Page 93 of Ruthless Regret

"They found Ramsey," he says, his voice tight.

“They? Who’s they? What did he say?”

“He didn’tsayanything.”

“Why not?”

"He's dead. Apparent suicide, but Rook thinks it was staged."

"Dead?" I struggle to process this new information. How could he be dead? "But ... how? When?"

Zain reverses out of the parking space, and drives out into the traffic.

"Recently. Within the last twenty-four hours. Rook says it looks like he hanged himself, but there are inconsistencies."

"Whatkindof inconsistencies?"

"The rope marks on his neck don't match up with the height of the beam he was supposedly hanging from. And there were signs of a struggle in the room."

A chill crawls its way up my spine. "Do you think someone killed him to stop us talking to him?"

"Looks that way."

The implications of this are staggering. Ramsey was our best lead, the one person who seemed to know the full truth about what happened that night. And now he's gone, and the secrets he had gone with him.

"What do we do now?" I hate how small my voice sounds.

"Someone out there is trying to cover up what really happened that night. I’m going to keep going until I find out who it was."

"Whoever did this ... they're not going to stop at Ramsey, are they?" I whisper.

His fingers grip the steering wheel tightly, but his voice is steady when he replies. "No," he says quietly. "I don't think they will."

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

ZAIN

Ashley keeps shootingglances my way the entire drive back to the house, but I keep my eyes on the road. I can’t focus on her, driving, and the thoughts spinning in my head right now.

Ramsey is dead.

The man who manipulated Ashley, and made sure I rotted in prison for fourteen years—he's gone. And with him, any chance of getting answers straight from the source.

I grip the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles turning white.

This changes everything. Andnothing.

We're back to square one, chasing ghosts and shadows.

The familiar streets of Whitstone blur past, but I don’t pay them any attention, driving on autopilot. My mind is trapped in a loop, replaying Rook's words over and over.

Ramsey's dead, Zain. Found in his apartment late last night. Initial reports are saying suicide, but my gut says different.

Suicide.The word tastes bitter in my mouth.Did the guilt finally get to him? Or was it something else? Someone else?

When we pull up to the house, I cut the engine but don't move to get out. Ashley shifts in her seat, turning to face me.

"Zain?" Her voice is soft, hesitant. "Are you okay?"

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