Chapter 38 Maya
MAYA
The fire crackled in the stone hearth, casting flickering shadows along the wood-paneled walls of The Sundown. Outside, the wind howled through the trees, carrying with it the distant scent of snow, a reminder that time was running out.
Dom was already at the dining table, unfastening his briefcase with the same calm intensity he probably brought to a courtroom.
Then I heard it, a shout from somewhere beyond the front door.
“Maya!”
I opened the door before Noah could react. “Sheryn?”
She stormed up the porch, fury written in every line of her body.
“What the hell, Maya?” Her eyes didn’t even flick to Noah or Dom.
She came straight for me. “You haven’t picked up in days.
I’ve heard everything from ‘she’s been arrested’ to ‘she ran off to California.’ Do you know what that does to a bestie? ”
“I’m sorry, Rynnie,” I said. I’d been such a mess that I turned off my phone without even thinking of her. “But I’m still here.”
Her hands clamped around my arms like she could pin me in place. “What did you do?”
“Something I can’t tell you,” I said, meeting her eyes and hoping she’d hear what I wasn’t saying.
She followed me inside, not caring who else was in the room.
“I can’t lose you again,” she said, her voice trembling.
“I still remember the look on your face when they said guilty. I visited you in that prison. I smiled, cracked jokes, and talked about weddings like it was normal, but it wasn’t.
It gutted me. And fighting cancer without you there?
” This time, her voice broke. “Nick tried. He really did. But he wasn’t the same. You were my person.”
I wrapped her up in a hug and felt her clutch tighter than I expected. “You won’t lose me, Rynnie. I swear to God.”
She drew back and stared hard. “Then tell me why.”
I hesitated. “I took the necklace.”
“Why?” She grimaced. “Why would you go back for that cursed thing?”
“Because it wasn’t about the necklace anymore.”
Noah stepped in. “She used the diamonds to help a sick girl.”
Sheryn looked between us. “Maya…”
“Don’t ask more,” I said. “Please. For your own good. I hate asking this of you, but I need space. For now.”
Noah added gently, “She means it, Sheryn. Please.”
She grabbed a throw pillow and nailed him square in the chest. “You and your cowboy logic, annoying as hell.” Then she sighed. “Fine. Because I trust you both. But I want the whole story when this is over.”
“You’ll get it,” I promised.
She turned her gaze to Dom. “That the lawyer?”
“Yeah.”
She strode over and jabbed a finger at him. “Do your job, sir. She’s not just some client. She’s my best friend.”
“Yes, ma’am. Duly noted.”
That almost got a snort from her, but she just hugged me one more time, tight enough to leave a mark, and then left without a word more.
At the table, Dom hadn’t moved. “Best friend?” he asked, mildly impressed.
“Yeah.”
“She the type to panic and spill everything?”
“No,” I said. “She’s solid.”
He gave a nod. “Good. Let’s get started then.”
Noah leaned in, all business. “What have you got?”
“So here’s the deal,” Dom said, rolling up his sleeves. “Bozeman PD found evidence that you, Maya, leased equipment used to bypass the alarm system. From some underground group. A HERF gun? Sounds familiar?”
I felt Noah stiffen beside me.
Dom added, “There’s also evidence of anomalies during the exact timeframe you were allegedly inside the mansion.”
“Shit,” Noah muttered.
Dom turned his sharp gaze on me. “Is it true?”
I exhaled the tension. “Yeah, that’s true.”
He muttered something under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose before straightening. “Alright, okay. That’s fine. That’s okay.”
Noah shot him a disbelieving look. “You sound like a guy trying to convince himself of that.”
Dom ignored him. “My focus isn’t on this case. It’s on the one from four years ago. That’s the key. I need time to put everything together to prove corruption, to expose the fake assault. That’s where we win.”
I frowned. “But I already did time for that. Why focus on the past when I’m looking at another sentence for this?”
Dom steepled his fingers, considering me.
“Because you’re already guilty in their eyes.
I don’t just need to fight this case. I need to dismantle the foundation of their case against you.
If I can prove you were framed once, I can argue that history is repeating itself.
And if I can shake the credibility of Frederic Harlow, we throw doubt over everything.
You’re not a repeat offender. You’re a woman caught in the crosshairs of people with power. ”