Page 138 of Wicked Promises
She stands and laughs. “Power, you said? Hmm, what an interesting idea.”
“What, then?”
The gun is loose in her grip, and she waves it around as she looks between Caleb and me. “I was a girl with a crush, and then he became someone real. He came to our house to destroy us—but he only destroyedme. Look at you. You’re fine. A rich family that gives a shit?—”
“And how did he destroy you?”
“Bet he didn’t expect Cindy and Jeff to kickallof us out. Hanna and you got good deals. Families. And me…”
“You live with Caleb’s aunt and uncle,” I blurt out. “With your sister. How?—”
“She isnot my sister!” Claire shrieks. “She belongs with them.”
I tilt my head. “You read Lydia’s journals? That’s why you started writing in them. Because you’d read about?—”
My poor baby.
Twelve years ago, Lydia did something so awful, Ben wrote her out of his will. Something awful that she hid from us. And in revenge…
“Is Hanna Caleb’s half sister?”
Claire’s lips twist. So she came to the same conclusion I did, but she has no relation to the Ashers. Not through Ben. And that’s not how custody works anyway. You don’t drop off a kid with her mother’s deceased husband’s brother.
“David and Lydia?”
“What?” Caleb chokes out.
Claire laughs. Tips her head back and lets it pour out of her. “Isn’t it ironic that you got Caleb’s dad killed for sleeping with your mom, and meanwhile, Caleb’s mom was fucking hisbrother?”
“More like fucked up,” I whisper.
Caleb shakes his head, faster to process than me. “Where do you come into play, Claire?”
“My parents adopted Hanna,” she says quietly, hopping up onto one of the counters. “Apparently my birth caused some complications in the form of a full hysterectomy, and Mom wasn’t ready to be done. Hanna never knew. One minute we were a family, and the next, they were carrying in a newborn.”
“Does she know now?” I ask.
“I’m sure.” She laughs. “We went to a group home, and some man came in to meet us. They DNA tested her. Came back soon after, said she was coming with him.”
“She made them take you, too.” Caleb scoffs. “Of course. She’s nice and you’re…”
“Not,” Claire finishes. She grins. “We complete each other’s sentences.”
I bite my tongue so I don’t say something I’ll regret.
The phone on the wall rings, and all three of us jump.
She stares at it. “They’re closed. Why is it ringing?”
“It’s probably for you,” Caleb points out. “You know, to negotiate.”
Her eyes light up. “Margo, answer it.”
I approach it slowly, like it’s going to attack me. “Hello?”
“Claire Evans, this is the Beacon Police Department. My name is?—”
“Um, this is Margo.” I lick my lips. “She made me answer the phone.”