hours into the evening, the cops pulled Kirk over for stealing the car off a dealer’s showroom floor. We both got arrested, but only Kirk got charged with car theft. I think they called it grand larceny. I was charged with accessory to theft because the car was worth about twenty-five grand. I did community service. Kirk went to juvie. He’s harbored resentment toward me ever since. He’s been in and out of jail for minor stuff, mostly breaking and entering, burglary, that sort of thing. But last year, he got into a fight in a bar and beat someone unconscious. They sent him to prison for that.”
“How well did you know this guy in high school?” Gemma asked.
“I lost my virginity to him if that’s what you mean,” Lianne admitted. “It wasn’t my finest hour, or his, for that matter.”
Leia snorted with laughter. “Tell me about it. I just don’t see why you didn’t tell Luke this back in January and save yourself all this heartache.”
“I was embarrassed, okay?” Lianne barked. “I was three months away from marrying my dream guy, a doctor, a respected member of the community. Do you think I wanted Luke to find out about Kirk? Or my youthful stupidity? Trust me. I didn’t. I wanted Kirk to go away and leave me the hell alone. I wanted him out of my life for good.”
“So your idea of fixing all this was hiding like a thief in your own storage room?”
“Have you seen him around town? Kirk. Is he still out there looking for me?”
“Not that I know of,” Leia answered. “What kind of truck is he driving?”
“A pickup, black, 1980 Ford. He loves vintage trucks and stuff. His uncle owns a used car lot.” Lianne rattled off a license plate number from the night before.
Gemma’s eyes widened. “I’m impressed. Not sure I can explain this all to Lando, but I’m impressed you got his license number.”
Lianne sat up straighter. “You can’t tell Lando any of this.”
“Of course, I can. And I will. We need to get this jerk back in jail. How will we do that if we don’t enlist Lando to nail this guy?”
“But you can’t. I’ll be mortified, totally humiliated. And if Lando knows, so will Luke. He can’t know any of this.”
“Come on, Lianne,” Leia started. “We’ve all done stupid stuff. God knows I have. And so has Luke. You don’t know the half of it. You can’t be this upset over a joyride that ended with you charged as Kirk’s accomplice. It’s the fact that this guy is the one who popped your cherry, isn’t it?”
Lianne’s cheeks blushed a bright pink. “Maybe a little. It’s embarrassing to admit I used to run around with a guy like that.”
“Get over it,” Gemma said, a sharp tone in her voice. “How do you know this guy hasn’t figured out where you work?”
“Because he hasn’t. I never said he was smart.”
“Well, either way, you can’t continue to sit in a storage room forever. I’ll take you to my house, and we can both sit down with Lando and sort this mess out.”
Lianne looked skeptical. “No way. Lando is all about supporting the family, no matter what.”
Gemma crossed her arms and leaned across the table toward Lianne. “Duh. He’s loyal to his brother. Once we explain why you did what you did, he’s the only one who can help you. Tell her, Leia.”
“Does it matter what I say? Really?” Leia patted Lianne on the arm. “She’s right. We Bonners are family-oriented, but Lando’s a fair man. Even I know that he’s your only option.”
“Now that we’ve cleared that up,” Gemma began. “We have to figure how to get Lianne out of here without this Kirk jerk seeing her.” She snapped her fingers. “I got it. We’ll use the panel truck out front. I’ll drive around back, down the alley, and you be ready by the backdoor of your shop to hop inside when I text you that the coast is clear.”
“I don’t know. I’d feel safer staying put.”
“If he does figure things out, you’d be trapped in here,” Leia pointed out.
“Here’s a thought,” Gemma stated in matter-of-fact, no-nonsense terms. “Kirk knows your sister’s name, right? There’s a big sign over your shop that says Collette’s Collectibles. It’s only a matter of time until he puts two and two together and waits you out.”
“You’re right. Besides, I have to face Luke sometime.”
“Exactly. Let’s get ready to move.”
“You were really thinking about handing over twenty grand