Page 140 of Weight of Guilt

Eight feet, maybe nine.

Jacob had the gun.

Wren and Mason were directly behind him.

Nash couldn’t afford to make a wrong choice.

Memories pummeled his thoughts. Memories of another situation very much like this.

Memories of the life-altering decision he’d made.

As Jacob’s grip tightened around the weapon, Nash knew he needed to be fully present right now. He knew the talking part was almost over.

He braced himself for what came next.

Mason clung to Wren so tightly her waist hurt where his fingers dug into her.

She didn’t care.

She kept one arm locked around him and watched Jacob over Nash’s shoulder.

The gun was still in his hand.

That was all she could see: the gun, Jacob’s face, and the distance between them.

Somewhere outside, help was coming.

Prine knew where they were. Luke knew where they were. They only needed time to get here.

Wren tightened her hold on Mason before she asked, “Did you kill Roy?”

Jacob’s expression changed. The strange calm disappeared, replaced by something harder. “My uncle became a liability.”

Wren stared at him. Had she heard him correctly? “Roy was your uncle?”

Jacob’s mouth twisted. “Small world, huh? But he was starting to slip. Making too many mistakes.”

Wren’s stomach turned.

Roy had known.

Whatever was happening, whatever had started ten years ago, Roy had been part of it. Their theory hadn’t been wrong.

Nash shifted in front of her. “He made too many mistakes? You mean, like letting Christian somehow escape?”

Something passed through Jacob’s eyes so quickly Wren almost missed it.

Then his mouth curved. “You might say that.”

Wren’s heart kicked harder. What did that mean?

Christian had made a mistake? Or bringing Christian back had been one?

She wanted to ask, but Nash spoke first. “Why send Nora the picture of this house? You practically handed us the location.”

Jacob studied him. For the first time, something almost like amusement touched his face. “I wanted to see if she’d put things together.”

Wren frowned. “Why? You didn’t want to keep this a secret?”