Page 183 of You Betrayed Me (The Cahills 3)

Some of her anger gave way as she turned onto the main road; she was altering her plans and seeing the next few weeks in a different light.

Now it was just a matter of becoming Sophia, slipping into her skin. She’d been playing with the idea for a while now. If anyone asked about the sister they may have glimpsed her with, she’d explain that Julia had to return home. Family emergency or something.

It would all work out. Julia just had to become Sophia permanently. She’d already filled in at the inn and the Christmas shop a few times—the rest would be a snap. As for James, she’d already been his girlfriend for a couple of nights as Sophia, and he hadn’t noticed any difference.

Yeah, yeah, yeah . . . she’d make this work.

For now.

But then there was Sophia. Could she really get rid of her twin? Permanently. At the thought of it, her stomach soured, and she felt tears fill her eyes. Julia had felt so alone for so long. All those years, she’d sensed that she was missing something . . . someone . . . and then the miracle of that connection through modern science. Miracle of miracles, she’d actually found a sibling, and a twin sister at that! What were the chances?

Could she really destroy the miracle that fate had cast her way?

Would she be able to end Sophia’s life—one now so entwined with her own?

Her throat closed, and she told herself not to think about it.

She took in a deep breath and saw the town of Riggs Crossing appear in the distance.

First things first. She would channel her sister, become Sophia, hook up permanently with James, and get rid of Rebecca Travers forever.

How perfect would that be?

CHAPTER 48

Sophia slowly regained control of her body, and as she did so, she paced the perimeter of the tiny house for the hundredth, maybe five hundredth time. It was small, compact, and locked tight. The windows were screwed shut, the door locked tight.

Fury consumed her.

Fear chased after her.

How could her own sister have done this to her? She rubbed the marks on her neck left by the stun gun.

Had it been Julia’s plan all along?

She kicked at the door in frustration.

This was supposed to be Megan’s prison, not hers!

But that had been a lie; Sophia knew it now. Of course, Megan would never have gone along with their plot; she’d been a fool to believe it, and maybe she hadn’t, really. She thought about Megan’s body, frozen and . . . somewhere nearby.

Would Julia release her?

Would she ever be found?

Flopping onto the built-in couch, she eyed her surroundings for the thousandth time. Simple layout: living area on one end with a desk cove, kitchen in the middle of the structure with a small bath at the far end. Two lofts, one on either side of the living space: a large sleeping loft complete with bed on one end, and a much smaller storage loft on the other.

Julia had left food in a small freezer and books to read, a gas fireplace for heat, as if she’d been planning Sophia’s imprisonment all along. Bile rose up in her throat, and her stomach squeezed painfully. She grabbed a pillow from the back of the couch, hugged it tight, and started plotting her revenge.

If and when Julia ever dared show up again, Sophia would be waiting.

But what if she doesn’t? What if she leaves you up here to die? Alone? Waiting? Never knowing.

It’s not as if she hasn’t killed before.

Sophia set her jaw. If Julia had wanted her dead, she would have killed her already.

No. She was coming back.

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