Page 127 of Iris
“Don’t say on our side,” he hisses so only I hear.
I don’t turn to face him.
“That’s not the point right now.”
“Pen, I…” Iris swallows. “This is?—”
“I know the infamous Black Briar,” Penrith says. “And who the occupants are.”
The woman stands with two servants in our bar, looking more at home than some people who were born and raised in the Lower Side do.
She lifts her head and stares me in the eye as an equal, like someone who doesn’t fear me, like she has only one agenda and that’s Iris.
“Here’s the deal,” she says. “Iris wasn’t here. Except for today.”
“And who are you to tell us what to do?” Killian snaps immediately, pushing past me.
Penrith walks up to Killian, and I’m not about to shove him into a wall in front of Emmie. I reach to pull him back but Penrith isn’t fazed. Although most Omegas are female and most Alphas are male, it isn’t always the case, and Penrith is one of those cases. She’s a female Alpha. Like the Monarch, her sister.
She signs to me. She stops, flickers a glance at Killian. “If that’s okay with you.”
“Depends on the deal.”
“Heath’ll be coming here looking for his sister. Emmie?” Now she turns to our kid and bends down, holding out her hand. How she knows Em’s name is beyond me. “You’re smart. Can you keep Iris being here a secret, except arriving with me today?”
“Daddy and Papa said lying is bad.”
“This is true, but omission is sometimes okay. To help Iris?” Penrith asks.
Emmie looks up at me, and I smile and sign,
So she nods.
“The deal?” Killian asks.
“We came by to check out your place because I’ll be hosting the next ball.” She says this with all the pleasure someone might have toward dentistry. Grimly.
“It’ll be hosted in Iris’s honor. Midnight Garden. I want a drink made for that.” Then her gaze goes to her servant on the left. “Give Iris your jacket, and can someone show Alain out the back?”
“We didn’t discuss payment,” Killian says sweetly.
She smiles. “I can sign. Your business partner, Xavier’s smart. We’ll work it out when he visits tomorrow.”
The servant takes off the jacket, and to my surprised, he’s dressed like anyone from the Lower Side. Ripped jeans, the scuffed chunky boots, a black T-shirt, and a satchel slung over his shoulder.
When he hands his jacket to Iris, Freya leads him through the bar.
Suddenly Emmie clocks it when Iris pulls it on. And her lips start to tremble. “No Icy, you… you are staying. You are staying. Stay.”
“I’ll see you soon, Emmie. I promise.”
“Iris, do up the jacket, please. Hood too. We need to go.” Penrith turns to me, but her words are for both me and Killian. “We have a deal?”
Before he can answer, the door bursts open again, and one furious Heath Gardener storms in.
“Where’s my—” He stops, nearly bumping into Emmie. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t see…”
