Run. Just Run.

Chapter 55

"Ash, wake up, we're home."

Ashley slowly opens her eyes and sunlight fills them, making it hard to see for an instant. When her vision clears, she sees James' eyes looking straight into her own, and he's rubbing his thumb up and down her cheek. She bursts into a smile. Then she bites her lip.

"Is anyone else around?" She whispers quietly.

"No, Jeff and Boomer just went inside the house." James replies, not sure why she'd want to know.

Then Ashley smiles again and leans forward and kisses James on the cheek. "Thanks." She says as she blushes. "Thanks for comforting me when I was crying. You're really the greatest guy ever."

James' face turns bright red and a smile pulls at the corners of his mouth. "I'm not that great..." He says, disagreeing.

"Yeah you are." Ashley argues back. "You're the best best friend ever." She says cheerfully. "And the best brother ever." She wraps her arms around him. "And the best..." Then she trails off.

James' eyebrows raise. "The best what?"

Ashley scrunches her face up, thinking. "You're the best...whatever we are." She says finally, her cheeks getting pink. "And I love you for it."

James puts his hand on Ashley's head and pulls it close. Then he kisses her on he forehead, softly, sweetly. "I love you too, Ash."

Ashley closes her eyes, feels a bunch of butterflies and smiles. This guy. He really was amazing. What would she do without him? Then she feels like she's being picked up, and she opens her eyes as James sets her down on her feet.

"Come on, let's go see what Uncle Jeff and Boomer found out!" James says, pulling Ashley by the hand.

Ashley winces, and then takes a deep breath to calm her nerves down. "And we can show them the will." She says slowly. "You still have it, right?"

James nods. "It's in my pocket. Come on!"

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Jeff leans back in his chair and sighs. "That's gotta be why your aunt wants you." He says slowly. "So she can get your inheritance."

"But how could she?" Ashley says in protest.

Boomer leans forward. "Easiest way. 'Ave ya live with her, 'ave the company be signed over to ya, with her as your guardian person, then...uh well...let's say just not 'ave ya around no more."

Ashley and James stare in shock. "K...k...kill her?" James spits out slowly.

Jeff and Boomer nod their heads. "She'd get to own the company." Jeff says slowly.

Ashley's blood boils. How could her aunt even plan to do this. Her aunt. Her own blood relative! She gets furious.

"How could she do his to me? How could she want me dead? What made her do this? I mean, yeah money but really? Kill your niece? Hire two men to get me at all cost?" She rants on, letting out all her frustration. "Kill James' parents cause they probably wouldn't let them have me? Cause that's probably what happened. How can we stop her?"

"Well there is a way..." Jeff says slowly. "But I don't think you're gonna like it."