Page 7 of Claimed

Eve squinted at the picture of Randolph Christmas, who was grimacing for the camera while descending the courthouse stairs. She took a sharp breath through her nose and frowned at me. “Leave me the fuck alone, the both of you.” She turned her back on us.

“My father’s dead,” Jasper said.

She turned around. “He’s your father?”

“Hewasmy father.” Jasper steppedtoward her. “And I know what kind of person he was.”

She glanced at me then scowled at Jasper. “He’s your sister’s father too?”

Jasper nodded briskly. “Yes, and my guess is some pretty dangerous people know of your existence. And I have to find out who they are, but one thing I know for sure: you and I were never supposed to meet. I hate to think what would happen to you if theyknew we’d met you. That’s why you have to come with me. I will keep you safe.”

Suddenly, her face soured, and she bent over, clenching her stomach, dry heaving until vomit poured out of her mouth and onto the snow. I rushed over to hold her hair away from her face until she finished. Jasper and I raised our eyebrows at each other. I presumed we were both thinking,Why in the hell is shehaving such an extreme reaction to the possibility of being Randolph Christmas’s daughter?

Finally, Eve stood upright and swiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Okay,” she muttered and coughed. “I’ll go with you.”