Page 14 of Iris' Lying Eyes

But what if it isn’t?

“This is my fault. I should have done it myself,” I mumble.

“No,” Rain says, grabbing my hand. “It’s that fucker’s fault. But we’re going to end this now.”

“But Sam…” Tears clog my throat, and I look away from her curious gaze.

“We’ll find him,” Rain says, and I welcome her conviction because I’m fresh out.

“What if it’s too late?”

“It’s not.”

“How do you know?” I whisper, and her eyes soften.

“I just do. Now tell us who Sam is.”

Warily, I glance around at their expectant faces before slumping. What does it matter if they know who he is? It’s the least dangerous secret I hold.

“He’s just an innocent caught up in this.”

“He’s not yours?” Cyn asks, and I laugh, the caustic sound burning my throat.

“No, mine was sent away a long time ago.”

Rain hums under her breath and leans against my shoulder. I indulge myself for a moment, picturing my baby’s pretty dark eyes, before shaking the memory away.

“Where do we start?” Alice says, avoiding my gaze.

Closing my eyes, I concede maybe I do need their help, but only for so far. I have to walk this road to the end alone. I made a deal with the devil and I suspect he’s planning to take me all the way to hell.

“John knows how to play this. He’ll be waiting for me to run back and be his little slave.” Pointing at the table, I say, “Our only chance is to bring out the bad guys.”

“Who?” Jig asks, picking up a picture. It’s my mom and John’s wedding picture. With a frown, he tosses it aside.

Gathering the letters, I casually stuff them back in the box. I’m not ready to share this information. Not yet, maybe never.

It could just as easily harm as help, and I don’t need any more fucking drama.

“If we want John, we have to destroy his empire. It’s the only way,” I say, setting the box by my feet.

The rest they don’t need to know. I’ll fight my way out of that mess on my own.

“Can’t we just lure him out?” Cyn growls, sitting beside Rain and wrapping his arm around her.

The protective gesture makes me smile, but I turn away. I’m glad Rain found someone who puts her over everything, but that doesn’t mean I’m not fucking jealous.

Shaking off the feeling, I say, “When has that ever worked in the past? He’s too smart for that. He knows I’ll be coming for him. If we undermine him at every turn, maybe the fucker will get himself killed.”

Chapter Five

Several hours later, I’m sitting on the back porch of the cabin the guys like to use. The last time I was here, Rain confronted me about everything, and I put the blame on her.

Another smokescreen, sure, but it worked for a while.

Can I trust these people? I know they want John, so that’s a plus. But what about after?

The revelation that Alice doesn’t know where Sam is eats at my brain, but going back to John may only get me killed. I’ll see how this plays out but only for so long.

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