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“Jesus Christ,” he grunted, dragging a hand through his hair. “That’s not what I’m saying.”

I put the glass bottle down on the counter with a thunk. “I think it’s time you get to your point then, because I have to tell you, brother, the way you came in here, all accusatory, is starting to piss me off.”

“My point is that you’ve made it known to everyone with fucking eyes, that she’s your woman. Those eyes include every one of the corrupt fuckers you work with. If you’re walking around, making statements like that, please tell me you were smart enough to protect her and decided to let go of this insane mission you’re on.”

“I don’t know⁠—”

He cut me off before I could get my argument out. “Fuck that, North. You know good and goddamn well what I’m talking about. Tell me you dropped out of the election.”

“Of course I haven’t,” I grunted, my impatience growing by the second. “It’s the whole reason I’m here.”

“It was the whole reason, North. That changed the moment you fell for that little fire cracker.” Archer reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose, his expression like he was searching for patience that kept eluding him. “I’ve known you a long time, man. You’re my oldest friend. So I know you aren’t this stupid. Or obtuse. You took that bullseye off your back and put it right on hers.”

That statement landed like a boulder in my stomach. He was right about one thing, I wasn’t an idiot. The realization of what I was doing was constantly there, in the back of my mind, waiting to jump out at any moment and remind me that I was being a selfish bastard. The one thing I made sure of when I moved to this town was that no baggage or collateral could be used against me.

It was why I fought so hard against the pull I felt toward her. But once she managed to reel me in, I was hers. That was all there was to it.

“I can keep her safe,” I said with determination that I wasn’t sure I truly believed. Fact was, with each passing hour, the worry for Iris’s safety grew stronger. I’d been wracking my brain, trying to figure out a way to keep going with my plan while guaranteeing her safety at the same time, and for the first time in a long time, I questioned whether I was capable of doing both.

“Yeah. You can. By dropping this vendetta you have against a man you hardly know.”

“Layne Denning deserves justice,” I barked, my temper rising.

“And Iris deserves a man who will put her first.” Sympathy washed over his expression, only making me angrier. “Look, man, I know losing Cora broke your heart⁠—”

“Don’t,” I said in a warning he didn’t heed.

“But you can’t keep living in the past.”

My hand squeezed around the bottle; it was a wonder it didn’t shatter in my hand. “That’s not what I’m doing.”

His head fell back between his shoulders on a caustic laugh. “Yeah? Tell me something then, how are your mom and dad doing?”

That blow landed with perfect accuracy, right in the center of my goddamn chest. “Not fucking cool,” I said on a growl.

“No, man. The bullshit you’re up to is what’s not cool. I came here to have your back because I thought it was what you needed. To heal. But this shit?” He stopped, giving his head a shake. “This isn’t healthy. None of it. You think Cora would want to see you like this? Living your life for vengeance only?”

“Fuck you,” I clipped, the shame and guilt coursing through me at his words compounding my anger. In the back of my mind, I knew I was in the wrong, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. “You didn’t know her, so you’ve got no goddamn clue what she’d want.”

He nodded morosely. “You’re right. I didn’t know her. But I don’t believe for one second she’d want you trapped in this cold, lonely life you’d built for yourself. Not when you have sunshine right at your fucking fingertips.”

Every word he said was right. Cora would have hated the person I’d become. So would my parents. It was why I’d kept them at a distance for so long. I didn’t know if it was pride, or something deeper, that kept pushing me to move forward. But as long as men were out there hurting women, how could I possibly stop? Cora was dead. Angela had been attacked only days ago. For fuck’s sake, even Iris had been hurt in ways I couldn’t bring myself to fully think about without going into a rage. Moving back toward the table, I plopped into the chair and flipped the file folder open with unnecessary force.

Archer remained silent as he watched me, and from the corner of my eye, I saw him shake his head in disappointment. “You know, it isn’t up to you to save the entire goddamn world, North. You aren’t the only one who’s suffered and lost. This isn’t on your shoulders alone.”

As my heart began to beat faster in my chest, my palms grew clammy. A voice in the back of my mind who sounded a hell of a lot like my big sister (a sister I missed every goddamn day like a limb) told me to say something. But my tongue felt too big for my mouth, and a lump of emotion I didn’t want to identify made speech impossible. Hell, it made breathing a struggle as well.

“Fuck it,” Archer finally gritted out. “You’re destined to keep on this suicide mission and put that woman in the line of fire while you’re at it, you’re on your own. I can’t stand by and watch you self-destruct. I won’t.”

With that, he stomped out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

Fucking hell, I thought as my eyes lost focus, causing the images in the file I was staring at to go fuzzy. What the fuck am I doing?

Iris

I pushed the door to North’s house open and stepped inside. “Hello? Anybody home?” I called as I passed the entryway and stepped into the open concept space.

North was sitting at the small, rickety table in the dining area, folders and papers strewn about on the surface. “North?” I said, drawing his attention to me. “Didn’t you hear me?”