Page 107 of Ruthless Regret

"Looks that way."

She sets her mug down, her hands shaking slightly. "What does this mean for us?"

"It means we need to be careful. Whoever did this isn't going to stop at Ramsey. We're a threat to them."

She nods, her expression determined despite the fear I can see lurking in her eyes. "So what's our next move?"

And just like that, we're back on familiar ground.

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

ASHLEY

"Haveyou spoken to your friends since you came back?” The question surprises me. “You should probably let them know you’re okay, and that I haven’t got you locked away somewhere."

I glance over at him, eyes wide at the dry tone in his voice.

He's right, of course. Jessa and Karla have been blowing up my cell since we got back to Whitstone, and apart from a quick message to say we’d got back safely, I haven’t spoken to them. They’ll be worried, and I owe them an update.

“You’re right. My cell is upstairs.”

He turns away, opening the laptop lid and taking a seat in front of it. “Take your time.”

I stare at him for a second, then back out of the kitchen and go upstairs. Maybe that is his way of asking for some space. My cell is on the dresser, and I pick it up and sit on the bed. Staring at the screen, my finger hovers over Karla's number.

What do I even say?

Taking a deep breath, I hit the call button. She doesn’t answer. I try Jessa-Mae.

"Ash!" Jessa answers on the second ring. "Karla was just about to call you back. She got to her cell as it stopped ringing. How's it going?"

"Hey. I’m sorry I haven’t called. It’s been crazy."

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Apart from the fact I slept with Zain …again. “We found out some things yesterday.”

"About the murders?"

"Yeah. Zain got the sheriff to bring in one of the detectives from the original case again. We were allowed to be there while he was questioned. He admitted Ramsey—the lead detective—ignored evidence that could've cleared Zain."

"Holy shit," Jessa breathes. "So Zain really was framed, and didn’t just end up with a great lawyer?"

"Yes. And there's more. Zain got a call from someone yesterday. I think he might have hired a private investigator or something. Ramsey ... he'sdead. Murdered. They made it look like suicide, but it wasn't."

There's a long silence, the kind that stretches time, making each second heavier. "Ash, that sounds dangerous. Are you safe?"

"I'm fine. We're being careful."

"Good." Her tone turns curious. "How are things with Zain?"

Heat creeps into my cheeks, and I’m thankful she can’t see me. "It's ... complicated."

"Complicated how?" Jessa presses.

"There’s a lot of things to work through. We’re trying to keep our focus on finding answers."

Jessa's quiet for a moment. "You know you can talk to me, right? About anything."

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