"I'm telling you the truth," Rachel said. "If you kill them, you're killing a piece of yourself. They're your blood, Max." When he didn't answer, Rachel pressed on. "They're twenty-seven years old. I'm sure you have their IDs. You can check the birthdate."

"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.