Read Online Chosen Prey by Cheyenne McCray - Free Book Online Page B

passenger seat clutching her backpack.
    Not once had she looked Dare's way.
    Why was he following her, anyway? He couldn't help her. He was a stranger, and she really had no clue why he seemed to want to protect her. She could take care of herself.
    And if she could get out of this parking lot without the cowboy PI recognizing her, that would just prove herself even more.
    Dare glanced at his watch, then back to the entrance of the store. He'd seen Lyra go in a good twenty minutes earlier. What was taking her so long? He hadn't followed her in, afraid he'd lose her in the big store and she'd be out of there before he had a chance to track her down.
    Instead he watched the entrance, waiting for her to reappear. Countless people walked in and out of the store, and his practiced eye swept over each and every one of them.
    Once he saw a blond woman with a similar build and height as Lyra, but then he got a good look at her and shook his head.
    Dare watched mothers with toddlers in tow, boys with pants so big and long the hems were ragged, and teenage girls with skirts that were way too short.
    He'd sure never let his teenage daughters dress like that if he had any. If he ever found a woman to settle down with. For some reason his thoughts turned to Lyra and he imagined she'd make a great mother and wife. He shook his head. Where did that thought come from?
    Another mother holding the hands of small children, one on either side of her, walked out of the store.
    The mother was followed by a redhead wearing bright yellow clothing and large sunglasses. The woman had generous breasts and long legs and blew big bubbles with her chewing gum. She paused before continuing after the mother of the toddlers.
    Next a young woman with huge boobs and a tiny waist came out arm-in-arm with an older man who had silver-gray hair and a crisp shirt and slacks. She paused to kiss him on the lips, laughed like a schoolgirl, and they continued walking across the lot. Looked like someone had a sugar daddy.
    For some reason Dare's attention was drawn to the redhead, who had stopped to help an elderly woman load her trunk with her purchases. The redhead had a bright yellow backpack slung over her shoulder. He glanced at the front doors of the store before looking back at the redhead. He caught sight of her smile as she talked with the woman.
    In that instant he knew it was Lyra. No one had a smile as beautiful as hers.
    Dare shook his head and couldn't help a grin of his own. Clever girl . He had come so close to not recognizing her. Hell, she'd even made her boobs look bigger.
    The green sedan pulled out of its parking space. Dare waited until the car was almost out of sight before bringing his SUV around to follow it. If Lyra had spotted him, she'd be on the watch for him if he came too close.
    Regardless if he couldn't keep up, he was pretty sure where she was headed now that she'd changed her appearance.
    After sucking in a deep breath, Lyra tried to relax. She glanced at the side-view mirror and smiled when she saw Dare's SUV still parked near the entrance of the store. Ha! She'd fooled even the PI.
    Feeling a little lighter at heart—yet at the same time somehow disappointed—Lyra did her best to be talkative. The woman seemed a little tense at first but gradually warmed to Lyra on the short ride to the bus stop. This time Lyra didn't ask if she could help pay for gas. After she climbed out of the car, before she closed the sedan's door, she dug in her pack and found a five-dollar bill.
    She tossed it on the car seat and said, "Thank you."
    The woman protested, but Lyra closed the door, smiled, and waved before striding around the corner of the building. She opened a glass door and walked into the small bus station.
    Lyra hugged the backpack to her chest using one arm as she stood in the short line to get her bus ticket. With her free hand she opened one of the zippered pockets just enough to dig out more cash for the ticket and to grab her ID