Page 204 of You Betrayed Me (The Cahills 3)

“Rebecca?” He sounded stunned. Horrified. Oh, Lord, Sophia heard it in his voice, that he still cared for Megan’s sister, that he probably had always cared for her, even loved her . . . “You sick—”

Sophia’s heart cracked.

“Put down the phone,” Julia ordered, backing up a step.

“It’s over,” he said, and there was a new, brutal quality to his words.

“No . . . not yet.” Julia took one more step backward, and Sophia, despite everything, could almost hear the gears turning in her twin’s mind. “We can work something out,” Julia was saying, her voice softer. “Really, James, I just want a little bit.”

“A little bit?”

“Yeah. You know. Just some of the money I should have inherited.”

“What? How can you think of that now? For the love of God, Rebecca—Jesus, Rebecca’s dead, and your sister’s dying!” James said. “Put down the damned gun!”

Sophia heard a tinny voice squawking, and James cut it off, talking sharply into his phone. “This is James Cahill. I need to report—”

Julia said, “No! Stop it! I’m serious, James, and—” Julia was still inching backward, the heel of her boot brushing Sophia’s side so that she was standing directly above her twin.

So close, Sophia thought.

Precious sister.

Just near enough.

“I’m warning you,” Julia said to James.

Now!

With all of her strength, Sophia flung her torso up, flailing out with her arms, her fingers striking Julia’s knee but sliding.

“Wha

t the—?”

Gritting her teeth, Sophia forced her fingers to clamp over Julia’s ankle.

“Quit that!” Julia began to kick.

Still clinging to the boot, Sophia threw back her body, pulling Julia down as James leapt forward.

Blam!

The gun went off!

An earsplitting bang echoed through the small cabin.

Julia screamed, falling, toppling onto her twin, her weight mashing Sophia against the floor. “You . . . you bitch,” she spat over the sound of a siren wailing distantly. “You goddamned . . . stupid . . . bitch—” Words failed her. She started to gurgle and gasp, to cough, her eyes wide. “No . . . oh . . .”

Pushing her away, Sophia looked up just in time to watch James sway in the doorway, blood sprouting on his chest.

Oh, no . . .

He fell forward, crumpling, his head striking the bottom rung of the ladder with a horrifying thud.

Tears filled Sophia’s eyes. “No baby,” she whispered, vaguely aware of the sirens as her consciousness threatened to fade. Eyes fluttering closed, she heard the thunder of footsteps and the shouted, frantic bark of orders.

“Three down!” A woman’s voice. One she couldn’t name, but it was familiar . . . or was it? Sophia couldn’t concentrate, was losing touch.

---