“Keep going.”
“I have a file.”
“You’re fond of those.”
Her lips quirked in a small smile. “Yes, well, I like to see everything in front of me. Be able to get my hands on it. Anyway.” She took a breath. “I’ve also got a flash drive with all the information stored on it. I’d like to get both of these to Jacob before I leave Sunnyville.”
“Okay. Can you drop them off at the station?”
“I’m actually outside Rylan and Mazey Conners’ house. Could I perhaps leave it here?”
“I’d rather it be safe and no one is there right now.”
“Right. Of course. I can drop it at the station. Will you be there?”
“No. Just tell whoever is at the front desk it’s for me and they’ll make sure I receive it.”
“Thank you. And please, if you can, could you tell Jacob I’m sorry? I tried to cause as little heartache as possible and I hate that I’ve done the opposite. I only want the best for both Maddox and Jacob.”
“I’ll pass that on if I can.”
“Thank you. I’ll head to the station now.”
“Good. Stay safe on those roads.”
“Thank you again. For everything. Goodbye.”
Mallory hung up and dropped her head forward, resting her forehead on the steering wheel. The tears she’d managed to stop came back tenfold. She had no idea how she managed to start the car and drive to the Sunnyville PD building without crashing. Somehow she also managed to stop the flow long enough to clean up her face and dash inside to leave everything with the man at the front desk.
She was pretty sure it was the same officer as last time she was here but she didn’t linger. She was back in her car heading out of town toward the highway that would take her back to San Francisco a few minutes after she’d pulled into the parking lot.
Tears fell for most of her trip. Her blurry vision kept her under the speed limit. It didn’t escape her that less than an hour since she’d driven into Sunnyville, she was traveling back the way she’d come.
It seemed impossible that it was only this morning she’d driven back to Sunnyville from San Francisco, her heart full with pleasure, with relief that she’d put into place measures to protect Maddox and Jacob. It felt as though days had passed since. Her body ached, her eyes stung, and her heart, god, her heart broke.
She’d ruined everything.
She could blame Donna—after all, the woman had shown up where Mallory had told her not to because she knew what Jacob’s reaction would be. Especially after last week’s disaster with the nanny.
And she had been right, hadn’t she? If Donna had only listened…
Then again, if Mallory had been honest from the beginning. Attempted to make contact and explain; perhaps she could have asked Detective Malone to help her bridge that conversation. He’d been receptive to her help when it came to making sure Renee stayed behind bars.
Except now her stepsister was in a psychiatric facility, not jail.
All thanks to a mother who listened to the lies, who believed the bullshit her daughter was saying, who refused to see the truth. Her own child was a danger to the little boy she’d had in order to get her hands on money.
Money.
How much was a young life worth?
Millions.
And Renee had done—would do—anything to get her hands on it.
She’d proven it time and again. First when she’d left a defenseless baby in her locked apartment and then when she’d taken that child from his father and kept him sedated for three weeks.
Mallory’s hands clenched on the wheel. The thought of that poor little boy…
