None of this was her fault. Nelson was clearly unbalanced. And if it hadn’t been her, then he would have found someone else to fulfill his sick fantasies.
Right now she had to concentrate on surviving.
And to do that, she had to keep Nelson talking.
“You killed Angel,” she said.
Nelson’s expression brightened, as if delighted by her interest in his gruesome deeds.
“Yes. She was my first.”
“Why Angel?”
“It wasn’t planned. I barely knew her.” His smile abruptly faded, his pleasure replaced with fierce hatred in the blink of an eye. “Not until we both had to stay after school for detention one day and we started talking.”
“Talking about what?”
“Her aunt,” he said.
“Teresa Graham?”
His hand tightened on her jaw until a sound of distress was wrenched from her throat. Easing his grip, he allowed his fingers to skim down her neck.
“The devil woman,” he growled.
Jaci blinked back her tears of pain, barely daring to breathe as his thumb pressed against her thundering pulse just below her jaw.
Was he already considering his desire to strangle her like the other women? Or did he have other plans?
“She was your babysitter, wasn’t she?”
“Babysitter?” His harsh laugh grated against her raw nerves. “She was a demented demon who made my life hell.”
“What did she do to you?”
His fingers stroked up and down her throat, sending shock waves of panic through Jaci. Her gaze briefly darted toward the door. If she shoved him backward could she make it across the room before he could catch her?
No. It was too much of a risk. She’d have to wait until he left the room.
“She beat me. She starved me. She humiliated me,” Nelson revealed in harsh tones, thankfully unaware of her inner thoughts. “But her greatest sin was tossing me in an abandoned well. She would leave me there for hours. Sometimes the entire day.”
Jaci frowned. She’d known that the older woman hadn’t been the best babysitter, but she’d never imagined that she had been torturing the helpless children in her care.
“Did your mother know Teresa was hurting you?” she asked.
Nelson’s lips twisted. “I told her over and over, but she claimed that she had no choice after my louse of a father had walked away. She said she couldn’t take care of me without help. Her nerves were too delicate.” He made a sound of disgust. “Of course, the truth was that she was stoned out of her mind on Valium and didn’t want to deal with an overactive boy bouncing around the house.”
Pity twisted Jaci’s heart. Not that she would ever, ever justify what Nelson had done. Nothing could excuse killing innocent women. But his future might have been much different if he’d been raised with love and kindness.
She sent up a quick prayer to her grandparents. She’d taken their constant affection for granted while she was growing up. Now she realized just how lucky she was.
“That’s awful,” she breathed with absolute sincerity. “I’m sorry you had to endure that hideous woman.”
He shrugged. “It made me stronger.”
It hadn’t made him stronger. It had shattered him. At least his mind.
“I don’t understand what Angel had to do with you being tormented by her aunt.” She prompted him to continue his story. The last thing she wanted was for him to decide it was time to finish his plans for her. “She wasn’t around back then.”
“Angel was complaining about the devil woman and I made the mistake of telling her about being trapped in the well,” he admitted.
Jaci grimaced. “I didn’t know Angel very well, but I’m sure she didn’t have much sympathy.”
His thumb pressed against her throat. Not choking her, but close. Terrifyingly close.
“She pretended that she did,” he rasped. “She even offered to help me get my revenge on her aunt.”
“Revenge?”
“I wanted the bitch to suffer,” he said. “I wanted her to be locked in the darkness with the fear that she was never getting out again.”
“What happened?”
“It was a trick.” He shook his head, his eyes darkening as he became lost in his memories. “Angel lured me to her aunt’s house and pushed me into the well. Then she laughed at me.”
Jaci shook her head. She wasn’t surprised by Angel’s cruelty. She’d been one of those people who seemed to enjoy other people’s misery.
“Oh, Nelson,” she said. “Angel was as bad as her aunt.”
“True.” His lips twisted. “But she taught me my true destiny.”
An unexpected pang of regret pierced her terror at the thought of Nelson being trapped in the dark well, his innocence being crushed along with his sanity. She didn’t want him to be evil.
She wanted him to be the friend she’d known and trusted.
“No,” she breathed. “Your art is your destiny.”
He scowled, as if annoyed by her words. “My art allows me to reveal the truth of death in its naked form,” he said. “My true art is ridding the world of the vermin.”
She swallowed her urge to protest. It was dangerous to allow herself to think of Nelson as the boy from her past. Whatever had broken inside him had stolen away the Nelson she’d known. In his place was a lethal killer who could snap her neck without hesitation.
She scooted back on the cushion, as if she simply wanted to make herself more comfortable. What she wanted was a little distance from the man who was making her skin crawl.
“But why the lockets?”
“After killing Angel, I took her necklace,” he explained. There was no regret in his voice for ending the life of a young, vulnerable girl. Instead there was a hint of wonderment. “I decided I wanted to keep a memento. It was my triumph over evil.”
“Then how did it end up at my house?”
“Because I couldn’t keep my glory to myself.” Sensing her retreat as she pressed her head against the back cushion, Nelson leaned forward, his hot breath brushing over her cheek like a tangible threat. “I had to share it with the only woman who was worthy.”
Her heart stuttered, her breathing ragged. “But you had to know that it was terrifying me. If you cared about me, why would you do that?”
He chuckled, an unnerving desire tightening his features. “I suppose I should be honest. At least with you. I like fear.” He closed the small space between them, abruptly biting her bottom lip. Hard enough to draw blood, and Jaci released a low cry of pain. Nelson lifted his head, revealing his satisfaction at her blatant terror. “I find it . . . exciting.”
She lifted a hand to press it against his chest, her head arching back.
“Nelson.”
“You’re shivering.” He clicked his tongue, even as his gaze lingered on the drop of blood that slid from her lip down her chin. “I’m not going to hurt you. Not again.”
She didn’t believe him. She could sense his mounting arousal. The sight of her blood was stirring his inner demon. Soon a small drop wasn’t going to be enough.
“Why did the lockets stop?” she asked in a desperate attempt to stall for more time.
“You left me.” His fingers tightened around her throat. A deliberate punishment as he recalled the fact that she’d fled Heron, leaving him behind. “I tried to use my photos to ease my need. Other times I tried to find a new partner to share in my game, but they were always a pale imitation of you.”
She sucked in a sharp breath. No. She didn’t care if she pissed him off. She wasn’t going to let him claim she was a willing part of his sick delusion.
“I’m not your partner,” she breathed. “And this isn’t a game.”
Anger clenched his jaw before he was making a visible effort to leash his temper.
“Perhaps you’re right,” he said, his fingers skimming up and down her throat. A caress? A threat? Probably both. “You’re my muse. I knew as soon as I wi
tnessed your reaction to my sacrifices that I’d been wasting my time with the others. It’s you.” The fingers tightened until Jaci struggled to breathe. “Only you.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Jaci remained frozen beneath his threatening touch. Like a rabbit cornered by a hungry dog, hoping if she didn’t move she wouldn’t be devoured.
The world was spinning in slow motion, her brain trying to process too many things at once. Which was why she almost missed the muffled sound coming from across the room.
With a blink, she cautiously turned her head toward the closed door.
“What’s that?” she demanded.
“Ah.” His grip on her neck eased. “My final gift for you.”
She grimaced. Which meant it wasn’t a savior.
A chill trickled down her spine. Oh Lord. She had a sudden, hideous suspicion what was behind the door.
She had to find some way to distract Nelson long enough to escape.
Easier said than done.
For now, all she could do was keep him talking.
“I thought your gift was always a locket.”
His fingers once again stroked up and down her throat, his gaze drifting down to the thrust of her breasts, visible beneath her damp shirt.
“That had been my initial plan,” he admitted. “Until I watched you with Anne’s body.”
Horror shuddered through her. He’d been spying on her? For how long?
“Poor Anne.” She gave a shake of her head. “How could you hurt her?”
He caught her off guard by heaving a regretful sigh. “Yes, that was a pity. But I was in a hurry.”
A pity? She thought of the older woman who’d spent her life being at Loreen Hamilton’s beck and call. And just when she was on the cusp of claiming her freedom, she’d been brutally murdered by a cold-blooded psychopath.
“You killed Anne because you were in a hurry?”
His brows snapped together as he sensed the disdain she couldn’t entirely hide.
“I needed to create my gift for you and I knew Anne would be walking through the woods on her way to meet her clandestine lover,” he snapped.
She sent him a startled frown. She’d thought the romance was a secret.
“How did you know about Jarrod Walker?”
He shrugged. “Your mother somehow convinced a local yokel magazine to include the Hamilton estate in a photo spread,” he said. “Naturally she assumed I would be delighted to spend an entire week snapping pictures of the lovely Payton posed around the place.”
Of course her mother would demand a world-renowned photographer drop everything for the privilege of taking pictures of her home.
“Why did you do it?” she asked.
Another shrug. “She offered me a fortune.”
“And you saw Anne?”
“Yes. I was setting up a shoot in the garden when I saw her slip through a side gate. I was curious so I followed her.” His lips twitched. “I’ll admit I was surprised to discover she was doing the nasty with Old Man Walker.” His hand moved along her aching jaw before he used the tip of his finger to trace her lips. “After a week at the house I realized that it was an ongoing affair. Every morning, like clockwork, Anne would enter the garden and then sneak off to enjoy a quickie in the shed.”
His touch made her stomach cramp with revulsion. “Who was the woman in the field?”
“Just some worthless whore I found in Kansas City,” he told her. “Nobody.”
His tone wasn’t angry. Or regretful. It was empty.
As if the poor woman truly had been nobody. Just a piece of trash he’d killed and tossed into a shallow grave.
Jaci was distracted by a muffled noise. She bit her lower lip, trying to pretend she hadn’t heard it.
Nelson wasn’t fooled. Shoving himself to his feet, he reached down to grab her hand.
“It’s time you saw my gift to you.”
His grip crushed her fingers together as he steadily tugged her off the couch. She staggered as her head spun in a circle. For a minute she thought she was going to fall face-first, but with an effort she managed to regain her balance.
Indifferent to her shaky knees and the pain shooting through her head, Nelson hauled her across the polished wood floor.
Then, with a dramatic flourish, he shoved the door open.
Jaci blinked at the muted light that filled the small bedroom. Her gaze instinctively moved toward the window that offered a view of the thick woods that surrounded the cabin. Then her gaze dropped to the heavy curtains that were piled on the floor.
Clearly the noise she’d heard was someone jerking the drapes off their rod, which was now hanging from the wall at a drunken angle.
No, not someone.
Payton.
Her heart twisted, her stomach heaving with nausea as she reluctantly allowed her gaze to move to the woman who was huddled against the wall, watching them with terrified eyes.
Her half sister had been stripped naked, except for the golden locket that was hung around her neck. Her arms and legs were bound by rope. And there a piece of duct tape across her mouth to prevent her from screaming.
Her face was pale and stained with tears, her terror a palpable force in the small space.
“Payton,” she breathed.
Nelson chuckled, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. “I knew you would be pleased.”
She sent him a confused glance. “Pleased? Why would I want you to hurt my sister?”
“She’s been nothing but a bitch to you,” he said. “Remember when we were in grade school and she would tell the teacher that you pushed her down or stole her stupid doll?”
Cautiously Jaci inched her way toward her sister, careful not to give Nelson any reason to think she was trying to escape.
Her jaw still throbbed from the last time he felt the need to punish her.
“We were just kids,” she said, keeping her head turned to watch Nelson even as she moved until she was standing next to her sister.
Instantly Payton wiggled to press herself against Jaci’s leg, clearly seeking the comfort of having her close.
Nelson’s attention moved to Payton, his expression twisting with a blatant loathing.
“Even later, she did everything possible to make your life a misery. Don’t pretend she didn’t,” he growled. “She stole your boyfriends, she spread rumors, and even tried to buy your friends.”
Everything he said was true. Payton had been a first-class bitch. She’d seduced her boyfriends. She’d lied. She’d manipulated.
But now that they were faced with death, Jaci realized just how meaningless the squabbling had been.
“It’s in the past, Nelson. It no longer matters.”
She lowered herself to her knees, placing her hand on Payton’s arm. She gave her sister a light pat, as if she was just trying to comfort her. At the same time, she angled her body to hide her other hand as she reached to run her hands over the rope around Payton’s ankle, searching for the knot. Then, with a sharp tug, she had it loosened.
She’d been raised on a farm. Her grandfather had served in the navy.
There was no knot she couldn’t unravel.
Unaware of what she’d accomplished, Nelson glared at her in frustration.
“Of course it matters,” he snapped. “The past molds us into the people we were destined to be. You and I were treated like shit by our mothers and yet we managed to survive.” He puffed out his chest, a smug smile curving his lips. “Actually, we did more than survive. We’re like finely tempered steel.” His smile disappeared with unnerving speed as he pointed a finger toward the cringing Payton. “And then there are those who are selfish bullies. They take joy in trying to undermine those who are better than they are.”
Jaci shifted, pretending to turn so she could fully face Nelson. She kept her hand behind her back, gesturing for Payton to move so she could reach the rope that was tied around her wrists.
“She’s my only sister,” she said,
releasing a silent breath of relief as Payton gave a low moan and slumped to lean her head against her shoulder.
The movement pressed Payton’s hands against Jaci’s lower back. A perfect location for her fingers to find the knot between Payton’s wrists.
“You don’t need family,” Nelson was assuring her. “They’re nothing but anchors that weigh you down.” His gaze skimmed over her body, a dark, dark hunger glowing in the depths of his eyes. “Together we can soar.”
“Is that what you want for us?”
“It’s what I’ve always wanted.” He took a step toward her, his hands twitching at his side. Was he imagining that he was touching her? “You belong to me.”
“Then let Payton go,” she pleaded, fumbling to grab one end of the rope without looking over her shoulder.
Nelson stiffened, annoyance etched on his handsome face. “No. She’s my gift to you.”
“I don’t need a gift.”
“I want to do this for you,” he insisted, his voice thickening with remembered pleasure. “You can’t imagine the power of watching someone die,” he told her. “The fear in their eyes. The pleas for salvation. The final resignation as they accept they have been judged and found unworthy.” A visible shudder raced through his body. “It’s glorious.”
Jaci’s mouth went dry. It wasn’t just the description of choking someone to death. Although that was horrible enough. It was the whisper of joy in his voice. And the unmistakable arousal that pressed against his jeans.
God. He truly was insane.
“Not for me.” She sent him a pleading glance. She knew it was futile to hope he had a conscience, but she had to keep him occupied. Anything so he wouldn’t notice her frantic attempts to tug the knot free. “I could never forgive myself if something happened to my sister. I’ve had too much loss.”
He hunched his shoulders, suddenly looking like a peevish child. What had he expected? That Jaci would swoon with anticipation at the thought of watching him kill her sister?
“Don’t ruin this,” he warned her.
There was a prickle in the air that raised goose bumps on her skin. She’d pressed too far. Nelson was on the verge of snapping.
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