Page 35 of Stealing Iris

I spent the longest days of my life at the house I grew up in. Two small rooms still sitting at the back of the ranch. My father picked the location because the ground is too sandy to plant, so he didn’t waste valuable land. The house is close to the river. As a kid, I’d try to catch a good wind so I could flick bottle caps into the water.

It’s the first place I thought to go. I needed to be alone, surrounded by overgrown mesquites, an outhouse, and a handful of creatures that can kill me. Turns out, no matter how far you run, you still long for what you want. Close enough to want to reach out and close your hand around the thing that burned you the most.

With nothing stronger on hand, I head to the nearby well my father and grandpa dug before I was born. Grabbing the metal bucket off the peg, the handle squeaking in protest, I drop it in. The bucket lands with a splash, sinking deep and filling to the top. Grasping the rope, I pull back, a few feet at a time, welcoming the weight to help me burn away my stupidity. Though nobody in their right mind would want to touch water from the Rio Grande, the dirt and sand on this part of the ranch filter out the impurities, leaving everything clean enough to consume. A scoff escapes me. Funny how things can come out lily white when you least expect it.

Her face comes into focus, her expression pleading for understanding.I can’t…

The phrase goes through my head for the millionth time. Why would I assume she would leave Conrado? I’m still baffled. How could she choose him after he offered her up in public, for fuck’s sake? She’d been embarrassed as hell, yet she’d kept her mouth shut.

He even dressed her with an eye to undress her easily. How many more men had he planned to offer her to? My head fills with an image of him pulling back her top to show off a perfect breast to anyone willing to shell out the cash. My stomach tightens, and my anger flares up again.Goddamn that son of a bitch.

Cupping my hands, I plunge them into the bucket, bringing water up to splash my face. Then there she is again, coming out of the motel bathroom in a towel. Two more handfuls don’t erase the image from my mind. I don’t know if anything can.

In a fit of annoyance, I grab the bucket, bend at the waist, and dump it all over my head. Straightening, I send a virtual river down my back and chest into my pants. Hell, maybe that’s what I need, to dunk my dick in cold water. That should be enough to cool me down. The snort is a surprise, even to me.

Putting the bucket on the hook, I head back to the house, my toes squishing in my shoes. I spent way too much on these damn things to have them hauling water, but what the hell. I stop at the doorway, the bare walls of my childhood home glaring at me in accusation. My family would have welcomed the money I used on shoes to keep the occupants fed for months on their meager rations. It’s hard to imagine I grew up out here, but I did.

I take a deep breath and lean on the doorframe, shoulders sagging in defeat. I’ve let my success push me too far over the edge. I expect everyone to do what I want, when I want, even if I have to find a way to make it happen.

Hell, I chose not to pry into Iris’s life. I wanted her to be different, and the mistake cost me. She must have her reasons for wanting to stay with Conrado, reasons I don’t want to think about right now. Losing her hurt, and I hadn’t felt anything for anyone in way too long. The fact she’d been so different from the others made her special.

Any other guy would have picked up the pieces and gone back to his life by now. It’s time I head to town and deal with my shit. A hot shower and a good meal will carry me a long way toward normal. Then I can decide what to do next. Maybe I’ll buy a yacht and get away for a while. Only I’ll go to the West Coast because two hundred miles isn’t nearly far enough away from the temptation to find her.

*****

CONRADO

Click-click-click-click-click.The dial on the safe goes flying around. Once it stops, I put three fingers over the knob and move it slowly. It gives me a rush, thinking about the payout as the white line on number eleven hits the marker. I turn the handle for that final snap and pull back the door.

Stacks of bills, wrapped in different-size rubber bands, sit there waiting for me. They’re not smooth and flat, like I expect. These bills have been around, so the ends stick up, making the bundle look bigger.

“Duuuude,” Iz says from behind me.

I reach in and grab two handfuls, pulling them out. I’m fuckin’ rich. A stallion—no, a bull. One of those big motherfuckers that throws the rider. “Whoop-whoop.” I bring one hand to my lips and drop a loud smack then do the same with the other before I drop the money on the desk and go back for more. It took forever, but I nearly got what I need for the deal.

“Dude, you sure we got enough?” Iz leans forward.

Man, he always has to be the fuckin’ downer. I toss the last of the bills on the desk and frown. Every single time…and he wonders why I don’t bring ’im along when I’m trying to deal.

“Don’t worry, man.” I wave him off. “We’re close then we hit easy street.”

I like how Dante and those dudes roll. Private jet. Escalades. His guys at the door, checking out the guests coming in for the party. That’s what I want, a big fuckin’ house that’s mine.Mi cantón. And a bitch in every room. Maybe I’ll find the ones from my favorite porn site. I can’t help but grin because I know this deal with Dante would make it happen. It’s stupid money.

“These people are talking millions. Millions.”

“Fuck, dude.” Iz throws his hands up in the air. “If you’d closed the deal for this chick…”

“I know, man.” I stomp a boot down and hold up a thumb and index finger. “I was this close. This close.”

The way the shit went down wasn’t my fault. I’d set it up perfectly. If Iris had done what she was supposed to do, I’d be making big plans right now instead of sitting in this shitty little office. But no, even with her tits out, she couldn’t hold his attention. I scoff. Maybe she ain’t classy enough to someone like Dante.

Lucky I worked a backup plan, giving the guy at the party my digits. Maybe the guy at the party will still call for her. I bet I could get more outta that fat bastard. Then I’d have a chance to do this without getting into more of the money from my other deal. He’s gotta know finding a virgin ain’t easy. Especially for a guy like him. That’sifhe calls.

Sometimes it feels like life and everyone in it just fucks me over. I got nobody on my side. Nobody wants me to do good. Not even my mom and for sure not that bitch Iris. Dante’s the biggest player in town, and he passes on her? Shit makes no sense. It’s like she did it on purpose.

Wait…Didshe do it on purpose? I think back to the other night. His guys cut me off real quick. I shoulda stayed with Dante, and I woulda met the right people. As it was, I barely got to give the guy my number. Hell, how was I supposed to know we couldn’t work something out on the floor? I was Dante’s guest. Damn, did she set me up? Best I find out right now and, if she did, she’s gonna pay with everything she’s got.

“You know what?” I look up at Iz, who’s still staring at the stacks of money with lust in his eyes. “Get Iris the fuck in here.”

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