Page 31 of Dark Surrender

“No.”

“Iris,” he swears my name.

“Tell me more.”

“Iris.”

“Treat this like a confessional.”

“I’m not religious.”

“Neither am I.”

“Iris, go. You need to leave.”

“No.”

“Iris. Fuck. Please. I don’t wanna do this. It doesn’t matter anyhow.”

“It does to me.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.”

“Stop sayin’ that.”

“Tell me.” He needs to keep talking. He has to tell me more. More of something. I can’t just leave. I snuck out so I could be here. So, we could… I don’t know.

“Don’t do this.”

“I have to.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I just do.”

“Goddammit, woman. Leave,” he whisper-yells.

“No, and you’re chained up so you can’t make me. We can sit here in silence, but I’m not going anywhere.”

“Fine. Suit yourself.”

There’s a shuffle and a very male, obstinate huff. I smile. I shouldn’t, given he’s pissed, but I’m not going anywhere. I don’t know why I’m here in the middle of the night in my pajamas, but I need to be. My gut is the driving force for most stuff in my life, and right here, right now, it’s screaming at me to stay put, to listen, and throw caution to the wind.

Determined to figure out why this nagging feeling won’t relent, I sit in the dark. A cicada symphony fills the tension-filled silence.

“Fuck,” Maxim curses under his breath.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Dark

Through the slats in the door, morning light filters in, casting beams across a sleeping Iris, curled into a ball on the floor, with a little opossum sleeping on her hip. This stubborn woman has been asleep for hours. So peaceful and beautiful, sucking on her bottom lip every now and again. A smile. Then a frown. She must be dreaming.

I haven’t slept a wink.

I can’t.