Page 132 of Iris' Lying Eyes

Finnen ignores me and smiles, his blue eyes frigid, as he says to Bastion, “Just the person I was looking for.”

Bastion curls his lip and grabs me up before forcing me to the side. His guttural tone makes me shiver and I wrap my arms around my middle, backing away as he says, “You have beef with me? Leave her out of it.”

I want to protest but I’m frozen. Stuck.

Finnen rubs his chin, his eyes greedy and says, “Hm. Very well. You know why I’m here.”

Bastion nods as I look between them. What the fuck is going on?

“B,” I say, grabbing his hand.

He turns to me, running a finger down my cheek and I sob as he says brusquely, “Stay out of it.”

Blinking, I shake my head, but he grabs my cheeks. “This isn’t your fight.”

“It’s always been my fight,” I say sadly and he drops his head. My heart is a frozen tundra in my chest as I whisper, “I’m sorry.”

“I am too.”

Finnen chuffs, waving his hand. “This is touching, but I find you’re out of time.”

Bastion drops his hand and I grab his sleeve as he says, “You don’t have to do this.”

I can’t stop the train barreling down the tracks and I cover my mouth when the scream pushes at my lungs. I know I’ve always pretended to be the cold-hearted bitch but I’m not sure I can live past what’s about to happen. Frankly, I don’t think I want to.

Finnen chuckles, glancing at me. “No? It’s already set in motion.”

Bastion frowns, and I see the wheels turning in his head as Finnen says with glee, “You didn’t know, Bruno? Hm, too bad. Iris, here, paid her price. You lose.”

Bastion turns to me, his brows over his eyes and I let go of his shirt, smoothing the fabric beneath my trembling hands. “What’s he saying?” B demands.

Biting my lip, I soak in the warmth of his chest, memorizing the ridges of his defined muscles before I let go and step back. “It was in exchange for her,” I say, avoiding his gaze.

But he’s having none of it and he grabs my chin, rasping, “What was?”

Before I can admit it, downplay it or even fucking lie, Finnen rushes in to say, “Roman. The fucker. I guess his arrogance got him in the end, eh?”

Bastion stiffens, his fingers rigid on my skin before he steps away, and I bow my head. Absently, I note, I’m swaying on my feet as he says, “You’re stuck on revenge, but you brought this on yourself. You think killing my grandfather changes a thing? You’re a goddamn piece of shit.”

Finnen killed Sebastion Bruno? Holy shit.

Of course, Finnen merely shrugs and says, “An eye for an eye.”

Eye for an eye. Is this what I traded away everything for?

“Why?” I whisper and Finnen laughs, pulling a gun from his waistband and waving it in the air. Asshole.

“Why? Well, dear daughter, Sebastion Bruno took the only thing I ever wanted. I guess I showed him what happens when you fuck with a McCafferty.”

Shaking my head, I back away, my chest a massive, aching void of fucking darkness. I should have admitted my deal with Finnen to Bastion. Although to be fair, in the end, Roman died because he hunted me down like I was an animal. It doesn’t change the facts, though. Finnen hated Roman, and he only agreed to help me if I helped him bring down the Bruno empire.

This after he groomed me into his pliable princess. I thought Finnen cared about me. When he reached out and insisted blood is more important than anything else, I was stupid enough to believe him.

Not only that, but I made a deal with the devil, unaware of Bastion’s heritage. Now I’ve done the unthinkable, at least from B’s perspective. But I’m not going to stand here and let Finnen ruin the last good thing in my life.

While Bastion maintains his stare-off with Finnen, I step between them, but the words die on my lips when B pushes me away, and I stumble.

“I’m sorry—” he rasps, wrenching off his coat. What?

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