Page 73 of Claimed By Ruin

Jack

“Jack!”

“Keep it down, kid,” I said to a grinning Miles, who flung himself at me but then pulled back and cleared his throat.

Instead, he lifted his hand for a much more appropriate fist bump. I pulled the kid in for a hug as he chuckled.

“I only made it to the tree line before you spotted me. Not bad,” I said.

“I knew you’d be back!”

“That makes one of us, kid,” I said.

His smile dropped.

“Hey, I’m fine. We’ll talk inside.”

Miles smiled all the way to the house and bounded up the porch stairs.

Asia met us at the door.

Her eyes locked with mine, and time seemed to fall away. I missed her so fucking much I didn’t allow myself to think about it. Seeing her now brought it all back.

The fear that those men would find her, the resolve to make sure that didn’t happen. The last glance at her as she ran away, how she didn’t look back. How proud I was of her. How it would feel to see her again.

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, the shock giving way to relief, giving way to something darker that I couldn’t name. And then nothing.

“I smell you from here. Take a shower. I’ll make food. Miles, you’re on guard duty, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Miss Newman. Talk to you later, Jack.” The kid waved and ran back towards his post.

Asia didn’t see it because she’d gone back into the house.

I did as she instructed and showered, my gaze lingering on the neatly folded black T-shirt and cargo pants at the foot of her unmade bed when I got out.

A plate with country ham, spoon bread, and canned peas sat on the table when I got back into the kitchen.

Asia leaned against the sink, arms crossed under her breasts as she watched me.

I watched her, too, as I ate, cataloging the changes. It had only been a few days. There shouldn’t have been any. But I saw it, a little puffiness in her cheeks, the glow on her skin, the faint bulge at her abdomen that you could write off as a slightly too big shirt but that I knew was our baby.

“You’re starting to show,” I said as I pushed the plate away.

She didn’t even blink. “What did you do, and how will it blow back on us?”

“Killed three more of Christopher’s guys. Took my time to get rid of the bodies. Stripped the trucks for anything useful and got rid of them. Waited a few days to see if there would be any heat.”

She chuckled. “Really trying to pad your kill count, huh, Jack?”

“You know me. I play to win.”

“Don’t you ever.” Her eyes went flat. “Christopher knows.”

“Of course he knows. But he can’t prove it.”

“You think that matters?”

“No, but that bitch has to save face. Can’t let it be known that he’s out of control and losing people. I’ll bet he cooked up some bullshit about those men taking off. It’ll hold.”