Page 6 of Ruthless Regret

One of the deputies nods, and walks down the steps to a car. I follow him. He opens the back passenger door for me to get inside, then walks around to the driver’s side. Once I’ve given him my mom’s address, he starts the car.

I don’t speak to him the entire drive, other than to thank him when he pulls up and lets me out. I don’t look back as I run up the steps to my mom’s door, and knock.

It swings open, and I’m hit on both sides, two sets of arms wrapping around me.

“Ashley! What the fuck is going on?”

CHAPTER THREE

ZAIN

I don’t stopher from leaving. I don’t follow her to the door. I don’t ask her to stay and listen to me. I don’t even deny her accusation that I used her as bait. With everything I’ve done over the past few days, she’s not going to believe anything I say to her.

Right now, it’s better that she’s away from here. Away from me. She’ll be safer with her mom, and I’m confident that the sheriff will leave someone there to watch over her.

And, I have more important things to focus on. Things like …

“Where the fuck were your men?” I turn the second the front door closes, and face the sheriff, who’s walking toward me.

“It’s a small town, and we don’t have many deputies based here. I had to put in a request to the police department over in Franklin Bay. We’re also trying to keep this low-key, remember? The last thing we needed is the press getting wind of something happening. Announcing that we had someone in custody was a stupid risk, and you shouldn’t have done it.

“The press are going to have a field day with that information. You also agreed that you’d stay at your parents’ place while we continued the investigation. If your friends’ real killerisstill out there, you’ve just given them a heads up. So,don’t give me shit when you’re changing the goalposts without any warning.”

I glare at him, but I can’t really argue. I was so focused on ensuring that people believed in my innocence, that I told the reporter and the people watching the show about the case being reopened and someone of interest being spoken to.

“I don’t think it’s wrong that I want everyone to know I’m not a murderer. I want people not to side-eye me everytime I leave my house.”

“I understand that, Zain, but there are procedures we have to follow. Now, do you want to continue fighting about what happened, or get results? My men are searching the area now. If there’s anything there, they’ll find it. In the meantime, since Ashley refused to stay and talk to me,youneed to tell me what happened.” He waves a hand toward the living room. “Shall we?”

He walks past me and sits on the couch. I don’t move from where I’m standing.

“There’s nothing to talk about. Someone broke in, and grabbed Ashley.”

“Sit down, Zain.”

I debate whether it’s worth ignoring him, but it’s a petty power play and won’t achieve anything, so I cross the room and sit in one of the armchairs.

He nods. “Okay, so tell me what happened before you called me.”

I sigh, and attempt to control my impatience. He’s not going to ignore police procedure and tell me what I want to know until I’ve answered his questions.

“We did the interview, then came back here.”

I got a phone call about an email with information I needed to look at. I can’t tell him that, because then he’ll question what the information is, and how I obtained it.

“We were in here.”

I fucked her on the couch where you’re sitting.

“Ashley got up to use the bathroom. Her mom called my cell looking for her. While I was talking to Esme, I heard a crash.” My voice is clipped. “I thought Ashley had broken something, so I ended the call and went to check. The windowpane in the back door was shattered. That’s when I called you. You heard the rest.”

“Did you see anyone outside when you arrived at the house?”

“I didn’t.”

“And nothing seemed unusual?”

Aside from the fact I had sex with the woman I’m supposed to hate, and it was the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time?

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