Page 89 of Devoured
CHAPTER 24
Roland
The overcast sky shined through the hatched pattern on the windows, making it so that it was difficult to tell what time of day it was. Checking my watch, I knew it was past noon. I leaned back in the hospital chair, waiting for Iris to open her eyes.
She groaned, adjusting in bed. The mattress crunched. She clenched her eyes shut.
“Dear fucking hell,” she mumbled. “My head. I feel like death.”
I knew the feeling well these days. “Water on the side table,” I said. She flicked her eyes to both sides, finally landing on the small paper cup filled with crushed ice and water. “And I’m sure you can buzz the nurse for more painkillers.”
Her eyes widened, as if that were possible. “Morepainkillers?” Then she startled, suddenly realizing where she was. The empty room. The beeping green and white machine next to her. “You’re here,” she said, her eyes focusing on me. “You’re supposed to be in New York.”
“I’m not.”
“And where’s—” she looked around frantically, then stopped, not wanting to say his name aloud.
I wish I could have told her he was dead. “In jail,” I answered reluctantly.
“Like jail,jail? Or just for-the-night jail?”
“I imagine he’s going to be there for a while.” I rolled my shoulders, then added, “Considering the police have his entire escapade on videotape.”
She thought over my words for a moment, then relaxed into the bed, leaning on the flat pillow. Her face was red and puffy. My hand was bandaged like it had been resurrected from a mummy’s tomb, and skipping the painkillers for it was a true bitch, but I knew I had to. I was glad that Iris was alive. That I was alive too.
Thatwewere alive.
“What happened?” she asked. “Do I want to know?”
Did I tell her about how I had gotten to the jet, ready for takeoff, when I realized the mistake I was making? That I wasn’t sure what the hell I was doing, but that I knew she was right, that I was tired of running away, tired of hiding my feelings by getting high. Tired of running from her.
Did I tell her how I decided I would die fighting for us, as long as she was there with me?
Did I tell her that I had learned something then: Maybe it was a mistake to go after her, but I needed to try.
But none of that mattered right then.
“You mean after you passed out?” I asked. Iris nodded carefully. “Well, after you shot Jake, we were both pretty stunned. He was bleeding. Couldn’t stop staring in shock at the wound. So I grabbed the gun and called the police.”
“I shot him?”
“In the hand, actually.” I winked. “How the hell you managed that? I don’t know. But I like to think you were getting revenge for me.” I lifted my bandaged hand.
Her lips twitched. “Once you showed up, I don’t remember much.”
“Well, that’s the beautiful thing about the situation,” I said. “That dumb ass recorded it all. If you’re truly curious, I’m sure we can get our hands on the footage.”
She furrowed her brows. “Isn’t it police custody?”
“I have my connections.”
A few seconds passed, then Iris sat up and sucked down the water from the cup. I got up, ready to find a nurse to refill it, but she stopped me, putting a hand on my arm.
“How did you know where I was?” she asked.
That’s how I knew she was doing okay: always with the questions. I was happy to answer.
“Went back to the Dahlia District to apologize. To tell you I wasn’t sure what we were doing, but that I wanted to try. That I was all in. With the Dahlia District, and with you,” I shrugged. “But you weren’t there. Kendall said you had gone to find me. She kept giving me shit about it, saying you were a good girl and that if I screwed up, it was going to be my fault.” I chuckled and a small smile crossed Iris’s face. “Your phone was broken in the parking lot. And to be honest,” I paused, lifting my shoulders, “the Adlers have been tracking everyone’s car for years. Dahlia’s orders.”
