Crazy In Love (Secrets of Suburbia #3) - Ivy Smoak Page 0,107

and took one last look at the crappy motel room. If today went as planned, we’d be in a nice hotel tonight. And a permanent residence in a few weeks. A new life. A fresh start. I closed the door behind us and made my way down the rickety steps.

Christmas morning was always eerily quiet, no matter where you were. Families were tucked inside their homes, cozy and warm. It felt like Snuggle Muffins and I were the only ones in the world outside this early on Christmas morning.

We got in the car and Snuggle Muffins watched me silently from the passenger seat.

“It’s going to work,” I said.

I still felt him staring.

“Fine. It’ll probably work. Happy?”

He sighed.

I didn’t know why he didn’t have more faith in the plan. It was Christmas, after all. And if anyone deserved a Christmas miracle, it was us.

I pulled the car out of the motel’s parking lot. We’d already hit all three addresses in Canada that were on our list. The first two from Detective Torres’ phone had been useless. One was a police station, where he’d probably listened in on Sophia’s questioning. The other address was in a neighborhood similar to the one I’d left behind. A house with a “sold” sign out front. A cute little place on Cherry Lane. And a complete and utter dead end.

But the third address? The one that Aiden had given me? I’d only had to stake the place out for two hours before I realized I’d hit the jackpot. It was Sophia freaking Tremblay’s new place. And I mean brand new. A custom home. Enormous. Gorgeous. And…bought with my money. It was easy to figure that out with a quick Google search. The only owner’s name on record was Dr. Noah Collins. He’d used my money to buy my replacement this house. Months ago. He’d been planning my death for months. The only question was…had she already given up her old identity? Was she already me? Did she have my money tucked away somewhere in her ginormous home?

Those were all questions that I couldn’t find the answers to online. I needed to get inside. I stared at the huge house. There were still Amazon packages piled at the front door that had been there yesterday. Sophia apparently had no worry of theft or anything malicious happening in her fancy neighborhood. She was just spending my money all willy nilly, strutting around with my face and my bank account without a care in the world. Well, she was in for a rude Christmas surprise.

I looked down at Snuggle Muffins.

He sighed.

“You got this boy. It’ll be the performance of a lifetime.”

He yawned.

“Keep it up, cutie.” I pulled down the hood on my black hoody to hide my identity as much as possible, slipped Detective Torres’ gun into the back of my black leggings, and grabbed Snuggle Muffins.

The plan was simple. Snuggle Muffins adorableness was going to distract Sophia. I placed Snuggle Muffins down next to the Amazon packages. “Stay,” I said. “Look cute. Be You.”

He wagged his tail.

Such a good dog. I rang the bell and then ran as fast as I could to the back of the house. Which took a stupid amount of time because the house was so freaking huge.

I pulled out a bobby pin and went to town on the back-door’s lock. I wasn’t an expert. But I’d been practicing picking locks in my cheap motel room. The lock clicked in record time. I smiled as I opened the door. No squeak, thanks to the brand new hinges. I tiptoed through the laundry room, down the hall, and peered toward the entranceway.

Sophia had her dirty hands all over my sweet Snuggle Muffins. It was one thing to touch my husband. And my money. But my dog? Hell no.

I tiptoed up behind her, looked both ways to make sure all the neighbors were still snug in their beds dreaming of sugar plums, and whacked her in the back of the head with my gun. Snuggle Muffins jumped out of her arms before she was able to fall on top of him.

“Good boy.” I patted his head and looked around the neighborhood again. The coast was clear. “You grab one ankle. I’ll grab the other.”

Snuggle Muffins sat down instead of assisting me. But it was okay. He’d already done his part. I pulled her unconscious body into the house and closed the door.

After making sure she was tied securely to a kitchen chair, I stared down at