Page 111 of His to Burn

His words were not a request—or even a suggestion.

It was an order.

And I didn’t dare disobey it.

I followed him to the back of the restaurant and into the surprisingly large storeroom.

We briefly considered setting up here, but wanted to make sure we had a way in and out.

Jack looked at me, and I spoke before he could.

“Are you about to chastise me for helping people?” I said.

“I don’t need to say it, because you already know. But give me the read here.”

“Lourdes and Miles are brother and sister. Lourdes finalized his adoption after their parents passed away. She’s a good person.”

“The others?”

“Don’t know the guy but he seems harmless. Bridget’s good. Kind and sweet. And Caitlin…She can be…trying. But I can handle her,” I said.

“You’d better be able to. Or I will,” he said before switching gears. “What about the plan?”

“I don’t think it changes. We still need to get to Uncle Levi’s. Maybe help would beuseful. Two hands are better than one and all that.”

“You think your uncle would take them in?”

“I don’t know if my uncle will take me in. In fact, he might take them in before he takes me in. But we can see,” I said.

“Then let’s go tell them about it,” he said.

We emerged less than two minutes later, having made the decision.

“I hope your private chat resulted in a plan,” Caitlin said.

“We’re going to Asia’s uncle at the Tennessee–Arkansas border,” Jack said.

“What? I don’t want to?—”

Jack cut Caitlin off with a hard look.

“Nobody asked you to,” he said.

“I just mean doesn’t it make sense to stay in a bigger city? When they figure things out, we’ll be close to the supplies.” Her voice was high and hopeful. I almost tasted how badly she wanted someone to tell her she was right.

Jack’s jaw ticked and I saw that flicker in his gaze. Maybe Caitlin would get to Jack before she got to me.

“Arkansas–Tennessee border’s not a walk in the park,” Elliot said.

“No, it is not. But it’s the way,” Jack said.

“But what about the?—”

Caitlin’s voice caught for a heartbeat, and I heard an unfamiliar fragility. Then she squared her shoulders, like she was physically shoving that sign of weakness down.

“Caitlin, what aren’t you getting? There’s no help coming. We have to take care of ourselves,” Bridget said.

She didn’t raise her voice.