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Her head drops. “You’re not going to be happy.”
“I’m never happy.” Except for rare occasions. All of which Iris is a part of.
She looks back up at me. Her eyes have a sheen to them that has nothing to do with her injured hand. “He offered me money to…”
“To what?” Every muscle in my body tenses.
“To prevent me from having a baby.Ever.” She looks away as if she can hide the way her face is a wreck of emotions.
I’m already halfway out the door, body hot to the touch and my head empty of any thoughts besides finding my father and pummeling him into the ground.
I should have known he would try to pull off a stunt like this. Part of me had stupidly hoped he would have some sense of decency left, but it seems he doesn’t have a moral bone left in his body. I underestimated just how far he would go to retain his position as CEO. Because without it, he would have nothing to live for. His kids hate him and his wife is dead. Losing his executive position would be the last blow in his miserable life.
Iris grips onto my arm and tugs me back. “Wait!”
“I can’t talk to you right now.” I can’t talk toanyone, let alone her.
You’re the one who brought her into this mess. What did you expect?
Blood heats beneath my skin. I try to shake her off, but her hold only grows more desperate.
“I need you to take me to the hospital.”
I pause, seeing through the cloud of red haze blocking my decision-making. “What?”
Her misty eyes lock onto mine. “I’m in a lot of pain.”
Fuck. I release a ragged breath and shut my eyes. “Harrison will take you.”
“Please don’t make me go alone.” Her plea is my undoing.
My plan to send my father into a coma slips away as I shut my eyes and nod my head. “Fine. Let’s get you to a doctor.”
23
DECLAN
Since Iris is unable to hold a phone herself, I’m tasked with typing everything she dictates. I knew Iris handled a lot, but I didn’t fully realize the depth of her job until she had me working through each task with her.
No wonder she isn’t happy. The number of emails she has to sift through in a given hour would drive anyone insane. Or maybe I’m just going crazy by sitting this close to her. The smell of her coconut soap is permanently ingrained into my memory as she sits flush against me, pointing at different emails with her uninjured hand.
I can tell her nerves grow stronger as we near the hospital. Her knees bounce up and down as she dictates message after message I need to send, altering my entire schedule for the day.
The work doesn’t stop there. After we check in, a nurse hands us a clipboard filled with pages of information that need to be filled out. Iris stares at it like it might catch on fire at any moment.
“Here.” I pass it to her.
Her eyes shift toward the exit. “Will you help me please? I can’t write like this.” Her voice drops to a barely audible whisper.
“Okay. Tell me your answers and I’ll write them down.”
Her throat bobs as she scans the first line. It takes her far longer than necessary to read the first question, so I busy myself with my phone.
“Do you mind reading the questions aloud for me? I’m too stressed to concentrate right now.” Her overcompensating smile irritates me.
“Are you sure? Some of the questions are probably personal.”
Don’t be a dick. Just do what she says.
