Page 42 of Iris' Lying Eyes

“You mean my cousin?” I say dryly, but he’s not amused.

“Stay the fuck away from them,” he barks.

Nodding, I watch as he walks away, but he pauses before getting far and tosses over his shoulder, “Careful of Bruno, he’s embraced the darkness. You feel me?”

Bemused, I silently agree. But it’s ironic for Hate to be warning me off when he’s no fucking better. He’s not someone you have on your bad side, and it would seem that’s where he’s standing from my position.

Not much I can do about it now except avoid him and his cranky ass.

But what about Bastion? Shit.

The time passes achingly slowly, and I’m about to go looking for Bastion when my phone buzzes against my ass.

Tiny-Dicked-Ex: What’s the status?

Rolling my eyes, I type,It’s been a day.

Tiny-Dicked-Ex: So?

Iris: I made contact. He’s raging

Tiny-Dicked-Ex: Too bad for him. Keep me posted

Iris: Yes sir

Tiny-Dicked-Ex: Funny…

With a sigh, I shove my phone back into my jeans. The struggle is real, but I can’t exactly explain it to Diem. He doesn’t give a shit.

“Fuck yeah.” Glancing up at the random shout, I spot him across the way. He’s standing among a sea of partiers, staring right at me.

In his typical attire of chinos and a button-down, he sticks out like a sore thumb. John enjoys playing the upstanding husband and stepfather. He’s never admitted it, but I think it gives him a thrill to fool the masses.

His pale blue eyes bore into mine, and I clench my hand at my side when his mouth pulls up at the side. People pass before him, giving him weird stares, but he doesn’t look away.

I knew this was coming. I wanted it to happen, yet as I stare back at him, a thousand emotions fly through my veins.

Shame crawls across my skin at the way he dominated me, and I let him. Fear coats my tongue at the knowledge of what he’s willing to do for my disobedience. Rage heats my veins at his arrogance in assuming he has the right to treat me the way he did.

Sorrow fills my lungs until I can’t breathe because he ruined me, and now, I’m nothing more than the broken-down doll he formed me to be.

All of this presses at me like a wave, but I don’t move, don’t blink, until he raises a single brow.

This is his warning stare. If I come now, I’ll still be punished, but there’s always worse. I’m standing on the edge of that right now.

I take one step forward, my pulse fluttering madly in my neck before Bastion appears beside me and snaps me out of my madness.

“C’mon,” he says brusquely, and I glance back at John, but he’s gone.

Did I imagine him? Conjure him out of fear and hysteria?

Searching the crowd, I rub my chilled skin only to flinch when Bastion grabs my arm and says, “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Shaken from my reverie, I return his stare, cocking a brow until he huffs and pushes his way through the crowd. Happy for the reprieve, I follow, pushing thoughts of John away.

I can brood about his appearance when I’m alone and I can freak out appropriately.

Bastion stalks through the crowd with stiff shoulders and I frown.

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