Page 3 of Bound in Ashes

To my surprise, Caitlin ran harder. I watched as Miles, Lourdes, and Bridget did the same.

Elliot was a step or two ahead of me, holding his own weapon, but looking conflicted about whether he wanted to use it.

“Go, Elliot,” I said low, urgently, sweat stinging my eyes as I kept moving.

He nodded and then ran in earnest.

I glanced back at Jack. His long, powerful strides were a thing of the past.

In fact, he stood still.

My heart quivered—literally fucking quivered—as I stared at him.

“What the hell are you doing?” My voice grated out of my throat low, my shock making it impossible for me to scream.

He didn’t answer. He was busy jamming his knife into the eye of one of the zombies.

“Get them to the house. I’ll buy you some time.”

I found my voice. “Jackson!”

“Not the time to argue, Counselor,” he said, still focused on the zombie he’d just killed.

He pulled the knife out, only frowning a little bit when the black goo splashed on his shoe.

Jack was right.

It wasn’t time to argue.

So I didn’t.

I looked back to make sure the others were going to the house.

Then I turned to Jack and lifted my pipe.

Jack glared at me. “Get your ass to the house, Asia!”

For as stoic as he was, Jack’s expression hid very little.

The way he looked at me now made me shiver with fear.

He was furious, as angry as I’d ever seen him.

But it wasn’t just anger. There was something feral in his eyes, something consuming.

It told me I was his.

Promised punishment for disobeying.

My stomach flipped, and it wasn’t with fear.

The moment broke when something flashed at the corner of my eye.

“Watch out!” I yelled.

One of those things shambled toward him, and Jack spared a moment to frown at me before he went back to work.

I swung again, noting how this zombie’s skull was a little bit softer than the last.