Page 143 of The Doctor's Irreplaceable Love

“The old will has already been superseded by a new one.”

The way Gavin’s expression changed was both terrifying and fascinating.Disbelief was the first thing that registered on his face.Then he looked worried.Then he turned white and let out an animal-like scream as he lunged at her.

She held her hands up to protect herself, and somehow the movement brought him back to his senses; he stopped short before he hit her.His lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes narrowed—he looked more than a little unhinged.

“So, you’ll write a new one.”He nodded to himself.“You can write a new will just like the old one.Or make it one of those simple ones, where it just says he leaves everything to me.”He nodded again.“That won’t take long, and then we’ll be done here.”

For the first time, Shelley was grateful that she hadn’t yet found the time to apply for admission to the Montana Bar.

“I can’t draw up a new will.”

He glared at her.“You can, and you will.”

“I can draw one up, but it won’t be a valid legal document.I’m not licensed to practice here.I’ve been advising Jim, that’s all.”There was no way she was going to tell Gavin that at this point, the only way a new will could be drawn up in his favor would be if Jim were to write it out himself and sign it.When she’d first seen Harper in the truck, she’d wondered if Gavin already knew that—and that such a will would need two witnesses.

As Gavin paced the cabin, looking around wildly, she decided there was one provision in Montana law she should share with him.

“There’s something you need to know about Montana law, Gavin.”She inhaled sharply but stood her ground when he rounded on her.

“I thought you weren’t a real lawyer here.”

“I’m not, but I have been studying state law.There’s a slayer statute.”

“What’s that?”She took a step backward as he leaned in and screamed, “What the fuck does that mean?”

“It’s a provision within the law that means if you murder someone with the intention of inheriting their property, you forfeit all benefits assigned to you in the will.”

Her blood ran cold when Gavin laughed.

“Well, duh!I didn’t know that, but I figured that it might look a little suspicious me being back in town right now.”He turned back to Harper.“That’s why you’re going to kill him.And Shelley’s going to be so upset that she kills you.”

Shelley scowled at him.“You can’t make either of us do that, Gavin.”

He shrugged.“Not if you’re going to fight me about it, probably not.But I’ll just have to make it look like that’s what happened after you’re dead.”

He raised the pistol again.“But first we need to get a will in place that will work.”

He jerked his chin toward the boxes.“Show me the most recent one, and we’ll go from there.”

There was nowhere theycouldgo from there, but at least searching for the will—or pretending to—would buy her some time to figure out what she could do.

They both turned to Harper when she made a noise around her gag.

“Shut up!”Gavin told her.

She looked at Shelley and pressed her thighs together as she wiggled her hips.That had been their sign back in college when they were out dancing in the clubs—it saved having to get close enough to each other to shout and explain that they needed to go to the bathroom.

“She has to go to the bathroom,” Shelley told him.

“She can wait.”

“She can’t.She has this condition where …”

Gavin held his hand up.“Go!It’s down there.”He pointed to a short corridor that only had two doors leading off it.“But try anything and I’ll get rid of you.You’re no use to me anymore.”

Harper nodded and looked so fearful and acquiescent that Shelley knew it had to be an act.

When Harper left, Shelley carefully positioned herself and the boxes so that Gavin would have his back to Harper when she returned.

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