Page 133 of Iris' Lying Eyes

Finnen sniggers, raising the weapon and pointing it at Bastion. “Bruno blood is tainted, don’t you know? I’m doing you a favor.”

“No,” I shout, stepping between them as Finnen pulls the trigger. The sharp report echoes around the room, and I glance around wildly, falling to my knees. That…really fucking hurts.

“Shit,” I mumble, dropping to my hands as the burn makes its way from my stomach to my limbs.

Behind me, Finnen shouts, “Damn you. You should have stayed away. You should have been mine. Fucking Bruno.”

A whimper escapes and I lock my arms to keep from face planting, the huge ass diamond ring finger catching my attention. Leave it to Bastion to find the biggest fucking gem that I’ve ever seen. He should know better. I don’t need diamonds. I don’t money. I need him. To hold me. Love me.

But in Bastion’s mind, the only peace he could give me was independence and I guess if I don’t fucking die on this parquet floor, I’ll love him for an eternity for it.

“Baby,” Bastion says, dropping to the floor and pulling me into his arms.

“B,” I whisper as he meets my gaze, his dark eyes tortured. Smiling, I go to touch his cheek only to pause at the blood all over my fingers.

“Shit,” he says, pressing his hand over my wound. “Call a fucking ambulance!”

The air whooshes over our heads as Finnen waves the gun around, screeching, “You think you can get away with this?”

With a shudder, I pull Bastion’s troubled stare back to mine and my heart burns when he brushes my hair off my forehead.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper.

His brows jump but Finnen’s shadow appears over his shoulder and he growls, setting me carefully on the floor, “Stay the fuck away.”

With a wince, I sag against the tile, forcing my lids to stay open as Bastion spins from his crouch and grabs for the gun in Finnen’s hand. Finnen tries to wrench away, but B’s not one to square off against, and he pops his wrist like a chicken bone.

“Ah,” Finnen cries out, dropping to his knees. The gun spins across the floor while Bastion tackles Finnen, pinning him to the tile.

With one eye on the spectacle, I pull to my hands and knees, panting heavily. The world fades in and out with black dots dancing before my eyes but I manage to crawl across the floor and fumble with the gun.

My bloody fingers slide along the metal, but I know exactly what to do. John taught me that if nothing else.

Pulling myself to a seated position, I suck in a breath when I feel blood gush to the floor. My vision blurs, and I wipe my head, forcing myself to concentrate.

“B,” I whisper, and he looks up, meeting my gaze. His brows furrow, and slowly, he backs away.

Finnen pushes up and stands, his bright eyes crazed as he says, “Enough. You pick, daughter. It’s always your choice.”

My choice. What a fucking racket.

Raising the gun, I feel a spark of satisfaction when his eyes widen, and with a ferocity that pushes the dizziness away, I snarl, “I pick me.”

“Iris,” Bastion says, but it’s too late and I pull the trigger.

Through the ringing in my ears, I watch Finnen grab his chest and stagger back.

“I pick me,” I say again, dropping the gun to my side.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

When I wake, it’s to a fierce burn in my stomach. But I’ll take it because it means I’m alive.

Beside me, Bastion sleeps with his hand curled into a fist beside mine. I have hope that because he’s still here, we have a chance, and that’s what blooms in my heart as I wrap my fingers around his.

For a while, I doze, images of everything that happened cascading through my thoughts.

What will Paddy do? He as much as implied that Finnen had to be put down. But who knows? Finnen was pushed out for killing one of their own. Where does that leave me—besides more like my father than I thought?

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