“This is Josiah, dear. Josiah Trent. Josiah, this is Jake’s delightful fiancée. Josiah is your father’s uncle, dear.”

For a moment she couldn’t breathe. She actually felt dizzy, the room spinning alarmingly. She looked around, her vision blurring a little. Sean, instead of circulating around the room, was hovering just a few feet away, and that steadied her a little. Two men, just beyond the couch, were watching her intently, eyes narrowed and focused, and she sensed evil in the pair. Drake was just to the right of her, leaning one hip against the wall, talking, but she knew he was watching her every move. Joshua wasn’t in her line of vision, which meant he was somewhere behind her. Jake was across the room, within shouting distance, although the music and conversations seemed abnormally loud all of a sudden. Emma let out her breath, forcing herself to remain calm. She was safe as long as she was out in the open.

“My father’s uncle? You’re my father’s uncle?”

Trent enveloped her hand with his, patting as if to soothe her. One finger slid over the cloth on her wrist, pressing it deeper against the scratch on her arm so that it burned and she jerked her arm away. “You have no idea how long we’ve been searching for you. After my nephew’s death, we lost track of you. It seems Jake managed to find and . . .” He hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “Win you for himself.”

Emma extracted her hand and took another sip of wine. Her gaze met Sean’s. Immediately he shifted off the wall and hurried over, bending down with the tray. It gave her a few moments to think as she chose a small bacon-wrapped quiche.

“Thank you. These are delicious.” She knew she sounded grateful, which would only give Cathy and Trent an advantage. They would know they were getting to her.

“You’re supposed to circulate,” Cathy hissed to the waiter. She made an odd noise deep in her throat, somewhere between a growl and a rumble that was menacingly soft. Her eyes glowed ruby red in the dim light.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said and moved away.

Emma felt like she’d lost an ally but she was determined not to signal Jake. She had to trust Drake and his team. Jake stood tall and straight, very distinctive, even in a room filled with many powerful men. Whatever revelations Cathy was going to tell would not come with Jake close. She took a breath and made herself smile blandly up at the two hovering over her. Their eyes were hard, calculating, and she knew they were every bit the predator that Jake was.

Her breath caught in her lungs. She had the urge to run while she could. This was a society she didn’t want to understand or want to be part of. “You were looking for me?” she murmured softly, an encouragement to tell her more.

Trent shifted position just enough to block her view of Jake—or to block Jake’s view of her. The movement was subtle, but with Emma’s heightened awareness, she caught it.

“Long before you were born, Bradley, your father, was quite the ladies’ man. He was very good-looking and charming, and few women could resist him. We wanted a particular woman in our family. One . . .” He smiled, baring his teeth as a shiver went through her. “One of a breeding and bloodline befitting our family. I paid Bradley a great deal of money to find and bring this woman to me.”

“We have the contract he signed, dear,” Cathy said, leaning close. “Perhaps you would like to see it? It has some particular significance to you.”

Emma felt trapped, caged in, and something inside of her shifted, going from fear to survival mode. Very carefully she set the wineglass on the table next to her and looked up at Cathy. “Why would a contract my father signed before I was born have any significance to me?”

Trent’s body swayed slightly, his head moving but his eyes still. “He owes me still.”

Emma’s eyebrow shot up. “What does he owe you? And as he’s dead, how can that in any way impact me?”

“You’re what he owes me.” Trent smiled and leaned down slightly, running his hand over her cloth-covered arm again.

Her eyebrow shot up again. “My father owes you his child?”

“His wife, actually. I financed his trip to the rain forest and he was to bring me a suitable young woman. Instead, he betrayed us and married her. He took the money and went on the run with her. He stole from me, both the woman and the money.”

Emma knew, with the strange sixth sense she had, that he was telling her the truth. Her childhood had been spent on the run, never staying in one place long, never permanently buying a home and going to school like other children. There were weeks in a place, then abruptly they left with no explanation. And perhaps, a little chilling voice rose up, it explained why someone had tortured her father.

Someone looking for her? Or perhaps someone punishing him. Was she looking at the man who had murdered her parents?

“I see.” What could she say? The revelation that she was related to Josiah Trent sickened her. She now knew a little of how Jake must feel with tainted blood flowing in his veins. And her beloved father had gone to the rain forest and seduced her mother with the intent of selling her to Trent. To say that she was shocked at her father was an understatement.

“Jake is the same ruthless type of man. I feel responsible for you,” Trent said, his voice softening, almost hypnotic. “He’s very dangerous. We’ve tried to minimize the damage he does to others, but I’m sure you’ve seen him in action. Very few can stand up to him. He knew about you and your parents after finding the contract and he decided to have you for himself. After he dumped my . . .” Trent’s throat tightened, he choked, his voice coming out clogged and grief-stricken. “My daughter, she never recovered, turning to alcohol to drown her sorrows.”