Page 141 of Daddy Sees Snakes

Candy leans in, her brow furrowed. "Lyon? Your ex? Was he here?"

I shake my head, frustrated. "Yes."

As I speak, more fragments come floating back.

The shock of seeing Lyon walk into the club.

The anger in his eyes, the cruel twist of his lips.

The way he cornered me at the bar, his words sharp with malice.

"You think you can just walk away from me?" His voice echoes in my mind, dripping with venom. "You're mine, Iris. Always have been, always will be."

A sob catches in my throat as the memories assault me.

Candy wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. "It's okay, honey. You're safe now. I've got you."

I cling to her, trembling. "He was here, Candy. Lyon was here. He...he..." I can't bring myself to say the words, to give voice to the horror that's slowly coming back to me.

We sit in silence for a moment, Candy's presence a comforting anchor as I try to process what happened.

The pain in my body takes on a new, horrifying context as more memories surface.

"I fought back," I whisper, more to myself than to Candy. "I know I did. I wouldn't just let him..."

"Of course you did," Candy says fiercely. "You're the strongest person I know, Iris. This isn't your fault. None of it is."

I nod, trying to believe her words.

But shame and guilt twist in my gut, poisonous thoughts whispering that I should have been stronger, should have seen this coming, should have...

The sound of the club's front door slamming open startles us both.

Candy jumps to her feet, positioning herself protectively in front of me.

"Who's there?" she calls out, her voice steady despite the fear I can see in her eyes.

"Candy? Iris?" A familiar voice rings out, and relief washes over me.

"We're back here behind the bar, Rosa!" Candy calls back.

Footsteps approach rapidly, and then Rosa bursts behind the bar, Viper right behind her.

They both freeze at the sight of me on the floor, Candy hovering protectively nearby.

"Jesus Christ," Viper breathes, his eyes widening with shock and anger. "What the fuck happened?"

Rosa rushes to my side, kneeling beside me. "Iris, honey, are you okay? Who did this to you?"

I open my mouth to answer, but no words come out.

Instead, a sob tears its way out of my throat.

All the fear and pain and anger I've been holding back come crashing over me.

Viper grits out. “What the fuck happened here?! Huh?!”

Candy's voice trembles as she fills the heavy silence. "I... I came in to get ready for my shift and found her like this. On the floor, clothes torn..." Her eyes flick to mine, filled with anguish. "She's bleeding, Viper. Between her legs."

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