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"That could have been faked, like everything else about your life."
"Look at them. They're yours," Rachel said.
"Stop!" I interrupted with a desperate shout. "Stop saying he's our father. He can't be our father."
Rachel gazed at me through sorrow-filled eyes. "I'm sorry, Brynn. Unfortunately, he is your father. I never wanted him to know about you. I was afraid he would use you, just like he is now. But he has to know that you're his blood."
"You're just saying that, so I won't kill them," Max said, but there was a note of uncertainty in his voice now.
"It's the truth. I was pregnant the night of the robbery, but I didn't know it until a week later," Rachel turned to me once more.
I shook my head in the face of whatever was about to come out of her mouth. "Don't," I said, knowing where she was about to go. "Please, don't. Don't take away my mother, too."
Rachel drew in a shaky breath. "I'm sorry. I gave you to my sister because I couldn't take care of you. I was a mess. I've always been a mess. But my sister was strong and nurturing, and she loved you from the minute you were born."
"And you didn't," I said dully, as I sank to the floor, unable to stand against this last horrific truth.
"I did love you," Rachel said. "That's why I gave you away. You needed a mother who could take care of you, and that wasn't me. I also thought that one day Max might find me, and you'd be safer with my sister. And you were safer," Rachel reiterated. "She loved you like you were her own children. It tore her apart when my problems caught up with us, when we had to run again, but it was the only way to keep you safe. We couldn't allow Max to know about you, which meant we couldn't stay close to you."
My gaze moved to Max, who, for the first time, seemed a little off-balance. As his gaze met mine, I sensed I had a small opportunity. There was a crack in his armor. He was rattled, and I needed to take advantage of that. I didn't know if Rachel's plan was going to work, if he would spare us because we were his daughters, so I had to try something else, something that could buy us time if nothing else.
"If you let my sister go, I'll tell you where the stones are," I said.
His gaze sharpened.
"Brynn, stop," Rachel implored.
I ignored her, focusing on Max, on the gun in his hand. "It's a fair trade," I told him.
"No," Dani interrupted, suddenly coming back to life. "You're not trading yourself for me, Brynn. I'm not going anywhere without you."
"You have to go," I said, looking back at her. "You have other people to think about. They need you."
"And I need you," she said, her voice filled with emotion.
"Let them both go, and I'll give you what you want," Rachel said. "This is between the two of us, not them, Max."
"They'll run to the cops," he said.
"We won't," I told him, as I got back to my feet. "Do you think I want anyone to know my real parents are terrible people?" I saw Rachel's face whiten at my words, but I needed them both to believe that my hatred was real. Actually, it was real. At this moment, I hated them more than I'd hated anyone in my life. "We just want to leave. We don't care about anything you stole."
"She's definitely your kid," Max sneered. "She thinks she can lie her way out of this. But she can't. Here's what's going to happen. One of you will tell me where the stones are, and then my guy is going to get them. If he doesn't come back with anything, then I'll shoot someone." He paused. "You won't be first, Rachel. Because I don't think these girls know anything, but you do. You know where your sister hid the stones. So, if you don't want to see your girls die, then start talking."
I saw Rachel hesitate. Clearly, she didn't believe that telling him the truth would save our lives. I didn't believe it, either. I also knew that the stones were no longer buried in the garden. But sending someone to the house would buy us time. I didn't know what we were going to do with that time since our hands were tied, and Max had the gun. But I did know that we couldn't just do nothing.
"I know where they are," I said. "I found them earlier."
"Brynn, don't," Rachel pleaded. "It won't matter. He'll kill us anyway."
I turned back to Max. "Will you let my sister go if I tell you?"
"No. But I'll let you both go once I get the stones."
"He's lying," Rachel said. "Don't give away our only bargaining chip."
"You can't bargain," he told Rachel. "It's too late for that."
"They're in the master closet in a box under a pile of clothes at my mom's house," I said. "I found them earlier. They were buried in the garden. I hid the box in the closet when I left." I didn’t mention that I'd taken the pouch and put it in the wall, because I didn't think we'd survive once he had everything.
