Page 63 of The Truth Between

To be honest, that made me proud of what she was doing even though I was still angry with her.

I had no plan, no leverage in any of this. Just a desperate need to protect a woman who should mean nothing to me. But for some absurd reason, she meant everything instead.

I was in love with Iris.

The realization hit me like a ton of bricks, and if I weren’t racing to get to her, I would have had to pull the car over to the side of the road to process the thought. I’d been trying to deny my feelings for her for so long, but there was no use in that anymore.

This was why I was willing to put everything on the line to protect and be with her. And this was what tonight was all boiling down to.

Finally, I parked outside the Chevalier Headquarters. While everything in my mind encouraged me to break out into a run to get to Iris as quickly as possible, I maintained the poise that people were accustomed to seeing from me. It was then that I came across Landon sitting in a vehicle nearby. His eyes met mine and we gave each other a small nod, my way of acknowledging that I was thankful for his work in finding my girl.

There had been a few times I’ve been to the Chevalier Headquarters in the middle of the night. Silence was a virtue I embraced, but I could see how many people could find this creepy.

I used my badge to get into the building and used the same badge to get on an elevator to head downstairs. I reached the entrance, and as I pushed open the heavy double doors, the darkness that filled the building consumed me. I glanced at the security guard that stood in there, who’d also known what was happening and let Iris and Aria get as far as they did without stopping them. He gave me a small wave once he recognized me, and I did the same in return.

The Chevalier Headquarters reflected my place more than I liked to admit. Both looked to belong in another era with their heavy emphasis on wood and stone. Its darkness matched my energy, and it only increased as I stepped further into what was the proverbial lion’s den.

The place was almost too quiet, understandable, given what time of day it was. However, it made the sound of my footsteps seem louder, announcing my arrival to anyone in the area. I stood still for a moment, trying to hear which way I needed to go, and then I heard it. Faint whispering that then turned into yelling.

It didn’t take long for me to find them in the middle of “The Chamber,” a special meeting place where we held some meetings at headquarters. No one who wasn’t a member of the Chevaliers should be in this room, yet we had two nonmembers standing across from the chairman of the entire New York chapter.

I decided to stay in the shadows and listen versus jumping out and causing even more mayhem. It took everything within me to not go out there without a care and grab Iris.

“Aria, how could you do this?! Betraying your own family for someone you barely know?” I could hear the strain in Parker’s voice. He wasn’t used to having his authority disobeyed by anyone, let alone by his own sister.

“How do you know how well I know Iris? And I couldn’t let you keep her locked in someone’s basement for who knows how long until you decided what punishment best suited her. How fucked up is that?”

“It was none of your business,” Parker said. “And you just had to insert yourself into this. Now I have to make a decision.”

“What decision?” Iris asked, speaking for the first time since I’d arrived. Her voice sounded strong, and I was proud of her. Even after everything that had happened, I was proud of her for being brave throughout all of this.

I stayed hidden in the shadows and shifted my body so I could watch everything unfold. Parker looked pissed, more so than I’ve ever seen, as he stood in front of Iris and Aria. His body was tense like he was ready to do something drastic at any second. His voice was sharp and loud as he spoke to them. “Whether or not I’m going to kill you right here.”

From my hidden spot, I could see Iris and Aria standing together. They didn’t look scared, even though Parker was pretty intimidating. Iris glanced at Aria, and they shared a look. It was like they were having a whole conversation without saying a word.

I moved quickly, stepping out from where I was hiding. Before Parker could turn back around, I had his arm twisted behind his back. “Enough,” I said quietly but firmly. “You’re out of line.”

Parker struggled a bit, but I held on tight. I could tell by the look on Iris and Aria’s faces that they were surprised to see me. But they also seemed relieved. Especially Iris.

Keeping my grip firm on Parker, I could feel the way he tensed up under my hold. He hadn’t expected me to step in, not like this. “What do you think you’re doing, Soren?” he grunted, trying to look over his shoulder at me, but I didn’t let him. His voice was a mix of confusion and annoyance, but I didn’t care.

“I’m putting an end to this, Parker,” I replied, my voice steady. I knew I had to keep control of the situation. Parker was ready to go off at any moment, and I would fucking kill him before he hurt a hair on Iris’s head.

I glanced over at Iris and Aria. Their faces were a mix of emotions now—relief, shock, and there was some worry there too. I gave them a quick, reassuring nod, trying to tell them without words that they were safe now. It was more for Iris because I was pretty confident Parker wouldn’t harm his sister. But I knew he wouldn’t have an issue with pulling the trigger on Iris.

Parker was still trying to wriggle out of my grip, but I refused to loosen my hold on him. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if I have to.”

For a moment, there was a standstill. Then Parker stopped struggling, and the four of us just stood there. It was like the whole world was holding its breath, waiting to see what would happen with this tense exchange in the Chevalier Headquarters.

Then, without warning, Parker’s composure shattered. With a sudden, fierce jerk, he twisted in my grip, his elbow catching me off guard and striking me in the ribs. The force of the blow made me stagger back, loosening my hold just enough for him to break free.

In an instant, he was lunging toward Iris, his movements fueled by rage. “How fucking dare you!” he spat at her.

Acting on pure instinct, I lunged after him, tackling him to the ground. We hit the floor with a thud, and someone screamed, but I couldn’t tell who. “Parker, stop!” I yelled, trying to pin him down, but he was like a wild animal.

The altercation was a blur of motion and noise, a physical struggle that meant so much more. It was a clash of wills because there was no way that I was going to let him hurt the woman I loved.

Finally, I managed to get a firm hold on Parker once more, my arms locked around his chest, pulling him away from Iris. “Enough!” I shouted, my voice echoing down the hallway. “If you hurt her, I’ll kill you.”

---