Dani pushed herself up into a standing position. "If you're our father, you need to let us go. We don't have anything to do with any of this, and you know that. You have Rachel. She's the one who betrayed you."

Rachel paled at Dani's unforgiving words. I was pissed at Rachel, too. But I didn't want her to be hurt or, worse, to be killed. I couldn't leave her behind. But it didn't matter what any of us thought or wanted. The only one calling the shots was Max.

"You're all staying. Until I get what's mine, I'm not letting anyone go. Where the fuck is he?" Max muttered as he checked his watch. Then he left the room.

Dani gave me a worried look.

"It's going to be okay," I said.

"I don't think so," she told me.

I didn't think so, either, but I had to stay positive. There was no other option.

Max strode back into the room, his gaze focusing on me. "Did you send him into a trap?" He raised the gun. "Your sister was right. I don't need all three of you. So, let's see who I should take out first."

I moved in front of Dani, as she started to cry once more. Rachel looked at both of us with sorrow and desperation.

Before any of us could move, a loud crash came from somewhere nearby. As Max looked toward the door, Rachel ran forward, barreling into him so hard she knocked him off his feet and the gun went off with an ear-splitting blast.

"Run," I told Dani, as Rachel and Max got tangled up on the floor.

We raced toward the door. I had no idea what was waiting for us in the hallway, but it couldn't be any worse than what was behind us.

CHAPTER THIRTY

I ran down the hall and through another open door, Dani right on my heels. We found ourselves in a small room next to the altar where the families with babies would stay during the service. Hearing Max coming after us, we ran into the church. Crossing the altar, we headed for the side door, but before we could get there, a gun went off, and a bullet whizzed past my ear.

We dove into the nearest pew as more shots sprayed the air. I looked at Dani, seeing the panic and fear in her eyes. "I'm sorry," I said, realizing we were trapped. There was nowhere to go.

"I love you," she said.

We pressed our heads together once more as Max's voice grew louder.

"No way out, girls," he said, a triumphant note in his voice.

I broke away from Dani and lifted my gaze. Max was standing at the end of the pew, his gun pointed at us. "Are you really going to kill your own children?" I asked. "What kind of monster are you?"