Atticus still had a hard time believing Molly and Baz hadn’t actually dated. If that was the case, what made Molly go crazy for the guy? Sure, he was a nice guy, but Atticus couldn’t imagine liking someone enough to wallpaper his fucking house with their face. Jesus.
“She honestly believes they’re gonna be together.” JJ turned to look back at him. “She wanted to steal my baby so she could raise it with Baz.”
“Steal it?”
JJ nodded, and Atticus saw the echo of fear flash in her light green eyes. “Yeah. Sonny was gonna cut it out of me.”
“Jesus,” Slade said with more enthusiasm than the last time.
Atticus exhaled harshly. “That’s fucked up.”
“Ain’t it, though?” JJ turned back to face the front. “I’m so glad y’all were there. I was hopin’ I could convince the store clerk to let me use the phone, but I don’t know where Sonny went. I talked Molly into gettin’ a burner phone so it couldn’t be traced.” JJ looked at Slade as though this was your run-of-the-mill, casual conversation. “She wanted to talk to Baz—well, she calls him Sebastian. I think that was where Sonny was goin’ when he left, but he was pissed off, so I don’t know for sure.”
Atticus stared out the window, trying to process it all. He couldn’t imagine what she’d been through, but from what he could tell, she was the same JJ.
Perhaps a littletoomuch like the pregnant woman who enjoyed debating which Mexican food restaurant had the best chips and salsa or which Italian place had the best marinara sauce—she was all about food these days. She could only pretend for so long. He figured, at some point, she was going to break down. But maybe she was waiting until she was with Baz to do that.
“It wasn’t as bad as when I woke up covered in blood,” she said, and this time, her voice caught.
What the…?“You woke up … covered in … blood? Really?” Atticus asked, leaning forward.
JJ nodded. “My ex … he staged his kidnapping. Used me to do it. His psycho friend bashed me on the head and put me in my own bed…”
She trailed off. It was obvious this was more difficult to discuss than she was leading on.
Atticus put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m so sorry that happened to you.”
She nodded again, and from where he touched her, Atticus could tell she was dangerously close to panicking.
“You’re safe,” he assured her, gently squeezing her shoulder.
“You are,” Slade agreed. “And there are a lot of people who’re gonna make damn sure you remain that way.”
The conviction in Slade’s tone had Atticus looking at his profile. He wished, just one time in his life, someone would care enough about him to have that sort of confidence. Unfortunately, he was past thinking that Carson might’ve been that guy. Based on what little he’d gleaned from Slade earlier, Atticus had a feeling it was over before it ever started.
He wished he could be okay with that.
At least for the moment, he had something else to be thankful for. JJ’s safe return would have to be enough.
Chapter Eleven
2:45P.M.
JJ managed to keep her composure forthe rest of the drive. It wasn’t easy. She was pretty sure she was going into shock now that the threat was over, but she was doing her best to pretend otherwise.
She needed Baz, and it was all she could do to breathe as each mile passed.
When Slade turned the truck down her street, JJ felt the floodgates open, and tears filled her eyes. There were so many vehicles, not to mention people moving about outside her house.
The moment she saw Baz, the tears fell, and she sobbed like a broken child. And then he was there, opening her door, helping her out, and pulling her into his arms.
JJ held onto him. She buried her face in his neck and cried, both terror and relief escaping her in equal measure.
“I’ve got you, baby,” Baz repeated over and over, holding her for long minutes, letting her cry herself out.
“The deputy’s gonna take her statement,” someone said from behind her.
“Where were they holdin’ her?” she heard Brantley ask.
