I held my breath, not daring to move. Alex wouldn’t hurt me, would he? God, stupid question. He’s kidnapped me, for crying out loud. And the first chance I had to try to convince him to let me go, I’d lashed out in foolish anger.

But that had been nervous energy, fear over rational decision. Because when faced with a dangerous male, we should all try to be rational, right?

Okay, so I had to play along. Let him think he was in charge. I’d only had seconds to look around what looked like a cabin after I’d woken. The room seemed small enough, but I was nowhere near that door.

That door was my goal.

My chance to get out of here alive.

“Paige, look at me,” he ordered, his voice deep and gravelly.

I took in a couple of quick breaths and lifted my gaze to his face. I’d expected to see anger, a frown at least, but his expression was more inscrutable, his gaze watchful, as if determining my next move and not giving any clues to his own by way of showing any clear emotion.

“My name is Ryder Nolan and I work for Lance Marshall. He ordered your kidnapping and confinement here for the next ten days.”

I felt my mouth slacken. Whatever I expected to hear, it was not close to what Alex—no, Ryder—said.

“Lance ordered this?” I whispered. This didn’t make sense. I mean, why would—“I don’t understand.”

“He’s concerned about you.” Ryder tilted his head slightly to the side. “Both he and your uncle think you need time and isolation to think about what you want in life, how you can use the opportunities given to you to give you purpose.” His voice hardened just a fraction. “And being here gives you the chance to break free of people who are a bad influence.”

I shook my head a little. Lance and my Uncle wanted me to straighten myself out? I stared up at Ryder. A jumble of thoughts rushed through my mind, each fighting for prominence.

Nevertheless, his last words won the day. Break free of people who are a bad influence?

Lance wouldn’t know many of the people I hung around with. But Uncle Felix?

That would only mean one person.

“James. You’re talking about James.”

Ryder simply gazed back with the same enigmatic expression. Revealing nothing. “Among others.”

“Oh, no. He means James. Uncle Felix hates him.”

Screw my uncle. And the rest of them.

“Look, I realize you’re just doing your job, crappy though it is to go out and kidnap women so grown men can fulfill some dormant rescue fantasy they’ve conjured up, but I’m not in any danger.”

Ryder lifted one brow. Such was his faith in my ability to govern my life.

I breathed deep, focusing on expelling the need to scream as I exhaled. My goal was getting out of this damn cabin. Anger wouldn’t help. He’d just think I was being irrational.

“Did Uncle Felix approach Lance?”

Ryder waited a moment before answering. “Yes.”

That made sense. I couldn’t see Lance Marshall, bad ass and the man my father said I could turn to if I ever needed anything, making such a giant leap.

“What did he say that convinced Lance I needed rescuing?”

“Plenty. But we’ll start to two easy examples. Last week you were found sleeping in the foyer of your penthouse and were so drunk and out of it your maid had to get the building management to carry you to your bedroom.”

“I’d been up nearly two days helping a friend get over the break-up of her marriage. She was drunk. I was exhausted. Yes, I’d had a bit to drink, but the stench from the alcohol everyone assumed I’d drunk was because Annalise spilt two drinks over my top.” Ones filled with rum to be exact. Hell, I didn’t even drink rum.

Jesus, when would people let up about that morning?

“And three days before that you were stranded in St. Moritz when you lost your passport during a game of strip poker with low level European royalty. The same royalty who ended up fleeing the hotel and leaving you to foot the bill for their ten-thousand Swiss francs a night room for five nights.”

“It wasn’t strip poker, but Texas-hold ’Em. And I didn’t lose my passport in a bet, I simply misplaced it while unpacking. As for the Eurotrash, yeah, I got caught.” And it had stung. I wasn’t romantically inclined to either guy, but liked their company. They had decided to get as much out of me as they could since a relationship wasn’t in the cards. I’d signed a couple of extra pieces of paper when I checked in, having been partying with the guys in Zermatt days earlier and thought an extra few days skiing and relaxing before returning home would be fun. “I paid their bill from embarrassment of being played so easily.”

I turned my head to look toward the front wall of the cabin, not wanting to see the censure in his gaze at how gullible I was. For whatever ridiculous reason, seeing such disapproval from him had the power to hurt. More than I cared to understand. “I realize I was a chump, Ryder, but that doesn’t make me completely irresponsible.”

“No, it doesn’t.” Ryder’s voice, still low and commanding, had a gentleness about it, a softening around the edges, that compelled me to look at him. His quiet, watchful expression unnerved me. What was he seeing, thinking when he studied me? “It’s not that you’re being judged for being taken advantage of, it’s that you’re around those types of people more often than not. People who don’t have your best interests at heart.”

“And you and Lance know this for a fact?” I made a scoffing sound deep in my throat. “I’ve seen him three times in the last eight months, and I’m guessing at a total of seven hours all added up. Yet that gives him insight into who I am and what my life is all about?”

I clocked the hardening of his jaw and the way he pressed his lips together. No comeback? Score one for me.

“He’s feeling guilty because we haven’t been in touch. I get that, and I’m as much at fault as he is. I’m happy to stay here for a few hours and meet with him. We can discuss my life plans and all the idiot ex-boyfriends I’ve ever had if that reassures him, but I’m not going to sit here and be told I’m a delinquent child when I’ve done nothing wrong. At least nothing that warrants such an over-reaction.”

There. I’d said my peace, even managing not to lose my temper, and I’d compromised in offering to meet with Lance.

Pretty damn generous on my part, if I said so myself.

“No dice, Princess.”

What?

“You’ve got to be joking.”

“No,” he said in a bored tone, as if even taking the time to answer me was a joke.

I gritted my teeth against the urge to scream. How hard would it be to knee him in the balls? One good jab and I’d be able to jump off the bed, maybe get to the door.

“The two examples I gave are only a fraction of the total instances Felix shared with Lance and our team. While some can be explained away, others can’t, at least not easily, and most of those involve you allowing some asshole to take advantage of you. The worst part is those assholes are usually people you’ve known a long time.”

“And we’re back at James.” I wasn’t going to argue with Ryder about the website design startup James had wanted me to invest in. I’d been against the idea from the start, not just because James had no experience with designing websites. But I supported him in other ways, and helped pay the odd living expense until he got on his feet after moving out of my apartment.

James was a dreamer. The world needed more dreamers, even if I wished he was a bit more grounded.

“Ask yourself this question: What is it about you that you think it’s okay for people to take advantage of you?”

I shook my head. “That’s an utterly ridiculous notion.”

“Is it?” Ryder shrugged. “Keeps happening. Something in your head is saying that’s an acceptable behavior. You’re not worthy of anything better.”

My pulse quickened. “Now you’re being mean.” I blinked away the ridiculous burning from the back of my eyes.

Ryder’s gaze narrowed at my actions. “No, I’m hitting my target, and you’re getting angry and defensive. But for now, I’ll let you stew and give you time to think a little more.”

“How considerate of you.”

His face broke into a smile, one that, for a second had my pulse racing for another reason before I remembered I hated him with the commitment of a Jedi Knight for Darth Vader.

“There are no lengths to my considerate nature. For example, I’m betting you’d like to use the facilities by now, and since I’m not the total bastard I know you think I am, I’m going to un-cuff you and let you make use of the bathroom.”

Of course as soon as he mentioned me seeing to my needs, I needed to do so desperately.

“Thank you,” I replied stiffly.

“Up you go.” He rolled to sit on the edge of the bed and pulled me to my feet in a smooth, effortless motion.

Once again, I was reminded of this man’s strength and how easily he had controlled me when I’d physically challenged him.

And when my body woke to the deep, powerful notes of his voice and sang with his touch.

While, according to Lance, Ryder, and my uncle I might be easily taken advantage of, I certainly wasn’t a fool. Taking Ryder on in a physical duel would always result in my failure. I needed to outsmart him and then seize my opportunity to escape.

As I headed into the small bathroom, I smiled to myself.

These men wanted me to develop goals in life and make the most of my opportunities at hand?

No problem. I was now fully committed to achieving one specific goal.

Getting the hell out of here and not looking back.