“. . . I can’t do this again. It’s tearing me up. Everyone I care for dies. I’m sorry, but I just can’t do it.”

Misery and anxiety. I try to block the emotions assaulting me. Fear and a man’s voice drift through me as I come to. Instinct keeps me still. Where the hell am I? And what the hell is making that annoying beeping sound? I open my eyes a sliver and look down onto a sea of white sheets. A hospital. The room spins. Shit. I squeeze my lids tight and focus on even breathing. A strong warm hand grips my right hand. Jaden? Shards of memory slice through my brain. Viper. He’s going to kill me. I moan and try to pull my hand away. The grip on my hand tightens.

“Shh. It’s okay, Rayne. I’m here. You’re safe now.”

Yeah, right. Like that’s going to happen. There’s only one person I can depend on. Me. But something about the voice soothes me. Relief spreads a warm blanket over the misery coming from this man. I stretch my lids a fraction more. Jaden. Calm washes over me in response.

Pain slices through my leg as I struggle to sit up. Another wave of nausea hits. Eyes shut.

Jaden gently pushes me back onto the pillows. “Take it easy.”

Deep breaths. Jaden raises the head of the bed. As the warm pads of his fingers brush my cheek, I open my eyes, and a blurry image wavers into view. “Glasses,” I say, straining to sit again.

Jaden drops my glasses into my hand. I slide them on. Jaden’s handsome face comes into focus.

“Seems like we have a theme going on here.”

A small smile smoothes the tension lines at the corner of his eyes. “Oh, how so?” That delightful eyebrow of his crooks. “You stab them, I slab them?”

I bark out a laugh. “Now, that’s just pathetic.” I close my eyes. Jaden presses a button into my hand.

“Here. Press this if you’re in pain.”

“What is it?”

“Morphine. It’s a pain pump. It—”

“Got it.”

He pulls the chair closer and sits down.

I shut my eyes, letting morphine’s soothing euphoria wash over me. It doesn’t kill the pain, but it sure changes my perception of it . . . makes it much easier to bear.

“How badly are you hurt?” I open my eyes and give Jaden a penetrating stare.

He glances at his left arm. “It’s just a scratch.”

Right. And I was born yesterday. “How? Bad?”

Jaden sighs. “Thirteen stitches. Nothing vital hit. I got off a lot easier than you did.”

Another memory hits. Panic surges. “Summer . . . is she—” I collapse back against the pillow, unable to even think the thought.

Jaden rubs his hand over mine. “We got her. She’s safe.”

Alarm fights the morphine’s lethargic pull. “I need to see her.”

“As soon as you’re better. Right now, you need to rest and heal.” His eyes shift to the right. What is he hiding?

“How bad is she?”

“She’s in rehab.”

I drag my lids open and stare at him. “How. Bad. Is. She?”

I feel him tasting the lie, swishing it around in his mouth, looking for the best way to eject the flavor. I close my eyes and wait. If he lies, I’m done.

“They don’t know yet. Physically, she’s fine.”

That explains the big black void I get whenever I tune in to Summer. Used to be that my spidey sense could feel her sweet light. We’d been linked emotionally since the day our mother laid her in my arms when she was seven days old. The light went out a few days ago. A yawning black abyss opens up when I open to her. At least she’s not dead.

“I need sleep.” I slip closer to the comfort of my own void. “You should go . . .”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

I let the darkness take me.

Jaden and Kat arrange the transfer from the hospital. After a short, nerve-racking helicopter ride, we arrive at a private rehab clinic in the Muskokas. The facility sits beside a large lake in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by forest, fields and meadowland. A stream runs through the edge of the property.

“My God. This place is enormous. There must be a couple of acres here at least.”

Kat laughs. “Welcome to Harmony Hills. More like forty-eight acres. We believe in the power of nature’s healing properties and chose the location specifically.

“We?” The word pops out before I can stop it. “I mean if you don’t mind my asking.”

Kat laughs again. “You don’t need to stand on ceremony with me, Drake. This is our pet project. When Jaden set up the rescue mission, we quickly found we needed a place where the damaged could heal. Connor and I were thrilled to partner with him.”

“I don’t get it. What do you mean ‘rescue mission’?”

“Let’s get you comfy, and I’ll tell you the whole story.” My crutch sinks into the lush manicured lawn as we make our way toward a massive building that looks like a cross between a hotel and a large cottage dormitory. Kat slows her pace to match mine. Damn crutches.

I collapse on one of the Muskoka chairs on the large veranda facing the lake. I let out a large sigh. Kat perches on a round wooden table. “We call that Serenity Bay. Isn’t it beautiful?”

“Absolutely gorgeous. I could stay here the rest of my life.”

“We were hoping you’d feel that way. The seclusion gives our girls and boys a greater sense of security.”

“Boys? How come there are boys here?”

“Sadly, boys aren’t safe from being used and abused by sexual predators. We get one or two boys to every nine or ten girls, so the numbers are lower.”

“How long do they stay?”

“Three or six months, depending on the program. Then, we set them up in a safe place. Our foundation supports most as they go back to school.” Kat reaches over and places her hand over mine. “Summer’s here, you know.”

“I know. Jaden told me you’d let me know when I can see her.”

“You’ve got an appointment with her doctor at five o’clock. She’ll arrange things for you.”

The fall breeze gently ruffles Summer’s light straight brown hair. She’s a clone of ES’s Eastern European heritage, a certified passer. She passes for white, and people assume she’s adopted. Unlike me, who inherited every one of our mother’s West Indian genes right down to the kinky hair. There’s a slew of French blood swimming in there somewhere, but you’d never know it to look at me.

Summer’s hazel eyes remain unfocused on a distant horizon only she sees.

“Honey, I just need you to look at me. Just for one minute. That’s all.” I sit, holding Summer’s hands, trying to get her to make eye contact. Every day for the past week, I’ve sat with her for the better part of an hour, practicing this exercise in futility. The psychiatrist assures me Summer can hear me; I just need to be patient. Not one of my virtues when it comes to my baby sister. I gently wrap her cheeks with my hands and stare into her eyes. “Come on, sweetie. Just look at me, just for a second.”

Summer’s eyes skitter back and forth, like a tiny mouse scurrying to find a hidey-hole. They focus on mine. I hold my breath. One . . . two . . . three . . . Summer’s eyes return to never-never land.

“Awesome, you did it. High five.” I slap the air above my head and spin around the room in a little happy dance with my crutch as my partner. I spent two days in the hospital learning how to walk with a crutch. I can’t put weight on my leg for one week, doctor’s orders. Jaden offered to be my personal wheelchair chauffeur before he disappeared; I refused the offer. He’s done more than enough for Summer and me already. I won’t take any more of his charity.

“Someone looks happy. Did she speak?” Jaden crosses the room and pulls up a chair near Summer. He’s the only male she’s let near her since the rescue.

“Not yet, but she made eye contact.” I fist pump in the air. “We have ignition.

“Don’t get your hopes, up. That might be a one-off.”

I refuse to entertain such negativity. “Negative energy. She’s done it once, so she’ll do it again. Just wait and see.”

I crouch down and grab those round cheeks again. “Come on, sweetie. Fix those baby blues on me.” I gently blow air across her lids. She blinks and looks at me. One . . . two . . . three. I hold my breath. Four . . . five. “Hot damn. You did it.” I smack a kiss on each cheek before resuming my happy dance. Partway through, I dance over to Jaden and high five.

Jaden smiles as his palm meets mine. “Good work, Rayne. Now, it’s my turn. Take a break.” Jaden folds his powerful frame into the easy chair facing Summer. His rough edges soften as he takes her hands in his. “It’s Jaden, Summer. Remember me? Now, where were we? Oh yes, I was telling you about growing up in Wiarton . . .”

Something softens in my heart as I watch Jaden and Summer through the observation window. He has a real gift with Summer. Like she knows his intensity hides a soft underbelly, knows he won’t ever hurt her. He thinks he needs to be strong . . . and he is. He needs to protect everyone, but who watches out for him? Sasha is right. He needs me, at least until Sasha is back on her feet. If only he got that.

After my physiotherapy session, I curl up with a book on one of the big old wicker chairs on the veranda. On the horizon, the clear blue sky meets the lake, which is still as glass, reflecting the brilliant sun, making it impossible to tell where one ends and the other begins. A gentle breeze rustles through the canopy of leaves blanketing the woods with their vibrant fall colors.

“Hi.” Jaden’s soft baritone sends shivers down my spine. The gorgeous rich caramel that is his voice makes me wet. He sits beside me. His cat, Coral, sidles up to him, demanding attention. He reaches down to pet her. A few minutes later, he slides his hand along the back of the love seat, twisting to face me.

“What’s up?” I can’t help but return that wonderfully sexy smile that warms me right down to the tips of my teeny tiny toes.

“She squeezed my hand.” Jaden nods. Sheets of self-satisfaction roll from him.

“Get out. What? When? Tell me everything.” I’m so excited I’m almost bouncing on the cushions.

“It wasn’t all that exciting, but she did make brief eye contact and definitely squeezed my hand. I think she’s going to come out the other end of this.”

“Hope springs eternal.” I stand and lean against the carved wooden railing and hug myself.

“What happened to Viper?”

“He’s been taken care of. That’s all you need to know unless you’re ready to get into this a lot deeper than I think you are.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It means that the things we do when we rescue these women skirt the edges of the law. You better be ready to get both feet wet.”

“I’m more than ready. Spill.”

Jaden says nothing for about three beats then lets out a heavy sigh. “What I’m about to tell you is in strictest confidence.”

“Okay.” Man, talk about intense. Jaden’s seriousness is so dense it’s like being hit by a metal door.

“This is no joking matter. I need your word.”

“And why do think that’s any good?”

“I trust Sasha. She says if you give your word to me, it will be a sacred trust.”

“That’s what she said about you.”

A shadow of a smile touches the corners of his lips. “We need to talk.”