Page 45 of Claimed By Ruin

“Why? I can just do it myself.”

She laughed. “Yeah, right. Like he would let that happen. Besides, if he’s here, he needs to contribute.”

“He contributes plenty,” I said. And he did, but that wasn’t the reason why I’d jumped to Jack’s defense. The thought of being in a car with Jack, of managing him and Christopher and everything else and getting both of us out unscathed was not one that appealed.

“Besides, Christopher needs to see him,” Caitlin said.

“Christopher’s already seen him.”

“Yeah. But you and I both know the best way to get a point across is to hammer it home. So Christopher needs to see him again. Needs to know that we aren’t afraid of him.”

“We aren’t afraid of him,” I said.

“Sure, but he doesn’t know that. He just sees an old man, a couple of women, and a teenage boy.”

“Elliot’s here, too.”

Caitlin smiled. “Yeah, but Elliot’s no Jack. And Christopher needs to know that we’re not completely defenseless.”

“So you just want me to parade him around like a trophy or a warhorse or something?”

“Yes, exactly. You have resources at your disposal. You use them.”

Something about that rankled. Maybe it was the truth of it. Or maybe, though I didn’t want to admit it, it was the idea of reducing Jack that way. But didn’t I do the exact same thing?

“Plus,” Caitlin said, “Jack goes and Christopher is riled up. Then I show up, all weak and helpless, and he’ll be much more likely to let something slip.”

Sound reasoning, but I cut to the quick. “So you’re saying no?”

“Yeah, I’m saying no. I’m not going. Take Jack instead.”

I studied her. Her expression was sharp, shrewd. The face I recognized from the courthouse. The one that never worked on me. Her reasoning was convincing, but with Caitlin, it was always more than one thing.

“And I have inventory to catalog,” she added.

“Caitlin, you can catalog the inventory in your sleep. What’s the real reason?”

She sighed. “If I go with you, I’ll have to take watch tonight, and you know I hate night watch.”

I stared at her for a moment, then smiled. “At least we get to the bottom of it.”

She gave me a tentative smile back, but then turned serious. “Look, I don’t know…never mind. He’s here. Might as well take advantage. You know my plan makes sense.”

I nodded and stared out the window as Caitlin left. Jack was out in the yard with Miles. They weren’t talking, but there was an ease, a relaxation, in the way they interacted. Watching them was almost enough to make me think that everything was all right.

It wasn’t, though. And it never would be again.

So fucking cheerful, Asia.

I shook my head, pulling myself out of my maudlin thoughts, and went to find Jack.

“I need you to come to town with me to drop off supplies.”

“Supplies, huh?” He looked down at me, his head cocked. “Why are you asking me to go?”

“I’m not asking you to go. This is all Caitlin’s idea.”

“And why is that?”