The guy who had been fondling her shoulder stood and grabbed her, pulling her close and whispering something into her ear. As he leaned in and nuzzled her neck, I slipped inside his mind just in time to hear exactly what he intended to do to her later.
I started toward them, knowing exactly what I intended to do to him, just for having thought of her in that way, but I stopped when Bree turned and walked in the opposite direction, toward another set of stairs going down. I tabled my plans to crush this douchebag’s skull in and tracked Bree’s mind as she descended the stairs, turned a corner below, and headed down a corridor that most likely led to the bathrooms. I couldn’t seem to tap into her heavily guarded thoughts, so I returned to watching the guy, who looked at least five years too old for Bree.
Just as I was starting to realize what a jealous fool I was, Mr. Fondler reached in the pocket over his left breast and pulled out a small vial. He dumped the contents in the drink Bree had been sipping.
“What the…?” Before I could decide what to do, Bree reappeared below, faster than I had expected. I paused long enough to wonder what she was going to say when she realized I was spying on her. Of course, this would be before she realized I had saved her from whatever this guy was planning to drug her with.
She arrived back at the table and took a seat. Her hand reached for the drink, and I knew I had to stop her. I took two quick steps toward the table—and saw the drink lift itself just off the table and overturn in Mr. Grabby-Hands’s lap.
Bree moved quickly out of the way. The man jumped up, letting the remnants of the drink spill onto the floor. I quickly ducked behind a corner and peeked out.
Bree scanned the room, her eyes narrowed. She was not the least bit surprised by the levitating drink—and there really was only one person she could be looking for. When she glanced my way again, I put my back against the wall.
Addison, show yourself, I demanded.
Not a chance, pretty boy. Her small voice filled my head. You really think a ten-year-old should be discovered in this bar? It’s bad enough that you and Bree lied your way past the front door. Why haven’t you told her that you’re here? You scared? There was humor in her words.
I peeked around the wall again. Bree and her date were gone, halfway down the stairs, and looked to be arguing. She tried to touch the guy’s elbow, and he jerked it away from her and headed down the same hallway she’d disappeared moments ago.
Addison, any idea who that guy is?
Yes. But I’m not telling you.
Why did you save her from being drugged?
Addison only laughed, then she was gone from my mind. Addison was the only clone that was better at getting in and out of people’s heads than me. Not only that, but her mind was completely unavailable to me unless I was directly in front of her and she wasn’t actively shutting me out. Her mind was locked up tight as a bank safe.
Keeping a light touch on Bree’s mind, but still unable to tap into her thoughts, I made my way downstairs and hid in a dark corner where I could watch her next move. The next band was in full swing now, and groupies had already crowded the dance floor in front of them. I waited.
When Bree’s date reappeared, he grabbed her elbow and forced her toward the main exit, not even bothering to inform the other couple on their double date that they were leaving. Loosen your grip on her, asshat, I mindspoke. I couldn’t punch this guy in the face yet, but I sure wasn’t going to watch him manhandle her like a piece of meat at the butcher’s shop. Bree tossed a look over her shoulder and almost made eye contact with me before exiting the nightclub.
I followed them to a parking lot. It was still raining. Bree pulled on her date’s grip. “Let go of me, Vance.”
Vance? What kind of name was that?
He spun around and was in her face. “What the hell was that?”
She pulled her arm loose. “What was what?”
“If you wanted the date over, you could have just said so.”
“What?” She looked confused, then realization set in. “I didn’t spill your stupid drink on you.”
“Oh, no? Then who did?” He gripped her arm tighter. His voice rose even louder. A few passersby stared.
I knew this would finally be the point where she’d hit this yahoo herself or give him an earful. She’d finally stand up to this classless jerk and show everyone the Bree I knew and—
But instead, her shoulders slumped forward. She placed her hand on his chest. “I’m sorry. I was clumsy. I didn’t mean to spill the drink. Can we just forget it? I’ll make it up to you. Tomorrow night?”
What was she doing? Surely she wasn’t into this shithead.
Her date’s fuming face softened. He took a deep cleansing breath, then smiled. “Of course. I just had high expectations for tonight. It’s the first time I’ve seen you since last summer. And I was looking forward to… I don’t know… apologizing for losing touch.”
Who was this tool? She’d never said anything about some past boyfriend.
“I know. Me too.” Something passed over Bree’s face that contradicted her words. It was subtle, and Mr. Asswipe didn’t seem to notice.
“I wish we hadn’t driven separately,” he said.
My ears perked up. Thank goodness for small favors. I wasn’t sure how I would have stopped her from getting into the car with this guy. But I would have.
“Why aren’t you staying with your parents?” he asked.
“I told you. They don’t know I’m in Portland. I’d like to keep it that way until I’m ready. Besides, this gives us time to spend together before my dad monopolizes all my time. You know how he is.”
“You’re right.” He stepped in and slid a hand onto Bree’s back, bringing her body close to his. Too close, as far as I was concerned. It took everything I had in me to not make my presence known. “Your secret is safe with me,” he continued. “But I’ll hold you to another date tomorrow night. Where are you staying?”
She leaned her head away. “With friends. But I’ll call you tomorrow.”
She didn’t want him to know where she was staying. What was she up to?
I knew what came next. I recognized the look in his eyes. Say goodbye. You don’t want to kiss her tonight. Bree and I might not be on good terms, but I wasn’t about to watch this jackhole kiss my girl.
“Goodbye, then. I’m already looking forward to tomorrow night. It’s been too long since we’ve been together. I’ll pick you up this time.”
Over my dead body, I thought. And what the hell did he mean by “been together”?
“Okay,” Bree said. She turned and walked toward an SUV. I tried to peek inside her mind again, but it was locked up tight.
Assbrain continued on to a sleek, red sports car that was ridiculously over the top. Get in and drive off quickly, I mindspoke. Before Bree leaves.
He did as I commanded. Bree backed out of her parking place next. After she’d put her vehicle into drive, she pressed on the gas—only to have to slam on the brakes just shy of hitting me. She met my gaze, wide-eyed. When she realized that it was me she’d almost hit, her next words were neither original nor a surprise.
Jonas, get out of my way, or I will run you over!
chapter seven
Briana
I gripped the steering wheel and stared straight ahead. Jonas held his hands up in front of him and slowly skirted the hood of my rental car. When he was in the clear, I had two choices: floor it and spray him with wet gravel from the saturated parking lot, or let him have his say, then tell him to go home—and by home, I meant Palmyra. I didn’t need him getting involved with what was going on here in Portland. And I didn’t want him anywhere near Vance Carrington.
How the hell had he found me anyway? Lexi had mentioned that some chick Kyle was involved with could now locate any clone. Looks like Jonas had wasted no time getting to know her.
What do you want, Jonas? I mindspoke so I wouldn’t have to roll down the window and get wetter.
He stood o
utside my door and stared down at me. Rain dripped from his hair and off the end of his nose. At least it was warm out. I refused to feel sorry for him.
Hi, Red. We need to talk. Let’s go somewhere.
I looked from him to the windshield wipers that were waving back and forth. No. Here is fine. Say what you need to say. I have somewhere I need to be.
Oh yeah? You going to catch up with… What was his name? Vance?
I turned my head slowly. Are you jealous? I let my lips curl just slightly. I knew this was a dangerous game. I’d had no intention of using Vance to stir up more trouble with Jonas. Hell, I hadn’t expected Jonas to follow me to Portland, or anywhere for that matter. As far as I was concerned, whatever relationship I thought I had started with Jonas was over before it ever began. Now I just wanted to save the “working relationship” we needed to have by finding some missing clones.
Jealous? He laughed. Of a guy named Vance? Hardly.
I’ll ask again. What do you want?
I need to tell you what happened in Costa Rica.
You’re too late. Lexi already filled me in. I can’t wait to meet Raven. I hear she’s a perfect match for Kyle. Is that all?
No. I want to make sure you’re okay. Addison is close by, and she might mean you harm.
I knew Addison had been following me; she hadn’t made a secret of it. Hence the flying drink tonight. But so far, she’d done nothing that put me in danger. Really? I asked Jonas, deciding I’d keep my secrets for now. I’ve seen no sign of her. But thanks for the warning. Now, if you’ll excuse me.
I peeled out, spitting gravel in my wake and leaving Jonas scurrying backward. How had he gotten that close and not given me a signal that he was near? Did he really think he could just show up in Portland and everything would be fine? With no apology for what happened the last time we were together?
It didn’t matter. I had family business to deal with, and I didn’t need Jonas getting in my way. If and when I discovered anything that affected Palmyra Atoll, then—and only then—I would tell Jonas.
~~~~~
I pulled into the motel, the nicest I could afford with what little cash I had. I had already maxed out my private credit card on plane tickets. I could always use one of my dad’s credit cards, but that would let him know where I was—and besides, I didn’t want to use his money. Basically, I was broke, which meant I was nearing the time when I would have to confront my dad.
But I needed information first. And Vance was going to be my ticket inside Howard BioTech.
The motel was painted bright mustard with grass green doors. Half of Oregon seemed to be painted green and yellow after one of their beloved universities. I scanned the area for anything suspicious. The motel parking lot was quiet, except for a young couple who looked as if they were returning from a day of hiking. By the looks of them—mud caked to their hiking boots and smudged on their pants—they hadn’t let a downpour of Oregon’s liquid sunshine stop them.
I gave my head a shake. Addison had a knack for finding me no matter where I was; surveying my surroundings wasn’t going to help. And now, Jonas could apparently track me down as well, thanks to Raven MacMillan’s ability to pin down the whereabouts of every clone in existence.
I hadn’t believed it when Lexi called and said Kyle had discovered a ring of International Intelligence Agents manufacturing trackers in Costa Rica, and that some innocent girl that Kyle had just happened to fall in love with was innocently caught up in their illegal movements. Poor girl. It was bad enough to be born into this world not knowing you’re a pawn in your parents’ scheme to clone humans, but Raven had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. At least that’s what Lexi had said.
And now Raven was feeding Jonas my whereabouts. My first order of business after I washed Vance off my skin was to call Lexi and get this Raven chick off my tail. I didn’t care how nice or innocent she was, I didn’t need her or Jonas snooping in my business.
I headed to my motel room. As soon as I was inside, I left a trail of clothes on my way to a hot shower. My parents might be from the northwest, but my body was not acclimated to the cooler evening temperatures. I liked Kentucky’s summer humidity, and I would use the steam of a hot shower to feel normal again.
After a twenty-minute shower spent breathing in the therapeutic steam of scalding water, I towel-dried my hair and, by habit, tied another white bath towel around my body.
As I grabbed the knob of the bathroom door, I heard voices in the room outside, and the sound of a door slamming. Then quiet. I looked around the bathroom for anything I could use as a weapon, only to realize I had left everything on the bed.
But thanks to my genetically altered DNA, I had another tool at my disposal. Digging deep, I searched for the mind outside the door. When I found it, I controlled that mind, making it see me as a two-hundred-pound, six-foot man with a deep male voice. To complete the illusion, I wore my towel like a man, hanging loosely around my hips, then swung the door open and stepped out like I was going to kill whoever was trespassing in my motel room.
“What are you doing in my room?” my male voice boomed as I turned the corner and came face to face with… “Jonas! What the hell are you…”
Surprised by the sight of Jonas for the second time that night, I forgot to keep up with projecting the mental picture of being a large man. Jonas leaned back against the bed’s headboard with an elbow bent behind his head. A lazy grin slid along his face, a glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes as they drank in the sight of me. That’s when I remembered the towel that hung around my hips.
I darted into the bathroom, yelling every obscenity in my vocabulary—which was vast, apparently. I moved the towel back up and secured it there. Then I stormed out of the bathroom and over to my open suitcase. “I want you out.”
“Aw, Red! There’s nothing to be ashamed of. I wondered how long it would take to see you naked. Even if it was only partially.”
My face must have darkened ten shades of red. “Get out,” I ordered through gritted teeth.
“No. Get dressed.” He didn’t move. He just watched as I frantically tore through my bag for clothes.
There went my night of crawling into bed with flannel pajamas and a late night movie. I disappeared into the bathroom again and slipped into a pair of jeans and a black sweater. After running my fingers through my red waves and giving myself a warning look in the mirror, telling myself not to get caught up in Jonas’s smooth-talking or his insensitivity, I exited the bathroom.
This time Jonas wasn’t alone. Lexi, Jack, and Kyle were there too, plus a girl I didn’t recognize.
I studied her jet-black hair and bright blue eyes. “I guess you’re Raven, the human GPS monitor for all living clones.” My voice sounded bitchy even to me.
She nodded, then shot a nervous look toward Kyle.
Don’t blame her for me getting to see you naked… well, nearly naked. It wasn’t her fault.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said. She moved closer to Kyle, nodding in acknowledgement. I slid my hard look to Jonas. You’re an asshole. I can’t believe I ever shared a single intimate moment with you.
A look of… guilt, maybe?… flashed across his face, surprising me, before he replaced it with his normal arrogant smugness.
“I don’t know what’s going on with the two of you,” Lexi said, looking back and forth between us, “but you need to put it aside for now.”
I crossed my arms. I wanted to tell her, “You’re not the boss of me,” but I mercifully realized how immature that would have made me sound. So I simply said, “Why?”
“You didn’t tell her?” Lexi asked Jonas.
“I was just getting to it. We were dealing with a couple of other… mounds of issues.”
If I’d had Lexi’s ability to turn a mind into zucchini, I would have done exactly that to Jonas.
Lexi’s face hardened. She faced me. “Raven has tracked a small cell of clones to Portland, and none of us knows who they are or if t
hey’re dangerous.”
chapter eight
Jonas
“Jonas said you know that Addison is close by,” Lexi said.
Bree flicked a piece of lint off her black sweater, then refolded her arms. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Cut the shit, Bree.” Lexi threw her arms out to the sides and let them slam against her thighs. “What is wrong with you?”
I crossed my legs at the ankles and settled further into my spot on the bed to enjoy the show. Lexi was the only person I knew—besides myself on a good day, maybe—who could go toe to toe with Bree and remain standing after.
“What is wrong with me? What is wrong with the lot of you? You think you can show up in Portland and I’ll just automatically want to get involved with whatever clone crisis of the day you’ve got going? Well, here’s a news flash: I have my own problems.”
“Oh yeah? And what about Addison? You don’t care that she’s bouncing around Portland, playing the disappearing act? None of us knows what she’s capable of.” Lexi mirrored Bree’s crossed arms and jutted out a hip. Bree gnawed on her lower lip and lifted her brows, but said nothing in response. They were in a staring war. One, two, three beats passed.
“Is this how they always are?” Raven asked.
“This is nothing,” Kyle answered. He’d known Lexi and Bree for more than six years while they were each other’s arch nemeses at Wellington Boarding School. “I’ve seen these two go at it in the swimming pool and nearly drown each other over who’s going to bring up the rear of a relay.”
“All right, that’s enough.” Jack grabbed Lexi by the elbow and pulled her back. “Let’s just agree that we did pop up in Portland with no warning.”
“Thank you, Jack,” Bree said. “A little warning would have been nice.”
“Would you have answered my call, if I had called to tell you I was here?” I asked. She and I already knew the answer to that, because she’d been ignoring my calls ever since she’d left the island.
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