Easy Prey (Love-Inspired Suspense) Read Online Free PDF

lingering thing she still needed to do—the one thing that would give her the closure to move on with her life—maybe she never would have come back. She’d have found another way to pay for Nathan’s college, or help him do it.
    But for the fact that one of these days she needed to finally go visit Martin’s grave.
    In the backseat of Jonah’s truck, Elise could barely make out the whispered conversation going on between him and Nathan, who sat up front. Did she want to know what they were talking about?
    Elise tried to rouse herself enough to lean forward and listen, but her eyelids were drooping fast. The doctor had given her some good pain medication, the kind that knocked her out.
    Jonah hit the brakes, and she flung her hand out to brace against the back of Nathan’s seat. “Please tell me that’s not your room.”
    The door to Elise’s motel room was wide-open. Even from feet away, inside the car, she could see that her stuff had been deposited everywhere around the room.
    Someone had broken in.

FOUR
    “Y ou can’t stay here.”
    Why did Jonah feel the need to state the obvious? Elise turned to glare at him. “Where do you expect us to go?”
    There was no way she was about to take Nathan to her mom’s trailer, the one she’d grown up in. She’d have to find another cheap motel, preferably on the opposite side of town.
    Once again they were surrounded by police officers, only this time she’d had to write them an embarrassing list of everything that had been stolen from her ransacked room. A list that included her laptop.
    Thankfully Nathan’s room, which was next door, hadn’t been touched. It was a small comfort that he wasn’t being targeted.
    “Why don’t you come to my house?” Jonah looked startled, as though he hadn’t expected to say that.
    “There’s no way I’m setting one foot in that mansion.” Not when it held only memories of Martin, and his father. “No way.” And she wasn’t being relegated to the pool house again, either. Even if it did mean she wouldn’t have to face his mother.
    Nathan’s eyebrow rose under the fall of hair on his forehead. Why was he surprised? She’d told him all about Martin growing up rich, and she’d tried to be nice when she told him about Martin’s mother.
    “Not my mom’s house.” Jonah’s face morphed into a look she wasn’t familiar with. “My house.”
    Elise opened her mouth, and her son put his hand over it. Nathan turned to face Jonah. “We would really appreciate staying with you. Thank you.”
    She glared at her son, the traitor, while Jonah struggled to keep in a smile. Elise said, “Fine. If I’m going to be railroaded anyway, what’s the point in arguing?” She should have known Nathan would side with his uncle.
    She shouldn’t even be around Jonah—that wasn’t what she was here for. And it wasn’t going to do her any good to dredge up long-buried feelings. Now they were going to stay at his house? If she wasn’t hurt and tired, she would probably argue more.
    Elise folded her arms in a huff, which lost its impact since she had to be gentle with her ribs. “I’m going to need a toothbrush.”
    Jonah’s mouth curled into a smile. “Is it wrong that I think you’re cute when you’re mad?”
    “I’m not mad, I’m exhausted.”
    Nathan shook his head, mouthing something to Jonah that made him laugh. Elise turned and climbed into the backseat of the car. She tried to stay awake as they drove. There was plenty to occupy her mind, but the interior was warm and the seat cushion gave enough that she slid down. It wasn’t long before she gave up the fight.
    * * *
    Elise woke in a bed. The room was small, only the bed and a dresser. On the dresser was a vase of flowers that were too perky to be real, as though someone had tried to make the room appear homey but that was all the effort they’d put into it. Like for a guest room. She rubbed sleep from her eyes and glanced around, but her attention wasn’t on the