Page 44 of The Truth Between

She stopped writing and looked up, a slightly startled look on her face before she relaxed. “I am. It doesn’t get much better than sitting in front of a fireplace and getting a quiet moment to enjoy the festive cheer.”

I didn’t know much about that until today, but it felt foolish to admit those words out loud.

Instead, I took a seat next to Iris and pulled her closer to me. Having her in my arms, just like this, was pleasing to my soul. Another thing to add to the list of things I hadn’t expected.

When she laid her head on my shoulder, I couldn’t help but lean over and kiss her forehead. It felt like the most natural thing in the world. But even as I thought about how relaxed I was in this scenario, the ugly black cloud that hung over us through the entire time that we’d known one another was still present and well.

“When are you going to let me go, Soren? When can I go back to my normal life?”

Her words cut through the air like a knife, immediately altering the calm atmosphere that had existed between us. It was as if she’d known what I’d been thinking about but had the courage to utter the words out loud.

“I haven’t gotten word on what is supposed to happen to you,” and that was the honest truth. However, a nagging suspicion that she might not believe that did bother me.

“Oh. Okay,” she said, and I could hear the disappointment in her voice. Unfortunately, it was the only answer I currently had.

This was because the best decision here was not to bother Parker about an answer now. I knew the man well enough to know that pressuring him on anything wouldn’t end well. If he put out the call to end Iris’s life, then that was it. If I didn’t do what he asked, then he would send someone else after her to finish the deal, and she’d be living the rest of her life having to constantly look over her shoulder. That would be a shitty way to live.

This all could have been avoided if she hadn’t practically wanted to dig up Eddison Payne’s remains to prove a point that has been passed down as a fact in her family for who knows how long at this point.

All my thoughts about us came to an end when Iris jumped slightly as the buzzing of my phone interrupted us. The warmth in my chest faded because I was pissed about the intrusion. I mumbled a few cuss words under my breath as I pulled out one of my burner phones and looked at the screen, alerting me to who was calling.

“I need to take this,” I said as I stood up.

She nodded but didn’t look up at me, instead choosing to focus on her new journal. I ran a hand through my hair and turned away from her. I walked out into the foyer and answered the call.

“What is it?” I asked in a loud whisper, irritated that I’d been interrupted during a sweet moment with Iris.

“You need to perform your assignment tonight.” The voice on the other end was curt and unapologetic. “We’ll have more information for you this evening.”

I gritted my teeth, taking a few steps toward the living room so I could look back at Iris. She was still sitting in front of the fireplace, staring at the journal I’d given her. Her fingertips softly brushed the leather cover as if she was still amazed that she had it in her hand.

With effort, I tore my gaze away from her. “I’ll be there tonight.”

The call ended abruptly. I took a deep breath as I stared at the phone. I squared my shoulders as I turned to face Iris again. As I walked back into the room, her eyes met mine and I could see all the questions she wanted to ask but didn’t.

“Just something for work I have to take care of later today.” That wasn’t exactly a lie, but hopefully, this would be the last job I’d have to perform for a while.

I rarely, if ever, felt conflicted. When I came to a decision, I followed it through wholeheartedly because I knew I’d made the right choice. But this one had me puzzled.

“That sucks, given the holiday.”

I shrugged. “Duty calls and never sleeps.”

“Kind of like New York City, right?”

I nodded, confused as to why she’d brought the city up. “Sure, kind of like New York City.”

* * *

Later that night,I walked to my car, my boots crunching in the freshly fallen snow. When my mind should have been on the assignment I needed to complete and the anger that I was feeling at the moment, I’d done my best to force myself to think of a happier time, like the time I spent with Iris all of today.

But now was the time to get back down to business.

I let out a deep breath and noticed that it was cold enough for me to see it in front of me. It had been foolish to ignore what was going on in the outside world today and pretend that our lives were simple.

I climbed into my car and started it up, enjoying the soft purr of my engine as it roared to life. I put my destination into my GPS and pulled out of my long driveway.

As the minutes ticked by, my anger slowly grew. Everything was finally coming to a head, and I couldn’t wait to get this over with.

---