Page 30 of Claimed By Ruin

Which meant we were fucked.

I wanted to scream at them, scream at Asia and figure out what was going on, but when I glanced over at her, she still stood straight, eyes forward, absolutely no emotion in her expression.

It wasn’t her at all, and seeing that sobered me in a way that rage couldn’t.

I grasped her fingers. For a split second, her hand tightened in my hold, but she relaxed it slowly, though she still didn’t look at me. I expected her to pull away, but she stayed right where she was, my hand covering hers.

The truck rolled to a stop, but instead of Sheriff Hayes, that fucking weasel Christopher stepped out.

“Howdy, folks,” he said, making a show of looking at every face before finally settling on Asia.

“Asia, how are you doing?” Christopher asked.

“Fine, and you?” Asia lifted her cheeks in a grotesque imitation of a smile.

Christopher smiled, genuine amusement lighting his eyes. “I can’t complain. And who do we have here?”

So he’d decided to acknowledge me.

“Christopher, you remember Jack, don’t you?” Asia asked.

It was a stupid question.

Christopher would never forget me, and this bullshit posturing pissed me off. But I remembered Asia’s stricken expression and felt the tension in the atmosphere, so I had to keep my cool.

Christopher scratched his stubbled jaw. “Oh yeah, that friend of yours who helped you get out of Atlanta, right?”

“Yeah, that’s him,” Asia said.

“Guess it’s good to see him back. You need all the helping hands you can get out here on the farm.”

He looked at Asia, then looked in my direction but not at me. He smiled, the tight collar of his brown shirt pressing into his neck. I was sure I saw the pulse underneath his skin. Could imagine that soft flesh giving way as I buried my fingers in his neck.

He was standing on the third step of the porch, but then stepped up, stopping close enough to Asia that his body touched hers. He reached out and put a hand on her waist.

“Asia has really stepped up while you’ve been gone. With Levi being sick and all, she’s really handled things, kept focused on what’s important.”

I felt Asia’s gaze burning into the side of my face. I ignored it. “Step back, Christopher.”

His eyebrows arched, and Asia stiffened, but she didn’t interject.

“Beg your pardon?” The fucker even stepped closer, his hip brushing Asia’s.

“You heard me.”

I moved to reach for him, but Asia gripped my hand tighter.

“Christopher, we have a few things to share,” she said.

Her voice was smooth as silk, but I heard the tension in it. The falseness.

I also heard the two men with Christopher chamber rounds.

“What do you have this time?” Christopher asked.

His brows were furrowed, but he stepped away from Asia.

Caitlin jumped in. “Lots of things. Elliot figured out how to make vinegar for canning and…”