Page 71 of Tangled Past
This was a shrine.
“Welcome,” Jonas’s voice echoed from the far side of the chamber.
Asa spun, gun snapping up.
Jonas stood near a steel worktable bolted to the stone floor, one hand braced against it, the other slick with blood. His face was pale now, lips drawn tight. But his eyes. They were alive. “You always did follow through,” Jonas said almost proudly, his breath hitching. “Just like your father.”
“Drop the weapon,” Will commanded, stepping into view. “Now.”
Jonas chuckled weakly. “You think I’m getting out of here?” His gaze slid back to Asa. “This was never about escape.”
Asa’s voice came out rough. “You killed them all.”
Jonas tilted his head. “Icollectedthem.”
Rage surged so fast that Asa nearly lost control. “You murdered women,” Asa snarled. “You hunted them.”
“Wrong. I watched them,” Jonas shot back. “There’s a difference. They were already invisible. I just . . . finished the job the world started.” His hand swept toward his shrines. “I made them immortal and important.”
Asa took a step forward.
Will’s hand brushed his arm. A warning.
Jonas’s bright eyes flicked to the alcoves behind Asa. “You see it now, don’t you? The pattern Raymond wouldn’t let go of. The one that cost him his life.”
Asa’s chest burned. “You killed him.”
Jonas’s mouth twisted. “I loved him.”
“Then why—”
“Because he figured out it was me,” Jonas snapped. His control cracked for the first time. “He wouldn’t let it go until he found the truth.”
Asa froze.
Jonas laughed softly, then winced, blood seeping faster now. “Vanessa led him to me. He brought her here. I found her and Maya. I dragged Vanessa out of the barn and killed her. Then I went back to warn Maya to keep her mouth shut, but Raymond showed up and caught me. I couldn’t hide. The truth was out. I had to kill him.” He shook his head. “Then you showed up. I would have killed you if you’d seen my face. I did my best to disguise my voice for you, and I guess it worked because you never suspected it was me.”
Asa winced. The truth was finally out. Instead of feeling relieved, he felt numb. “Where is Vanessa?” He owed it to Maya to find out the truth.
Jonas’s eyes locked onto his. “Right here.”
Asa’s flashlight beam shook as it swept the alcoves again. Then he saw it.
A small silver locket.
Heart-shaped.
Broken at the hinge.
In an instant, something inside him broke open.
Jonas smiled. “She fought. I’ll give her that.” He lunged away from the worktable and straight for Asa in a single bound.
The gunshot was a reflex. Asa didn’t remember deciding. Didn’t remember aiming. Only the recoil, the flash, the way Jonas jerked backward with a sharp cry.
The bullet hit him high in the thigh. Jonas collapsed against the wall, sliding down hard, blood pooling beneath him.
Rachel moved instantly, the weapon still trained. “He’s down!”
