Chapter 67
Chapter
Sixty-Seven
Nash saw the gun first.
Everything else dropped away.
Jacob stood in the doorway with one hand wrapped around a gun, the barrel angled toward the floor.
For now.
But there was something different about him. The easy expression Nash had seen at Nora’s house was gone. So was the helpful boyfriend who’d washed dishes and asked concerned questions.
This Jacob’s eyes looked flat and resolved.
Wren sucked in a breath. “Jacob?”
Nash stepped between Jacob and the closet—between Jacob and Wren.
He kept his attention on the weapon. “Wren, stay where you are.”
Jacob’s gaze shifted past him, toward Wren.
Nash moved another half step, blocking his view. “Look at me, Jacob.”
Jacob did.
Good.
Nash lowered his voice and used the same tone he’d used with armed suspects more times than he could count. “You don’t want this getting worse.”
Jacob gave a slight shake of his head. “You have no idea what I want.”
“Then tell me.”
For a moment, Jacob said nothing.
Nash studied the gun. Jacob’s finger remained near the trigger. His grip was too tight.
The man was nervous. A nervous man could still be talked down. But a nervous man could also fire before he meant to.
Behind Nash, Mason whimpered.
A muscle moved in Jacob’s jaw.
Wren’s voice came from behind Nash. “Why? Why are you doing this to us?”
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.
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?”
His gaze moved to her. “Because I wanted you to find this place.”
Her skin prickled. Was this a game to him? She still didn’t understand.
Nash’s shoulders seemed to tighten. “Then why are you surprised we’re here?”
“You came too soon.” Jacob’s fingers shifted around the gun, and his expression tightened.
Wren went cold.
Mason clung to her even more tightly.
She rubbed one hand over his back, trying to reassure him even though every nerve in her body screamed. “What was supposed to happen first?”
Jacob’s eyes rested on her for a long moment. Then whatever openness had been there vanished. “It doesn’t matter.”
“You dated Nora just to get to Mason, didn’t you?” she continued. “You befriended us all and tried to get us to trust you. Even after you took Mason, you showed up at our house. Why?”
“It was my purpose.”
His purpose? What sense did that make?
“You have a daughter. Why did you want Mason? What were you going to do with him?”
He said nothing.
“Who are you working with? Why?” she continued.
“You wouldn’t understand,” he finally said.
“Then help me. Make it make sense.”
“Enough talking!” He lifted the gun.
Wren’s breath caught. Would he shoot them? Was that his end goal?
Instead, he muttered, “We need to get going.”
Nash didn’t move. “Going where?”
“I’ve said enough.”
Wren looked at Nash. His gaze flicked toward hers for only a second. But something passed between them.
Wait. Watch. Be ready.
Or maybe she was imagining it.
She had no idea what Nash planned to do.
Mason’s arms tightened around her.
Jacob motioned with the gun. “Move.”
Wren pulled Mason closer.
Whatever happened next, she knew one thing with absolute certainty.
She was not getting into a car with Jacob.