Framed: A Psychological Thriller (Boston's Crimes of Passion Book 2) by Colleen Connally Page A
Authors: Colleen Connally
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the law. No one was.
He was going to make damn sure the Ashcrofts knew it.
Chapter Eight
Her cell phone chimed, more than once. Riley rolled over, trying desperately to ignore the echoing rhythm of the annoying ring. She had just fallen asleep…or she had felt as though it had only been minutes. Her alarm clock said otherwise.
Her hand outstretched for the phone. Josh. Again . If nothing else, he was persistent, but she was well aware how dangerous he was.
She had let her guard down with him once. She couldn’t afford to do so again.
Why then were her dreams filled with the memory of his lips on hers…her body melting into his?
Her phone chirped louder. A text this time. See me tonight. J
Her whole body shivered with fear. Not that she was afraid of him, but herself. She didn’t trust herself. Hell, she almost begged him to make love to her. That was something she couldn’t allow…too much of a complication.
She already had too many complications. She texted back. I will see you tomorrow for the gala. I still have to find a dress.
Focus! She forced herself to roll toward the nightstand. Sleep had been elusive the last few nights. At least she didn’t have to teach a room full of teenagers this morning. Thankfully, she was on summer break.
Quickly, she reminded herself that she planned it this way. But her plan had been sidetracked with Helen Barlow’s death.
Guilt gnawed at her conscience. Had she played a part in getting Helen murdered?
Since her grandfather’s death, Riley had relentlessly pleaded with her grandfather’s assistant to file the last will and testament of Witt Ashcroft. Riley had known without a shadow of a doubt the will existed.
Her grandfather had shown it to her.
Riley tried to play on the old woman’s sympathy, but nothing she did softened Helen. The old woman constantly refused, telling Riley more than once she hadn’t a clue what Riley was talking about.
After her grandfather’s death, Walter told Riley she had inherited nothing, all the while she insisted Grandfather had made a new will. They laughed at her. All of them: Walter, Donald, Cora, Vivian, and Ellis.
At the time, she hadn’t cared. Nana was leaving her this house. It would suit her needs. Only, Freddy blurted out and told them all about Nana’s wish before she died. Between Walter and Ellis, the two hammered the final nail in her coffin—making her grandmother change her will.
She had been completely cut out of the Ashcroft fortune. They had won.
So Riley thought, until a couple of weeks ago. Quite out of the blue, Helen had called Riley and told her to expect a package in the mail. It came—the will Riley knew existed—the one that gave her a fair share of the estate, along with her uncles.
Helen never gave Riley an explanation why she had changed her mind. The only thing she told Riley was that she had kept the will in a sealed plastic cover to make it easier to authenticate.
Why hadn’t Helen shown the document at the time of her grandfather’s death? It would have made everything so much simpler.
Everything had become so confusing…she couldn’t stop what had already been placed in motion.
If only she had known…but she was also aware that nothing was guaranteed. Not to mention, she needed money now. It would take years before she saw a cent, if she saw anything.
Her only option was to get the will to the only lawyer she trusted. But Clayton Edmunds lived in Charleston.
She had too much at stake to lose now, but she had never imagined it would come to this. She was scared and slept with her Smith & Wesson pistol in the nightstand, Bailey in her bed, and one eye open.
But she had to buck up. She couldn’t lose courage.
She threw back her covers. She stopped. Did she hear something? She heard it again. The back door in the kitchen. First it was light tapping, and then came the shattering of glass, followed by a groan and the creak of the door opening.
She wasn’t alone.
The
He was going to make damn sure the Ashcrofts knew it.
Chapter Eight
Her cell phone chimed, more than once. Riley rolled over, trying desperately to ignore the echoing rhythm of the annoying ring. She had just fallen asleep…or she had felt as though it had only been minutes. Her alarm clock said otherwise.
Her hand outstretched for the phone. Josh. Again . If nothing else, he was persistent, but she was well aware how dangerous he was.
She had let her guard down with him once. She couldn’t afford to do so again.
Why then were her dreams filled with the memory of his lips on hers…her body melting into his?
Her phone chirped louder. A text this time. See me tonight. J
Her whole body shivered with fear. Not that she was afraid of him, but herself. She didn’t trust herself. Hell, she almost begged him to make love to her. That was something she couldn’t allow…too much of a complication.
She already had too many complications. She texted back. I will see you tomorrow for the gala. I still have to find a dress.
Focus! She forced herself to roll toward the nightstand. Sleep had been elusive the last few nights. At least she didn’t have to teach a room full of teenagers this morning. Thankfully, she was on summer break.
Quickly, she reminded herself that she planned it this way. But her plan had been sidetracked with Helen Barlow’s death.
Guilt gnawed at her conscience. Had she played a part in getting Helen murdered?
Since her grandfather’s death, Riley had relentlessly pleaded with her grandfather’s assistant to file the last will and testament of Witt Ashcroft. Riley had known without a shadow of a doubt the will existed.
Her grandfather had shown it to her.
Riley tried to play on the old woman’s sympathy, but nothing she did softened Helen. The old woman constantly refused, telling Riley more than once she hadn’t a clue what Riley was talking about.
After her grandfather’s death, Walter told Riley she had inherited nothing, all the while she insisted Grandfather had made a new will. They laughed at her. All of them: Walter, Donald, Cora, Vivian, and Ellis.
At the time, she hadn’t cared. Nana was leaving her this house. It would suit her needs. Only, Freddy blurted out and told them all about Nana’s wish before she died. Between Walter and Ellis, the two hammered the final nail in her coffin—making her grandmother change her will.
She had been completely cut out of the Ashcroft fortune. They had won.
So Riley thought, until a couple of weeks ago. Quite out of the blue, Helen had called Riley and told her to expect a package in the mail. It came—the will Riley knew existed—the one that gave her a fair share of the estate, along with her uncles.
Helen never gave Riley an explanation why she had changed her mind. The only thing she told Riley was that she had kept the will in a sealed plastic cover to make it easier to authenticate.
Why hadn’t Helen shown the document at the time of her grandfather’s death? It would have made everything so much simpler.
Everything had become so confusing…she couldn’t stop what had already been placed in motion.
If only she had known…but she was also aware that nothing was guaranteed. Not to mention, she needed money now. It would take years before she saw a cent, if she saw anything.
Her only option was to get the will to the only lawyer she trusted. But Clayton Edmunds lived in Charleston.
She had too much at stake to lose now, but she had never imagined it would come to this. She was scared and slept with her Smith & Wesson pistol in the nightstand, Bailey in her bed, and one eye open.
But she had to buck up. She couldn’t lose courage.
She threw back her covers. She stopped. Did she hear something? She heard it again. The back door in the kitchen. First it was light tapping, and then came the shattering of glass, followed by a groan and the creak of the door opening.
She wasn’t alone.
The
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