Chapter 8 Maya
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 they had been here for me?
What if someone had seen me that morning?
What if I’d made a mistake?
I slid my key back into the lock and shoved the door open, stepping inside fast and shutting it behind me before I let the full weight of my reality sink in.
I couldn’t keep the necklace in this room.
I was going to dismantle everything, extract the rest of the diamonds, and use them the way they should’ve been used.
Cleo wasn’t the only kid in desperate need.
There were more. Families drowning in medical bills and watching the clock run out because insurance didn’t think their children were worth saving.
And I could do something about it.
But first, I had to hide the rest of the necklace.
The motel wasn’t just a temporary stop. It was a liability. Keeping the necklace here was out of the question.
The wrong person could walk in at any moment. Housekeeping, a manager looking for late payments, or some nosy guest with too much time on their hands. And if the cops decided to come sniffing around again?
No. I had to move it. To a place that no one would ever think to check.
And I needed it fast.
I ran through the options.
One—keep it on me at all times. But that was too risky. I could drop it, someone might spot it slipping from my bag, or worse, if things went south and the police ever searched me, I’d be screwed.
Two—hide it in my car. Maybe under the carpet or stashed inside the seat upholstery. But the car was rented under my name. If the cops were thorough, and they always were when it came to me, it’d take them all of five minutes to find it.
Three—the woods. Not brilliant, Maya! Summer meant dry earth, nosy hikers, and hungry wildlife. Between the elements and the unpredictability of nature, that hiding spot had disaster written all over it.
That left one option.
The Lazy Moose.
It was vast. Too big to search thoroughly without a reason. The cops wouldn’t even know where to start. If—if—they ever pieced things together, it’d be too late. By then, I’d be long gone. And the necklace? It would have taken its final bow.
I paced the room, my hands pressing against my hips, my pulse steadying as the plan locked into place.
Hiding it there meant I controlled the timeline. Retrieval would be on my terms. Just for now. Until this wedding business passed.
Sheryn was my best friend. She had no idea what I was up to. She never would. No one would.
By the time anyone even thought to look my way, the necklace would be dust. Diamonds extracted. Cash distributed. Gone without a trace.
I gave it one last thought.
The Lazy Moose it was.
The Lazy Moose was buzzing when I arrived, white tents standing proud against the evening sky, fairy lights already flickering to life. But there was only one that was well lit on the inside.
Heads turned as I stepped in, my heels clicking against the wooden surface, the hem of my secondhand dress brushing my legs. It looked like they’d installed a portable dance floor over the packed dirt.
I wasn’t used to this. But for once, I wanted to surprise Sheryn, to remind her I could still be part of this world.
“Sheryn!” I called out as I made my way to her.
She turned…and froze.
“Holy shit,” she gasped, like she wasn’t sure if she was hallucinating. “Maya?”
“In the flesh.” I struck a playful pose.
“Oh my God! Look at you! I mean, you’re always pretty, but damn.” She smacked my arm. “You own this.”
I rolled my eyes, though I couldn’t help but smile.
“Don’t sound so shocked,” I teased.
“It’s just…you in a dress, with your hair all fancy. It’s like seeing a bobcat in a tiara.”
I laughed. “I take that as a compliment.”
“Because it is.” She hooked her arm through mine and pulled me toward the end of the tent.
“Come meet Nick,” she said, practically bouncing.
I’d seen photos, but up close, the guy was a catch. Stocky and country-handsome, with an easygoing smile and a confident stance that said he’d lay down his life for my best friend in a heartbeat.
“Nick, this is Maya. Maya, meet my almost-husband.”
Nick extended a hand. His expression walked the line between charm and trouble. “So, you’re the infamous Maya Belrose.”
I raised a brow. “Infamous?”
“Oh yeah. She talks about you all the time. Swears you’re the reason she passed any of her classes in high school.”
Sheryn elbowed him. “I did not say that.”
“You did,” he said easily. Then, to me, “She also said you’re a troublemaker, and judging by the way you just made the entire tent turn their heads, I believe it.”
I smirked. “I like him.”
Sheryn beamed. “I know, right?”
We joined a small setup, where Elia and Claire were already at a table, platters of food spread between them.
Claire’s face lit up. “Maya! You look gorgeous.”
“Thanks,” I said, slipping into the seat she patted beside her.
Elia tipped his beer toward me. “You settling into town alright?”
“It’s been…interesting,” I said, which wasn’t a lie.
Claire smiled. “I’m so glad you’re here. Sheryn’s been buzzing about this for weeks.”
Sheryn scoffed. “I have not been buzzing.”
“You have,” Nick, Elia, and Claire all said in unison.
I laughed, letting myself relax. They were good people. The kind you didn’t have to second-guess. It had been a long time since I’d been around people like that.
My gaze drifted across the space, unintentionally searching.
The Lucas brothers looked alike, but Noah…he had something else. A youthfulness, an ease to him that made him seem untamed.
But he wasn’t here.
I should be thankful. Noah Lucas was the last thing I needed distracting me.
The evening settled in, laughter spilling from every corner of the tent, along with the clinking of drinks as the last bites disappeared from plates. Elia fiddled with the sound system. It looked like the rehearsal was about to start.
I found Sheryn checking her phone, her face falling. “Oh no.”
“What?” I asked.
“It’s your dance partner. He’s down with the cold.”
“Oh,” I uttered, surprised by how much relief came with that single word. “Well, that’s that, then. Guess I’m off the hook.”
Sheryn, bless her, looked genuinely guilty, like she was personally responsible for the existence of viruses. “I’m so sorry, Maya. I know I roped you into this, and now you won’t even get to practice—”
“Rynnie,” I cut in, “it’s fine. No complaints here. I’ll be the first to sit this one out.”
Before she could keep spiraling, Claire, who had been listening far too intently, tilted her head in thought.
Then, her eyes lit up.
“Oh,” she said, straightening up. “I have just the solution.”
I frowned. “Claire—”
She whipped around, scanning the room. “Where’s Noah?”
Elia perked up instantly, already enjoying this far too much. “Outside, I think. Helping Hank with the barrels.”
Claire beamed. “Perfect.”
I stiffened. “Claire, no—”
Too late.
She turned toward the exit and shouted into the night air, “Noah!”
There was a long pause.
Then, from somewhere outside, came a very wary, “Yeah?”
“Come here a sec!”
Another pause. Then came the sound of bootsteps approaching.
And just like that, Noah Lucas walked straight into an ambush.
He’d barely crossed the threshold—one boot inside, the rest of him still backlit by the late afternoon sun, but I saw him.
Mercy, I am too sober for this.
Sinful hair. Handsome face. Scuffed boots. Damp jeans. Shirtless. Though my eyes did not follow such a polite route. And my brain? Scrambled eggs.
He lingered at the tent’s edge until Claire slapped a hand on his shoulder. “Great! You’re just in time.”
“For what?” he asked, already suspicious.
Elia leaned back in his chair. “Oh, this is gonna be good.”
Claire said to Noah, sweet as sugar, “Congratulations, Noah. You’re Maya’s new dance partner.”
His brows shot upward. “Come again?”
Sheryn came barreling toward Claire, waving her hands in my direction like she was flagging down a plane.
I groaned. “It’s really not necessary.”