Page 129 of His to Burn

“You hear that?” Asia said a moment later, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

I heard the sound and focused on trying to figure out what it was. It could’ve been an animal. Or maybe the kid Caitlin said she saw. I wasn’t sure, but together, weapproached the sound. Every leaf that crumbled, every twig that snapped underfoot felt like a gunshot.

We crept closer.

I focused on keeping my heart rate even, my breathing smooth. Asia did the same—her chest rising slowly, deliberately. A rush of pride went through me. Asia wasn’t cracking.

I’d kill to keep it that way.

I shifted my gaze to the clearing up ahead.

An overgrowth of grass, weeds, and a thick snarl of bamboo created a chaotic forest. Now that people stopped tending it, nature was taking this land back inch by inch.

I heard rustling and looked at Asia.

Did something I would have killed someone else for even considering.

“Who’s there?” I called.

So fucking stupid but it seemed the best of my bad options. My breath froze, and I waited, listening to the high grass swish.

“She was right,” Asia whispered, her voice trembling.

Caitlin hadn’t imagined it.

There was a child.

A boy, eight or nine.

Cartoon shirt, matching shorts, little sneakers with the same character as the clothes.

Also dead.

I glanced at Asia. Her hand covered her mouth, and then she swiped at tears. “We can’t just leave him like this.”

“I know.”

I stepped up, hammer in hand, and quickly put the boy at peace.

As I stepped away from him, Asia reached out to grip my forearm. She did that sometimes, probably more than she realized. I didn’t know if it was for my benefit or hers, but I craved her touch however I got it.

Felt a sting of sadness when she let go. “One of the bedrooms in the house had that character on the comforter. I think—” She broke off.

I didn’t let her finish.

“It doesn’t matter now.”

“No, I guess it doesn’t.” She looked as sad as I’d seen her in days.

I knew what she was thinking.

Probably the same thing I was.

The man had taken care of his wife, but hadn’t managed to do the same for his son.

And left him to a worse fate.

Asia gathered a few wildflowers, leaving them on the boy.