Stolen: A Novel of Romantic Suspense Read Online Free Page A

toward the door. “Outside. Upset. She won’t tell me why. Maybe she’ll tell you.”
    Although he wasn’t counting on it. She didn’t open up for his sister any easier than she opened up for him.
    Lorna’s face fell and he sighed. “Lorna … it’s no good. We tried, but it just isn’t going to work.”
    As she walked off, he tried to convince himself of the same thing. He’d seen her. Seen for himself that she’d come through the wreck okay. And he’d seen for himself that, without a doubt, Shay wasn’t any closer to changing
now
than she’d been a few months back.
    That was why they’d ended.
    That was why they had to
stay
ended.
    He started to go back to his office but stopped when the toe of his battered hiking boot kicked something. Looking down, he saw the basket with all of the books Shay had picked out.
    She’d left without her books.
    But she’d been at the cash register …
    Frowning, he called out, “Hey, Becca … did Shay buy anything?”
    “Yep. A book by the thriller guy you like—Shane Neil’s newest.”
    Shane Neil.
    Shay didn’t read him. Hooking his hand over the back of his neck, he continued to stare at her books. He’d tried before to get her to read the Neil books—they had similar tastes—but Shay had told him, more than once, she wasn’t interested in reading any of them.
    But she’d just bought one …?

CHAPTER
THREE
    S HAY HAD BARELY STEPPED FOOT INSIDE HER HOUSE when the phone started to ring.
    She ignored it.
    “You want me to get that for you?” Lorna offered from behind her.
    Glancing over her shoulder, Shay shook her head. “No, the machine can get it. And see? I’m fine. I made it up the steps and everything.”
    Sure, she’d shuffled and shambled along like a zombie, but so what? People really didn’t give zombies enough credit.
    “It was too soon for us to try and do lunch,” Lorna said quietly. “I’m sorry. You should have been resting. What did the doctor say? You’re acting awfully weird. Are you sure everything is okay?”
    Okay?
A hysterical laugh bubbled in her throat, but she fought it back down.
No, nothing is okay right now, but I’ll deal. I’ll fix it. I just need to be alone for a while
.
    Instead of saying that, she made her way into the kitchen. She wanted to sit, but if she sat down, she’d have to fight herself to get back on her feet and she had things to do once she got Lorna out of here.
    So instead of a chair, she settled for leaning against the kitchen island, letting it take some of her weight.
    “Lorna, I could have said ‘no’ just fine if I thought I shouldn’t be going out to get a bite. It’s not like we were going out to party or anything. I had to go into town anyway.”
    “Yeah, but I dragged you into the store.” A guilty flush pinkened Lorna’s cheeks and she shifted her gaze away. “I just … I thought maybe you and Elliot would see each other and maybe …”
    Shay smiled sadly. “It’s not going to happen, Lorna. Your brother needs something I can’t give him. It’s just not in me.”
Trust. The ability to believe in somebody or something
—hell, she didn’t even believe in
herself
. The ability to open up, to confide in someone … The secrets of her past were hers, and hers alone, and she couldn’t share that darkness with him.
    She couldn’t share
herself
with him.
    Hard to do when she was practically living a lie, every day of her life.
    Can you tell us what happened
 … the ghostly voice danced through her mind. She pressed the heel of her hand against her temple as one of those early memories slipped out to taunt her. It had been happening more and more since she’d woken up from the coma and it was driving her nuts.
    “Do you want me to hang around?” Lorna offered. “We never did eat. I could make something …?”
    Shay laughed. “Not if we want something edible. Look, I’m just tired,” she hedged. “I’ll grab a granola bar or something and go take a nap.”
    For a