Thud! Craaack! The butt of the gun splintered Sophia’s cheek. Pain screamed through her head. She blinked. Fought to stay conscious. Blood ran from her nose as, in desperation, she flung an arm wide, her fingers tangling in Julia’s hair. She pulled, using all her weight.

“Stop! Oh, owww! You bitch!”

Bang!

The gun went off!

The noise deafening.

Sophia felt her body jerk.

Then a searing pain shot through her abdomen.

Noooooo!

The world spun. She collapsed as Julia slid out from under her. She began to spit, tasted blood, and heard her sister scream, but her voice was far away, sounding as if Julia were under water, gurgling her name . . . “Sophia . . . no . . . oh, no . . . Sophia . . . please . . .”

Another bang!

But not a gun, Sophia thought, trying to focus. More like the door being flung open and hitting the wall . . . but she couldn’t be sure. Not of anything. She touched her side, felt the sticky warmth of her own blood.

So this is what it’s like to die . . .

Someone was crying. Far away, though. Sobbing brokenly.

Julia? It sounded like her.

“Why did you do this? Why?” she demanded, her voice wet. “You ruined everything.”

Ruined it all? Me? No, no . . . that isn’t right.

“You should never have gotten pregnant. How could you have been so stupid?”

“I . . . I didn’t.” Sophia argued—the words were forming, but her lips—did they move? Had she actually said the words aloud? Or were they just echoing in her own mind? The world was spinning, but she forced a harsh, horrid whisper. “No baby,” she said, sputtering.

“What?” Julia demanded, but her voice was so far away.

Still, she had to tell her sister, try to make her understand. “Mistake. . . to get James . . . to marry me . . . marry . . . us . . . we . . . we . . . were losing him . . . Had to force himmmm . . .” She couldn’t stay awake. She was sooo cold, and the pain in her side throbbed and . . . and really . . . it didn’t matter . . .

“You’re not pregnant? This was all a lie?” Julia said, her faraway voice sounding distraught. “Wait . . . no . . . are you telling the truth?”

Sophia licked her lips. Forced air through her voice box and opened her eyes. “No . . . baby,” she insisted and noticed a figure looming in the open doorway.

“You stupid bitch,” Julia said brokenly, as she pushed her twin away and struggled to her feet. Glaring down at Sophia, she shook her head. “You are so messed up!” With a wobbling hand, she trained the gun on Sophia.

“No!” a man’s voice boomed, and Sophia almost smiled.

James? The figure in the doorway was James? He’s come to rescue me . . .

“Don’t!” he ordered.

For the briefest of instants, Sophia’s heart soared, and then everything in her tiny prison began to fade, the seductive darkness pulling her under . . .

She spied Julia, now on her feet, hair as wild as her eyes as she whirled, the gun leveled at James.