Page 60 of Claimed By Ruin

“That asshole Christopher.”

“Guys, you in here?” Lourdes called.

“Yeah—”

The window over the sink exploded, sending glass raining down. I lifted my arm to cover my face but barely registered the sharp pricks in my arm, the warmth of my blood as it oozed to the surface.

I faced the kitchen door and saw Miles and Lourdes crouched.

“You remember the plan, right?” I whispered urgently.

“Yes,” Lourdes said, her voice trembling.

“Good. Take Miles and get to that car. If someone comes, you go. If we don’t meet you in twelve hours, you go.” I held Lourdes’s gaze. “Don’t come back. Protect him.”

Miles interjected. “But I⁠—”

“Miles, what would Jack say if he were here?”

The boy trembled but his voice was strong. “Protect your sister. Stick to the plan.”

“Good. Now go!”

I watched as they scurried away, crouching down low. The gunshots sounded farther away, and that gave me some hope. If they made it to the side of the house, they could use the other buildings for cover and get to the tree line and the car we stashed beyond it.

“They’re gone, Asia?” Caitlin whispered urgently.

“Yeah,” I responded. “That was a good idea.”

Caitlin was adamant about contingency plans, but she shrugged me off. “Whatever.”

“Why didn’t you go with them?”

She was focused on where the window used to be, the burlap blowing in the breeze. “Better odds here. Now what are we going to do?”

I crouched next to her, and then slowly, mindful of the glass, inched my way closer.

I stood up tall enough to look out.

The storehouse was engulfed in flames.

Three men rounded up the livestock, and two others went into the bunkhouse. And then there was⁠—

“Get down!” Caitlin whispered urgently.

I ducked down just as another bullet whizzed into the kitchen.

“Let’s go,” I said.

I knew Christopher, and he would destroy anything and everyone for what he wanted. But there was no way I was going to sit in this house and wait for him.

“Uncle Levi!” I risked yelling.

Somehow he had made it downstairs, and was slumped on the bottom step, his shirt wet with sweat, his chest rising and falling.

“Get out of here,” he said.

I rushed to him, pulled his thin, bony chest to my side and yanked him up. “Come on, Uncle Levi, we have to go.”