair Summer found a way online. Even one word . . .

Kat shows me how to access the database to run the facial recognition program and gives me access to the security camera footage. “How about I leave you to get things set up?”

I can’t argue with that. I need time alone to figure out how to convince these testosterone-laden men I’m going with them. “Okay. I need an hour or so to get things set.” And then I’d set up the bank card he’d given me. I’m dying to see how much he paid me. I have a naturally suspicious nature and need to be sure he hasn’t cheated me.

I immediately chastise myself for such an uncharitable thought. Jaden’s done nothing to make me think so badly of him. That’s because he’s a charmer. Watch yourself. BG sits on my shoulder chanting away. I ignore her and set about proving myself to Jaden. I have no idea what exactly I hope to prove, but I want to impress him. I want to get his attention. My looks might not turn heads, but I’m really smart.

“When are the guys leaving?”

“I’m not sure. They’ll let us know.”

As soon as Kat leaves, I pull the debit card from my pocket and fire up one of the systems. I input the temporary password Jaden gave me and press Enter. A Summary of Accounts window fills the screen, showing a checking account with a balance of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

Good. We have money. Enough to buy our freedom. I start making my plans as I set up the photo search. I’ll figure out a way to get Summer back. I give a silent prayer, hoping I’m not dreaming, and pull out the cell Jaden gave me to text her.

I search Facebook for some hint, any hint, that she’s been on. Nothing. I post on her feed. I sigh heavily. It’s little more than a faint hope she’ll have access to a safe Internet connection. Where are you, Sum? Time to put those thoughts away.

I smoke some pot I took from Jaden. I drift on a mist of happy daydreams while searching through the surveillance videos from the day Sasha disappeared. There isn’t much to see—first, the work crowd came home; then, the pet owners took their minuscule dogs out for a walk. A few hours later, the bar crowd dressed in all their sluttiest finery filtered out in ones and twos. I buzz through the next couple of hours, stopping abruptly when Sasha comes into view. She seems to glide down the sidewalk on those long legs toward the front door of her condo. She looks around before entering the secure building. A few minutes later, a man enters the lobby, scans the security panel, returns to the sidewalk and waves his hand. He looks like the Armenian guy who took me to Viper’s place. A car pulls up in front of him. He leans in and speaks. Two guys join him on the sidewalk. They unfasten their jackets, check their weapons, and enter the building.

I fast-forward until I see them leaving. Two of them support Sasha’s limp form between them. I jump up and do a happy dance. Jaden’s going to be pleased. I fist-pump and dance around, singing. I’m good.

“Someone’s acting like they won the lottery. Are you ready for a bite to eat?” Kat’s wide smile makes it clear she isn’t making fun of me. I really might learn to like this woman.

“Yup. I found the guys who took Sasha. Just give me a minute to set the search up. Are the guys ready to go yet?”

“They left about an hour ago.”

“What the hell? They don’t even know where Viper’s goons took her.”

“Oh, I think they always knew but wanted you to keep busy to avoid arguing with you.”

“Bastards!”

“Think about it, Rayne. It’s probably best this way. When Jaden makes up his mind, no one is going to argue with him. At least no one who wants to come away unscathed. Jaden is a wonderful man, but when he’s angry, look out.”

“Yeah, well I’m no shrinking violet either.” I am so pissed.

“You can take it up with him when he returns. I don’t recommend it, but that’s your choice.”

You can bet your ass I’ll take it up with him.

The bastards left me. Kat patiently enjoys her afternoon tea while I sit fuming. Nothing seems to faze her.

“While you’re waiting, how about trying these on?” Kat hands me an armful of colorful clothes. I’m still pissed, but there’s not much I can do now but wait. I’ve contemplated borrowing one of their cars and heading off to Inverhuron myself, but sanity prevails. That Brian guy would probably beat the shit out of me. I eye the clothes warily.

“I don’t know. I really like navy and black.”

“We all need a little color in our wardrobes, besides, you want to catch Jaden’s eye, don’t you?”

“I’m not interested in a man who thinks appearances are important.” I sniff.

“Seriously?” Kat laughs. “Well, that’s a first.”

I’m mortally offended. “What’s so funny?”

“Oh, get that look off your face, hon. I’m not making fun of you. You’re a beautiful woman. You should flaunt your assets, not hide them. If you play your cards right, Jaden won’t be able to resist.”

“I’m not interested in what Jaden thinks.” More of my bravado on that one. I sound most convincing to my ears.

“I see.” Kat grins. “Well, you’ll want something special to wear to the Masquerade.”

“Like what? I’ll only be watching, you know. Jaden said it was fine just to watch.”

“Oh, you can watch, but you’ll want to look good while you do, right?”

She cajoles and jollies me into three knock-’em-dead outfits that make even skinny little me look sexy. One is a jumpsuit with gathering at the neck and slits from neck to waist in front and back. Drafty. Kat is certain Jaden won’t be able to keep his hands off me when he sees me in the dress. That makes me nervous.

“I doubt very much he’ll be interested in sex when he sees what Viper does to Sasha. I’ve seen what he can do.”

“Rayne, when our men come back from the danger zone, that’s precisely what they need. To forget.”

“I don’t want guys putting their paws all over me. Been there, done that, and unfortunately bought several T-shirts.” I sound like a hard-ass bitch. Kat doesn’t deserve this.

Kat’s smile instantly fades. “Rayne, no one will touch you unless you want them to. Not at our house or the club. Everyone there is a member who has agreed to our rules and is responsible for their guest.” She goes on to explain that guests are usually Submissives. If members want to play, they submit their “wish list” to the evening’s moderator. The moderator matches them with a person with a similar fantasy.

“For example,” Kat says, “a Submissive might ask for a Dom or Domme to whip her. The moderator will pair her with a Dom who wishes to fulfill a fantasy about whipping a slave girl on a whipping horse. If both parties agree, the moderator reviews the rules—mainly the safe word and any hard limits.”

“What’s a hard limit?” I assume she isn’t talking about software hard limits. I’ve read some stuff on BDSM on the Internet, but clearly, I have lots to learn.

“When people are in a scene, there are things they feel strongly against doing. For example, I’m not interested in any activity that involves scat—urine and other bodily output. So that’s a hard limit for me. Have you ever played before?”

“You mean with BDSM stuff? Nooooo.” Gheesh. I sound like some kind of prude. Maybe I’m frigid like ES says. The thought depresses me. I turn my attention back to Kat. The closest I’ve ever come to BDSM is being used as a punching bag. There was nothing sexy about it. Kat makes this stuff sound like fun. I can hardly wait to see what all the fuss is about.

“What happens after the moderator pairs up the couple?” The idea that people might be having sex in public, right in front of me, terrifies me . . . and makes me über horny. Another thing I’ll never admit out loud.

“I’ll do you one better. Why don’t we go there now? We’ll catch dinner—we have exceptional chefs—and I’ll give you a tour. It will be much easier to explain that way.