Stolen Luck Read Online Free Page B

shadows. Kayley shivered.
    As long as she didn’t hear that laugh, she’d be fine. She hoped.
    Kayley stepped lightly down the hallway, slowing near the set of big stairs that lead to the lobby. She took a look over the edge of the ornate banister and saw the dark entrance into the lobby area. A red light from the Exit sign on the side of the huge lobby seemed to shine in a beam that led straight to the shoe display. She walked carefully down the wide marble staircase. Her slippers made only the tiniest shush as she walked.
    After what seemed like a decade, Kayley reached the bottom. For a second, she hesitated, wringing her hands together. She looked down at her feet, set automatically in first position. She smiled a little to herself; Madame would love her turnout right now.
    With the thought of Madame propelling her, Kayley moved forward into the dark of the lobby, following the light that led to the shoes. She stopped in front of the glass case and looked down.
    The glow from the Exit sign made the cream color of the shoes a ghostly red. Kayley hesitated again.
    Suddenly, the sound of whistling traveled downward from the hallway opposite the stairs.
    The maintenance man! Of course, Bert did nightly checks around the building! More than one ballet dancer had been caught during his rovings.
    Kayley crept behind a huge leather chair that sat in the lobby. And just in time. The whistling got louder—she could hear the clomping of his boots as he walked through the lobby.
    The maintenance man made his way past the case and toward Kayley. She knew she was well hidden, but her heart felt like it would crawl out of her chest anyway.
    And then it happened. Kayley’s leg started to cramp up. She knew she needed to switch positions. She shifted ever so slightly, and the key fell out of her hoodie pocket, clinking on the marble ground.
    The whistling stopped immediately.
    â€œWho’s there?”
    The maintenance man’s voice echoed through the lobby. Kayley thought for sure she’d pass out.
    His boots came trudging toward Kayley’s hiding spot, so she picked up the key and shifted her weight until she was completely hidden behind the chair.
    And then her leg cramped again. She clamped her lips down hard and stayed in position, ignoring the pain. Bert grumbled, “If it’s any kids, you all are in trouble.”
    But Kayley thought she heard some fear in his voice. What did he have to be afraid of?
    After a torturous few minutes, Bert walked away. Kayley heard him say under his breath, “You won’t beat me yet, Quincy house. I’m not afraid of you.”
    She could tell from the quiver in his voice that he was most definitely afraid.
    When she heard his boots make it all the way down the hallway, she stood up and shook out her leg. It was time to get out of the lobby before someone else decided to come in and talk to themselves.
    Kayley ran to the box and slid in the key. Sure enough, it fit. She opened the case. A rush of musty smell enveloped her nose, but she reached in and picked up the shoes, moving slowly and gently to make sure she didn’t damage them.
    They were tiny and fragile. And they were beautiful.
    Carefully placing one and then the other in the front pocket of her hoodie, she closed the lid and locked it.
    A strange calm enveloped her, and she walked slowly back to her room, her only thought the steady, reassuring notion that she would once again be the dancer she wanted to be.

Chapter 8
    Kayley got no sleep that night. After staring at the shoes and touching them ever so lightly, she had to figure out a place to put them. Someplace safe, not only from someone finding them but also for the shoes. She was mesmerized by them and didn’t want them to get dirty.
    Hiding something in your room was problematic. Kayley had seen searches before when things were stolen … She couldn’t risk being caught. She bounced her knee up and down and racked her brain