Page 144 of Weight of Guilt

Toward Wren.

Toward Mason.

No!

Nash slammed both hands around Jacob’s wrist and forced the gun upward.

Jacob drove an elbow into his ribs. Air left Nash’s lungs. Still, he held on.

Wren and Mason had made it outside. They were safe. That was all that mattered.

Jacob twisted again.

The gun moved between them, and he felt Jacob’s finger tightening.

Nash shoved him with everything he had.

Then the gun fired. The sound tore through the room.

Everything went still.

Nash froze. Had he been hit?

The sound of gunfire cracked through the house.

Wren turned back toward the structure.

Mason jerked against her and buried his face in her side.

For one terrible second, she couldn’t move.

Nash . . .

Her mind went blank except for his name.

She stared at the broken front door.

Nothing moved inside. There were no voices. No footsteps.

Nothing.

“Mama?” Mason’s voice brought her back.

She dropped to her knees and grabbed his shoulders. “Are you okay?”

He nodded quickly, eyes huge.

Wren looked toward the house again. She couldn’t leave Mason. But she couldn’t stand here not knowing if Nash was bleeding on that floor either.

Her heart pounded so hard it hurt.

Think.

She scanned the yard and spotted Nash’s truck.

Then she heard the sirens in the distance. Backup was almost here.

Wren took Mason’s hand. “Come with me.”