Page 38 of His Asset

I ignored the guilt slicing through me just as I ignored the throbbing ache between my thighs as I sat up, my voice shaky.“I was desperate,” I gritted out, “ready to do whatever was necessary to escape from you.”

He took a step back toward me, his eyes blazing with need despite his words.

Briing.Briing.

He paused, then glanced toward the bedside table drawer where his cellphone chimed.My hands fisted.He probably had one in every room, somewhere his many minions could keep in touch.

He stalked away from me, then grabbed his phone and growled, “This had better be important.”His shoulders stiffened, his shock palpable as he barked, “How many?”He inhaled sharply.“He can’t have gotten far.”He pushed a hand over his face.“I’m leaving now.”

He disconnected and drew in a slow, steadying breath, as though reinforcing his emotions, his business persona sliding back into place.

Sourness filled my stomach as I asked, “Someone escaped from the facility, didn’t they?”At his tight, almost reluctant nod, I pressed, “Who?”

“It’s no one you know.It’s another part of the facility.”He began getting dressed, grimacing as he tucked himself into his pants.

I narrowed my eyes.“Just how many parts of the facilityarethere?”I’d only known my own kind, the bat family, but I’d learned there were more.I shook my head.“How many other kinds of people like me have your scientists created?”

He froze, as though shamed by my accusation.Then he released a heavy breath and said, “You don’t want to know.”

I jumped up and gripped his arm, careless of my nudity.“At least tell me which kind escaped.”

He held my stare, focusing above my neck when he said quietly, “Eagle.He has eagle DNA.”

When he pulled away from my grasp and headed toward the door, I took one hesitant step toward him, then called out, “What’s his name?”

He stopped, but didn’t turn around.“Adler.”

My throat dried.Hearing his name made everything more personal somehow, with more at stake.“Please, let Adler go.”

He stiffened.“You know I can’t do that.”

Then, turning to the balcony window, he said out loud, “Shutters down.”

As steel shutters slammed down over all the windows, it was as if those same shutters had closed down over my heart.

“I’ll be as quick as I can,” he said.

I crossed my arms.That was the last thing I wanted.But at least I knew now the windows weren’t bulletproof.The steel shutters were the only thing keeping me locked inside his penthouse.

Adam pushed a complex code of letters and numbers into a keypad before the elevator doors swished opened.He stepped inside, then turned and faced me.Though his eyes settled on me briefly, he didn’t appear to really see me.He was already somewhere else.

A second later, the doors swished closed, and I made out the elevator’s quiet descent.Then nothing.

Son of a bitch.

To think I’d imagined Adam had cared about me, had wanted me!My wings swished out, then snapped up and down.I needed to get out of here, needed to leave while Adam was distracted, while his men were distracted.

I focused, allowing my echolocation to ping the area, to find any weak points.I glowered.There were none.The penthouse was airtight.Nothing could leave without his say so.

I bit my bottom lip.But what if the system imagined IwasAdam?I was smart and resourceful, I’d had to be just to survive.My superior bat DNA—and itwassuperior, despite what the scientists had said in their jeering voices—gave me auditory advantages.I could perfectly recall and reproduce sound frequencies.

My vocal cords were enhanced too.I had amazing control over the sounds I made.That I’d heard Adam give commands many times meant I should have the ability to replicate him almost exactly.His voice was catalogued in my brain, in my dreams, the exact pitch, tone and rhythm.

I stopped pacing and cleared my throat, then swung to face the barricaded balcony doors.I closed my eyes, Adam’s voice replaying in my head.“Shutters up.”

I opened my eyes, staring at the shutters that hadn’t moved.What the fuck?I knew his voice!I’d managed to mimic it exactly.I turned around, to where he’d been standing when he’d given the command.

Had his position been the key?