Chapter 2
Mid-June
Thirty Days Later
My name is Ava, not Anna. Ava Rae. Ava Rae from Denver.
She pictured herself shaking hands with folks at The Homestead Inn.Hi, I’m Ava. Oh, I’m from Denver, what about you?
She nodded, hoping that a sense of confidence would rush in and put her nerves at rest. She could do this. Her hands twisted in her lap as she stared through the windshield and into the darkness ahead.
Costa Rica had been a bust, and the crazy thing was, it hadn’t had anything to do with Ava and her past. Of all the worry she’d had on the flight there. She’d imagined Wren showing up to her accounting jobs one by one and grilling each client until they came clean with the details of where she’d gone. Todd had every travel detail, and he seemed like the type of weasel who would hand them out if the price was right.
Her suspicions hadn’t been too far from the mark. Toddhadbeen the rat. But it wasn’therpast that had come back to haunt them. It was the past of her generous benefactors. A past that had sent the three of them to a temporary relocation sight for an entire month.
There, they received new names, IDs to match, and new fabricated pasts. They’d been trained in the art of deception too. They had to lie on demand and do it convincingly. The Italian twins, Maverick and Memphis Duran by new name, belonged to a family who was already in hiding at a place called The Homestead Inn. They’d gone through the training months prior and were waiting for them at the place ahead.
But the Durans weren’t running from one reckless man on a mission to find the woman he’d captured fair and square. They were hiding from the Mafia. An organized mob with men in high and low places alike.
“Can’t believe Detective Lingley told these guys that we’re coming,” Memphis said from the back seat.
“Seriously,” Maverick agreed, flashing a look at the rearview, hands draped over the wheel. “Talk about stealing our thunder. It’s freaking annoying.”
“Dude, you’ve got to stop sayingfreaking. You sound like stuffy old Richard.”
“You’re right,” Maverick agreed, scrunching his face in disgust.
A smile pulled at Ava’s lips as she imagined what it would be like to have siblings. As if having a twin wasn’t company enough, Maverick and Memphis Duran had three other siblings. Andie, Emmitt, and the oldest they always talked crap on, Richard.
Ava put her mind back on the details she’d learned. Their grandfather, who’d spent the last twenty years of his life in prison, recently accepted a plea bargain—intel in exchange for his freedom. And since the deal put their grandfather, his wife, and his five grandchildren in danger, a relocation plan wasstronglyencouraged, but not forced.
Maverick and Memphis had forgone the plan and opted to travel with their billions instead. Yes, they had billions. Ava still couldn’t wrap her head around it. Not that they’d be able to live like billionaires where they were going.
As part of the family’s coverup, they’d be running an inn together. And by the grace of God, Ava was given the chance to join them.
The mood in the car, aside from hers, might indicate that their trip to Haven Hills’ Homestead Inn was one of pleasure. A casual trip where they’d settle in, stay a while, then pack up and head out. That wasn’t the case.
This was quite possibly their final destination. A place where the Duran family, and Ava now too, would stay hidden from the dangers that threatened them. And while a major part of Ava was relieved by the fact, she couldn’t help but fear that her escape from her own past had happened all too easily.
A past neither Memphis nor Maverick knew anything about.
Even a month later, she couldn’t fathom what had gotten into her. Given her the strength to leave a life she had, in many ways, resigned herself to. Stashing money and making plans—those things were easy. The walking away part, even when things lined up just right, that was very hard for an abused person to do.
But she’d done it, assuming she’d live in or near Costa Rica forever; there had to be accounting jobs there too, after all. Unfortunately, their time on the dreamy island was cut short.
“Hey,” came Maverick from the driver’s seat. “I really am sorry we dragged you into this.”
Ava shook her head. “Don’t be,” she said. “I’ve told you. I had nothing to go home to.”
He nodded, that ever-frustrated pinch pulling his brow. “That’s what you keep saying. Wish you’d elaborate. Heck, you know all ofourcrap.”
She forced out something she hope sounded like a laugh. “There’s nothing to tell. Honestly, I had a boring life with nobody in it. I won’t be missed by anyone. Except my neighbor’s smelly little cat.” She gulped, hating how pathetic she sounded. Especially since she’d refused to tell the twins her real story.
She resented Todd for saying she had baggage. She should resent him for much more than that; if Detective Lingley’s conclusion was right, Todd had access to a list of names that the mob was looking for. A list he could check as new clients came in to book their flights out of town. Chances were, he’d finally hit the jackpot when he found not one, but two names on the list. And he probably threw in the name of the girl they were with for a little extra.
Lingley’s conclusion made sense. How else would the hit men have known where the twins were headed and exactly what time they’d arrive?
A shiver rocked Ava’s body as she recalled their narrow escape.
