Page 139 of Weight of Guilt

Nash wished she hadn’t spoken. But he understood why she had. She wanted answers.

Jacob’s attention moved past him again.

“Why did you do this?” Wren tightened her arms around Mason. “Why did you take my son?”

Something changed in Jacob’s expression. Not regret. It was almost . . . pity.

“There’s a greater purpose in all of it,” he muttered.

Nash didn’t like those words. He liked the conviction behind them even less.

“What purpose?” Wren asked as she stared incredulously at him.

Jacob’s mouth tightened, but he didn’t answer.

“Did you take Christian also?” she asked.

His gaze shifted back to satisfaction. “No.”

Nash stared at him. He’d expected a smile. A riddle. Something.

Instead, they got a man who sounded almost insulted.

“Then who?” Wren demanded. “Who took Christian?”

“That isn’t mine to answer.”

Wren made a small sound behind him.

Nash kept his gaze locked on Jacob. “Let them go.”

“No.”

“No? You and I can stay here and work this out.” Nash kept his voice even. “Wren takes Mason outside. Nobody else has to get hurt.”

“I didn’t hurt Mason. I never wanted to hurt anyone. That’s not what we want.”

“We?” Nash repeated. “Who is ‘we’?”

Jacob said nothing.

“Who is ‘we’?” Nash repeated.

Jacob shrugged. “It’s not important.”

“I’d say it is!”

Sirens would be coming soon. He had to know that.

Nash needed to keep him talking until backup arrived.

“Put the gun down, Jacob.” He made the words sound like the easiest choice in the world. “Let them go. Make this easier on yourself.”

Jacob stared at him. Then he slowly shook his head. “I can’t do that. This isn’t just about me. You don’t understand.”

Nash shifted his weight. His knee protested, but he ignored it.

Instead, he measured the distance between him and Jacob.