Ronnie shut her eyes. “I love that kid, Nessie. I was just thinking of her.”

“Oh, Ronnie.” Her sister’s voice was almost gentle. She felt Vanessa’s cool, small hand on top of hers, and Ronnie’s heart lifted. “It took a lot to track you down. I almost gave up.”

“How long have you been following me?” Ronnie thought of all the shadows she feared, all the bodies darting into corners. That had all been Vanessa?

“I hired a PI. It cost a ton of money. Said I was looking for my long-lost sister. That we had a lot to talk about.” She smirked. “He looked and looked. It wasn’t easy to find you.”

“Has he been watching me all this time?” If only that could explain her paranoia. “Did he send me the Missing flyer?”

“No!” Vanessa looked intrigued. “You got one? How about that? I put that flyer together years ago—I had no idea they were still printing them.”

“Nessie, I-I’ve felt terrible,” Ronnie stammered. “Terrible that I got her out of there, terrible that I didn’t have enough time to get you.” Her eyes filled with tears, thinking of Vanessa on the ground, unconscious. “I should have,” she decided. “Even if it meant Jerrod coming after us. But I . . . I thought you were gone already.” She lowered her head. “I was just thinking of Taylor. I was afraid Jerrod was going to kill us.”

“He wouldn’t have killed you.”

“How can you be so sure?” Ronnie cleared her throat. “He was about to rape me.”

Vanessa rolled her eyes. “Funny. He told me you came on to him. Told me you came on to him a lot. Wanted to be his wife, wanted me out of the picture. It’s why you took off with Taylor. If you couldn’t have him, then at least you’d have his little girl.”

Ronnie gaped. How could Vanessa say that after all that Jerrod had put her through? She wanted to shake her. “If you knew I was the one who took her, why did it take you so long to find us?”

“Yeah, well. I wanted to.” Vanessa’s eyes lowered. Something dark and heavy passed across her features.

“But Jerrod didn’t?”

Vanessa shrugged. But maybe that made sense. If the police came, they’d see the squalor and Vanessa’s bruises. They’d suspect that they had done something to the baby. So why now, then? Had Vanessa had to save up the money? Was she doing this without Jerrod knowing? Maybe this was her first opportunity to get away? It was all so puzzling.