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charged toward her again. Gasping and wide-eyed, Kerry stepped just beyond the reach of his bonds once more. When he came up inches short of her, Rafe cursed, something low and ugly.
    “If my business and my reputation are ruined because of you, because I didn’t show up for the Standard National job, I swear what I’ll do to you will make murder look like a kids’ game.”
    “You don’t have to threaten on me,” she shouted. “I’m not going to hurt you, and I won’t take much of your time.”
    Rafe resisted the urge to pound his fist on something. “Is this about money?”
    “No,” she assured. “Like I tried to tell you, I need your help. I’m not going to hurt you, if that’s what you’re worried about. And—and I’m so sorry about drugging and tying you up—”
    “Drugging—” He hadn’t even earned this lousy hangover the fun way? “No wonder I feel so crappy. We didn’t have sex, did we?”
    Her cheeks flushed pink again. “No.”
    As strange as Kerry was, part of him wished they had. Really wished it.
    Had someone beat him with the stupid stick last night? She’d duped him, distracted him with that that minuscule red halter and tantalizingly brief skirt in order to slip something in his drink so she could abduct him. And he, brainless bastard that he was, hadn’t quite forgotten her addictive kisses. Apparently, every last one of them had been a lie. That infuriatedhim as much as the abduction itself. And her weird phone calls over the last few weeks. The day—hell, his life—was deteriorating faster than a Trojan virus could eat a hard drive’s contents. And Kerry was responsible.
    “Can I get you something? Breakfast?” Kerry sounded so earnest, as if intent on pleasing a houseguest.
    “To hell with breakfast! Unlatch these and let me go.”
    Regret softened the oval of her face. “I can’t. You’re my best hope.”
    Her imploring tone did not mix well with the anger churning in his gut—or the fact he still needed the bathroom. “I’m your best hope for what? Your sanity? Let me give you a clue, this scheme has convinced me you don’t have any.”
    Annoyance tightened her face. “I’m perfectly sane, just trying to keep my brother out of prison. I really tried to explain that on the phone, not that you listened.”
    “I was supposed to get that from your ramblings about someone having chemotherapy and getting married?” This just got stranger and stranger. “So, what? You’re holding me in exchange for his freedom?”
    She shook her head. “I think you can prove him innocent. I just need—”
    “What?” Rafe took a deep breath and counted to ten. “Look, I’m not anyone’s hope and I can’t help you with your brother. Release these damn restraints now. I’ve got a job to do.”
    “I know, fixing the security at Standard National. That’s why you’re here. Mark, my brother, is the employee accused of embezzling.”
    Ah, now he was getting somewhere. “And you want me to doctor some files to make him look innocent?”
    “Of course not! He is innocent. You don’t have to doctor anything, just find out how he was framed.”
    Rafe scoffed. “What makes you so sure he isn’t guilty?”
    Kerry’s mouth tightened, her eyes narrowing. No doubt, he’d genuinely pissed her off. Good, then. That made them even.
    “Mark is too honest. He would never —”
    “Sweetheart, you’re talking about three million dollars. For that kind of cash, a lot of men would look the other way when their ethics came calling.”
    “Not Mark. Never Mark!” Kerry crossed her arms over herchest and glared. “Look, I only need a little bit of your time. I know next to nothing about computers, you only take corporate clients and charge an arm and a leg. I figured that someone with your reputation and background who would already have access to Standard National’s files would be my best chance to help Mark. I mean, you hacked into the CIA at nineteen, so digging through bank