Page 124 of Forged in Rain

“Rainy?”

Raising my eyes to hers, I catch a sob in my throat and whisper, “Because he wants you.”

Her eyes go wide. She stumbles back, hits the wall, and slides to her ass. Clutching her hair, she opens her mouth on a silent scream and I flinch when she laughs, the defeated sound wrenching at my soul.

After a moment in which I rub my aching chest, she raises her head and says, “Of course he does.”

“Just give me the gun, Iris,” I say, standing and holding out my hand.

She eyes me like I’m crazy, rasping, “You think you can kill him?”

“I don’t have a choice. Do I?”

Looking away, she stares at the wall for a moment before saying, “You’re supposed to meet him?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Okay, I’ll get you a gun by then.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Ipull from the bed with a groan. I couldn’t sleep last night and instead stared at the ceiling for hours, the possibilities of how everything could go wrong circling my brain.

I feel like death warmed over, but I am resolved. I have to do what I can and hope that, at a minimum, I save my loved ones.

It’ll more than likely go to shit, but I’m willing to take the chance if it means they live. Truthfully, the thought of John capturing me and making me his slave for the foreseeable future is also a possibility, and although I’d rather die, it’s preferable to whatever he has planned for Joey.

Pam’s in the kitchen when I stumble downstairs for a water, and I pause on the threshold to stare at her bowed head. My heart hurts for her fatigue and the fine lines of worry that cover her face, but I harden up and look away.

She could have done a lot of things differently, and if she had, Iris wouldn’t be in the situation she’s in now. John broke her, and Pam stood by and watched.

A curl of disgust stiffens my spine just as she looks up and frowns. “You think you’ve got it all figured out. Well, you don’t.”

“Maybe. But at the end of the day, you’re the one who failed,” I mutter.

She stands from her seat with a snarl and stalks toward me, and I raise my chin, bracing myself.

“You little bitch. You have no idea what I’ve done to protect my child. I’ve had to . . .” she trails off, looking away with a quivering chin.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to argue more, but why bother? I’m about to square off against John because she married the piece of shit and stood by while he did disgusting things.

Arguing won’t change what’s about to happen, even if it would feel good to tell her what I think. Instead, I turn my head away and glare at the wall.

She huffs and stalks past me, brushing my shoulder as she goes. With a wry smile, I shake my head and grab my water, pausing when Iris appears in the doorway.

Dark circles hang below her eyes, accentuated by the pale cast to her face. Her hair is wild around her head, and she’s dressed in slouchy sweats and an old T-shirt. I assume she just rolled out of bed. Whether or not she has, she looks terrible.

“What?” I say, waving my hand around as a pit opens in my stomach.

She eyes me impatiently, her fingers tapping against her thigh. “You said—”

“I know what I said, but you can’t go with me,” I whisper, glancing behind her to confirm the coast is still clear.

“You can’t go without me, Rainy. I’m the prize, right? He’s going to be pissed if I’m not with you.”

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