Page 13 of Daddy Sees Snakes

"Wow," she breathes, her eyes glazed over with lust. "You kiss better than any other guy I've been with."

I stand up. My head is pounding. I think of my chip, and the last time I lost it, drank myself stupid. Iris was there.

"I should go," I say, heading for the door.

"Wait!" She stands and rushes after me. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No," I mutter. "Just need some air. Need to clear my head."

She follows me outside. I pause, turning back to her. "Go back inside, Iris. Lock the door. I'll be back soon."

She shakes her head. "No. You're not okay. Tell me what's going on."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You're white as a sheet, and you're shaking," she whispers.

"Fuck." I turn away, running a hand through my hair. "Just go back inside, Iris. Fucking now."

I hear her gasp behind me.

"Viper. Please. Talk to me."

"Jesus, Iris, I'm trying to protect you," I say, whirling around.

"Protect me from what? Myself?"

"Yes!" I roar.

I can't stop myself.

"From the fact that your ex is an abusive, controlling motherfucker! That you were so fucking naive and desperate, you got involved with the fucking Devil's Sons! That you put your whole life, and my daughter's, at risk, because you were too blind to see what was happening right under your goddamn nose! And that you've spent your entire life being manipulated by every guy you've ever been with, and that you still don't see how fucked up that is! And that even though I know all of that, and should fucking hate you for it, I can't help but feel sorry for you. Because you're so fucking broken, so goddamn damaged, that no onecould ever love you. You're just a broken doll that keeps falling back into the same patterns, and no matter how hard you try, or how many times you break, you'll never escape it."

The words tumble from my lips like poison, and when they finally stop, the silence is deafening.

Iris stares at me, her face a mask of pain and betrayal.

"Get the fuck out of here," she whispers, her voice hoarse. "Just leave me the fuck alone."

I'm torn. I want to take her in my arms, tell her that none of what I said is true.

But the words are already out there, and there's no taking them back.

CHAPTER THREE

Iris

I stare at myself in the mirror, trying to recognize the woman looking back at me.

But all I see are the shadows of my past etched into the lines of my face, the scars hidden beneath my tattoos.

The events of the past week swirl through my mind, a dizzying vortex pulling me under.

How did everything fall apart so quickly?

I thought I had finally found stability at Mysterious Ink, a place to belong.

But I should have known better than to get involved with Lyon.

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