Page 119 of Bound in Ashes

Then he stabbed Scotty’s dead body, and stood up straight.

“Now you folks were going to show me some hospitality?”

I couldn’t tear my eyes from Scotty where he lay, his blood pooling in Aunt Kathleen’s flower bed.

Jack had wanted to pull them up, use the space for more vegetables.

He’d been right, but I resisted.

All for nothing.

I turned away abruptly, my stomach churning, vomit burning at the back of my throat.

“Sheriff!” Caitlin swung the porch door open and stepped out, her smile bright.

She glanced back at me, her face twisting with concern. She covered it quickly and tsked. “Asia. You didn’t tell me we had guests,” she said.

“I—”

But Caitlin turned, fully focused on the sheriff.

“Did you have a safe drive over?” Caitlin asked, looking genuinely concerned.

“There were five of those things. My son took care of them,” he said.

“Zombies,” Jack said.

“You heard what I said, Thorne,” the sheriff said.

“I did, but I don’t know what it meant. Are you ready to face what’s happening here?” Jack challenged.

“What’s happening?” Sheriff Hayes countered.

“Nothing good. Nothing we can ignore,” Jack said.

He wasted his words on Hayes, and when he caught my gaze, I knew why.

He was doing this for me. Or to prove to me how wrong I was.

Caitlin suddenly put herself between Jack and I and the sheriff and his deputies, cutting off the burgeoning stare-off.

“Well, do you want to wash up, and then maybe grab a bite? It’s only hospitable since you all just drove all the way out here,” she said.

“That won’t be necessary. But I’d love a few minutes with you. Why don’t you show me around? Looks like you’ve done some work on the place,” the sheriff said.

Caitlin smiled, her pearly white teeth practically glistening in the sunlight, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Too bad. I’ve been practicing bread! But let me give you the tour!” she said, her smile brightening.

The sheriff beamed. “After you, ma’am.”

I watched them walk away and then turned to Christopher.

He shifted his weight and then looked around. “So, looks like things are up and running.”

I murmured something non-committal, forcing myself to keep my expression neutral, even though my stomach still roiled.

Jack was behind me, but I felt the tension rolling off him.