Christian nods, smirking a little. “Frankie and Nico are fine, except…well, they’re going to want to kill me too,” he murmurs. “But they’re fine.” “Do they know…what you did?” “They’ll have figured it out by now, probably,” he says, a bit dry, looking over at me with a sad little smile. “Everyon
When I wake up hours later, I blink in surprise to see the sun setting, the sky all around us a pretty pink and purple instead of the stunning blue it was when I last opened my eyes. “You like the beach, right?” Christian asks, his voice surprisingly cheerful. I blink in surprise, looking at him a
Christian waits for me at the front of the car as I gather myself together and open the door, stepping out. I wince a little as I stand up straight, unsure if the stiffness I feel is the result of sleeping in a car for hours or of the very literal beating I took. Either way, as I shut my door and
Christian comes close and places his hands on my shoulders as I turn my head to look again out the window. And that’s it, I suddenly realize – the beauty of this place is just so shocking, jarring, in comparison to where I was less than a day ago. Being beaten by men who didn’t care if I lived or di
“Just some bruises,” I whisper, gesturing towards my ribs and stomach. “Nothing worse.” Christian’s jaw clenches, hard, at the thought of what they could have done to me – the terrors to which men put women when they want to hurt them deeply. But Christian steels himself, reigning his emotions bac
Perhaps sensing my humor, the smirk on my lips, Christian flicks his eyes up at me. “What?” he murmurs, a smile starting on his lips as well. I just shake my head at him. “Christian, what are you going to do?” The smile falls away from his face and he drops his head again, not looking at me. “
“Yes, Iris,” Christian replies, his voice low and dangerous. “There are still ways to protect you. Even here, at the end of the world. I wish you’d just let me.” “Fine,” I say, my voice too light, too casual. Christian narrows his eyes, trying to figure out my game. I lift my drink to him in a lit
“They’re going to…pick a side,” Christian says, looking down at his drink, a muscle flicking in his jaw. “Really?” I ask, my voice breathy, my brows going up. “And…wait, are you serious? They wouldn’t choose you?” “My side is the losing side,” he snaps, unintentional, moving his eyes up to meet