The Revenge by Tijan

I closed my mouth.

Her head hung, but not before I saw the agony flash in her eyes.

She was sniffling, dabbing at her nose with a napkin. “You saved my life, and you didn’t need to do that. I would’ve died.” She looked up; that agony was there. It was right on the surface, and it was enough to dissipate some of my anger. “Calhoun told me to go to that house and hide there. I did. But he also sent me the drugs. He sent enough for me to overdose on, and a part of me knew it. I had it lined up. I was going to take it, and I knew I was going to die. You got there in time.” More sniffling. Her voice grew hoarse, to a faint whisper. “You saved my life, and then you further saved my life by helping me detox.”

“Go to a treatment center.”

“I am.” A tear slid from her eye, but she let it go. She didn’t wipe it away, and resolve flared at me from her gaze. Her chin firmed. Her shoulders straightened. “I came back to pack my things and I have a car waiting for me. I didn’t come in here to upset anyone. I truly didn’t, but when Fleur said you were here, I came to say thank you. And…” her chin wobbled now. She blinked rapidly. Her throat moved up and down as she swallowed. “And … and I know what your grandfather intends to do with you.”

I grew still.

“I know that you have a twin brother. I know that you know about your twin brother, and I know that he’s supposed to watch you because he’s supposed to replace you.”

What …

I blinked. Once. “Say again?”

Her mouth pressed together, but that chin was firm again. She lifted it. “Your twin brother is supposed to take over your life. He’s been studying you this whole time, observing you, and when he’s perfected you, he will kill you.”

She paused another beat before she finished.

“He’ll take over your life as if you never existed.”





THIRTY-SEVEN

Bailey


“Bailey.”

I’d fallen asleep. Crap. How had I fallen asleep?

A hand smoothed up my arm and he leaned over me. “Bailey. Wake up.”

My heart spiked.

It was Kash, but it wasn’t Kash.

That hand wasn’t Kash.

The lights in the office were off, but there’d been a lamp on. I knew Kash left it on.

What was he doing? No.

“Bailey.” A bit more insistent. His hand shook my shoulder harder. “Come on.”

“What are you doing?”

I winced, hearing my voice. It was raspy and barely there.

“We have to go.” Now his voice was more clear, louder.

He sounded like Kash.

His head moved closer, and my eyes were adjusting. He looked like Kash.

But he wasn’t Kash. I knew it. I felt it.

“Who—” I stopped. There was a nagging in my mind, in the back of it. This guy … I knew him.

My heart dropped.

This was the twin.

Was it?

Wait …

No.

But.

This wasn’t Kash.

He looked like Kash. He was speaking like Kash.

He was acting as if he was Kash.

But he was not Kash.

The realization hit me hard, in my chest.

I started breathing hard.

Sweat ran down my back, chilling me at the same time.

This was him.

The twin. I knew it. I so knew it.

Oh my God.

What should I do?

Kash! Where was Kash?

I froze, my entire body locking up.

“What’s wrong?” he clipped out, impatient.

I had to try it. “Raccoon.”

And I waited.

Nothing. No reaction.

Sooo not Kash.

So seriously not Kash,

But there was another thing bugging me.

It was in the back of mind.

It was there …

Something about this guy. Something else about this guy.

Who … What?

An alarm was blaring inside of me.

Screw all that.

What do I do here?

Lie. Be fake. Act.

I felt the answer as sure as if it’d been Chrissy speaking in my head. I even heard a hint of her voice in the air. My stomach still locked up tight, I tried to sound drowsy. “What’s going on?”

“We have to go, babe.”

Babe.

Kash called me that, but not like this. Not now. It would’ve been in a casual way, not in a way that he knew I would be alarmed. Or baby. He called me that, too, but in the throes, as he was moving inside of me.

This guy was really truly and ridiculously not Kash, but he pulled me up.

I didn’t want him touching me.

I didn’t want his hand on me.

He took my hand—but he didn’t lace our fingers. Thank God.

Kash would’ve laced our fingers. And he was pulling me from the office. His head was kept low, but as we stepped into the hallway, the guards didn’t say anything.

He was dressed like Kash.

Fitz was there, pushing the elevator button.

He glanced over Kash’s brother, to our hands, and then to me as the doors opened.

I looked hard at him, and he frowned, but followed us inside.

Then there was that nagging in my head. Again.

I knew him, but I didn’t.

Right?

Right …

That had to be it.

Two worlds. Colliding.

Why was I getting that feeling?