Page 1 of Ruthless Intent

CHAPTER ONE

ASHLEY

“We’re interrupting our regular morning breakfast show to bring you breaking news. Zain Ryder has been exonerated after serving fourteen years inside the Cedar Pines Maximum Security prison.

“After being found at the scene of the brutal murder of his best friend, Jason Trumont, and girlfriend, Louisa Conway, Ryder was arrested. The jury took less than fifteen minutes to return with their verdict, and he was given two life sentences.

“Ryder has always maintained his innocence, and that he was set up to take the blame for the murders. Two months ago he finally got the chance to bring a case of wrongful prosecution before a judge.

“Peter Longeaton, of Longeaton, Cassidy, and Fraser, made a claim that some of the evidence had been tampered with, as well as there being unorthodox interview methods used by the investigating detectives with their star witness, Ashley Trumont.

“Unusually, the retrial took place behind closed doors, with no jury, and only the judge, prosecution and defense attorneys present. And we’re told that after only two days of hearing from both sides, the judge moved to overturn the original verdict.

“We have tried to locate Ashley Trumont, the girl whose testimony played a huge part in swaying the jury to reach the original verdict of guilty for Mr. Ryder, but she left her hometown eight years ago, and we have no known location for her.”

“Reports suggest that Mr. Ryder will be walking out of court today a free man. We hope to get an exclusive interview with him when he comes out.”

The delicate teacup I’m holding slips from my fingers and breaks into pieces when it hits the floor. The room spins, or maybe it’s me, and I grab for the tabletop to stop myself from falling.

“Ashley? Are you okay?”

I barely hear Karla’s words over the rushing noise in my ears. I can’t breathe. My throat is tight, my heart is pounding in my chest, and my vision swims in and out. Hands land on my shoulders and steer me toward one of the chairs. I drop heavily onto the padded seat.

“What’s wrong?” Jessa-Mae, my other housemate, takes the seat beside me while Karla stoops to clean up the broken china. Her hands cover mine. “Take a deep breath.”

I do as she says, and slowly my vision steadies. I’m not sure that’s much better, as my gaze immediately searches out the small television in the corner of the room. The presenter, blonde and chirpy, is still talking about the case from all those years ago. When the original mugshot of the man she’s talking about fills the screen, I press a hand to my lips, memories resurfacing with a speed I can’t stop.

“This can’t be happening.” I force the words out. “Why didn’t anyone warn me?”

Jessa-Mae squeezes my fingers. “Warn you about what? What’s wrong?”

I drag my attention from the television and meet worried blue eyes. I’ve lived with Jessa-Mae and Karla for seven years. I’ve known them for nine. We met on our first day of college, and bonded almost immediately. But they know me as Ashley Truman, not Ashley Trumont.

For all that time, I’ve kept secret that my brother was murdered, and I was instrumental in his killer being brought to justice. I didn’t want what happened when I was younger to define the way people viewed me. I’ve lived my adult life, safe and secure, knowing that he can’t hurt anyone else, that no one can link me to the Trumont family.

And now … this.

I start to rise, only for Jessa-Mae to push me back down.

“Stay right where you are. You’re white as a sheet.” She leans closer. “Oh my god, you’re not pregnant, are you?”

“No. Why would you say that?” My eyes stray back to the television, where the presenter is still talking about Zain.

My heart does some kind of weird flip when I hear his name. I haven’t thought about him in so long. I didn’t think I’d have to. It’s taken a long time, and moving out of my hometown, but I’ve reached a good place, mentally speaking. I no longer wake up screaming after reliving that night in my nightmares. And part of achieving that is by keeping thoughts of him out of my head.

It takes a second for my brain to process that the reporter is standing outside the court entrance, along with other news crews, and a crowd of people.

This can’t be real. They can’t have released him.

“Ashley, what’s going on?” Karla blocks my view of the television, but I can still hear it.

“We’re outside the courthouse now, waiting for Zain Ryder and his lawyer to come out and give a statement. Hopefully, we can hear a few words from the man himself.”

I grab the remote control from the table and stab at the power button, then lurch to my feet. “I need to ... I have to call my mom.”

“Ashley, slow down. What’s going on? Why do—Oh!” Jessa-Mae’s voice changes mid-sentence. “Oh my god. Ashley! You know him. You fucking know that guy, don’t you?”

“What are you talking about?” Karla says.

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