AN: here's chapter 16. Enjoy, people.

"Fighting? You were fighting? And at an illegal arena too!"

"It wasn't illegal," Iris explained calmly for what felt like the tenth time, wincing as she shifted to a more comfortable position. "My friend set me up and his family is very legal...sorta. I was bored waiting for your sons to finish."

David's face turned an ugly shade of purple and a vein throbbed dangerously on his forehead. "They're- they're your brothers! You have to wait for them!"

Iris's eyebrows shot up. "They're not my brothers and I don't have to do shit for anyone."

"Language!"

"Oh fuck off."

"Um, excuse me?" One of the West-Brown workers jumped in, nervously eyeing the stare off between the two most stubborn people on the planet. "Can we- can we go now that Iris has been found?"

Unfortunately for those that worked in the mansion, Lisa was away scouting for leads and there was no one to cool the flames of ire raging in the household.

"Yes, yes." David waved his hand dismissively and the entourage nearly tripped over themselves in a desperate attempt to get away. "I can't- I can't believe you would do this, Iris!"

"Well believe it." Iris sighed and stood, adjusting her jacket so it fit more snugly around her shoulders. "Can I trust this issue will remain between us, Mr. West-Brown? I do not want to trouble my dad."

"Why are you being so formal with me? I'm your real father."

"Did you not hear what I just said?" she snapped, whirling around with a blazing inferno of anger nearly consuming her whole. "You're not my father- you died to me when you threw my mother out on the streets and let us starve. My real father is the one who took us in and raised me for ten years."

"That's- that's not fair."

"Oh isn't it? Did you not throw us out ten years ago? Did you not keep a silence between us all this while- not even a call, message, or even a note?"

"But–"

"You have no excuse," Iris growled, her fury peaked and her vision was painted with red. "Now answer the question- can I trust this stays between us, West-Brown?"

David recoiled as if Iris was the one who plunged the blade into his back. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a harsh bark of laughter, collapsing into his chair like his legs couldn't hold his weight. "I've already called DeLano for a talk and told him about the situation before the DeLesco-DeLaCruzes brought you over."

"No." Iris drew out the syllable and flopped in her chair, burying her face in her hands. "Why would you do that? We could have talked it out. We would have reached an agreement."

"As much as I hate to admit it, DeLano is one of your legal guardians and, as per the contract, he has to be alerted to your misdemeanours."

Iris snorted and raised her head. "I didn't know you were such a stickler for the rules, West-Brown?"

"I'm not, unless it concerns my children."

"For the last time, I am not your–"

The door burst open and Iris was on her feet in an instance, a blade drawn. David pulled out his own gun, gaze briefly rested on the knife with a small frown marring his usually calculating expression.

"Now, now, is that how you treat your father?"

"Dad!" Iris bounded over and threw her arms around him, perhaps exaggerating how much she had missed him in order to avoid a punishment.

Unfortunately for her, Harry saw right through the act.

"Really, Iris? Flattering to get out of trouble is beneath you." Harry pursed his lips and pushed her back after briefly returning the hug- a sign that he was extremely disappointed.

Iris hung her head low and scuffed the worn carpet with the toe of her shoe, imagining her wearing a hole big enough to disappear through. "I'm sorry, Dad."

"First, how are you doing? Anything hurting? Everything good?"

"A bit sore," Iris admitted, rubbing her right shoulder and trying to act as nonchalant as possible. "But I'm really, really sorry for breaking the rule."

"I know that you don't like rules, but this one was put in there for your safety. Don't you remember what happened last time?–"

"Wait, last time?" David chose now to interject, his jaw dropped in shock. "This has happened before?"

"West-Brown, do you mind? This is a family discussion." Harry pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a pained sigh, feeling a migraine oncoming.

"I am family too!" David scowled and jabbed a finger on a thick stack of papers. "Or have you forgotten about the contract already?"

Harry stared at him. "Your daughter was almost killed today and all you're worried about is being family?"

A shiver wracked Iris's body and she curled inwards slightly. She could have died tonight- if she had been struck with a little more force, if the attacker hadn't been restrained quick enough, she would be six feet under with a very pissed off Jax to meet her in the afterlife.

Jax... He and Alex are probably still out right now. Iris pinched the skin between her thumb and index finger. They're definitely having a grand old time, maybe glad that I'm not there–

"Rose? Iris?"

Fingers were snapped in front of Iris's face and she jolted out of those dark thoughts. Harry was studying her with worried green eyes, but seemed fooled by her charming smile- at least enough to not ask questions in the moment.

"Yeah, what is up with that?" Iris finally had an outlet for her grief and jealousy on her pathetic excuse of a father, and she was going to grasp it tightly. "I've never heard you say a single kind word to me since I've come back. Are you so fixated on your fragile ego that you can't even say two concerned words for me?"

"Iris..." Harry said in a warning tone, raising his hands slightly as if to protect her.

The movement made David angrier. His chest rose and fell with each shortened breath and he clenched his fists tight enough to draw some blood from his palms. "Did your saint-like mother ever tell you why she left?"

"She didn't need to." Iris crossed her arms. "I was there, remember?"

"Oh..." David's expression twisted into something ugly and foreign. "Oh I see... she didn't. Well, allow me to enlighten you, the dearest daughter of mine. Your mother cheated on me–"

Thud!

David froze as the knife sailed past his face and clattered uselessly on the wall behind him, taking a few strands of grey hair with it.

"Don't ever say that again." Iris growled, dropping her arm. Pure loathing dripped off every syllable of her words as she turned her wrath on David who cowered away. "I hate you, David West-Brown. You made my mother miserable till the very end and I can die a happy person if I never see you again. You have no right to say that after what you've done. Now leave my mother's memory alone- you've done enough to taint it anyways."

But David did not seem to understand her pain. "I have proof! I can show it to you–"

"West-Brown," Harry said with a warning injected in his tone. But it was too late. The last strand of Iris's patience snapped and withered away like a broken spider web.

"I hate you!" Iris stormed out of the office, tears streaming down her face while an anguished Harry and David followed.

"Iris, let's talk–" David pleaded, reaching out.

"No!" Iris slapped his hands away and pushed back Harry who was trying his best to comfort her. "I don't want to talk! I just- just leave me alone right now!"

"Iris, it might be best if we talked and tried to get to the bottom of this," Harry said gently, but this only infuriated the girl more.

"I don't want to talk!" Iris yelled, her anger rising as she saw the others join. Tears built up in her eyes and she wiped it away with her sleeve. "I just- leave me alone. Please. I need- I need some time."

She turned and went to her room, trying desperately to stop her snotty weeping until she reached her bed. Throwing herself on the bed, Iris cried into her pillow and blocked out the words from outside her room. I miss you Mum. Why did you have to leave me? Was it my fault?

She stopped when her heart was empty and her skin had absorbed every last drop of her sadness. Iris stared at the ceiling, tracing the single crack until she reached the boundary of her gilded cage. Curling in on herself, she clutched the blanket trapped around her and tried to quell the second round of tears.

There was a tentative knock at the door and it slowly creaked open. Oscar poked his head around, proffering a few bags of unhealthy treats and a sheepish smile. "We come bearing gifts."

"We?" Iris hated how her voice cracked in all the wrong places.

Will stepped through behind Oscar and shut the door. He was carrying a laptop and several books tucked under his arm. "We thought you shouldn't be alone right now. Even if you don't want to talk, we chose some movies and books to read or watch. Only if you want us to, of course!"

A warm feeling erupted in Iris's chest- a kind of happiness she thought had died with her mother. Shifting the blankets away, she patted the bed. "You guys can sit here- but only if we watch a Barbie movie first. I'm in the mood for some laughs and the death of brain cells."

Oscar grinned and opened the laptop to show a Barbie movie paused on the first scene. "Already ahead of you."

*************

QOTC:

1. Thoughts on the twins?

2. Thoughts on David?

I hope you guys liked it!

Stay safe and thanks for reading :)