Page 110 of Ruthless Intent

“No. No, it’s fine.” I take them from her, and swallow them down with the water. “Thank you.”

“Why don’t we have some lunch? Zain won’t be back for a while. If he’s brought you here, it’s because he wants us to get to know each other. You can tell me all about what you’ve been doing since you left town.”

She’s already proved that she won’t shy away from asking hard questions, and dread fills me while I watch her move around the kitchen, making enough sandwiches for a small army.

“Why don’t we start with when did you marry my son?”

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

ZAIN

Voices reach me, both female, before I enter the kitchen, where I find my mom and Ashley sitting at the table, heads close together as they look through a book.

My eyes stop on the T-shirt Ashley is wearing, and I frown. I’m pretty sure it’s not what she was wearing when I left. But that reminds me …

“We need to go to your place so you can get a change of clothes.”

At the sound of my voice, the women give two very different reactions.

Ashley jumps, and my mom twists around on her seat.

“Darling, you’re back. I was just showing Ashley photographs of you, Jason and Louisa.”

“Why?”

“She said she didn’t see Jason much when she was growing up, and even less once he turned eighteen.”

I shrug. “Whatever.” I redirect my gaze to Ashley, who is still facing the table. “Are you ready to go?”

She doesn’t reply, but pushes back her chair and stands. When she turns, my frown deepens.

Is that one of my shirts?

She must guess the direction of my thoughts as one hand plucks the front of it. “I spilled tea down my top. Your mom gave me this to wear while mine is washed. I … hope that’s okay?”

“Sure … What’s mine is yours.” My tone is flippant, and it’s her turn to frown. I ignore her, and turn to my mom. “Dad said you have questions.”

“I do have questions. I want to know why you’re both wearing wedding rings. Ashley won’t discuss it.”

“There’s an obvious answer to that one. We’re married.”

“You’ve been home for three days. You’ve spent less than two days together. Where during that time period did you find time to get married?”

“We got a special license on Monday morning, and got married Monday night.”

She’s looking at me like I’ve lost my mind. Maybe I have. But it reminds me that I’m not doing anything to make her believe I’ve married Ashley because I can’t keep my hands off her.

That thought makes me laugh inside.

I want to wring her fucking neck. Does that count as not keeping my hands off her?

No, you don’t. Not anymore. The little whisper of disagreement surprises me.

I don’t want to acknowledge the fact that watching her react to my interrogation and her own interview had already raised questions, before she hit me with her comment about Detective Holson.

I don’t want to view her as anything other than the cause of my imprisonment, but if I want the plan I hashed out with Sheriff McFadden to succeed, I have to try and put that to one side.

“Are you listening to me?” My mom’s sharp words snap me out of my thoughts.

---