Page 37 of Rufus

“A child should never be held responsible for her mother’s or father’s behavior.”

The lead weight settled in Molly’s chest, because Rufus hadn’t answered the question she’d asked him. “And yet acts of revenge are often carried out for just that purpose.”

“Never by me.”

“Even if she told me she sometimes used me as a distraction to couples so she could abduct their baby?” She might as well tell him the worst of what she had learned.

Rufus stilled. “Is that what she did?”

Molly nodded. “She told me today that she had, yes,” she acknowledged woodenly.

“That admission is so fucked-up, I don’t even know where to start pulling it apart,” he bit out. “Except to say,” he added firmly, “that you are not, now or then, in any way to blame for what your mother chose or now chooses to do.”

“Then why do I feel as if I am?”

“Because you’re a good person and your mother isn’t.”

A good person, yes, but Molly still knew it would be impossible for any victim of Serena Jenkins’s horrendous crimes to ever be able to forget or forgive Molly’s connection to the other woman. “I honestly don’t know where the woman I once called Mother is staying. She just told me I had to leave here today, and that she would be watching to ensure that I did as I was told.”

“Which means she’s probably still in London.” Rufus nodded. “If she is, Linus will find her.”

Could it really be that simple? “She told me she’d had someone watching you and Mia for the last two years. To make sure that none of the events of the past would ever be traced back to her. It’s also how she discovered I was working and living here.”

“Well, that explains that situation, at least. Although I can’t say I’m thrilled at knowing the psychopath who abducted my daughter all those years ago has been having us watched for the past two years.” He scowled. “Even more worrying, why the hell didn’t I know that, in relation to Mia, at least, when both Darius and I are so vigilant about keeping her safe— Damn it!” he bit out.

“What?” Molly prompted when Rufus didn’t add anything else.

“There’s one easy way I can think of for us to be kept under surveillance,” he grated. “Which is that one of the people I employ is being paid to do it.”

“Is that possible?”

“I’m starting to believe anything is possible after the things I’ve learned today,” he rasped. “I employ dozens of personnel all around the world, and I took on an extra dozen of them, with Darius’s agreement, when Mia opened the animal shelter and I needed to keep it and her safe when she was here. Hiring someone who was already being paid to be here to give feedback to a third party is the perfect way to hide that behavior.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Not as sorry as he or she is going to be when I discover who it is,” he assured grimly before his gaze narrowed on her. “What happens if you don’t leave?”

“She said she would come back.” She swallowed. “And that this time, she wouldn’t be asking.”

After all that Serena had told her today, Molly really hadn’t cared enough to ask any more questions. Just as she had no interest in the movements of the woman who might have given birth to her, but who had certainly never loved or cared about her. The older woman had proved that when she admitted to having walked away and never looked back.

The only reason for Serena Jenkins being here now was to threaten Molly into doing as she instructed. To warn that if she even attempted to tell the Wynter family the truth, Molly would regret it.

As if Molly didn’t already know that!

It had never occurred to Molly that Rufus would somehow learn the truth of the past from another source only hours before she had intended to make good her escape.

It didn’t surprise her that Linus Wynter had been able to find out what he had in just a few hours. Mia had told her about Linus’s serious hacker skills when she had explained he would be carrying out a background check on her before she could employ Molly. Mia had also explained that normally, Linus utilized those skills for the family-owned company, Wynter Security.

Rufus shook his head. “I’m still disappointed that you didn’t feel you could tell me about her visit and the reason behind it.”

“Don’t do that,” she pleaded.

“What?”

She huffed. “Hearing you’ve disappointed someone is like having a knife thrust in your gut before it’s slowly twisted.”

“Wow, that turned graphic pretty quickly,” Rufus drawled, feeling some of the heavy tension built up in the last few minutes ease from his shoulders.

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