Page 99 of Bound in Ashes

Those other men.

“He’s just an asshole and a blowhard. Don’t let him get under your skin,” I said.

“I need to make sure you guys are okay,” he finally said.

What he didn’t say was he needed us to be okay when he was gone.

But he didn’t need to.

I knew that was coming.

And that was why I needed to handle Hayes.

Once Jackson was gone, we still had to live here.

And it was up to me to make sure that we could.

I looked at Jack, giving him a smile—one that was weak.

“You don’t have to carry everything by yourself,” I said.

He looked like he wanted to argue.

I was glad he didn’t, but couldn’t help but wonder what it meant.

Couldn’t shake the feeling that he was slipping away.

Or the truth that once again, I was powerless.

I pulled my hand from Jack’s, but didn’t dare look at him.

“We’d better get back,” I whispered.

SIXTEEN

Jack

“Tell me the priorities again,” Jack said.

His voice was low but it cut through the low hum of the truck’s engine.

I was driving, Jack was next to me, but he didn’t address me.

He ran me through the plan six times already, so this was for the others.

“We’re going to⁠—”

“Not you, Miles. I was talking to Travis.”

“Oh, okay,” Miles said.

I glanced at the rearview mirror and saw Miles, who was grinning from ear to ear.

He was sure Jack was going to make him stay behind, but to both of our surprises, his was the first name Jack called out when we finally decided this trip was necessary.

“I got it, boss,” Travis, one of the men from the subdivision said.

“Tell me again,” Jack said. I caught the way his fist clenched, and before I could stop myself, I reached over and squeezed his hand.