Chapter 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

ZAIN

I study the woman seated opposite me, and try to see the girl who had been in court that day. I have to admit that it's hard. I didn't interact much with her when Jason was alive. She was a kid, and definitely didn't mix in the same circles as me.

Whenever she came to the house to see Jason, I was either just leaving or already out, and he never took me or Louisa along on the rare occasions he went to his dad's house.

I spent the entire trial in a state of shock over what had happened, so I paid very little attention to the people around me there either. But when she took the stand, her words hit me hard, sent me reeling, and hammered the final nail into the coffin I was eventually buried in.

Maybe without her testimony the mistakes that were made by the prosecution wouldn't have gone unnoticed. Maybe they would have still been ignored by the jury. There's no way to know.

But that doesn't matter.

Someone has to pay for what happened to me. And she's the one who had the most to say. She's the one who pointed at me and said she saw me murder my best friend .

"What's your plan? Are you planning to make me sit here for fourteen years while you glare at me?" Her voice is sharp, but she can't hide the faint tremor in her hands from me, before she tucks them beneath her thighs on the chair.

She's not as fearless as she's pretending to be.

"Close, but no." I open my jacket and take out an envelope from the inside pocket, place it on the table, and slide it toward her.

"Is that another invitation to dinner?" She eyes the envelope, but makes no move to take it.

"No, but that is also still available. In fact, I highly recommend you taking me up on the offer."

"So you don't falsely accuse my mother of murder?"

"Amongst other things."

"You're admitting it's not true, then?"

"I never said it was true, I was merely telling you how suspicious it looks, and how it adds up. But we both know that it's easy to make someone believe something is true, don't we? I'm living proof of that."

"What do you want?"

"You." I tap the envelope, and hold up my other hand when she opens her mouth.

" Me? I'm not for sale."

"Oh, no, I'm not buying you, Ashley. You're going to sign a contract, which will result in you belonging to me for the next fourteen months."

" Belong to you?" She jumps to her feet. "Are you insane?"

"Not insane, no. I could have said fourteen years, but I'm willing to let you pay off your debt to me by giving me one month of your life for every year I was locked away and treated like a rabid animal."

" Pay it off? I don't owe you a thing. Get out of my house."

"This isn't your house, but I'll let that slide. Think very carefully about the decision you're making, Ashley. But keep in mind that if I leave the house without your agreement, then I'll be going straight to the nearest police station. "

She stares at me, her throat moving as she swallows.

"That's blackmail," she whispers. "You're blackmailing me."

"Some would call it that, yes. I prefer to call it payback."

There are two spots of red high on her cheeks, and her eyes are blazing as she glares at me.

"Am I to take it that your answer is no, then?" I pick up the envelope and stand. "Alright. Then I guess our business is done here. I'll be sure to call the relevant journalists to make sure they're also here for when the police come." I walk past her and along the hallway.

"Why?"

"Why what?" I don't stop moving toward the front door.

"Why me? Why not one of the other people who testified against you?"

I reach the front door, turn, and look at her. "You mean the detectives who arrived at the scene? A teacher who I clashed with when I was fifteen? Or a neighbor who saw what they wanted to see when I argued with Jason over something stupid?" I take her cell out of my pocket, and toss it to her. "None of them matter. Not when the girl who shouted the loudest about my guilt falls hard and fast for me, and marries me."

" Marry you ?"

"Oh …" I tap the envelope against my lips. "Didn't I mention that part?" I walk toward her, and hold out the envelope. "Last chance, Ashley. Your freedom or your mother's?"

Before she can answer, there's a knock on the door.

"Expecting someone?"

She ignores me, and walks past to open the door. Two uniformed officers are standing there.

"There was a 911 call made from this location. Is everything okay here?" one asks.

I prop one shoulder against the wall and wait to see what she does. She could completely ruin my life again, if she wants to. All she'd have to say is what I'm proposing to her. They'd ask to see the envelope I'm holding. Even though I've been exonerated, that won't matter to them. I'll always be an ex-convict to the police … especially the ones in this town.

"Oh … I'm sorry, officers. No, it was an accident. I was talking to … to …"

"Mr. Ryder, is that you?" The other cop looks past her.

I push away from the wall and walk forward. "Hi."

He frowns at me. "May I ask why you're here?"

"Ashley?" I keep my voice steady, and move to stand beside her. "Would you like to explain to the nice officers why I'm here?"

She glances up at me, licks her lips, then gives a quick nod. " Zain … I mean … Mr. Ryder wanted to clear the air. Obviously, the … the last time we saw each other was … was …"

"What Ashley is trying to say," I cut in smoothly, "is that I stopped by to tell her there were no hard feelings. I understood that she was young, and she didn't see what she thought she saw."

"Is that right, Ms. Trumont?"

Her lips quirk up into a smile. "Yes, yes that's correct. In fact, he was just leaving." Her head turns, and angry blue eyes meet mine. "Aren't you?"

"Once I've secured your agreement for me to take you to dinner."

Her eyes narrow. I smile.

"Unless, you'd prefer me to?—"

"No!" She almost yells the word. "I'll be ready at seven."

"I'll be here." I step through the door. "Officers." I incline my head. "I'll see you later, Ashley."

All three of them are still standing there when I reach Peter's car. I don't drive off straight away. Instead, I take out my cell and place a call. It's answered on the first ring.

"I expected you to call yesterday. How did your first day of freedom feel?" The male voice has an amused undercurrent to it.

"Honestly? Weird."

He laughs. "Yeah, I feel that. It took me a couple of months to adjust and I wasn't inside anywhere near as long as you. Where are you now?"

"Back in Whitstone. "

"Already? No, don't answer that. It's what I'd have done. How's your plan going?"

"It evolved."

"Don't they always?"

"Do you have any of the information I need or do you need more time?"

"Oh, I have lots of information. Let's see. The things we know about Ashley Trumont, page one …"