Page 48 of Iris
“What—”
“Heath and Stephan,” Quinn says.
“Oh, god.” Iris slaps a hand over her mouth.
“Not even close,” I mutter, both glad and annoyed her friend is here. And Emmie on the fifth step leading up, eyes agog as she sits, watching like a TV show. “You can go out through the door to your left, up that alley and then turn right and keep going until you reach the river, or just go straight ahead and you’ll find your way to the Upper Side.”
“I don’t want to go to Upper Side,” Iris says.
“Daddy, Icy wants to stay. Can she? And Quinn, too.”
The redhead tugs on Iris’s arm. “We should go.”
“No,” Iris says. “Heath doesn’t scare me.”
“He does me,” Quinn says. “He’s terrible.”
She doesn’t sound scared, but they do need to go. I don’t need trouble before our meeting.
“I wanted to escape our world, have a drink,” Iris says. “I hate everything the Monarch stands for, Quinn. I hate the rules and how everything’s regulated. I wish I could do something.”
“Maybe you can,” I say, leaning into her. “There’s a meeting. People who want to change the status quo.”
“I don’t know…” Quinn says. Her eyes bug. “Nightshade?”
“Did I ask you?” I send her a harsh look but she’s just as mouthy as her friend.
“No, but she isn’t going alone.” Quinn crosses her arms.
“We both want change.” Iris says. “We’ll both come.”
“Give me your phone.” She pulls it out and I tap mine to hers, and it pings. “I’ll text you. Now go.”
The girls go and Emmie starts to get up and come down the stairs, but I stop her with a flick of my hand. “No. Bed. And brush your teeth.”
Her chin trembles. “But my candy…”
“Tomorrow.”
I step out into the bar and a fist hits me, slamming me back into the door.
Oh, fuck, Heath. And his face is thunder. “Where the fuck is she?”
“C’mon man,” says the movie dude, “leave it.”
I run a hand over my chin. I could flatten him, knife him from groin to throat in seconds. But I don’t. Because I’m trying to think of the best response that won’t get his sister into trouble.
“No. Keep your hands off her. She’s young, innocent and her shitty family won’t do anything for her, but I will.”
He’s not talking about Iris.
“Who?”
He steps into me. “Quinn. Touch her and you’ll regret it.”
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
