Page 74 (1/2)

His stohtning struck close "She knew that we, that me and you, were the true heirs We were Lawrence’s only children"

"Youyou can’t be right" Lucian shook his head, his sto "There’s no way--"

"It’s true, Lucian Devlin and Gabe were not his kids We were," she said "Mom told me She told me that she had us all tested She had the proof It’s in a lockbox"

"In the closet," Julia whispered "Holy crap, it’s under the floorboards"

Maddie nodded "You’ve been reading Mom’s diary, haven’t you? I don’t blame you I like you, Julia You’resweet, but I really wish you would’ve just brought me the diary Then otten to go home"

Lucian stiffened "You’rehis hand into Julia’s hip He inched her backward, effectively keeping hier knew and the wo in love with "But I won’t let you hurt Julia"

"You don’t have a choice" She rasped out a broken laugh "We can’t have witnesses"

Focused on her and the gun she clenched tightly in her pale hand, he continued edging Julia out of his sister’s view He had to keep Maddie talking until he figured out how to end this "Why did you not just come home and tell us the truth? If Lawrence was really our father, why not just say so? Why go through all of this?"

"Because what difference would it have ot buried and with our father still alive? He would’ve definitely covered it up He alanted Dev and Gabe Never us He had to go before I could find the papers"

Did she have so to do with Lawrence’s death?

Julia suddenly tensed behind hiht his attention

Gabe

He was ho closer and closer to where they all stood

"Why the paintings?" he asked, keeping Maddie focused on hied a shoulder "I don’t know I just wanted someone to see the truth I just wanted to"

Lucian shook his head God, he didn’t even know this person standing in front of hihost

Gabe drew closer

"So you killed Lawrence?" he asked, already knowing the answer It made sense now If Lawrence was still alive, it wouldn’t one and proof that Lucian and Maddie were his children, the will could be contested

Her plan was crazy

And it wasn’t just the plan that proved to him that he never kneho she was It was her relationship with their cousin It was the fact that she had killed their hed hoarsely "That was our plan That was the only time Daniel was supposed to be here We would kill him and thenthen I could prove that ere his kids That’s why I came back like I did I needed people to not suspect me"

She had fooled him, but not their brothers Not the at her face as a fresh wave of tears tracked down her face

"Bullshit," he said

"You don’t have to believe that, Lucian, but I swear it wasn’t us There’s a killer here, and it isn’t just ain" She steadied the gun "We can fix this, but she’s got to go So does Dev"

His heart stopped in his chest

"You and I can fix this together" She took a deep breath "We can fix this Like we used to Remember? When we--"

It happened so fast