Read Online Chosen Prey by Cheyenne McCray - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Cheyenne McCray
Tags: Fiction, General, Suspense, Romance, Contemporary, Love Stories, Ex-police officers, Women artists
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Then she emptied out the two shopping bags, jamming the makeup and scissors into her backpack, but left the sunglasses out on the shelf on the countertop beside the sink.
Lyra wrapped her hands in the now-empty plastic shopping bags, grabbed the bottle of dye, leaned over the sink, and poured the entire contents of the bottle over her hair. With her hands covered by the bags, she managed to work the dye through her hair. Someone came into the bathroom while Lyra was rinsing the excess out, but she didn't look up and prayed it wasn't a store employee.
After she rinsed her hair, Lyra threw away the bags and dye bottle. She rubbed the T-shirt that had been around her neck over her hair to get out most of the water and any remnants of the dye. She wiped up the mess on the countertop, then tossed the T-shirt. An elderly woman came out of a stall and gave Lyra an odd look but just washed her hands and dried them beneath the hand dryer.
Thank goodness there was a dryer. When the lady left, Lyra twisted the metal nozzle so that the air would blow upward instead of down and proceeded to dry her hair the best she could.
Finally finished, she took a deep breath, turned, and looked into the mirror.
As she'd expected, a virtual stranger looked back at her. Her red hair fell in a smooth, if not a little uneven, cap down to chin-level. Her makeup was bold and her clothing bright.
She picked up the pair of sunglasses and slipped them on. Dang, even she wouldn't be able to recognize herself.
One more thing would help alter her appearance. She dug a pair of socks out of her bag and padded each cup of her bra. She smiled when she looked at her reflection again. Now those were a pair of breasts. She unwrapped a piece of bubblegum, popped it in her mouth, and started chewing. Ewwww . Talk about too much sugar, and the watermelon flavor—ick. But she continued to chew it with her mouth open until the sugar dissolved and she was able to blow bubbles.
She dropped the rest of the gum into her backpack and slung the pack over her shoulder. Jeez, she hoped no one would think she was stealing anything. At least she had the receipt to prove she'd purchased everything in the backpack and what she was wearing.
Lyra straightened her posture, took a deep breath, smacked her bubblegum, and walked out of the bathroom, her chin tilted up. Like she'd expected, no one paid attention to her—the place was too busy with people coming and going. The loud chatter of voices rang in her ears.
When she stepped outside the automatic doors, sunshine warmed her face and she smiled. A new look brought on a feeling of self-confidence she hadn't had before. From behind her sunglasses she scanned the crowd, looking for a likely candidate to give her a ride to the bus stop.
From the corner of her eye she spotted a black SUV, and her heart stuttered. If she didn't know better, she'd think it was Dare's vehicle.
It was !
Damn it!
How had he found her? He must have followed her from Tombstone.
Lyra didn't look his way, just blew another huge pink bubble and let it pop over her mouth and the tip of her nose. When she spotted an elderly woman Lyra sucked the bubble back in, forced a smile, and strode into the parking lot with as much confidence as she could. The entire time she walked toward the woman, Lyra felt prickles up and down her spine as if Dare were looking right at her.
She reached the woman and clenched her new backpack tighter in one arm. She gave the woman a little wave with her free hand and made her smile brighter. "By any chance could I get a ride to the bus stop? If it's not out of your way?"
The woman studied Lyra for a moment with keen blue eyes. "All right," the woman finally said. "Just as soon as I get my bags in the trunk."
"Thanks." Lyra kept her smile cheerful, but her body vibrated with tension as she chatted and helped the woman load her purchases into the back of the green sedan. When they were ready to take off, Lyra climbed into the
Lyra wrapped her hands in the now-empty plastic shopping bags, grabbed the bottle of dye, leaned over the sink, and poured the entire contents of the bottle over her hair. With her hands covered by the bags, she managed to work the dye through her hair. Someone came into the bathroom while Lyra was rinsing the excess out, but she didn't look up and prayed it wasn't a store employee.
After she rinsed her hair, Lyra threw away the bags and dye bottle. She rubbed the T-shirt that had been around her neck over her hair to get out most of the water and any remnants of the dye. She wiped up the mess on the countertop, then tossed the T-shirt. An elderly woman came out of a stall and gave Lyra an odd look but just washed her hands and dried them beneath the hand dryer.
Thank goodness there was a dryer. When the lady left, Lyra twisted the metal nozzle so that the air would blow upward instead of down and proceeded to dry her hair the best she could.
Finally finished, she took a deep breath, turned, and looked into the mirror.
As she'd expected, a virtual stranger looked back at her. Her red hair fell in a smooth, if not a little uneven, cap down to chin-level. Her makeup was bold and her clothing bright.
She picked up the pair of sunglasses and slipped them on. Dang, even she wouldn't be able to recognize herself.
One more thing would help alter her appearance. She dug a pair of socks out of her bag and padded each cup of her bra. She smiled when she looked at her reflection again. Now those were a pair of breasts. She unwrapped a piece of bubblegum, popped it in her mouth, and started chewing. Ewwww . Talk about too much sugar, and the watermelon flavor—ick. But she continued to chew it with her mouth open until the sugar dissolved and she was able to blow bubbles.
She dropped the rest of the gum into her backpack and slung the pack over her shoulder. Jeez, she hoped no one would think she was stealing anything. At least she had the receipt to prove she'd purchased everything in the backpack and what she was wearing.
Lyra straightened her posture, took a deep breath, smacked her bubblegum, and walked out of the bathroom, her chin tilted up. Like she'd expected, no one paid attention to her—the place was too busy with people coming and going. The loud chatter of voices rang in her ears.
When she stepped outside the automatic doors, sunshine warmed her face and she smiled. A new look brought on a feeling of self-confidence she hadn't had before. From behind her sunglasses she scanned the crowd, looking for a likely candidate to give her a ride to the bus stop.
From the corner of her eye she spotted a black SUV, and her heart stuttered. If she didn't know better, she'd think it was Dare's vehicle.
It was !
Damn it!
How had he found her? He must have followed her from Tombstone.
Lyra didn't look his way, just blew another huge pink bubble and let it pop over her mouth and the tip of her nose. When she spotted an elderly woman Lyra sucked the bubble back in, forced a smile, and strode into the parking lot with as much confidence as she could. The entire time she walked toward the woman, Lyra felt prickles up and down her spine as if Dare were looking right at her.
She reached the woman and clenched her new backpack tighter in one arm. She gave the woman a little wave with her free hand and made her smile brighter. "By any chance could I get a ride to the bus stop? If it's not out of your way?"
The woman studied Lyra for a moment with keen blue eyes. "All right," the woman finally said. "Just as soon as I get my bags in the trunk."
"Thanks." Lyra kept her smile cheerful, but her body vibrated with tension as she chatted and helped the woman load her purchases into the back of the green sedan. When they were ready to take off, Lyra climbed into the
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