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Powell just stared. Her mom—where was her mom? Heather just sat there, a gun pointed right at the older man. Powell just stared. “Hi, Heather. I see you got my message. Is my mom okay?”

“She is supposed to be on her way to my house now. Your brothers are…there already.”

“They didn’t come with you?” Powell’s brothers wouldn’t have just watched Heather leave. She knew that. “Why?”

“Well, they were a bit tied up. Taped up, actually. Duct tape. That stuff works wonders at controlling your brothers, you know. You should consider investing in it. When I left, Cara was sitting on Alex, explaining to him that he is just going to have to stay right where he is. Since the girls had trussed up your brothers rather well, I don’t think he had much of a choice. They showed up just as I hung up with you earlier. I didn’t want them getting in the way. And we Coleson girls—well, we are very efficient. Especially Summer. She’s rather…good at doing what I tell her to do, you know.” Heather sent a quirky smile at her brother-in-law. It was so taunting. “Since I did mostly raise her and everything.”

“I have noticed that Summer does act very much like you at times. Very much the one in charge.” Powell was just going to take her cues from Heather here. Even though terror had her fearing she was going to wet her pants. “She’s scarily efficient, actually.”

Timothy Grundenman’s face was getting tighter as they spoke. As Heather taunted him.

“She acts, and looks, a great deal like her mother, actually. Angela could always just get things done.” Heather looked at Timothy. “Right, Tim? Angela was always just so good at doing what had to be done. I learned from her. I wanted to be just like her when I grew up. I loved her very much. So did Timothy. Angela…Angela would be destroyed to know what he has done.”

“Yes, she would,” Timothy said, just staring at Heather. “I have always known that. It was an accident, you know.”

“What was?” Heather asked. Heather still had her gun pointed right at Timothy Grundenman. It was probably all that was keeping the younger guy from shooting Heather. Powell had listened to him and his father argue about Trey killing Heather. She’d just listened.

“Sopalmitraln. I was doing research with some anesthetics, and I just stumbled into it. But that was what I was paid to do. By Claireson Pharm. Create anesthetics that were cleaner, more efficient. I was just doing my job.”

“It was Banks and me, Auntie Hotshit Heather, that came up with OPJ after Daddy let me into his lab one day. How is that for a legacy?” the man’s son said in that same taunting tone. “I’m really going to enjoy killing you.”

“You have tried before, Trey. Failed before, too, sweetie. You have been a very bad boy. Very bad. Auntie is going to put you in a time-out very, very soon. After you confess all your sins. A jail cell, actually. Then again, you always have been a bad boy, right?” Heather was so cool right now. Powell didn’t even think the older woman had broken a sweat. “Always trying to take what you want. No matter who it hurts. Take, take, take.”

“I want what I deserve.”

“In that case, be prepared. You are going to rot in jail for the rest of your life. If you don’t get the needle.” Heather paused. “I really can’t wait to watch. Considering. I suspect you’ll twitch and scream like a dying rat. Daddy dearest right next to you. With his own matching hot shot.”

Powell tried not to grimace at the image that evoked.

“I never—” Timothy started. He sounded almost panicked. “All I have done was create Sopalmitraln, Heather. I’ve never…really hurt anyone.”

“Bull. I still have the bruises, Timmy. You had to know what your evil spawn here was doing. How someone could create both Trey and Summer, Eden, and Sam, and Emilia, I just do not understand.” Heather went silent for a moment. “Then again, maybe I can. More than most. My children aren’t evil, but their father certainly is. Was. What exactly do you call a man in his current situation?”

“You know about Emilia,” Timothy said flatly.

“We know all about Emilia. Figured it out very recently.” Heather shifted slightly. “So tell me, boys. How do you see this really ending?”

“You dead. After I have a really good time,” Trey said. He still had his gun. He pointed it at Powell. “You won’t want me to go bang, bang with Powell here. I have already taken care of her boyfriend. And her old man isn’t long for this world either.”

Powell tried not to panic, to fight the nausea somehow.

“Maybe so. But do you really think Powell’s mother isn’t calling for help right now? Or do you honestly think I am a fool, Timmy Three?”

“You have always been too smart for your own good. Walking around like the queen bitch,” Trey said. “Getting in my way. I should have killed you when you were fourteen. I thought about it that day.”

“Oh, I know you did. I thought about doing the same to you that day too.”

“What happened when you were fourteen, Heather?” Timothy asked. “What did you do, Trey?”

“Trey didn’t tell you? Imagine that. What do you really know about your baby boy, Timmy?” Heather asked. “I caught him in the stables. With Joy. He was making her kiss him. Forcing her to. She couldn’t get away. Remember how tiny she was then, Timmy? He was eighteen and had his hands under her shirt. She was fourteen. Very small for our age too. He’s just a sick perv. He’s very lucky I didn’t break his skull open right then and there. I had Eden’s softball bat in my hands, Timmy. I could have killed him then. I regret that I didn’t. I could have. Unlike my very runty twin, I was not small for fourteen. I could have done it. If Summer hadn’t walked in when she did, looking for her puppy, I probably would have.”

“Trey? Is this true?” Timothy demanded. Like he almost cared.

Trey just smirked. “Maybe. I do like small women, after all. So easy to make them do what a man wants.”

He grabbed Powell, ran one hand down her front. To rest over her stomach. “Just like Erickson does. Did, rather. Pop, pop . That was a fun one. Poor daddy-less baby now. I’m going to kill you, then head out, Auntie Heather. Been waiting for this day for a long, long time.”

Terror filled her. She had known something had happened to Gunnar. Otherwise, he’d have been there. He’d have been there. Powell just shook right where she was.

Her eyes met Heather’s, just for a quick moment. Heather smirked. “You really think it’s going to be that easy?”