His first instinct was to race to his truck and give chase, but he forced himself not to move, pretending to drink coffee and look at his phone. A soft exhale escaped him when Brantley safely reached the other side of the highway, hightailing across the railroad tracks.
Jesus.
If he was lucky, the sheriff would be there any second, and this could end without any kind of standoff. At least for him. As for Brantley … well, it was too late for that now.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
JJ sat on the couch, watching asBaz paced back and forth. He’d gone from attempting to get Molly to tell him where she was to keeping her talking to give Brantley and Reese time to find them. It was obvious he wanted nothing to do with the woman on the other end of the line, but JJ figured Molly was buying every word.
“I’m the only one who can love you the way you deserve,” Molly continued.
It was the script that had been ongoing for the past twenty minutes. She wasn’t even deviating from it much.
“I’ve proven that I’m worthy, Sebastian. But Jessica tricked me. I won’t let her trick me again.”
“How did she trick you?” Baz asked, clearly to keep her talking.
“She told me Sonny wanted to kill you. He doesn’t. He wants me to be happy. He said he’ll help us raise the baby.”
JJ’s lip curled in distaste. She couldn’t imagine anyone’s baby being raised by Sonny. His eyes were so freaking dead. She wasn’t sure he could even show emotion.
“Why was there so much blood at the storage building, Molly?”
That wasn’t the first time Baz had attempted to get an answer for that. JJ was once again recording the conversation, although she doubted it would hold up in court. Not that it mattered anymore. Molly was obviously alive and well, and she’d already admitted Sonny wasn’t dead, so it was only a matter of time before Sheriff Endsley arrested them. And yes, JJ had every intention of pressing charges. She’d let Dante off the hook because of their history. He’d done something stupid, and he admitted as much. It wasn’t the same for Molly and Sonny. They’d purposely taken her with the intention of cutting her baby out of her belly.
JJ laid her hands protectively over her stomach as she watched Baz pace.
“He said it was the only way I could talk to you.”
Baz frowned. “How would I get to talk to you if I’m in jail for murder, Molly?”
“You weren’t supposed to go to jail. Jessica was. That’s why we left her orange juice bottle there.”
Wow. JJ shook her head. So she’d been right. Molly had intended to frame JJ for her murder. Then what? She was going to run away with Baz? Didn’t Molly ever consider that to be with anyone, she kinda had to be alive?
Oh, who was she kidding? She was surprised Molly had enough mental clarity to get through the day.
Molly continued to rattle on. “When I called to tell the cops she did it, they confused me. I messed up.”
Wow. They hadn’t thought that one out very well, had they?
“I’m so sorry, Sebastian. I didn’t mean to.”
“It’s okay,” he told her, although his tone was flat.
“I really—” Molly stopped talking.
“Molly? Are you there?”
“Shhh,” she said.
Why she was shushing Baz, JJ didn’t know.
“What’s going on?” Baz asked.
Her voice was lowered when she answered. “There’s a police officer in here. I have to be quiet.”
“Molly Ryan?” they heard someone say.
