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Billy creaked his head to the side to see Jenna enter the kitchen, her iPhone held before her.
“Pedro has kids. Do you think he’d be impressed if he saw you strangling a little boy?”
“What are you doing here?” Mallory hissed. But Jenna’s approach must have worked, because she loosened her grip on Bean’s throat. He gasped and hauled in air.
“Same as you. I’m trying to help my man. That’s what you want, right? You want to prove your worth to Pedro Carro? You want a ballplayer to love you? You should…a ballplayer’s love is something to fight for.” She stepped farther into the room. “I should know.”
“Yeah, you should. But you dumped him. You have nothing to do with this.”
“But I do. I love him.”
She took two more steps into the room, closer to them all, still recording.
Mallory grabbed Bean by the arm. “Stop where you are. See? I’m not hurting Bean. Just don’t come any closer.”
Jenna aimed the phone at Bean.
“Bean, honey, tell me the truth. Do you want Mallory to let you go?”
“Yes!” Bean shouted.
Mallory kept shaking her head, clearly wanted to spit nails, but not wanting to end up on Instagram.
“See that, Mallory?” Jenna’s voice was soft, understanding. “Why don’t you prove to Pedro that you’re not the kind of woman who keeps a child away from his mother. You want him to know what a good person you are. Someone worthy of the second-best shortstop on the Twins. You can prove it right now. Let Bean go.”
With a sound like a snarl, Mallory pushed Bean away from her. Billy cringed as Bean stumbled over his feet—this was exactly the kind of situation that would usually end with Bean face down on the flagstone floor.
But amazingly, he found his footing and raced into Jenna’s arms. Jenna caught him up with a little cry and they clung to each other, Bean’s little legs wrapped around his mama.
Zack glanced up at Billy, silently asking if he could run to his mother too. Billy nodded, and he darted across the room toward Jenna. Mallory didn’t try to stop them. She was staring at the floor, chewing on the inside of her mouth, muttering something to herself. Wherever her unbalanced brain was taking her, it wasn’t a happy place.
Zack reached Jenna and she scooped him against her side. Finally Billy’s entire family was safe. His heart expanded inside his chest like a sun. Nothing else really mattered. He’d sign whatever Mallory wanted. He’d quit the Twins, pay the penalty, hell, he’d quit baseball. So longs as his family was safe.
He met Jenna’s gaze, knowing that his love and gratitude were written all over his face. If only he could tell her in words. If he got the chance, he wouldn’t waste a second, not again.
Jenna set Bean down on the floor. “Boys, there are people coming to help. Why don’t you go wait for them by the front door and give a shout when they get here. Zack, keep close to Bean, okay?”
“Are you coming too, Mommy?”
“I’ll be right behind you. Your daddy and I just need a minute.”
Zack actually took Bean by the hand—something he didn’t do much anymore—and they both raced out of the room.
“Thank you for letting him go and not hurting him,” Jenna said softly. But Billy could tell from the steel in her eyes that she would never forgive the woman for scaring her kids.
Mallory lifted her head, a weird, wild, almost tender look in her eyes. “He liked me. Kids like me.”
Billy and Jenna exchanged a worried look. Mallory seemed to have settled on a new direction. His stomach tightened with a knot of worry. The kids’ leaving changed the dynamic. She didn’t have hostages anymore, but she also didn’t have anything holding her back.
Below the level of the counter, he flexed his hands, finding more movement in them. He worked his tongue back and forth in his mouth. He subtly tightened and loosened other muscles—chest, biceps, thighs—to figure out exactly how much strength and control he had at this point.
Mallory suddenly swung her gaze toward him, and he froze.
“You didn’t make the video. You didn’t sign the papers.”
“How’s he supposed to do any of that when you drugged him?” Jenna demanded.
“Shut up, Jenna.” Mallory crouched down to rummage in the bag at her feet. Looking for the document he was supposed to sign? Something else?
