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That was why she thought she knew Josh when they first met, because he looked so much like her own brother. Some kind of cognitive dissonance had kept her from making the connections.
Then something truly ugly started to dawn. The Origins test. Holy fuck.
Were they all related? Joshua, Trina, Mako? She grappled with the moment. But she couldn’t make sense of it.
“I’m sorry,” said Joshua from behind Trina.
He looked miserable, was staring at Cricket with the energy of a beaten dog.
Hannah identified him as a weak link; maybe he’d side with them if things got ugly. Uglier.
Hannah lifted her palms and used her reasonable voice—the one she used when her mother was upset, when Cricket was having a meltdown, even with Mako when he was worked up about something.
“Look, Trina, whatever Mako did to you, we can deal with it, okay,” said Hannah. “But Liza? She’s hurt. And whatever this is she isn’t part of it. So let us get her some help. Please.”
“She’s part of it, of course she is. Another weak, enabling woman. And, she was carrying his child, another bad seed.”
Hannah shook her head, trying to grasp her meaning. “I don’t understand. You wanted tohurtan unborn baby.”
Trina looked suddenly sad. “I never wanted to hurtanyone. But we’re apples—fallen from the same poisonous tree. I’m actually trying tohelp. To clean up this mess.”
A single tear trailed down the other woman’s face.
“Okay,” Hannah said. “Then let me help you, Trina. Let me help you find a way out of this.”
“It wasn’tmybaby,” said Mako, still weeping. “Or maybe it wasn’t.”
“What do youmean?” asked Hannah.
“Liza had an affair—which she ended. She didn’t think I knew. But I did. I just couldn’t lose her. She’s the only good thing in my life.”
Hannah didn’t have words, felt like the ground was shifting beneath her feet. They were all so flawed, weren’t they? So many layers and mistakes, bad judgments, failures.
Trina stared at Mako, her face twisted in anger and disgust. “You’re pathetic,” she said.
But Mako didn’t seem to hear. He just looked back to Liza, put a tender hand to her face.
“Tie them up,” Trina said, glancing back quickly to Joshua but keeping the gun pointed at Hannah, Cricket, and Bruce who all stood frozen in place.
Hannah searched for the flash of humanity she’d seen but Trina’s face was made from marble. Cold and still, unmoved. She didn’t care, Hannah realized, about any of them, about anything except whatever agenda she might be running. “Do it now.”
Josh shifted, still with his eyes on Cricket. “I left the bag back at the house.”
“Men. They are fucking useless,” Trina hissed. “Take the zip ties in my pocket.”
Of course she had zip ties in her pocket.
Josh moved slowly, reluctantly, toward her pocket when Bruce took a big step forward. Hannah gripped his arm and Trina raised the gun, backing up into Josh.
“Just don’t, Bruce,” she said, sounding tired. “You’re not part of this. I know you’ve worked to do the right thing here.”
Bruce looked back at Hannah. What did that mean?
“And I don’t want to kill you but I will. I promise you.” Hannah didn’t doubt her. There was something unhinged beneath the cool exterior, something broken.
“Not part of what?” Hannah ventured.
But Trina didn’t even seem to register her, as if Hannah didn’t exist.
