Page 52 of Bound in Ashes

Like she felt it, too.

Our eyes locked.

Held.

And then she moved.

Even though I still felt her warmth, smelling her on my skin, I watched her go, the last thing I wanted to do.

The only thing I could do.

Because as easy as it was to lose myself in Asia, the world didn’t stop just because I wanted to hold onto something good for five fucking minutes.

It never did, and I wasn’t stupid enough to believe it ever would.

“I’ll get the wheelbarrow. Can clean this mess up,” Levi said.

“Miles. Go help him,” I said.

The kid smiled, and then left, slowing his long, loose-limbed steps to allow Levi to keep up.

“You good?” I said, looking at Asia.

“Yeah,” she said.

There was no inflection in her voice, and I studied her, trying to figure out what was going on. I wasn’t unfamiliar with close quarters, but I never studied anyone quite the way I studied Asia. And now, I tried to get a read on her. Coming up empty.

That was new.

“I’ll go help with the bodies,” she said.

I wanted to argue, but stayed quiet.

“Elliot. You want to walk the tree line with me?”

He nodded.

“Yeah,” he said.

I looked at Asia as she walked away. Then I forced myself to refocus. Maybe later when I was alone, not amped on adrenaline, I could try to process all this. But for now, there was work.

“Wait,” I whispered urgently.

Elliot froze.

Asia did, too.

I turned, looked, seeing the trees rustle.

“Is that…?” Elliot asked.

I lifted a hand to silence them and then watched the movement.

It wasn’t one of those things. This was an attempt at concealment. I clicked the snap on my holster, putting my hand at my waist. Realized I was standing in a fucking field. Might as well have been wearing a bullseye.

Nothing I could do about that now.

So instead, I walked, getting closer, anticipation threatening to overcome the calm.