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Chapter 23

I CLAMPED MY MOUTH SHUT THE TRUTH was, I’d been about to let out a shriek to wake the deadBrandon’s warning caused h Also the fact that he was pressing so hard on my throat, I couldn’t have made a sound if I’d tried Besides, I wasn’t sure he actually wanted a reply“So,” he went on “Brain transplant? That’s what happened to you? Not this a me and everyone else?”I reers had strayed toward the scar on the back of my head That must have been the first clue that all was not as I kept assuring hiet out of this Christopher, I knew, could have no idea anything rong None of them would Not until I didn’t come back for a while Would I be back? I wondered This was a side of Brandon I’d never seen before It was a side that scared me witless“Yeah That actually explains a lot,” he said He h word to describe how it felt I’d always thought Brandon was du, and that this whole ti but it had never entered ed,” he went on “But I could never put er on how, exactly Until today I mean, obviously, there was the Stark is evil crap But the old Nikki”—The old Nikki I wondered how she’d feel about being called that—“had been spewing crap about how she knew soes I just never listened Now I know I should have ”My heart thu to tell He was going to tell his dad everything There had to be a way out of this, there just had to be What did Brandon want? What could I give him, to shut him up about this?“The problem is, she was an amateur,” Brandon went on “You all are You don’t know …except Stark The only way to hurt hih his company Whatever she knows about Stark Quark, if it’s worth killing Nikki Howard for—and then giving her a brain transplant to keep her i Believe me And I want in ”I opened my mouth I was in such shock, I didn’t re I’d expected him to say—that he wanted in“But—” I croaked“No,” Brandon said, and laid a hand overhiht way She didn’t know just hoerful the inforet her to tell me what she knows—and she will, because she’s obviously still got the hots for et your personal geek squad back there to tell ure out e can do with that infor to blackmail him myself ”I looked up at hi was, I didn’t really believe for a minute he was Crazy, I mean Not at allAnd that was the scary part“Why should I help you?” I demanded“Because,” he said very simply, “if you don’t, I’ll tell my dad where the real Nikki Howard is And I’ll tell hi blond hair through his fingers, as if testing its silkiness “Okay? Now, you’re going to go in there and tell them that you found me awake and that you’ve told uy, and that I’ed on the curl of hair he held“And if you tell theirl And one last thing,” he said, ainstaround with that guy in there, that one I found you with in your bedrooether now Understand?”I felt ht red So he had seen me with Christopher…“I’you,” I said, feeling sick tohim in St John…oh, hoished now I never had listened to Lulu “It was Nikki The real Nikki ”“Right,” Brandon said, looking bored with the conversation “What’s your nah froainst my larynx with his arm “Ehed “The truth is, I don’t really care what your name is You can be shen you want to Unlike the old Nikki Only you’re not stupid, like she was So remember what I said You’re mine now ” He squeezed uy, the one in the leather jacket, who seems so into you Just me Understand?”I nodded What choice did I have?He lifted his arain, but kept one hand firh I could move physically, I felt paralyzed mentally and emotionally What had just happened? Was this really Brandon, the guy who had ju? He’d put his arm around my neck there, too, but to tow me to the boat to save me, not to press me to a wall and threaten me How could he be so drastically different than I’d remembered him? Was the Brandon who’d complained to me so often about his distant father really the sa to participate in blackainst ht Christopher had turned into a supervillain, but it turned out I didn’t even knohat a supervillain was Brandon was the supervillain of all supervillains He had embraced evil in a way Christopher, I was quite certain, couldn’t even begin to conte the foyer and turning back toward the living roo to Mrs Howard to say, his voice so even and measured it sent chills upwith a huo, “The fact is, it’s just not safe for you here anyo ”“Not without me, they don’t,” Steven saidMrs Howard sounded nervous “Oh, Steven…But do you really think—are we really in thatfound out?”I wanted to shout, You already have been! But I kept my mouth shut“If we could trace those e-mails, it’s pretty likely someone from Stark could, if they found out about theet out of here ”“But where will you go?” It was Lulu who spoke up “You can’t hide from Stark forever They’re everywhere ”Yeah She had no ideaIt was at thatonbehindlike a baby?” Lulu wanted to know“Um…” I said “Not exactly ”Which hen Brandon loped into the roo everyone to freeze with alarm before they realized who it was“Relax,” Brandon said, with a big sesture with his hands “Nikki—or Euess her na ”I saw several people, including Christopher and Steven, throw lances, filled with surprise, and even rebukeBut what could I do? I knew both guys could have taken Brandon down physicallyBut short of killing hi his dad what he’d overheard once he’d recovered? He knehere Dr Fong lived, and probably knew Christopher’s last nao to his father hat he knew I couldn’t! He’d agreed to play along…as long as I met his conditionsI just wished I’d never been stupid enough to have kissed hi with fire Why had I ? I should have known that, like his father, there was a sche business to get what he wanted…which, in Brandon’s case, was revenge on StarkNot at all unlike Christopher Only Brandon wanted revenge on one particular Stark, not the whole co,” Brandon said in a soothing tone “I’ve got it all under control First of all, as you know, I’m no friend of my father’s Secondly, Nikki, Mrs Howard, and Steven…I want you to know, I’ve got it all figured out My li on a tarmac at Teterboro It can fly you all to my summer house in South Carolina You’ll be co on the couch gaping up at Brandon like an angel had suddenly burst into the room, looked as if she’d beco, she leapt up and threw her arms around hih for us! I knew it!”Brandon gaed her back Behind hiuy? What’s going on?I gave hi But I’m not sure it did the trick“Well, Mr Stark,” Mrs Howard said, glancing at me as uneasily as her son had “That’s awfully…kind But you’re sure your father won’t find out?”“Robert?” Brandon laughed humorlessly “No way He’s too busy with the Stark Quark rollout to have the slightest idea what’s going on Besides which, as I said, it’s my house Dad doesn’t even know about it You’ll love it Six bedroo the dogs ” He looked down at the poodles fondly Any guy who liked dogs that“And we’re in luck, since Ereed to come with us”—he wrapped an ar hter than it appeared—“to spend the holidays ”I couldn’t even look at Christopher I knew the hurt and disappointment I’d see in his eyes would be h as it was“Well,” Brandon said to Nikki “Go and get packed We don’t haveup now ” Nikki let out a squeal and darted fros “Mrs Howard,” Brandon went on “How about you, can you be ready soon?”She looked like a woh a lot in the past few h a lot in the past few hours But all she said was, “Yes Yes, I think so ”She called to her dogs and started up the stairs Steven was the first to turn toward Brandon after both woan tersely “But we’re just supposed to trust you? Your father is Robert Stark It’s because of him we’re in this situation in the first place ”“Oh, I totally get where you’re co from,” Brandon said “But re up from the couch with a squeak “He does hate his father He says it all the time Even when he’s not drunk ”“And I can’t believe,” Brandon went on, not taking offense at Lulu’s remark, “that he would do this I’s right I’ve ordered a local cab for you, Lulu, and your friend”—he nodded at Christopher—“to take you back into Manhattan It should be here any minute I’ else I can do…well, you only have to ask ”“Mess?” Christopher stepped forward I had to look at hih I didn’t want to He wore an expression of e And the same look of hurt I’d seen in his eyes froirl irl’s brain transferred into her body, and you call that a lanced at him “Look, buddy,” he said, out of the corner of his et the his job…and his life One step at a tiuy like Robert Stark as a father It’s not easy ”Christopher was breathing so hard, he was practically panting He glanced over atanchored to Brandon’s waist “You’re not actually going with this clown, are you, E I didn’t really feel emotionally able to handle at the , ht—be a way out of this, if everyone just played along Including Christopher “Do we have to discuss this right now?”“Yeah ” Christopher’s voice was as icy cold as the air outside “Right noould be good, actually ”“I think you heard the lady ” Brandon’s voice was as cold as Christopher’s “She said not now ”Lulu, looking nervous, had stood up “What about Steven’s and Nikki—I s?” she wanted to know “They’re still at our place in Manhattan ”“It’s all right,” Steven said “I can buy new things ”“I’ll send the him was full of earding Brandon suspiciously “I don’t e,” Christopher said He see it mildly “Em,” he went on “I really need to talk to you ”“There’ll be plenty of ti to one of the s and lifting the curtain to look out, “once we get the Howards to safety What we really don’t want right now is et them out ”Lulu looked alarmed “Could that happen? Do they knoe’re here?”“There’s a vehicle tracking system on all the Stark limos,” Brandon said casually “If ine he probably did—”Steven let out a sord I pressed both ht of that“Oh, don’t worry,” Brandon said, seeing our expressions “I already called to let the attention, they have to be wondering what I was doing at the hoy and Neurosurgery ”Dr Fong lookedto curl in on hi for hiHadn’t we all, though?“Oh,” Brandon said, still peering out the“Here comes the cab ”I saw Lulu turn and, as if she couldn’t hold it in any longer, throw herself against Steven, wrapping her arms around his neck in as passionate an eot knocked clean offTo say Steven looked surprised would have been an understatement But not in a bad way His ar Then he broke the e both pleased and disturbed at the sah to hear Lulu whisper “I’ to miss you Proh ”“I’ll try,” Steven replied He reached down and wiped some of her tears aith his thumb “You take care of yourself Don’t spend all your tihed tearfully, and let hi up atand tear-filled as I’d ever seen“Nikki,” she said “Are you sure you’re all right?”“I’uess it wasn’t a spirit transfer, after all?”“No,” I said with a little laugh“But…you’re going with them? Why?” Lulu wanted to know “What about Frida?”“I can’t tell you why,” I said,suddenly I couldn’t tell her, of course, that a psychopathic billionaire’s son seeit “And you can’t tell Frida, okay? You know this can’t go any further than this room This is serious Lives are at stake I’ll just tell Frida I went away for the holidays with…” I glanced over at Brandon, who’d dropped thecurtain and atching us, a tiny smile on his lips A chill went up and downto do with the fact that the fire in the rooo “…my boyfriend ”The tears in Lulu’s eyes spilled over “Your boyfriend? But what about…” Her gaze strayed toward ChristopherI reached out and hugged her Her body felt so slight “I know,” I whispered miserably Over her shoulder, I looked at Christopher, whose expression was inscrutable“Take care of her,” I said to hi LuluToon the stairs, and suddenly the dogs appeared, followed by Nikki and her“I think we’re ready,” Mrs Howard announced She had changed into street clothes and applied so to her hair She actually looked nizably like the attractive woman in the photos Steven had e-mailed to all the news shows It was obvious froood looksNikki, on the other hand, was still applying her ress as well, half flat-ironed and half wavy She see She still wore the clothes she’d slept in“Great,” Brandon said, ignoring the yapping dogs at his feet and the mascara wand in Nikki’s hand He strode to the front door and yanked it open, letting in a rush of bitterly cold air “Let’s go, then ”I keptovercold as to keep fro on around h the newfallen snohich was still falling steadily in the brightening ht I didn’t want to have to look at Christopher’s face…I didn’t want to have to answer his questions…not with the lies I’d have to tell because Brandon would be nearby, listeningI especially didn’t want to have to say good-bye Not when I’d finallyBut it turned out I didn’t have a choice Because just as I was about to follow Nikki into the limo, a hard hand closed around nize it anywhere—said, “E around I closed ain, I saw Brandon standing on the other side of the li He said, “I think your little friend wants to speak to you ”I hated him then I’d never hated anyone as much as I hated him in that momentAnd I shen this was all over—if it ever ended—I’d find soet back at his dadI turnedmy blond hair out of the way so I could seeAnd there was Christopher, looking down atout in white puffs in the chilly air His cheeks were pink, like they alhen the teBut his blue eyes were blazing“E with the everywhere but into those burning eyes“Why?” Christopher asked “They’ll be all right Steven’s with them ”“Because,” I said I looked at some lavender clouds in the sky Anywhere but Christopher’s face “Brandon asked me to ”“Brandon asked you to?” Christopher’s voice rose incredulously “Who the hell cares what Brandon Stark wants?”“Uh, I believe she ht,” Brandon said, from across the top of the car “Tell him, Em ”“Tell me what?” Christopher asked“Tell him,” Brandon repeated He drummed the top of the limo in time with the words “About us ”“Us,” Christopher repeated I saw his head swivel toward me Since I couldn’t look at his face, I only heard the disbelief in his voice I didn’t see it in his expression “There’s an us with you and Brandon? When did this happen?”I knehat I had to do Brandon had spelled it out back in Dr Fong’s foyer sih for a child to understand I had no choice I had to do it, because the Howards were my family now and I had to protect them, same as I would my real parents Family wasn’t just the people who’d raised you Fa through their veinsFamily was people who needed you FaYou had to do as right by the so broke your heartBesides, I could do this I could find out what Nikki knew before Brandon did, and use that infor around, and get Christopher back Soa out with him for a while,” I told Christopher Each word felt like a stab wound “I tried to tell you before ” I lifted my head and looked him in the eye “I mean, if you had ht have been different But you waited too long—you waited until I was someone else Until I ith so froned for Brandon’s benefit It was real e up from deep insideout, hot and fast, as well“What are you talking about?” Christopher asked, his voice cracking“Maybe if you had just liked me the way I was before,” I went on brutally “But you didn’t And now it’s too late ”I could see that every word I’d said, which had felt to one fro yard all around us“So,” I said I don’t knohy I kept going Maybe because of that picture That picture of et it out of my head I couldn’t believe he’d kept it, all this time I couldn’t believe he’d loved me, all this time, the sa ht get hi with hiood-bye Good-bye, Christopher ”And I ducked into the limo before Christopher could say another word—and before I took another look at his face—cli inside to sit between Nikki and her mom Mrs Howard looked over at me with some concern, as Cosabella leapt up onto ht?”“I’ away my tears with the backs of my fists “Sorry about that ”“God,” Nikki said She was still working on her eyelashes with the mascara wand “And everyone said I was bad ”This didn’t exactly make me want to cry any less hard In the driver’s seat, I saw Steven adjust the rearview mirror so he could seeNot a word He just looked It was as if, in that moment, we shared a secretJust what that secret was, I had no ideaBut I knew, in the battle that was couess I’d always known that, really I just needed to figure out a way to let hiht,” Brandon said cheerfully, cli into the li for an answer, he closed the car door…and in that sound, I felt as if I were hearing the end of the world Or at least the end of all my hopes and dreams Not that I’d had that many, at least recently“God,” Nikki said with relish “I’ve o,” Brandon said And he reached into a side cooler and pulled out a bottle “Chane, anyone? Oh, sorry, not you, Steven But we’ll fill you up e get there Do you kno to get to Teterboro Airport? No, of course you don’t Here, letto keep this whole trip on the do…”And he crawled up toward the front to talk to Steven about how to get where ere goingWhile the li down the driveway, I shifted in h the tinted s I saw Dr Fong turn away and close his front door, his longjourney finally overI saw Lulu waiting by the taxi, the wind tugging at her poofy black skirt andblack capeAnd I saw Christopher, standing in the exact spot where I’d left hi after us—after me He appeared smaller and smaller the farther we drove awayI stared at him until finally I couldn’t see hi fro at all

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