The Badass Protector

Iris

“GET IN THE CAR, Iris. We’ll talk about this once we find a safe place to stay,” For the first time, Gael spoke. He may be our leader, and I respected him, but I couldn’t watch them die while I still had a choice to save theirs.

“No.”

I shook my head. “If I know, they’re on their way here. I can’t risk your life again, all of you. You deserve better than just running and looking over your shoulders every day. You know for a fact that they won’t stop looking for me until they have my head.” I looked at Colt, who was glaring with a clenched jaw. “I’m sorry, Colton.”Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

Colt blinked repeatedly and threw out curses. He then looked at me and swallowed hard. “How about my feelings, Blue Iris?” he bellowed. His deadly and sharp voice made me jump and shake to the core. His words cut deep into my skin and rang through my ears like a blast of an explosion. He’d never been angry like this-it was a matter of desperation, and he meant every word he said.

And everything seemed to sink in now. He cares a lot about me, more than I know.

My body trembled in fear.

My chin dropped in shock.

“Do we mean anything to you?” He winced, slightly shaking his head. “And damn it! Do I mean anything to you? You almost died earlier, and do you know how it feels to watch you die? You don’t fucking know until you feel it!” Colt gulped. “Now decide, Iris, either you get in the car, or you go on your own,” he demanded.

The window rolled up slowly, and I watched my arms lift, and I couldn’t do anything but pull back helplessly and press my palms against the only thing that separated us.

I stepped back, shivering and shaking as I sobbed to cry. Alone.

God, why do I have to choose between my life and theirs?

I wiped my tears to clear my vision and took a deep breath. I turned around and walked away, nothing but myself.

As I looked at the endless road, I realized something-I meant more than anything to them than I ever thought, and they were willing to sacrifice their lives because that was what family should do. Selfishness was not the answer-what mattered most was that we were together.

“Iris, please!” It was Lois, who was running in my direction.

Instead of stopping, I ran faster away from her. If I stopped, the chance of changing my mind was huge, and I would definitely go back with her.

I loved Lois. She was like my sister, and she was one of my weaknesses. She saw what they did, and watching her getting hurt at the hands of those murderers would kill me.

“Iris, please, stop. I want to hug you goodbye!” Her pleading voice made me stop.

With my chest heaving, I turned around, and she was crying.

I launched into her and pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Lois. Forgive me if I have to do this on my own.”

“I know. I’m sorry, too.”

We cried for I didn’t know how long until we pulled away from each other, and I was so shocked that Lois was pointing my gun at me. I lost focus, and she grabbed my gun from my back.

I didn’t see it coming, and the sudden turn of events caught me by surprise.

Would she ever pull the trigger and shoot me? Was she doing this on her own, or did Gael order her to do this drastic measure?

“I know you won’t shoot-” I jumped and screamed before I could even finish my words. My heart was beating a mile. My chin was trembling. “L-Lois, what are you doing?”

“I would rather shoot you than surrender yourself to them. How could I sleep at night knowing you are dying because of me? Because of us. Now, walk back slowly to the car, or I will shoot your right foot.”

“Just let me go, Lois, please?”

“Or what? You will threaten me back just like what you did to Colt? Jesus, Iris! Have you seen the look on his face? I told you I would crush your heart if you ever broke his. And you just did the moment you walked away. Now, do me a favor and walk back to them.” She gestured the gun toward the car.

I raised my hands and shook my head. “I can’t.”

I was trembling-not because I was planning to snatch my gun back, but because there was a minuscule chance that I could take it back from her, but the accident of shooting ourselves, in the end, made me think twice about doing so.

“Walk!” she ordered.

“How about no,” I said firmly.

“Fine.”

“Don’t!” I stopped her before she could fire again. “I can’t believe you. Of all the people, Lois, I treated you like my sister.”

“Oh, really?” She laughed sarcastically. “Well, let me remind you. No sister would ever leave her sister alone, just like you did! You’re gonna leave me, huh? Just like that. After what we’ve been through together, you just plan on saving our asses even if no one asks you two.”

“Lois, don’t do this,” I begged.

“You’re selfish bitch! You’re hurting us. You hurt me. You hurt Colt. We took you in, gave you shelter, and shared what we had with you. We trusted you, Iris, and this is how you repay us?”

“I can’t let you go on your suicide mission, Iris. Cora thought I was the weakest of the group. Now, I wanted to prove her wrong where ever the hell she was right now. If it were not for her, our lives wouldn’t be in danger, and those guys back at the camp are still alive. This is all her fault, and none of this is yours. Stop blaming yourself.” She gestured for my gun. “Now, move!”

“Damn it, Lois!”