Page 68 of Iris' Lying Eyes

The husky timbre vibrates in my core, but I hold back my shiver. Even after everything, my body is betraying me. Shit.

“To sleep,” I rasp.

“Sleep here.”

Rolling my eyes, I say, “You have a bedroom. Why are you here?”

“Don’t trust you.”

“Isn’t that rich coming from you? You’re a fucking psycho, B. Where’s Sam?” I taunt.

“Wouldn’t have to if you’d just tell the fucking truth for once in your life.”

“Screw you. I don’t owe you shit. Once again, some fucker thinks he can rule my world. What’s next? You gonna make me kiss your feet?” I sneer.

He sits up in the bed, his yummy fucking chest daring me to touch him, and I huff out a breath, rubbing my brow.

“Don’t compare me to your sick bastard. Just because you left that fucker doesn’t mean you’re innocent.”

There’s an awkward pause while I process his words before I scream, “You’re a self-righteous prick. Here you are blackmailing me while blaming me for everything. I didn’t decide to sell girls to creepy old men. I’m not the one hunting women in the fucking forest.”

“No, but you’re sleeping with the dicks who are,” he bellows.

“Fuck you,” I say forcefully, stomping to the door and grabbing the handle.

Bastion is on me before I can get the damn thing open, and I struggle, flailing wildly as he picks me up and drops me on the bed.

Tears prick my eyes, and I hold back the sob, but it comes through anyway when I say, “You don’t know what it’s like. You don’t get it.”

“Then tell me,” he rasps, dropping over top of me and grabbing my chin.

“I can’t,” I mumble.

“Yes, you can. Tell me, baby. Tell me what that fucker did to you.”

“Why?”

He drops his head to my chest and breathes deep. “Because if you don’t, you’ll never let it go.”

“I can’t let it go, B. It lives here,” I sob, rubbing my chest. “H-he broke me. I’m broken.”

“No, baby. You’re not. Don’t even say that. That fucker couldn’t break you if he tried.”

Chuffing, I close my eyes. “If only that were true.”

Stroking my hair back, he says, “It is true, Iris. Fuck. Look at you. You’re here, and he’s out there wondering. You did that.”

“Yeah, but I couldn’t even protect the one thing I promised to.”

A tear slips down my cheek, and he runs his finger under my eye. “We’ll figure this out, Iris.”

“Really? How?” When did this fucker become Pollyanna?

“All you have to do is tell me,” he rasps.

Going rigid, I tip my chin and say coolly, “That’s what this is about. You just want the information.”

Rubbing his rigid length between my legs, he husks, “I wish that were true.”

---