The conversation from St. Francis Bay to Port Elizabeth had filled Ara with uncertainty and a slight dread. She was already on edge about leaving the sanctuary of the compound, but her discomfort only mounted with each mile that passed in the passenger seat of the expensive car.

I’ve never set foot in a Jag before, she thought, trying to hide her awe at the soft leather interior and entertainment system. But before today, I had also never been in a house with a two-tier swimming pool and a five-car garage.

Not that she had an opportunity to explore the bells and whistles of the vehicle. She was too busy listening to what Titus was telling her about his problems at Williams Technology.

“It’s the damndest thing,” he explained. “It’s like he’s mocking us. He just makes himself known and then disappears.”

Ara swallowed and bit her lower lip.

“There haven’t been any demands of any kind?” she asked softly. “Not for money or information?”

“Nothing.”

She knew how incredible a feat it would be for someone to sneak in through the security measures enacted by a company as powerful at Titus’.

“Have you considered a disgruntled employee?” she suggested. “Someone who is looking for attention?”

Or a jilted lover? Ara stifled the uncharacteristic feeling of jealousy the unexpected thought brought with it. Really? That makes you so uncomfortable, you can’t even ask him?

She admitted that it did. She didn’t want to know about Titus’ past lovers.

“It’s hard to narrow it down when we have absolutely no idea where it’s coming from,” Titus sighed. “That’s where I’m hoping you can come in.”

Ara blinked her eyes. “Me? How?” she asked dubiously. “If your top people can’t figure it out, what makes you think I can?” Titus was quiet for a moment, and she could see he was choosing his words carefully. “What? Because I’m a criminal?” she heard herself asking, her tone filled with upset. “You think I know something about what this guy wants?”

“I didn’t mean it like that, Bella,” he told her quickly. “All I’m thinking is that you might have some better insight than we do.”

Her mouth became a fine line of anger, but she remained silent, looking out into the still night as they drove along National Route 2 toward Port Elizabeth.

“Please, don’t take it personally,” Titus continued. “It’s a compliment if you think about it.”

“Is it now?” she asked with a raised brow.

“I believe that you are more capable than my highly-trained staff,” he replied, grinning at her through a sidelong look.

In spite of herself, Ara found herself smiling back. “You’re not very good at flattering women, are you?” she asked, sighing as she struggled not to show her amusement.

Titus’ smile froze on his face.

“I haven’t had much occasion to flatter women,” he said tightly, and Ara could see his personal life was a touchy subject. “Anyways, it’s not flattery if it’s a fact. I believe you are very intelligent, and apparently the police do, too, or else they wouldn’t have charged you with such complex crimes, right?”

This guy knows nothing about me except that I look like someone he was in love with once, Ara thought. He has no idea of what I can do, and yet he’s willing to bring me into his highly secured office and fiddle with his systems on the off chance that I might learn something. He’s crazy.

For the first time, Ara entertained the thought that perhaps he really was not mentally balanced. Honestly, it would explain a lot. Then again, if he was insane, what did that make her? She was as caught up in whatever spell he seemed to have cast over her. Instantly, a hot flush touched her cheeks, and she was glad that he couldn’t see her face.

In the shadows of her mind was something taunting her, something elusive that told her neither one of them was crazy, despite the weirdness of the situation.

I knew him once, she thought, and he knew me. Could I be connected to the Bella he loved? What happened to her?

Ara wished she was bolder, more assertive so she could demand answers, but that was not her nature. And she didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth. The few days she had spent in the jail on Gail Road had been enough for her to count her blessings.

“I think you might be disappointed,” she finally said after a long silence. “I am nowhere near the computer genius the police believe I am.”

“It can’t hurt for you to look,” Titus insisted, and Ara could do nothing but agree.

It’s not going to hurt me to look, but he doesn’t know if it could hurt him. He’s not even remotely suspicious of me, as if he’s known me forever. After all, she had offered to help.

What she had not accounted for was the animus that greeted her when she and Titus arrived at Williams Tech’s headquarters two and a half hours later.

It was almost eight o’clock, and Titus’ assistant, Trina MacKay, was furious to see her there.

“Have you lost your mind?” she howled when Titus introduced her to Ara. “You brought her here? To a secure facility? A white-collar criminal, a dangerous fugitive?”

“She’s not a fugitive anymore,” Titus replied brightly. “And I think she can help.”

“What the hell is wrong with you? You’ve acting like a lunatic the past few days! If anyone finds out about this…”

Titus lost his good humor, his face taking a dark turn as he glowered at the brunette, his sooty eyes turning black.

“Once again, I think you’ve forgotten who you’re talking to,” he snarled. “The last time I checked, I was still the CEO of this company, Trina, and you are my assistant.”

Ara cringed at the harshness of his tone, but at the same time, she was secretly pleased he put the woman in her place. He’s right. This is his business. She has no right to talk to him like that… even if she does have a very valid concern. Ara had the very same worries about her benefactor, after all.

Trina’s face went pale, and she folded her arms over her chest in defiance, but she did not speak as Titus led Ara toward his office at the back of the top floor.

Everywhere she looked, her eyes caught on glass and metal fixtures, and for a strange moment, she felt like she was caught in some futuristic time warp. Titus pulled out a chair for her to sit, and Ara gazed up at him worriedly as Trina stood in the doorway, her face contorted into a sneer.

That woman hates me, she thought, and she doesn’t know the first thing about me. She didn’t know why it bothered her so much, but she didn’t want to be loathed by Trina. You’re constantly seeking approval from everyone, she chided herself. You would probably hate you too if the roles were reversed. She’s just watching out for her boss and company.

“Here,” Titus said, pulling up the breach for her to examine. “This is what happened. What can you tell me?”

Gulping back a nervous knot in her throat, Ara turned her full attention toward the screen, trying to ignore the daggers flying from Trina’s dark eyes. Her hands were shaking noticeably, but she hoped the brunette across the room couldn’t see them.

“The IP is rerouted,” Ara said slowly. “Bouncing all over the place.”

“You think?” Trina piped up sarcastically. “Thank God you brought her in here, Tito. What—?”

“Can you stop talking for five minutes?” Titus roared. “Jesus Christ, Trina, you’re giving me a headache!”

“I’ll just be in my office when her earth-shattering revelation comes through,” Trina growled, whirling to leave them alone in the office. “God forbid I give you a migraine.”

Titus didn’t seem to notice, but Trina’s abrupt absence gave Ara cause to breathe slightly easier. Even though she had been standing clear across the room, she felt as if Trina had been staring over her shoulder.

Titus is depending on you to find something, she reminded herself. Concentrate.

But Ara didn’t have faith that her skills could compete with the engineers and programmers at Williams Tech. There was just no way she could—

“Oh!” she gasped, her heart fluttering slightly as she peered at the code appearing before her. No way. No way in hell.

“What? What is it?” Titus demanded. “Do you have something?”

Ara pointed at the screen, at the end of the code, indicating the three dollar signs.

“That’s his signature,” Titus grunted. “It doesn’t match up to anything we’ve dealt with in the past.”

“It matches something,” Ara said. “You weren’t looking in the right place.” She took a deep shuddering breath as Titus stared at her.

“What does it match? Are you sure?”

“I know who this is,” she breathed, her head growing dizzy. “You need to contact the police and see if they will help you, but I know it’s his.”

“How do you know? Who is it?”

“It’s Skylar’s signature,” she said. “He did this to the government before he robbed them, too. You need to access SAPS records about the hack, but it’s his. I’m positive.”

“How is he doing this?” Titus asked, shaking his head in disbelief. “We have a state-of-the-art system, the best programmers in the world. Our security is infallible!”

Ara sat back heavily against the chair, a pained expression on her face as she looked at him. She didn’t want to be the one to tell him. Titus may not even believe her. Why would he?

“If he’s going after you the same way he went after the South African Reserve Bank,” she murmured, “there’s only one way he would know how.”

Titus stared at her expectantly, and Ara stared at her hands.

“Well?” he demanded. “How is he planning to do it? And what is he planning to do?”

“He’s already done it, Titus,” she explained softly, peeking at him through a rogue strawberry curl. “He’s got a handle on what he wants.”

“How? That’s impossible. We’ve checked everything.”

“He’ll come back and take whatever he’s after,” Ara assured him grimly. “Just when you think he’s nothing more than a kid playing a prank. That’s what he did with the government.”

“I still don’t understand how.”

Slowly, Ara raised her head. “Someone on the inside is helping him.”