Chapter 56

Chapter 56
Iris

Sitting at the table staring at the weapon lying on the table my mind was spinning. How did we get here? I came to this state, to the university to get away from the darkness, not to be engulfed in it again. I closed my eyes, the whiskey taking full affect with the pain medication. “Iris, darling, please go try to rest. Mr. Lorcane will not be happy that you are sitting here.” I looked up at the nurse and shook my head. “I am not happy that he took off into danger, leaving me here to worry.” I shrugged, laughing and grimacing at the same time. As numb as the pain meds had made me feel mixed with the alcohol, the pain was still there. The nurse sighed softly, stepping away to give me space, her quiet footsteps fading into the background as I stared at the glass in my hand, the amber liquid catching the dim light from the overhead fixture. My thoughts tangled in an unforgiving loop, each one darker than the last, as I tried to push away the image of Ryker—or Lorcane, as they seem to call him—becoming consumed by the shadows he fought so hard to leave behind. The house felt like a hollow shell, the silence amplifying every creak, every distant hum, and I wondered if it was possible to claw our way back to the fleeting peace we once tasted. The passion.

I glanced at the weapon on the table again, the cold steel reflecting my own turmoil, and clenched my fists tightly, as if the strength I needed could be summoned through sheer will. Somewhere deep inside, I knew the chaos was far from over, but as the minutes stretched into hours, a small flicker of hope refused to be extinguished, reminding me that I had faced darkness before and survived. Whatever storm awaited on the other side of this night, I vowed I would find a way to stand by Ryker, even if it meant confronting the parts of myself I had long buried. I certainly wouldn’t let me push me aside.  
The house remained cloaked in uneasy quiet, the weight of unspoken fears settling into every corner as the night stretched on. I eventually rose from the dining table, my steps slow and deliberate as if the gravity of my thoughts dictated my movements. I carried the glass of whiskey to the sink, watching the amber liquid swirl down the drain before gripping the counter's edge to steady myself. My gaze drifted to the moonlit window, scanning the empty yard where the added security patrols now moved like shadows against the muted glow of the porch light. I hated this feeling of helplessness, a hollow echo of the life I had tried so hard to escape, and yet here it was, clawing its way back into my world. In the distance, a faint rumble of tires on gravel pulled my focus, my pulse quickening as adrenaline fought through the fog of medication and alcohol. I glanced over my shoulder to the weapon still on the table, the sight of it both unnerving and oddly reassuring. Clutching the edge of the counter once more, I whispered into the silent kitchen, as much a plea as a promise, "Come back to me, Ryker. Come back whole." And yet, deep down, I feared that the man who left might not be the same one who returned. 

I heard a ruckus at the door, so I slowly picked up the weapon and took it with me to look outside. I saw a figure in the darkness being blocked and told to leave. I heard the voice, low and calming, telling the guards that he was here to check on me. He pulled something from his pocket. I saw a flash of silver from the security light. The voice sounded familiar, and the hair rose on the back of my neck. It was Theo. My slowed thoughts finally caught up and I realized he must be flashing his badge around outside. I opened the door and walked out. “Theo?” One of the guards turned and looked at me. “Miss, Mr. Lorcane said you should stay inside the house.” His words were demanding, and my current state of mind didn't appreciate that. “Well then, Mr. Lorcane should be here to keep me in there.” I smiled at the guard while I walked past him. “Theo is a friend. He can come inside!” Theo nodded at me and gave a cocky smile of his own as he walked through the wall of security. “Iris, I just wanted to know you were, okay?” He said as he got closer. When I turned to walk inside, I got lightheaded and started to stumble. He put his arms around me to keep me from falling. I shrugged him off and continued through the door. When I got to the bar, I leaned on it, placing the gun down in front of me. Theo’s eyes darted to the gun as well. “Why are you carrying a gun around?” I spun around and glared at him. “To protect myself from your friends.” My words seemed to burn him because I could have sworn, I saw him flinch. He walked closer to me and looked directly in my eyes. “Damn, woman, do you even know what planet you are on?” I shrugged and leaned back from his gaze.  

Theo reached for the gun on the bar, his movements slow and deliberate, as though testing my resolve. I snatched it up before he could touch it, my grip tightening as I held his gaze. "You want to tell me why you're really here, Theo?" My voice was low, laced with the simmering distrust I'd come to reserve for anyone outside of Ryker's circle. He took a step back, hands raised in mock surrender, but the flicker of something—concern, perhaps guilt—flashed across his face. "Iris, I'm not your enemy," he said, his tone softer now. "Whatever Ryker’s wrapped up in, it’s bigger than either of you. I just want to make sure you're safe." I laughed bitterly, the sound hollow even to my own ears. Safe. The word barely registered anymore, its meaning eroded by the chaos that had become my life. "Safe went out the door the moment they took me," I snapped, my voice cracking under the weight of unspoken memories. Theo hesitated, his eyes searching mine as if trying to piece together the fragments of a puzzle he had no hope of solving. The room felt heavier, the air thick with tension and unsaid truths, and for a fleeting moment, I wondered if Theo’s concern was genuine or yet another thread in the web tightening around me. The silence stretched between us, neither willing to break it, as the shadows outside the window seemed to press closer, a reminder that the storm was far from over. 

The shadows by the door came with more distant voices. This time I knew exactly who they belonged to. “Ryker...” I said softly, suddenly feeling lighter than before. He was here, alive, and he was going to walk in the door. I lost my balance and Theo caught me. “Iris?” I looked up at him, but the room was spinning. All the things I had been ignoring despite myself was now taking over. I felt Theo’s hand on my face, but I felt like I was under water. “IRIS!” He yelled, this time smacking me a little harder. As soon as I focused in on him, I heard someone screaming with rage. “Get your fucking hands off of her!” I was yanked up and pulled into someone’s chest. I looked up and Ryker had Theo shoved against the wall with a knife to his throat. “What the fuck are you doing here?”