The Criminal | Re-Written Version (18+) BOOK 1

1.

It'd been several weeks since Lacy Summers, and her mother had moved into the smaller town of, Shelter Bay. She was used to the city, but this hideaway bordered the large skyscrapers, rurally. She had to admit she enjoyed the quietness and the privacy, she liked the way the houses here had backyards and a fair few metres between one another. In her short twenty-one years she'd become accustomed to moving, it never really phased her. Ignorantly believing the only reason they kept moving was based on free will, but every family has their secrets and this one forced a constant change in scenery.

Pushing through the front door of a small two-bedroom house, Lacy called out to her mother. She shook her head at the non-committal grunt that came in response, from the kitchen. Stepping out of her boots she made her way to the voice. "I brought eggs," she placed a plastic bag on the counter and watched her mother rush around the kitchen.

"How was work?" Jiya smiled down at her daughter as she collapsed on the dining table.

Lacy loved children, but working in a day care centre really played with her energy levels. The kids were more than active, almost too much for the five workers to handle. Luckily, Gregory— the owner— and his partner are always around to help when the children get out of hand. "Tiring," the young woman replied while pressing her head to the wooden surface.

"Go take a shower," She heard her mother laugh, "dinner will be ready in thirty."

Sluggishly, Lacy stood from the table and trudged down the hallway and entered a room to her left, grabbing her towel and a set of clean clothes she entered the bathroom opposite her bedroom. Reaching into the shower she felt around for the valves before locating the hot and cold switches. She yanked her arm back just in time. Cold water blasts out of the showerhead, she removed her clothes while waiting for the chill to turn to a nice steady warm rain.

Her shower was quick, honestly, she just wanted to eat something and hit the sack. Wrapping the towel around her wet hair, she dropped her dirty clothes in a hamper before exiting the small area. From the kitchen she heard her mother set the table, the strong scent of curry invaded her nose, she could already taste the spices. Lowering onto a seat, she watched her mother dish out the food, they both dug in without a second thought.

"I'm on night shift tomorrow..." Jiya stated cautiously, she knew her daughter disliked her working late.

Lacy lowered the glass in her hand and glanced up at her mother, "call in sick, it's too dangerous." She worked in reception, the front of the hospital, not even in a separate ward. Too many wack jobs lived in the world for her to trust her mother in that kind of setting. Especially with their personal circumstances, she wished her mother would be more careful.

"Calm down, it's only Thursdays and Fridays." Jiya ran a hand through her dark curly hair, rising from her seat she piled the dirty dishes and headed for the sink.

But Lacy couldn't calm down if they were any other family she'd have kept it together. Unfortunately, they had a past that refused to stay in the past. "We're not discussing this again, ma." She stood and helped her mother with the dishes.

Wisely Jiya kept quiet, she couldn't help but feel like she'd let her daughter down, she didn't like the way Lacy guarded herself so fully. Always had metal walls gated around her. She decided then and there that she'd change this isolation Lacy seemed to adopt.

Lacy dried her hands and finished placing the dishes in their designated cupboards, she gave her mother one last warning before heading to her room. Her mother was too at ease; every time they let their watch down, he found them. This time, she was determined to remain as hidden as possible. Falling to her bed, Lacy pulled her phone from the charger she set an alarm and allowed sleep to consume her.