Tom picked up a gun that had been sitting on an end table. He immediately pointed at Jenna's temple. "Now settle down or this might accidentally go off."
Trying to be as still as possible, Jenna looked up into her brother's face. She barely recognized the man she saw there. Angry and hateful. So different than the person she'd grown up around. Had he been hiding his true self all this time? And what of Michelle?
"Why did you kill Lori?"
Jenna's voice was quiet, not wanting to spook Tom, but she couldn't stop herself asking the question. All of this didn't make any sense.
"She stuck her nose where it didn't belong and now so have you. That was a mistake."
"And Brett, what about him?"
"He's served his purpose. Your boyfriend caught him and that's exactly what was supposed to happen. He just wasn't supposed to link him to me."
"You ruined a man's life."
"He didn't have much of one to begin with. Now stop stalling." His fingers tightened painfully on her arm and the muzzle of the gun felt cold against her skin. "This is going to look like a murder-suicide."
"No one will believe that I killed myself. Or murdered anyone else, for that matter. Knox won't believe that."
Her voice shook but not because she was unsure of what she said. She was terrified, her heart racing, thundering in her ears. Sweat poured down her back, her shirt sticking to the damp skin.
I don't want to die.
"I'll make them believe it."
"Michelle, don't let him do this," Jenna said, her tone full of desperation. Just how far into this was her sister? Did she truly understand what Tom had done? "We're sisters. We're family."
"We're not family," Michelle said indignantly, her lips curled into a sneer. "We were never family. Lori picked you up like a stray dog and then I had to share her and everything else with you. You took my twin sister away from me. You took my parents away from me. You got all of their attention and I got none."
"That's not true," Jenna protested. "They loved you. You're their daughter."
"And you're not," Michelle shot back. "But they treated you like you were. No one asked me if I wanted to share my sister or my parents. No one cared what I thought. They only cared about you and Lori. Now Mom is going to care about me. I'll be all she has left. I'm going to make her beg for my attention."
Jenna truly had no idea that Michelle hadn't welcomed her into the family. She'd never acted as if Jenna joining in was an issue. Had she? Now she was questioning everything. Every look, every smile, every curse. It had all been a lie, and she'd fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.
"Shut up, both of you," Tom roared, pressing the gun more firmly against her temple, the metal icy cold even in the heat. "Just shut the fuck up. God, I hate to hear your fucking whine, Michelle. That's all you ever do. At least now you'll be quiet."
He pulled Jenna closer and then swung his arm out, pointing the firearm at Michelle instead of Jenna. "First the murder. Then the suicide."
She didn't have a clue what he was talking about until the gun went off and Michelle stood there, her eyes wide with shock and a growing crimson blood stain on her abdomen. Jenna screamed as her sister pressed her hands to her belly and then crumpled to the ground.
He shot Michelle. He just...shot her.
"Are you insane?" Jenna cried, tears blurring her vision. "Have you lost your mind? You shot our sister."
"Why do you care? She hated you, Jenna. And she hated Lori for bringing you into our family and replacing her. She's hated you all these years."
"I don't believe you." Jenna struggled but his grip was like iron. "What about you? Do you hate us too?"
I don't want to die. I want to see Knox again. I want to feel his arms around me.
"I do. All of you, especially that bitch Anita. She took my father from me and then she took everything else. I'm going to get it all back. She'll be living on the streets and wishing she'd never been born when I'm done with her."
"You are crazy," Jenna choked out. "You don't make any sense. Anita loves you as if you were her own son. Just drop the gun, Tom. We'll call an ambulance for Michelle. I'll tell everyone it was an accident. You don't have to do this. Just let me go. I won't tell anyone what happened."
She was pleading for her life now, knowing that Tom could easily shoot to kill. She wouldn't have a chance of surviving either at point blank range.
"It's too late for that."
Sirens. She could hear sirens in the distance. They were faint but audible. Were they coming here? Or heading to some unknown destination, passing by the real and true emergency.
"They're coming," Jenna said, more tears falling down her cheeks, the words choked. "They're coming and they'll know that you did this. They won't believe any of your lies. Not anymore."
"They're not coming."
But they were. Getting louder with every passing second. She could feel Tom beginning to tremble next to her, drops of his sweat falling on her neck and shoulder.
"They're coming for you. It's too late."
Tom's breaths were coming faster, his
