Iris Giorgianni is no ordinary girl. She's living a double life: a neglected daughter at home, but a fighter on the streets. As the leader of The Sangue - one of the most wanted and well-known gangs in London - Iris has a reputation to uphold. Only...
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"And the danger is that in this move toward new horizons and far directions, that I may lose what I have now, and not find anything except loneliness."
-Sylvia Plath
AS SOON AS Ember and Wrench were busy focusing on themselves, Levi and Iris tiptoed out of their not-so-clever hiding spot and scuttled away, both with wide, open mouths; faces the epitome of shock itself.
"Well that was a plot twist." Levi said loudly as soon as they were far away. It was fully dark outside now, only the fairy lights that were above could help them find their way back. They had to be quick, however – there was a curfew, and once the curfew was in place, the lights would be switched off and they would be stranded in the dark.
Iris tried thinking about what they had just witnessed and not the fact that Levi's hand was still in hers. "What do we do? Are you going to tell Chase?"
"Nah." Levi pulled a pained face, shadowed and dimly lit. "I can't tell someone else's secret. It's not right."
"Even if Chase hates you for it?"
He hesitated. "Yes."
They carried on walking in silence, fingers intertwined, with nothing but the occasional sounds of chatter from within the tents. After a long pause, Levi chuckled. "Also, do you really think I'd involve myself in that shitshow of a relationship?"
"You would be crazy to." Iris agreed, laughing too.
Eventually they reached Levi and Chase's tent, which was the closest out of the two. Neither Iris or Levi had spoken about their near-kiss earlier on, but perhaps it was due to the newer, more shocking bombshell that had recently exploded in front of their faces. Levi stopped, but then shook his head and carried on walking past their tent.
Iris frowned. "Where are you going?"
"Walking you back to you tent." Levi turned to smile at her, his eyes holding hers.
"I'm a gang leader." Iris dropped her hand, despite her heart lurching at his comment. She was still the girl she had been back in London; it wasn't like she couldn't fend for herself in any environment. "I can walk myself, you know."
They had stopped now. "I know," Levi admitted. "But I just wanted to be like people in real life. You know, to remind us that we aren't juvenile idiots living in a cheesy camp in the middle of nowhere."
Iris reached out and squeezed his hand. "I'm fine, honestly."
"Nope." He refused, pulling her along in the direction of her tent. He knew that she was putting on a front; that although they both knew she could walk alone, they also knew she wanted his company more than anything.
By the time they reached her tent, Iris was beginning to get more and more tired. She yawned, before looking up into Levi's eyes.
He really was something else. She was genuinely glad that she had met him. Although he was annoying at first, he was one of those people that you had to get to know in order to really understand him. To like everything about him.
