Leap of Faith (Iris Boys Book 3)

by Lucy Smoke

  The thing about danger was, it surprised you. It was never anything you expected it to be. I hadn’t expected that the man behind Erika's kidnapping, and Josh's debt and selling drugs to addicts in rehab facilities to appear as he did—old, weathered, now a dirty, refined man with wild eyes. That was the thing about monsters, too. They were not always who you expected them to be. Marv thought Grayson was a monster. But the truth was that most people were a little monstrous inside. So, when Bernard dove for me, screaming in a sharp, shrill voice, I bent down, stretching my arms out as I rolled forward, slipping under him and popping back to my feet. He slammed into the railing, going over the side, opposite the others. I flinched at the sound of the splash his body made when it hit the water—loud, echoing. The monstrous part of me liked it and wished that terrible man a hell of a lot more pain.

  I turned back to dive off the other side, but heat hit my face and I stared, in horror, as the fire swept across the floorboards, blocking the side of the boat where the others were waiting for me. I looked over my shoulder as Bernard popped up above the surface of the water. There was no way, I’d jump anywhere close to him.

  "Harlow! Jump!" I heard Knix yell—he sounded more than worried now. He sounded terrified. I looked around and reached for the lip of the cabin roof. Using my tired arm muscles, I pulled myself up. I kicked my feet against the wall and scrambled over the edge, crawling back to my feet. At least there, I could see over the fire, down below where Knix was the only one left bobbing in the water. Flames danced around me and fear shot up my spine. What if I jumped and missed and landed in the blaze? What if I broke my leg and then burned to death on a boat surrounded by water?

  Knix's eyes met mine. "Jump, Little Bit!" he called. "I promise I'll catch you."

  Emotion clogged my throat. My nickname. He hadn't called me Little Bit once since Marv and I had—it hadn't been that long ago, not even 24 hours. But the absence of that nickname—the lack of that acceptance from him—had been tangible. Just hearing it made me feel better. I took a step towards the edge, my eyes seeking him out in the water. My fear ratcheted higher, my heart thundering in my ears, galloping in my chest. I found Knix's face again and he nodded. I remembered what I told Marv. To love, to trust, and to do anything worthwhile in this world, you needed to have faith. I had faith in Knix. I had faith in all of my guys.

  When I closed my eyes, despite my racing heart and the fear that echoed in my ears, I still trusted Knix to catch me like he promised. I took a literal leap of faith. I lifted up and my toes left the edge of the roof and I was airborne. I could feel the fire sear close to the soles of my feet right before I landed into the cool depths of the ocean. Water closed over my head just as two strong arms gripped me and jerked me back above the surface.

  I coughed, reaching up to wipe the water from my face as Knix's deep blue eyes met mine. "Little Bit," his rough tone was broken, torn to shreds as he looked down at me.

  I bit my lip, unsure what to say, but I didn't need to say anything because his lips said it all for me as they came down on mine.

  If Knix thought it was difficult to kiss while treading water in the middle of the ocean—both of our heads just above the surface—he didn’t show it. His mouth swallowed any protest I might have made, and his hands gripped me impossibly tight. I was the one who had to pull away and warn him.

  "We should probably get on the boat with the guys," I said, panting.

  Knix gazed down at me, brushing the wet strands of my hair back behind my ears. His lips touched my forehead. "I'm so glad you're okay, Little Bit."

  "Are we okay then?" I asked.

  Knix pulled away, but before he could answer, the Bowrider's engine revved and Marv pulled up alongside the burning yacht. Bellamy reached over the side and hauled me up and away from Knix.

  "Are you okay?" Bellamy checked me over, shifting my hair to the side and touching every available surface of my skin. When he determined that I was actually alive and well, Bellamy squeezed me close. It made the fabric of my wetsuit feel impossibly tighter. I gasped. "Jesus, you scared the shit out of me, Sweetheart."

  Marv rushed around the driver's console and dove for me. Pulling me away from Bellamy, Marv did the same once-over before he slammed his lips on mine—taking my mouth in a fiery kiss. It was over almost as quickly as it started, and he gripped me in shaking hands. "Don't ever fucking do that to me again, Harlow." His eyes leveled on me. "Never again," he repeated. I found myself nodding and then pressing a quick kiss back to his lips again to reassure him.

  From there, Marv passed me to Texas, who squeezed me tight for the longest time. He didn't say anything, which was strange for him. Texas always had something to say. Something stupid, something witty, something ridiculous—he had the words. But at that moment, he didn't. Instead, he held me against him. I touched my nose to the column of his neck and I returned his hug, inhaling his vanilla scent. Even when the boat dipped as Knix climbed aboard, Texas held on—a fine tremble in his entire body.

  "I'm okay," I whispered in his ear.

  In response, Texas' arms tightened around me. When he finally released me, he took my hand and sat as close as he possibly could. Across the way, Grayson sat next to a wide-eyed Erika, who stared at me. She flicked her gaze between me and Texas before her eyes traveled to Knix, Marv, and Bellamy. I noticed her handcuffs were gone, and as the Bowrider’s driver, Marv, kicked the engine up another notch and we began to speed away from the inferno of The Hold, I noticed that her nails bit into the cushions under her the way mine had. I was safe now. My hand was in Texas' hand and that was all the anchor I needed in that moment.

  "Hey!" Grayson called over the wind. "Look!"

  Marv slowed as black plumes of smoke lifted into the sky. Several of the security guys that Knix and Grayson had taken out had woken up and were leaping from the yacht to get away from the fire. Above, a chopper lowered down and dropped ropes for them to climb aboard.

  "They're getting away!" I yelled.

  Texas shook his head. "It's Iris," he said. "I called them." The sounds of more engines speeding close in the distance had Grayson, Erika, and I twisting our heads. Two speedboats raced past. "They'll survive. Though if they can't handle prison, they may wish they hadn't."

  "They're going to jail?" Erika asked shakily. Hope flared in her eyes.

  Knix stood and moved to the center of our Bowrider as we all watched the scene. "Yes, they are," he said.

  Surprisingly, it was Erika who responded. "Good," she said.

  My head tilted towards her as the saltwater and wind bit at my skin. I shivered in my wetsuit and Texas let me scoot closer, drawing his body heat into me. Marv pressed the gas again and we sped away, leaving Iris and other authorities to finish their job.

  Or so I thought...

  Officers raced down the docks—heading straight towards us as Marv pulled up. Knix leaped from the boat to the boards, quickly tying us into place before he began helping us unload. Moving in front, Knix and Bellamy met the officers halfway.

  "What's going to happen?" Erika whispered to me as we stood next to Texas while Marv and Grayson finished docking and tucking everything else neatly away.

  I shook my head. "I don't know."

  "You may need to make a statement," Texas answered, looking down at the both of us. His eyes moved over Erika. "Can you handle that?"

  Erika bit her lip and nodded, her eyes sharpening. "Yeah," she said. "If it'll put them all away for a long time, I can tell the fucking world."

  Reaching over, I let my free hand touch hers. She turned and grasped it without looking up. When Marv and Grayson finished, they jumped on the docks and waited with us while Knix and Bellamy spoke with the police. Soon enough, I figured they would want to speak with all of us. Then it was back to the real world.

  I looked down at Erika, then back up at Texas. No matter what, I knew the guys and I had changed our relationship forever. There was no going back.

  Chapter 20

  So, you're
leaving."

  I smiled over my shoulder and pointed to the desk. "Can you hand me the tape?" I asked gently.

  Lizzie pouted, but reached for it anyway, handing it over. "This isn't fair. The semester isn't even over yet. What about classes?" she asked.

  I shrugged. "I guess it just wasn't for me."

  Lizzie narrowed her eyes and then swept her bright pink hair back. In the weeks since I'd known her, it had grown a few inches longer. It was probably unnoticeable to anyone else, but I could tell by the dark roots growing in at the top of her head.

  Crossing her arms over her chest, she harrumphed. "What if I don't like whoever they stick me with next?" she challenged. "What if they're a freak that stares at me while I sleep or they like blaring loud music in the middle of the night?"

  I laughed. "You'll survive; besides, you probably won't get a new roommate until next semester. Who transfers to a different college mid-semester?"

  I had meant for that to be a rhetorical question, but Lizzie—being Lizzie—fired back right away. "Who leaves college mid-semester?"

  I sighed and finished closing up the last of my boxes. I hadn't brought much with me to begin with. As it was, this box was merely school supplies I had ended up getting after moving in. Less than a month in college and already, I was leaving again. At one time, that might have depressed me, but now...well, I had other things I could do, and those things made me happy. Happiness was what mattered.

  I pushed the box to the side and sat on the bed I had only slept in a handful of times. "I won't forget you," I said.

  Lizzie bit her lip. I had hit the nail on the head. "You promise?" she asked.

  Nodding, I reached forward and took her hands in mine. "I promise."

  Her eyes watered, but she pulled her hands away and dashed away the tears hanging on her lashes before they could fall. "I mean, of course, you won't forget me. It's a little hard to forget someone so freaking awesome." She waved her hands in the air and avoided my gaze as I moved off the bed to reach for the box on the floor and hefted it up in my arms. “Plus, you have my number, right?”

  I smiled and nodded. The door opened, and Bellamy stood there in one of his paint shirts and a pair of whitewashed jeans. "Need some help, Sweetheart?" he reached for the box and took it without further delay.

  "Thanks, I'll be right down," I replied.

  He nodded, flicking a glance at Lizzie and then headed back into the hall. I let the door close behind him once more.

  "So..." Lizzie began with a wicked smirk, "you're really dating them, then? That's how it is?"

  I laughed. Leave it to Lizzie to just put things out there like that. Even Erika hadn't asked yet and she had seen me kiss more than one of them right in front of her. Then again, Erika, while thankful for our help, wasn’t exactly in the mood or right state to evaluate anyone’s life right now. Even her parents had agreed that being away from them right now wasn’t a good decision. To my knowledge, she was moving up north to live with her grandparents until her parents could sell their house and move as well. I smiled sadly as I smoothed a hand over the end of the bare mattress.

  “Hmmm?” Lizzie twisted her head to the side and looked at me, her smirk widening. Finally, she gave up on a response and scoffed. “Ugh. I hate you,” she said without passion, sitting up straight. “Five guys, huh? Just like the fast food place.”

  I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. She was right. There was no denying it now; I was in a relationship with Knix, Bellamy, Marv, and Texas—my Iris boys. As for Grayson, well, he was no longer on the outskirts, though, of course I knew she included him. He and Marv had seemed to work out their major issues. They were slow—like obese turtle slow—on building any sort of friendship after being enemies for so long.

  "Yeah, I guess that's how it is," I said, turning to face her.

  Lizzie's lips quirked, the corners of her mouth tight and sadness crossed over her eyes again. "I'm going to miss you so much," she said. "I mean, I know we didn't spend a whole lot of time together, but you were a cool roommate and it's gonna suck if they stick me with someone who has stinky feet."

  I laughed again, shaking my head. "Like I said, I'm sure you'll survive."

  Lizzie shook her head harshly. "No, I can't. I won't." Turning and throwing herself upon the soft comforter covering her bed, she moaned dramatically while squeezing her eyes closed. "I'm dying. I can’t live without you.”

  "Yeah, sure." I didn't even attempt to contain my sarcasm. Grayson was rubbing off on me.

  Lizzie peeked her eyes open. Huffing out a breath, she sat up again. "Are you sure I can't convince you to stay?" she asked.

  I nodded. "Positive." I looked around the room—half of which was now empty—cleared away of all the things the guys and Clarissa had thought I would need in my short time here.

  "What are you going to do?" she asked, straightening. "What about Kelsey? Did you say goodbye to her?"

  I looked at the door. "Yeah, I caught her on my way up. She was heading to class. We said our goodbyes."

  Lizzie deflated again. "Oh."

  "I'm heading back to Charleston," I divulged. "I think I'm ready to start living the life I want."

  I felt her eyes assessing me. "You know what you want then?"

  "I want them," I said. "And right now, they want me too. That's good enough for now. We'll figure everything else as we come to it. Plus, I want to see my mom again."

  When I met Lizzie's gaze once more, a wide smile had overtaken her face. "You did it, didn't you?" she asked conspiratorially.

  My eyes widened. "Wha—"

  "Oh, no. Don't even!" She laughed, bouncing off the bed. Lizzie stopped in front of me and held out her hand. "Phone."

  I blinked but reached into my pocket and retrieved it anyway. She yanked it from my hand and started typing away. "Um...what are you doing?" I asked. "I already have your number."

  "I know," she said, her fingers flying over the screen. "I'm just adding you to all my social media now."

  "Okay." I waited for a minute or two for her to elaborate. When she didn’t, I tilted my head to the side and finally asked, "Why?" Lizzie moved away, her fingers still clicking against the pad of my cellphone. “Lizzie?” She stepped back, her eyes glued to the screen.

  “Almost done,” she answered.

  I waited for another minute or two. “Okay, seriously. What are you doing?” I asked

  Her eyes met mine and she flipped the phone around, handing it back. "So, I have every avenue open to me. You could always block my phone number, but now I'm everywhere. Your Instagram. Facebook. Twitter."

  "I don't have half of those," I reminded her.

  With another wicked grin, she flipped her hair again. "Now you do," she sing-songed.

  I lifted one brow. "Is this your way of stalking me?"

  "It's internet stalking," she said. "It's totally acceptable in today's society. Even encouraged. Girls do it to guys they intend to date all the time. Look it up, it's a thing."

  I shook my head and raised my free hand as I slipped my phone back into my pocket. "No, that's not necessary. I believe you."

  Lizzie sobered. "I know you promised you wouldn't forget me," she said. "I'm going to hold you to that. Keep in contact, Harlow. You're a good person, I can feel it, and having good people in my life is what everyone needs."

  I sniffed, feeling my own eyes burn. Opening my arms, I wrapped them around her and she smiled, snuggling closer. I wasn't very tall, but I was still an inch or so taller than her and it made me feel like I was holding a beloved stuffed animal.

  "I'll keep in touch," I promised.

  When we pulled apart, she punched me lightly in the shoulder. "You better, or I'll track you down."

  Chuckling, I headed for the door. "Of that, I have no doubt."

  "Fear me, for I am small," she called after me as I headed into the hall.

  I turned in my keys and filled out a small cleaning survey for the front office, letting them know the dorm didn’t susta
in any damages in the time I had stayed there, before heading outside to meet up with the guys. Bellamy was on the roof of the SUV, tying down my last box. Knix directed from below.

  "Ready to go, Sunshine?" Marv asked, leaning down to peck me lightly on the mouth.

  Now that it was kind of, sort of, official between us all, he and the others had taken to kissing me whenever the need struck. And it struck quite often between all of them. The only one who hadn't touched me since everything had ended with H. B. Holdings was Grayson. In fact, speaking of the Devil, I glanced around, looking for his tall frame.

  "Where's Grayson?" I asked. Marv didn't even tense now when I said his name, though his lips did curl downward.

  "He's dealing with something," Marv answered.

  I frowned at the vagueness but figured that he probably didn't know much more. Maybe that was the reason for his disapproving look. I didn't want to push if it would unleash unpleasantness, so I just decided to let it be.

  "Shotgun!" I called, sprinting away from his side suddenly and bounding around the car. Bellamy jumped down from the back as I opened the front passenger door and got in.

  "Damn it, Monkey Princess!" Texas whined on the lawn. "I do not want to be squished between these two boneheads all the way back."

  "You can only have one nickname," I reminded him.

  When he came around the side, determined to get to me and pull me from my sanctuary, I slammed down all the locks.

  "Shit! Did you just lock us out?" Texas glared at me from outside the door.

  I just grinned wickedly.

  "Little Bit." Knix's deep voice shivered along my spine as he called from the driver's side door. "Come on."

  "I called shotgun," I said.

  He nodded. "And you can keep it. Texas can ride in the back."

  "But the back is all full of her stuff!" Texas complained loudly.

  Knix sighed. "Backseat," he said.