Chapter 48

*IRIS*

I swallowed deeply when I heard the name. That man was terrifying. Claud. Flashes of the wicked smile he had on his face when abusing me were stuck in my mind. He wanted to hurt me. I looked from face to face, looking for answers in their eyes. No one said anything. Theo reached over for my hand, and I saw Ryker flinch when I took it. I was terrified. I didn’t care whose hand I held if someone was keeping me safe. Deacon was on the phone immediately asking the guys in security to trace and follow the call. Theo pulled out his phone as well, calling his contact to find out what he could do from his side. I closed my eyes. “Tell me where you are mother fucker, don’t be afraid, I wanna chat.” Ryker sounded murderous. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. I felt tears burning in my eyes, but I wasn’t sure if it was from fear, anger, or sadness. I had a mixture of them brewing inside of me. “Ryk?” I said softly looking up at him. He calmed. Instead of cursing into the phone he realized how upset I was, and he sat down beside me on the bed. He leaned on top of me softly to not put pressure on my wounds, “I got you baby girl, I promise. I’m so sorry.” He reached the phone behind him to Deacon, and I let go of Theo’s hand. I had a spark with Theo, part of me was attracted to the idea of him, but there was something about Ryker that I couldn’t let go of. He kissed my forehead and sat back up. “I am tired of being behind in all this. I have been behind since the beginning, since Ivy played me when she disappeared. I want to talk to her.” Deacon nodded but Theo looked confused. He didn’t know that Ryker’s men had taken Ivy to a safehouse. I don’t think. I don’t think he should tell him that either. At the end of the day, I don’t think Lorcane follows the law, and Theo is a cop. I just think it’s best to keep him in the dark. Deacon walked out into the hall with the phone and Theo weirdly followed. “I know he saved you.” Ryker started; I think he was trying to explain that he didn’t want Theo around. “I know you think he wants me, and he does. He saved me. I trust him and he makes me feel safer. I want to be with you Ryker Lorcane. I have wanted to belong to you since I knew what that meant. I can’t go back to school right now. I think Theo being on my side is important. I think it will protect you.” Ryker shook his head no, “he wants you.” The words were so painful for him. “I know you are in control boss, okay, but you left me here. You left me and wasn’t going to come back.’ Ryker nodded. “Fine. If he touches you, I will break his goddamn hands.” He stood up and kissed my forehead before walking back into the hall.

Shortly after he left Theo walked into my room. “I hate to leave you here princess. I must get back and see what I can do to end this so you can go back to school and be safe.” I looked at him confused. I didn’t remember telling him about school. He probably knew that Ryker was a professor. He probably did a lot of research on both of us. I let it go. “I hope you know I appreciate it. I know Ryk is hard to deal with when it comes to me, but I know he appreciated your help too. He didn’t respond, just walked over to the bed and leaned down in front of me. I thought he would kiss me, which scared me because I thought Ryker would shoot him. He didn’t. He leaned to my ear. “I know he possesses you Iris, but I want you too. Don’t count me out baby, I can make you crazy. I will take you into the future. I saw the chills, and the panting, and I know you felt that dampness between the legs when I touched you. Let me take you on a ride baby.” He kissed my forehead and stood back up. I looked at the door, instantly, terrified Ryker would storm in like he was on his way to war. “Let me care for you Iris, you deserve to be cared for and cherished, not just owned.” Theo squeezed my arm and walked out of the room. I knew he left me his number; I knew he took mine. I know this isn’t the last I will hear from Theo. I wasn’t upset about that, but Ryker will be. I laid there watching as they all discussed things outside my room. I couldn’t read their lips, but I could tell Deacon was playing peacekeeper. A nurse came in a checked my bandages and gave me some pain medicine, which I knew would make me sleepy. Every 4 hours it seems, they put me back to sleep. Ayden said it was so I could rest and heal.

*THEO*

I walked out of the little hidden hospital of secrets and headed to my car. I knew Iris would be okay, though I wasn’t thrilled about leaving her with Lorcane. I don’t think she truly comprehends who he is. She sees him as some professor super law abiding hero. She doesn’t know he has danced with criminals and broken those laws his whole life. She doesn’t know he is more of a criminal than a prosecutor. I don’t think she knows he has a body count closely comparative with a prolific serial killer. If someone gets in his way, they disappear. I have investigated him before, and he is hard to get a handle on. He is highly protected. When he left the city, we all thought he had run off. I didn’t realize he had gone into the college scene until I went under with Ivy and those damn Punisher mob boys. If Lorcane was bad, these guys were worse. Psychopathic and assassins. Lorcane put some of them away and shut down one of their trafficking clubs a few years back. He was like a damn hero of the people for that. I was investigating him back then, and yes, he did save a lot of girls. Yes, he put plenty of dangerous and murderous men in prison. At the same time, he started a war in the city and ran from it. At the same time, he took Ivy and kept her as his own. He didn’t stop these men because of the horrible things they did. He walked in that club often, meeting the women, and taking one home. He only decided to stop them when he met Ivy. She played him. She played the victim, and the Mob used him to get rid of members they wanted rid of. He fell for it, and the city believed his false cape.

When I found out where he had gone, I knew the others wouldn’t be far behind. I started hearing whispers about him courting another young girl at the campus. I didn’t realize how young she was until I talked to Ivy for the first time. I had been under for a while. I was in the same prison, undercover, and I got out and was connected to Claud and Ivy. She was furious. These people want to kill him, and they will take Iris down with them. After I saw her, at the restaurant Lorcane had met her at. When he made her moan behind the curtain. I knew then I wanted to help her survive this war he was in, and I knew I wanted her. I planned to take her from him then, and I will.

*RYKER*

I know they think I didn’t see what was happening in that room between the two of them. I saw him kiss her forehead and whisper in her ear. I also saw her smile as he did. I watched her breathing change while he was close to her body. It motivated me but at the same time it broke me. Motivated me to get her away from all of this and remind her why she is mine. Broke me, well, to see her react that way to his to touch. I shook my head knowing this was all my fault. Knowing that I am the one who can change it. I walked back into the room after he was gone and she looked up at me smiling weakly. “I’m sorry,” I said knowing there wasn’t much more than that I could say. She shook her head, “I don’t want to hear anymore about it, please, I just want to move forward. I want to get stronger, I want to heal, and I want to know that you aren’t going to disappear again if I fall asleep.” I leaned down to her and kissed her softly. Not roughly, not in a way that meant control, I kissed her tenderly. “I love you, Iris.”