Page 114 of Forged in Rain

I catch a sob in my throat, and he pulls back, looking into my eyes. The ferocity of his gaze makes my heart thump, and I stare at him as he says, “Forever, beauty. Don’t fucking give up now, because I’m never letting you go.”

My throat is swollen with the words I want to say. Instead, I nod and kiss him gently on the mouth.

He caresses my cheek, and I whisper, “I don’t know how to do this any longer.”

“You can and you will.”

His voice brooks no argument, and I ease at his command because I need someone to be sure, and I sure as hell am not.

“Bro.”

Squeaking, I flush to the roots of my hair and hide behind Cyn’s chest as he barks, “In a minute.”

“Okay, but we gotta bounce,” Jig says. Thankfully, he’s looking the other way, and he steps back, giving us space.

Once more, my spirits fall, and I sigh as Cyn drops me to my feet and smooths my skirt down. After, he grabs my chin and inspects my face, saying with a wicked smirk, “I like the shirt. But you look better without the shit on your face, beauty.”

I smile, and his eyes soften. “Just a little longer, love.”

With that, he’s gone, and I’m alone once more. Smoothing my hands down my skirt, I contemplate how to get out of going back out there to Rand when Jig startles me out of my reverie.

“Here,” he says, glancing behind him before handing me a slip of paper.

He’s gone before I can comment. Inside is a phone number.

Chapter Twenty-Two

“Rain?”

“Hmm,” I mumble, burrowing into my pillow. I was dreaming of Cyn, and I don’t want to emerge, but Iris is nothing if not insistent.

“C’mon, we gotta go.”

“Go where?”

“The farm.”

I sit up in bed and stare at her, speechless. Why would Rand give her the information? He knows I walked off with Cyn, and after, I couldn’t leave fast enough.

Why give in now?

“How?” I ask, raising a brow. If she promised that dick anything, I’m gonna lose my shit.

“Calm down, I didn’t involve you,” she grumbles.

“Iris, maybe—”

“No.” She slashes her hand through the air. “If I don’t find John, I’m fucked. I need you, Rainy. I need you to help me, please.”

Staring into her dark eyes, I nod because there’s desperation there that hurts my soul. The hold John has over her is eroding her spirit, and he’s slowly killing her.

I barely have time to dress and brush my teeth before we’re out the door.

“What’s the plan?” I ask, watching the world fly by out the window.

“We scope it out,” she says.

“And then what? Do you have the gun?” I search around but don’t see a telltale lump.

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