“I don’t remember. I…I don’t remember ever going there, or doing anything with him.”

  “That’s interesting, Mr. Borden.” He tapped the tablet’s screen. “You wouldn’t be the first person unwillingly brought into a wireless lounge. The drug in your system, we’ve found that more than once. But what puzzles me”—he turned the screen around so I could see it—“is who brought you there this night.”

  I stared at the screen, watching myself walk into the lounge and look around. Then I crossed the lounge, and the doc tapped the screen again, switching to a different camera angle. Though it was dim and grainy, it was definitely me, and that was definitely Aiden, stripped and bent and taking that gorgeous stranger’s cock again and again. I barely kept myself from sucking my lower lip into my mouth in search of the taste of that kiss, or the salt of Aiden’s skin when I knelt in front of him and blew him while the other man fucked him. Had I not been so goddamned terrified right now, backed so far into a corner I didn’t know how to get out of, I’d have been turned on, and the memory brought some nerve endings to life.

  “You’ve been to wireless lounges a few times now, Mr. Borden.” Santos folded his hands on top of the darkened tablet. “At least once, you arrived alone.”

  “I don’t remember that.”

  “Mm-hmm.”

  I glared at him. “What? Do you think I drugged myself tonight? I wouldn’t even know where to get hold of the shit they use out there.”

  “I don’t know what you did. All I know is that I’ve got toxicology evidence and surveillance footage painting very contradictory pictures.”

  Shaking my head, I said, “I don’t know what to tell you. I remember nothing.”

  “I see.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Look, if I was going to a lounge voluntarily and engaging in wireless sex voluntarily, why would I be drugged off my ass there tonight?”

  “That’s what I’m wondering, Mr. Borden.”

  “For fuck’s sake, I’m a simtech. I’m the last person on the planet who’d want to be caught in a wireless lounge.”

  He watched me silently. My heart pounded, and I was thankful they’d disconnected all the monitors from me, or my ECG might have offered up some incriminating evidence.

  “All right,” Santos said. “Explain why the only sim partner you’ve used recently bears a striking resemblance to Mr. Maxwell.” He inclined his head. “And why his only one looks like you.”

  “Is there a law against that?”

  “No.”

  “Then what’s the—”

  “Mr. Borden, we have indisputable evidence that you’ve been to a wireless lounge on multiple occasions. We know you’ve had wireless sex with Mr. Maxwell.” He drummed his nails on the tablet’s screen, the sound as menacing as it was annoying. “So, you want to explain your connection to him?”

  I exhaled. “He’s attractive. He’s a nice guy.” I shook my head. “That doesn’t mean I’d go any further than using him for a sim.” I shuddered, and quietly added, “And yeah, I liked the guy. Maybe… maybe I trusted him too much.” Adding to the lie made my skin crawl. Aiden may have drugged and abandoned me tonight, but I’d gone to that goddamned place on my own free will.

  The interrogator glanced down at his tablet. “We’ve audited your apartment’s cameras, Mr. Borden. You want to explain why we’ve got you coming in and”—he wrinkled his nose—“masturbating?”

  I swallowed, avoiding his eyes. “Look, I had some bad nights. That doesn’t mean I voluntarily went to a wireless lounge.”

  “You also didn’t go see the department psychiatrist.”

  “No, I didn’t. But I got through it, and it hasn’t happened since.”

  “Mmhmm. Would you care to explain why, in the time since your dalliances at home and your appearances at the wireless lounge, you’ve also declined an exceptionally matched wife?”

  I arched an eyebrow. “Am I obligated to marry her just because the government matched us up?”

  “No, but it doesn’t look good for a man in your position to be rejecting a match like that.”

  “When I decided I didn’t want to marry her, I had no way of knowing I needed to make myself look good for this bullshit investigation.”

  “Bullshit investigation? Mr. Borden, I don’t think you understand how serious this is.”

  I drew back.

  He leaned closer. “We know you went willingly, and that you violated a number of contact regulations. But we also can see that you were deceived, drugged, and assaulted, and that’s an even bigger crime. So we want him more than we want you.”

  “I’m flattered,” I said through clenched teeth.

  “Here’s the deal. We’ll be tracking you. Everywhere. It’s either Mr. Maxwell’s freedom or yours. And considering you’d like us—and a jury—to believe you went to the wireless lounge against your will, I trust you’ll cooperate. After all, if you’re telling the truth, then you should have no qualms about leading us to the man who attacked you.” His features hardened. “And if you don’t cooperate, that will be used as evidence in your trial.”

  “And if I can’t find him?”

  “Oh, I think you two will cross paths sooner or later.” He smiled, which only made his eyes more menacing. “I’m a patient man as long as I don’t believe I’m being fucked with. Lead us to him, and we’ll drop all charges against you. Screw with me, and I’ll make sure you’re prosecuted for every one of these offenses.” He tapped his tablet emphatically. “Am I clear?”

  Mute, I nodded.

  “Good.” Detective Santos got up and took a step toward the door. “I’ll see about getting your discharge papers moving.”

  “Thanks.”

  As soon as he was gone, I exhaled.

  Shit. Now what?

  Chapter 19

  On Thursday, Aiden didn’t come for his sim. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Relieved? Furious? Disappointed? Hurt? Fuck. No idea.

  Of course it was wise for him to stay away. If the authorities knew there was a connection between us, he’d be stupid to show up at such a heavily monitored government facility. That, and he probably knew I’d want to choke him the minute I saw him. At least, after he gave me some answers about just what the fuck had happened. Then I’d fucking choke the son of a bitch.

  And no one would let me forget what happened, either. They all assumed I was traumatized from what had happened at the wireless lounge—“What did those people do to you?”—and it was easier to just let them think that. Better than them knowing the truth.

  Though after the other night, I wasn’t so sure I knew the truth. I wasn’t so sure I knew anything anymore except for the fact that I was on the fast track to crazy. Nothing made sense. Nothing felt right. There was no suit that could insulate me from the chill of the absence of Aiden’s body against mine. At the same time, the thought of touching him again made me sick to my stomach. He’d…drugged me? Left me for the authorities to find? He’d as good as left me for dead.

  “You doing okay, hon?” Lacey’s voice jarred me out of my thoughts.

  I nodded, forcing a smile. “Yeah. I’m all right.”

  “Are you sure?” She grimaced. “I mean, after what you went through…”

  Shuddering, I waved a hand. “I’m good. I’d just as soon not think about it.”

  “I don’t blame you. If you need anything at all, you let me know, okay?”

  “I will.” I held the smile a moment longer. “Just, you know… one day at a time.”

  She pursed her lips. “I wish there was something I could do.”

  “It’s okay.” I cleared my throat. “Anyway. My, uh, next patient is here.” I glanced at the schedule, and my stomach flipped.

  Rodney. Shit. Just what I needed—someone who knew I’d been to wireless lounges.

  Plastering on a professional smile, I went into the waiting area and called him back. He didn’t look me in the eye as we walked down the hall into the sim room. As soon as the door was closed, though, he started talking, fast and furious.

  “Man, I’m so sorry about what happened.”

  I shuddered. “I’d rather not talk about it. We need to get your—”

  “No, no. You don’t get it.” He shoved a trembling hand through his hair. “I didn’t know, man. I didn’t—”

  “Didn’t know what?” I studied him. “Rodney, what’s—”

  “Look, I didn’t know somebody had forced you.” He folded his arms. Then dropped them. Then folded them again. “I… God, I just… I am so sorry. I—”

  “Wait.” I narrowed my eyes. “Sorry for what?”

  He gulped. And blanched.

  And my heart stopped. “You reported me?”

  The wince answered my question. “Keith, I—”

  “You fucking turned me in?” My fingers curled at my side. My glove creaked, and his eyes darted toward my fist.

  “Listen. Listen, man!” He put up his hands. “I didn’t have a choice. When they caught me, they were gonna—look, they already took my kids. They were going to send me to prison. I… I panicked.”

  “So you said you’d seen me there?”

  “I told you, I panicked. They said I could get a lesser sentence if I led them to others. Especially the people running the joints, or people like—” He drew back. “Like you. Simtechs. Cops.”

  I ground my teeth.

  He took a step back. “And they said… they said if I was telling the truth, and they busted a simtech because of what I’d said, then they’d let me off. Maybe even give me back my kids in a couple of years.”

  I balled my fists at my sides. “I would suggest you shut up, do your goddamned sim, and don’t ever let me see your face here again if you want your kids to have something to come back to in a couple of years.”

  His eyes got huge. “O-okay.”

  “I’ll get another tech to run your sim,” I growled, and stormed out of the room. Jesse, another tech, was on his way to take a break, but the way everyone was handling me so delicately right now worked to my advantage this time. He didn’t even hesitate to fill in for me, and went in to take care of Rodney’s sim while I hurried into the break room to gather my thoughts.

  Rodney had set me up? He’d handed me to the cops?

  But… how did Aiden figure into this? He’d known the raid was coming. There was no way he couldn’t have known. And he had drugged me. It didn’t make sense. Nothing did.

  “Keith?”

  I turned around as Lacey stepped into the break room.

  She tilted her head. “Honey, are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I…” Am not sure about anything right now.

  She came up to me and looked me right in the eyes. “Keith, you are so not okay right now.”

  You don’t know the half of it.

  “I’m fine,” I croaked. “I just need…” I don’t even know what I need. “I’m fine.”

  Skepticism pulled her eyebrows together. She glanced at the clock. “You know what? Shift’s almost over. You want to cut out early? There isn’t anything left to do that I can’t handle.”

  I considered it for a moment. Truth was, I did want to get out of here, even if it meant looking even more like an invalid to my colleagues. They thought I was fragile after the other night already, so what was one shift ended thirty minutes early?

  “Yeah. Thanks. I owe you one.”

  “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. Take it easy tonight, okay?”

  “Will do.”

  I left the simhouse. My legs were heavy, the sensation reminding me of the way I’d felt when that drug had closed in on me.

  When that drug had closed in on me while I was still inside Aiden. I shuddered. I’d been so lost in him, and he’d taken advantage of my oblivion, and my stomach turned just thinking about it.

  I kept my head down as I walked from the simhouse back to my apartment. I was afraid to look at anyone because they might either recognize me—apparently my face was all over the news sites, but I hadn’t dared check—or they’d look in my eyes and know the truth. That I’d been a willing wireless participant. I couldn’t take the chance of someone—

  Someone suddenly grabbed me from behind. All that hand-to-hand combat training surged to the surface, but not before he shoved me up against the wall and covered my mouth. “Not a sound. Got it?”

  I froze.

  What the fuck? Aiden?

  But I nodded as much as his hand allowed.

  He took his hand off my mouth. “Don’t run.” He took me into an alley a few meters away, turned me around, and pushed me against another wall. “There isn’t much time.” He grabbed my wrist and shoved something into my glove.

  “I’m—”

  “Not a sound,” he snapped. “Listen to me.” He tapped my palm, pressing something vaguely sharp against my skin. “Everything you need to know is on there. Just hear—”

  “You have to go,” I whispered. “They’re tracking me. They’ll—”

  “I know. I just needed—”

  “There!” someone shouted, and suddenly there were cops thundering into the alley.

  “Shit.” Aiden released me, and just like that, he was gone, sprinting into the shadows with the cops hot on his heels.

  “Hang onto him,” one of them barked over his shoulder, and two stayed behind with me.

  One kept a firm grasp on my arm.

  “You don’t need to do that,” I said through my teeth. “You’ve got guns. I’m not going anywhere.”

  He shrugged and released me. Well, that was a plus. I hadn’t expected it to work, but… at this point, I wasn’t going to bitch. I wasn’t going anywhere either. My legs had turned to lead even before the cops had arrived.

  I listened to the footsteps and shouts in the distance, but it was impossible to tell what was happening now. Had Aiden gotten away? What would they do to him when—if—they caught him? I’d heard that the longer cops had to run, the bloodier you’d be once they caught you.

  I still didn’t understand why Aiden had set me up, how he was connected to Rodney turning me in, but I hoped like hell he got away. He didn’t deserve the fate that would await him, either with the irritated cops or a heavy-handed judge.

  A few minutes later, one by one, the other cops started to return, all empty-handed and out of breath.

  “He’s gone.” A sweaty sergeant stopped beside us, breathing hard. “Almost had him, but…” He shook his head. “Sorry, Lieutenant.”

  I forced my relief beneath the surface—they still had to believe he was my attacker, not my lover.

  “Damn it,” another cop muttered. The lieutenant, apparently. He turned to me. “Where is Aiden Maxwell?”

  “How the hell should I know?” I gestured at the end of the alley Aiden had dragged me through. “He brought me here.”

  “What did he say to you?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Nothing?”

  “Nothing.” I showed my palms, panicking for a second and thinking they’d see whatever it was Aiden had put inside my glove, but they were all staring right at my face as I said, “I swear, he didn’t say anything.” Lowering my hands, I added, “Maybe he would’ve if you guys had given him a chance to.”

  The lieutenant’s lips pulled into a thin line. “Look, Borden. This guy is dangerous. If you want to keep your credentials, you’re going to find him again, and you’re going to lead us to him.”

  “Fine. Fine.” I swallowed. “But maybe don’t scare him off next time when he’s still got a way to escape?”

  They exchanged glances, all scowling, and then the lieutenant said, “You don’t have much time. Don’t fuck around with us.”

  Wordlessly, I nodded. They let me go, and as I continued on my way home, I absently rubbed my palm against the thing Aiden had shoved into my glove.

  Curiosity was killing me now—what the hell was so important that he’d risked this much to give it to me?

  Chapter 20

  As soon as I was back in my apartment, I had to know what was in my hand. I locked the door, and then tugged my glove back, revealing a small piece of stiff, folded paper.

  What the hell?

  As I pulled it free, I kept my back to the overhead camera, and turned just so to block the view of the one above the window. Then I unfolded it.

  Five words were handwritten in sharp, angular letters:

  I didn’t have a choice.

  Below that was an address and then a series of numbers—four digits, three digits, six digits.

  None of it meant anything to me. On one hand, I wanted to ball up the note and drop it in one of the canals, letting the chemicals and bacteria eat away the last piece of communication from Aiden.

  On the other, I wanted to know.

  I had to know.

  The address appeared to be in the New City, so looking it up on my tablet hopefully wouldn’t raise many flags. I was certain every move I made online was being tracked, though, which meant odds were that someone would be tailing me. Apparently they had been this afternoon.

  I shuddered.

  In theory, I could just get into a cab and give the address to the driver. But given some of the less than savory parts of this city, it was worth the risk of being watched while I looked it up in the safety of my apartment.

  The place turned out to be the train station downtown. The hub where all the major lines in the city terminated, and where, if a person had the proper authorization, they could board a train going out of San Angeles.

  My stomach clenched. With the cops watching me like this, going to the hub would raise flags. They couldn’t stop me as long as I didn’t try to actually board one of the outbound trains, but they’d definitely be watching.

  I glanced at the piece of paper, which was facedown on the table—I didn’t dare let the cameras get even a hint of what was on the page.

  There was no telling what those numbers meant or why Aiden wanted me to go to the hub unless I went down there and found out for myself.

  So, I took a cab to the hub and went inside. The address specifically directed me to a locker facility on the ground floor where people stored valuables. Once I’d found the entrance, I backtracked and went in circles until I was absolutely certain no one had followed me. If that raised more suspicions, so be it. I didn’t know what else to do. I supposed no one had any way of knowing the note had come from Aiden—he’d been subtle as hell when he’d put it in my glove—but I didn’t dare take any chances.