With every last bit of strength, she inched her way to the entrance hall. She lay there, panting from exhaustion. Her head was fuzzy, but the cold marble floor felt good against her body. She pressed her cheek against its cool surface. Now she could go to sleep. Her eyes were closing, and she felt herself fading until everything went black.

28

Blaire was just out the front door when she stopped. If she left now, Kate would be dead. It would all be over. There would be no more chances to make things right. She’d just given Kate shocking news. Maybe when she had time to think about it, she’d realize that blood was thicker than water, and that Blaire had only done what she thought she needed to do to save Kate from Simon. But if Kate died, that could never happen. She needed to save her. No matter what Kate had done, she was her sister. She couldn’t leave her to burn.

She turned and yanked the front door open, relieved to find it hadn’t locked behind her. She ran back inside, determined to pull Kate out. Maybe there was some way she could make Kate see that everything Blaire had done, she’d done for her. Certainly Kate could see why Blaire had been so angry. She’d been kept from her mother for over fifteen years over a stupid argument. And over a man who didn’t even deserve to be with Kate—a cheater and a murderer.

Kate would have to forgive her for what she’d done, just as she’d forgiven Kate. After all, what Kate had done was much worse. All Blaire had done was scare her a little and help to get rid of the man who had taken their mother from them, a man who deserved to suffer for the rest of his pathetic life. Kate would eventually see that. And in the end, Blaire had saved Kate’s life. Maybe Kate would see that everything Blaire had done had been necessary to get Simon out of her life. Without Blaire’s help, they would never have caught him. Yes, Kate would see that sometimes drastic measures were required. She’d always had Kate’s back, and she still did.