Page 232 of On a Fault Line

“How?”

“At the expense of yours.”

“That still doesn’t answer my question,” I snap.

Mark snickers. “Because the entire world now thinks I’m dead in the back of a police transport vehicle. It’s amazing how life can be so ironic. One second, I’m in prison. The next”—he makes his fingers go poof—“I’m free.”

“Who was back there then?”

“Oh, just some poor guy who looked like me. Sadly, he had to die, but at least he did it in a sacrificial way. And just think, if I hadn’t had help arriving here in time, I’d miss all the fun that’s about to go down. And that would have been the most tragic thing of all.”

“They’ll do a DNA test and know that’s not you.”

“How can you do a test when the bodies are burned beyond repair? Oops, I forgot to tell you that little detail.”

I look at his face in confusion, trying to keep my mind from shutting down.

He smiles a wicked grin, while tilting his head to the side. “Remember when I paid you a little visit at the waterfront during the photoshoot?”

I don’t confirm or deny. I just stay still.

“Well, that was courtesy of my lookalike. Granted, I have several. The world just needed more of me, I guess.”

“Lookalike?”

Mark shrugs. “Well, the genes are strong from my dad’s side of the family.”

“You are related?”

He nods. “Yup. It’s just me and my twin brothers left on this planet. But that’s the thing about family—the bond of blood is thicker than water. And when I introduced the plan to them, they nearly salivated and decided to come out of hiding and fly across the world just for this special occasion.”

“You are sick!”

“It’s kind of amazing the resemblance, yeah? Striking?” Mark makes a weird face. “I think I’m much more handsome than they are, but I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts. Oh, and if you’re wondering, we don’t mind sharing our women.”

I want to throw up.

All this time he’s been putting the pieces together for his ultimate plan and working somehow through the prison system to still conduct business.

“And my brother who met you out on the balcony at the charity fundraiser? He nearly fooled you too.” Mark makes a face. “I think you missed me and thus started seeing me in your fantasies.”

“Try nightmare,” I mumble, my voice sounding so meek.

“It’s so fun to play head games with your fragile mind.”

“I hate you,” I snarl.

“Me? Nah. You should thank me for giving your weak brain something to focus on while you stupidly thought you could leave this place and magically be healed. Stupid, pathetic girl.”

“Why Rex?”

Mark frowns. “Aww, you thought he was your friend. Now, that’s cute.”

“But why him?”

“My psychotic nephew isn’t fit for society.” He winks. “And that’s saying something coming from a monster like me. I was simply giving him some purpose in his lonely life.”

“You all are going to die here.” I don’t know why I say it, but as soon as I do, I regret it.

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