APOV
Leila and I are sitting in the home theatre we have set up at the penthouse snacking on grapes, cherries and pretzels. Elliot is sitting by the door reading some book, he is trying to stay out of the way but still is somewhat listening to Christian's ridiculous requests. I have never seen him that mad, he's never hit me before. We have been icing my face on and off for the last four hours but it remains bruised and swollen.
"I can't believe you didn't fight back," Leila says for the hundredth time.
"It's not how we work, and I'm okay Stephan used to do it worse. My eye isn't swollen shut and I am able to eat," I smirk.
"We need to figure out what to do about them, I can't let them hurt you. I mean they have been prepping for this for five years now and they are ready to go."
"Leila, you do realize that in order to stop them we have to kill them, we can't just solve the issues they need to end."
"Yeah, I get it but I don't like it. If anyone needs to die though, it's them," Leila zones out like I do, but instead of freaking out she looks at me with this huge smile on her face. "Remember when we were little and we would play ninja's? We would make laser grids out of fishing line and bells and try to get through them."
"Yeah and we would practice flips in the backyard, over things and off of things. Carla and Ray used to get so mad because would constantly be breaking planters, chairs and benches. Then when we moved in with Stephan and Jack we had mastered everything but would break everything on purpose just to piss them off," I laugh.
"Oh my god, do you remember when we broke all of Stephan's fine china that was apparently an heirloom. Best day ever, even with the punishments after it."
"I still remember when Stephan couldn't tell us apart, the only real tell was the height and eyes, but our hair was around the same colour when we were younger."
She looks at me as if I have just answered all of the questions and what not. I look at Elliot who clearly is listening because he has the same look on his face as Leila, what did I say? Elliot is texting someone and then Luke rushes in, they all look at me like God answered their prayers, what is their problem?
"Stephan couldn't tell the two of you apart?" Luke asks.
"When our hair was the same colour no, then I grew faster so there was a height difference and I have darker eyes than Banana. Now we are the same height at a raging 5'6", but our eyes are hair are different, and our skin. Ana why are you so tan?" Leila answers. "Mom couldn't tell us apart some times but they never really cared."
"I spent the summer in Italy and the Mediterranean, fun trip with the kids to see where their relatives are from," I answer. "When was the last time you saw Mom and Stephan?"
"Six weeks ago we were in San Diego, we travelled across the country to Tallahassee when they went south and I went north around two weeks ago. We were supposed to meet up last week in Atlantic City but, well you know what happened."
"So they're in Atlantic City?" Elliot asks.
"Should be, they were to wait there for me. I was to find you and report back to them, Jose kept them updated too but they knew I would get close to you whereas he would not. They are waiting for me to tell them where you are and when would be best to hit you."
"Would they believe that you got a spray tan?" Luke asks.
"What are you guys getting at?" I ask.
"Yeah, they actually might, but it is not just the skin but the eyes and hair too," Leila answers, none of them seem to have heard me. "Do you have someone for all that?"
"We do, I will pick the team up and if everything works we can have this active no later then tomorrow around noon. That is if Christian doesn't stop us," Luke sighs.
"For the love of God, explain this all to me!" I shout.
"You are becoming your sister and are going to meet with Carla and Stephan. In and out, you can kill them and leave. This way you don't even need Jose, you cut him out of the equation. God, this is brilliant," Luke smiles.
"You do realize that if we do that Christian will kill you for sending me in as shark food. I can't risk your lives," I sigh. "Although personally I am fully on board."
"Christian needs to be taken down a few knots anyway, don't worry. If this works he will never even know what we have done, but we do need to figure out a signature for your kills. Everyone in the family has one, just don't spit on the body it is tacky and leave a shit tonne of DNA that you shouldn't leave behind."
"Thanks Luke, that makes everything seem better."
Forty five minutes later they have the team from a salon chain we own who are matching my hair up with Leila's and are fiddling with contacts to match my eyes to her as well. Leila is in the master bath with a team getting a spray tan to match my tan, they are dyeing her hair to be what mine was and her contacts change her eyes to mine. The only thing everyone has forgotten is the tattoo's that I have and my guess is that she has some too. Leila runs out of the master suite wrapped in a towel.
"I have six tattoos," She announces.
"I have eleven, now what?" I smirk.
"We can take pictures, airbrush them out and then replace them with temporary tattoos. That way if either counterpart looks for them they will see them," Franco says.
"Sounds great," I roll my eyes freely, stripping down to my panties and bra so they can examine all my tattoos. "Have at 'em."
The person who is replicating each tattoo on the other is really incredible, then again she is a real tattoo artist and doing this with a wide variety of permanent marker is easy for her. We don't get the chance to sleep, by the time everyone is wrapping up their duties the sun is breaching the horizon of New York. Elliot walks in with extra large coffee's and breakfast wraps, handing them to Leila and myself. When we finally look at each other we laugh, it is exactly like looking at yourself but a 360 type version rather than just a mirror.
"Instead of picking out your own clothes I think that you each should pick an outfit that you like but the other one will be wearing it. That way it will raise no suspicions. Ana, pick extras out in case this takes longer and Leila needs to be around Christian longer then we want. Sound good?" Luke dictates.
"Fantastic, lead me to the clothes!" Leila jokes.
Leila and I go to the closet and I pick out a variety of dresses that I love to wear and never get the chance to because they live in this closet. Leila on the other hand has picked out jean short shorts in blue, black, grey and white paired with a bunch of graphic tee shirts. While she goes for flats, all-stars and high-tops I go for heels between five to seven inches. We both glare at each other and the styles we have to wear, I only wear those clothes when we camp or if I am lounging at home by myself. We get dressed and go back to the living room and pout, both of us pout and mope in our seats.
"This is freaky," Elliot gapes at us. "If I didn't know any better I wouldn't be able to tell the difference."
Leila and I laugh until we hear the ding of the elevator, we all turn to watch Christian come in the room. There are a variety of muttered swears and pray's to God when we see him. I look at Leila who is the fixation of his gaze, oh my God, he is falling for the switch which is good. We haven't had time to practice voices, he is really just looking at the fake bruise on her face which replicates the real hidden bruise on my face.
"Fuck, Ana I did that," Christian winces.
"No shit, Sherlock," Leila mutters, I kick her shin. "Ow!"
"Baby, I'm so sorry. Please believe me."
"How can I?" God, Leila you are going to get me and you in so much trouble. "You hit me Christian. You lied to me, you didn't listen to what I was saying. It's all about you, you and your feelings because who would care about a women's, you sexist pig!"
I grab her and pull her through to Maia's room that is still filled with dinosaurs, we look at each other and then start to laugh and laugh. God, everyone was face-palming and it was fantastic. The look on Christian's face was the icing to the cake, he doesn't realize that is not me.
Fuck, I need to warn Leila about his… issues. If she goes home with him now she will end up over his knee with a red ass or strung up in the playroom, she won't react well to that.
"Leila, Christian is into punishment and BDSM, dominant and submissive type stuff. You are getting us both in so much trouble right now."
"What's he going to do Ana? Spank us?"
"Kind of, yeah."
"Kinky, maybe I will try that some time but he lays a hand on me and he will regret it. We need to do this so how do we get you out and keep him occupied."
"You're not sleeping with my husband, Leila. Ask him to go and see the kids, it is still early so if you leave now you can get there before school. Take Elliot with you, he can run as a barrier and keep Christian at bay."
"Sounds great, I get to meet the littles and you will risk your life for one family while killing the other. This is a great plan your boys out there came up with."
"Come in with him later when he works, I will hopefully be back by then."
I hug her tight, she does the same with me before we go out into the main room and work our way into our separate directions. Elliot leaves with Leila and Christian while I stay behind with Luke. We wait half an hour until Luke gets a text with the address where I get to meet Carla and Stephan at.
"Come on, the sooner we get this done the better and it is a three hour drive to where we are meeting them, you can sleep on your way there," Luke smirks.
"You're not funny."
The three hour drive feels like three seconds by the time I fell asleep and woke up, Luke laughs now but he won't be a happy person when he has to deal with me later. Sucker.
When we park in front of the casino he hands me a huge ratty, grey Wal-Mart sweater that would fit him and is huge on me, I take my gun with three extra clips and stuff them in the back of my shorts along with the switchblade that Christian gave me for Christmas last year. Everything is platinum, white gold, diamond and sapphire incrusted except for the bullets, I love the set since they match.
I walk in with one last look at Luke, heading right to the front desk to see if they are still checked in here. The lady behind the counter looks at my clothes with disgust, I am with you there. I would much rather be wearing what she is, a tight black cocktail dress with white blazer, and my guess is she is in four inch heels.
"My parents are supposed to be in this hotel, Carla and Stephan Morton," I smile.
"What's your name?"
"Leila Williams-Steele," I hand over her ID.
"Yes, your parents are in the Light High Suite, first set of elevators on the left, eighteenth floor and it will be at the end of the hall when you turn right. Here is your key card and if you need anything just ask," She smiles, it is so fake.
"Thank you."
I turn and make my way to the elevator, playing with the key card in my hands. Elevator rides are no fun without Christian, he always finds a way to make them interesting. I guess that's not the case today or possibly anytime soon. A single tear escapes my eye when I think about the shock and pain I felt when he hit me yesterday. I won't think about it now but will call Kate and Carrick and talk to them about it tomorrow or something.
I make it to the suite and go in, I can see Carla asleep on the couch in the living space but I can't find Stephan. I look in two of the three bedrooms and as I turn towards the third he walks out of it and I freeze.
"Leila, Leila, Leila; it is about time you graced us with your presence. Where the fuck have you been young lady? Do you realize that you are late?" He growls.
I haven't confronted this man in years, I have spent the last seven years trying to forget everything that they put me through and them. Yet here I am walking right up to them knowing that I am going to go through hell before being able to do anything.
"I got what you needed, it just took longer to get to Ana. Her husband and security team wouldn't let me anywhere near her. She lives in a fucking compound in Connecticut, I had to reach out when she was away from there and her family," I diss myself.
"Fine, order up breakfast and I will wake your mother, we will have a shower and breakfast should be here by then and then we will discuss what you found out."
"Yes, dad."
He walks away from me and I let out a huge sigh of relief before calling up breakfast, I find a prescription for sleeping pills and I crush two and a half pills in each of their cups of orange juice. I set the table and wait for them, mom kisses my forehead before sitting down. They drink their juice and eat, slowly falling asleep with every bite. By the end of their meal they are out like a light, stage one complete. This may be easier then I thought.