High Society (The High Stakes Saga #3)

Evading my question, she snapped, “You’re wearing a gown and sitting like a man. You’ve done no research on this time period. Why would they even send you?”

“Answer my question.”

“Asa is attracted to me. I used that to my advantage.” She tossed her head and flipped her hair back over her shoulders haughtily.

“Asa is attracted to everyone, sweetheart.”

She cocked her head to the side and gave me a bored look. “I don’t know why you’re down here, but if you aren’t going to untie me, just leave. I can’t stand to look at you.”

“You can’t stand to look at me? How do you think I feel?” I fired back.

“Well,” she cooed, “you don’t seem very bright, so I’m going to assume you’re not. Now, I’m extremely close to accomplishing a goal I’ve been working toward for nearly a year. I’d appreciate it if you’d stay in your lane – which, in case you don’t understand, that means stay far, far away from Asa and let me finish what I came here to do.”

“I’m afraid I can’t let you.”

She growled. “You will not keep me from this! I was born for this. I was made for it.”

“Made for what?”

“To do what no one else has been able to!” she whisper-yelled.

“To stake Asa?” I snorted. “You aren’t even close. No matter how much you think you’re in control of him, or of your sordid relationship, you aren’t.”

“Oh, I am,” she boasted. “I’m so close I can taste it.”

“You actually want to be turned?”

Her smile fell away. “Of course I do.”

“Why do you want to do that?”

“Why wouldn’t you?” Her tone grew suspicious and I could feel the distance she was forcing between us. “That’s why we were sent.”

“We were sent to strike down the firsts,” I countered.

She scoffed. “No, we weren’t. Only the top Assets were given that task, and they failed miserably. We were sent to collect…” she trailed off.

“Collect what?” I prodded.

She choked out a harsh laugh. “You can’t possibly be her.”

I gave her a wide smile and nodded.

“Let me see your mark,” my clone demanded.

“I have no mark, sweetheart. I’m the real thing.” I held my wrists up for her to see, rotating them all the way around.

She paled. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

“Don’t vomit on your dress. It’ll stink for days.”

“How can you be here? In this time?”

“I wish I knew.” Not that I’d tell her what was going on, even if I did know. If the clones I pushed over the cliff landed back in our time, maybe Victor knew I sent them. Then again… maybe he didn’t.

“How many of you have returned home?”

“None, as far as I know, but my knowledge is limited,” she answered.