Page 32 of Stolen for Keeps
Elia didn’t ask why. He just let me in.
But I never stayed long. I always claimed I had business in Salt Lake. Deadlines. A growing company. Whatever excuse sounded the most polished. But none of it covered what really drove me out.
I wasn’t just a memory of the old Lazy Moose days. I was a reminder of everything that had fallen apart. Of what he’d lost.
When Elia looked at me, he didn’t just see his brother.
He saw the collapse of the Lucas family.
So I’d left first before anyone else could ever leave me again.
8
MAYA
The secondhand dress was tucked under my arm as I climbed the stairs to my motel room. It wasn’t much, but it would do.
Sheryn had picked something extravagant for her bridesmaids, but I’d spent four years in a prison jumpsuit. I wasn’t about to blow what little money I had on a designer gown for a rehearsal.
Besides, I had bigger things to worry about.
I took a quick shower, swiped on some makeup—nothing fancy, just enough to make my eyes stand out—then tackled my hair. It didn’t fall in perfect waves like Katy’s, but I managed something that passed for intentional.
The purple evening dress skimmed over me, prettier than anything I usually wore. It was a little too refined for someone more familiar with scaling walls and squeezing through 1880s tunnels than dressing up. But tonight, I didn’t mind.
I slipped on my matching stilettos. Not second-hand, for once. I’d found them at a price that didn’t make my wallet cry, and damn if they didn’t make me feel just a little bit like I belonged.
As I reached my door, my fingers tightening around the key, a voice cut through the quiet.
“…she’s been spotted near the bus station. Could be armed.”
I froze.
Two men in uniform stood at the motel reception. They looked to be two deputies.
Run.My every instinct screamed it.
My grip on the dress tightened, my breath locked behind my ribs.
Fear gets you caught. I’d learned that the hard way. And I’d learned that when the law came knocking, it was never too soon. It was just a matter of time.
Against every instinct, I forced myself to stay still, listening.
“Manager said she checked in under the name Lisa Ortez,” one deputy continued. “We’ll take a look around.”
Not me. They weren’t here for me.
My lungs unlocked.
Still, my mind refused to relax. Staying in one place for too long was a risk. But the wedding was only a couple of days away. I’d be fine.
I pretended to check my purse as the deputies passed.
Even though they had left, question after question swirled in my head.
What if theyhadbeen here for me?
What if someone had seen me that morning?
