Page 59 of Iris
That’s obvious.
So I really shouldn’t have stopped. The air is salt and garbage and a touch of fish guts, the kind of perfume that can’t be bottled.
Not even the joke takes the edge off.
Because stopping was stupid. A bad call. Iris doesn’t need to be associated with me, especially if she decides to join the movement. Killian’s confident because he knows he can charm both the pants and any doubts right on off of her.
If she doesn’t catch the movement’s fever, he’ll make her chase it.
And me?
I don’t think I’ll stop it, even though I should.
But I heard her, the acid and passion and conviction. Her hatred of the status quo. She’s the kind of Omega neither of us want in our lives, but Emmie’s taken to her more than anyone I’ve ever seen her take to.
She doesn’t remember her mother, so I can’t throw her under the bus.
“Riven, I know you’re there.”
Maldon’s tone’s irritated, not condescending. Shipments come in when they come in and there was some kind of delay, so he’s backed up.
With a sigh I push away from the wall and round the corner.
“Catching the view, are you?”
I take out my notepad and write.
Up your ass, Maldon.
“Fuck no,” he says, opening the large crate for me. “You gotta pay for that view. Mighty pretty, they say.”
I’ll take your word for it. I prefer the beauty of the area.
“Real pretty, here.” He chuckles, as he gestures with the crowbar at the boxes. He sets it down, then picks up the clipboard, flipping pages. “It’s all here, some extras. The usual price.”
I check over it, as a show, because I know him, it’ll all be there. I pay him from the roll of cash in my pocket as a truck rumbles up and Killian jumps out. All killer smiles, as if the area doesn’t bother him. But I see the slight tightness around his eyes. He gets the dolly. “Ready?”
I nod.
“Black,” Maldon says, looking over at the big ship where some men start to crane some more crates off.
They weren’t there before so they must have been waiting for orders. Both Killian and I did some work on the docks in the mainland. His thought was if we understand how it operated then we’ll know when something’s off.
This isn’t off, this is just them probably sitting in the work room, waiting for clearances.
He looks back at us.
“Something up?” Killian asks.
Maldon scratches his head. “Meant to tell Riven… There’s been some trouble. A couple of Council crackdowns on the mainland, the small part that’s been renamed Sabine West.”
Killian’s relaxed but near me the air changes, becomes charged and I step in.Does it concern us?
“Not unless you got business there and a pack. Seems the Council is against unsanctioned packs, against matings that involve more than one Alpha and one Omega.” He shrugs. “Sameold same old. But no, I just thought since you got that bar, you might hear things.”
“We always hear things,” Killian says. “It’s part of the territory.”
I write.
