Page 441 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

“Some people are just predisposed to evil. Isn’t that what Addie would say. All those behavioral studies, trying to understand perversion. As if it can be tracked or categorized.”

How much had Jacob missed? Before Damen and after him. It had nothing to do with Jacob’s effect on his life. It was all Hank and the choices he’d made. Jacob might have been distracted by his own deal, coping with his own trauma. He’d tried to make his life the best it could be.

Hank had done the opposite. “You want me to tell you it wasn’t your fault? That you didn’t mean to do any of it. Fine. You were poisoned. You’re sick.”

That had to be it. Something had broken in Hank. He’d succumbed to the darkness of Ivan Damen instead of running from it the way Jacob and Addie had. Which only made his heartbreak for his friend.

Hank had fought that demon for years, and there was nothing anyone could’ve done to stop it.

He’d given in to the darkness.

Hank’s lips shifted. “I knew exactly what I was doing with every single one of them.”

Jacob had never known his friend could be so calculating. He had to face the fact they’d really never been friends. He hadn’t known Hank at all, despite being in each other’s lives for years.

Hank had kept the truth from everyone.

There was nothing Jacob did to make Hank this way. He’d chosen it, but it had also been the influence of evil on him. Maybe Jacob kept Hank from doing worse. Jacob might never get an answer on that, but he wanted to hold that hope close anyway. The way he refused to let go of the dream of being rescued—like last time.

But this time it would be Addie doing the saving.

The idea hewasn’tpoison poked up inside him like a flower growing through the sidewalk.

A little glimmer of hope from God that he was good. A new creation like that flower. Before, there had been only hardness and dry cement, now there was life.

That gift of God. Like having Addie back in his life, even under the circumstances. What was between them had never died. Maybe it was a forever kind of thing, and they’d messed it up for a while. But there was hope they could make something work.

That he wouldn’t be alone anymore.

That he’d find someone to face the sunrise with.

“And now I’ve got you and Addie here so I can finally finish what Damen started.”

Sickness roiled in him that had nothing to do with the fact his blood currently leaked all over the floor around him. “Were you the accomplice?”

Hank made a noise. Behind him, Mona shifted very slightly. “There was no accomplice,” he said.

“Then what were you doing all this time?”

“Learning. Growing my skills and making sure I had what it takes to do this right.”

Maybe he thought he was invincible now, better than anyone. Or maybe there was a niggle of doubt.

“Addie put it together. She knew the cases were connected, and she’ll figure out it was you.”

“And I’ll be waiting when she does.”

“I’m not going to let you hurt her.”

“You were going tokillher.” Hank sneered. “Now you think you can save her?”

No, but God can.And it had nothing to do with whether Jacob was good enough or not. He wanted to throw up, but he needed Hank to keep talking. “Tell me about them.”

“Looking for a confession?” Hank scoffed. “I guess it doesn’t matter since the cops will pin this on you like all the other deaths.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t arrest me a long time ago for a murder you committed.”

Hank grinned. “That would’ve been good.”

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