Expiration Date (Books 1 and 2)

49 Confrontation

Iris~~

I'm still having a hard time believing it was Jae-yeon I fought when I open my door to go down to dinner. I don't want to see him—don't want to be trapped in a room with him. A mansion is too small to be in if he's here too.

"Iris," Colton's voice calls out, not friendly but not threatening. He's walking from the end of the hall, Jae-yeon at his side, shattering all doubts that it wasn't actually him earlier. I should go back in my room and lock the door. Shove furniture in front of it, whatever I have to do to keep Jae-yeon away from me.

I can't let him see me cower though.

"Can I help you?" I ask Colton, trying to not let my gaze waver to Jae-yeon as they stop in front of me.

Colton's eyes aren't on my face, and stealing a glance at Jae-yeon, his aren't either. They're on my bandage. My door is still open. Can I back into my room and slam my door fast enough?

"We've noticed some things." Colton steps closer. "You're nineteen."

"Very observant of you."

"And I know you're supposed to die at nineteen," Jae-yeon says. He reaches out his hand toward my arm, and I cringe away, moving closer to my room.

"We looked you up in our records." Colton rubs his chin. "And it says you're supposed to die in 2064, but Seong-ho swears you're supposed to die at nineteen."

"He's wrong."

Colton shakes his head ever so slightly. "But"—they both step toward me—"if he's right and the year in our records is wrong, the rest of your date says August 10, which means something rather impossible."

They both lunge for me as I jump back into my room, shoving my door in their faces, but Jae-yeon stops it in its tracks, and they force their way in, leaving me no choice but to back up. Jae-yeon closes my door and flips the lock, making me officially trapped. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. Any moment now, and they'll lunge again for me. I know I can take one of them. I think I could have beaten Jae-yeon earlier if he hadn't walked away, but I don't think I can take both of them. Jae-yeon's hard enough to fight. He trained me. Rarely can the student beat the teacher.

Colton tightens one of his hands into a fist before flexing it. "All you have to do is unwrap your bandage, and we'll leave you alone."

"No."

Jae-yeon moves first, and I dodge him, leaving him to almost stumble into my bed. Colton comes for me next. He throws a punch at my stomach, but I duck to the right, landing a jab to his side and knee. My heart races with fear—and excitement. This is my element. This is the fight I wanted—but in a dress . . . and flats.

A gun is tucked into the waistband of his pants and that excitement vanishes.

Jae-yeon tries to punch me, but I block him, kicking him in the stomach. I feel alive, even if I'm in this situation because I'm Expired.

Colton comes up behind me, but I dig my foot into his stomach as well and, channeling all my anger at him into it, I punch Jae-yeon in the jaw.

Arms snake around me and crush my back against Colton's chest. His grip is tight, and no matter how much I jam my feet into whatever part of his body they can land, he doesn't let go.

"Seong-ho, remove the bandage now."

I'd punch them both if Colton didn't have my arms pinned.

Jae-yeon hesitates as he comes toward me, his eyes on my feet. I know they won't hold him off though. Once they unwrap my bandage, they'll kill me. Jae-yeon reaches out his hands, and rather than continuing to kick Colton, I squirm, twisting my body in any way it's currently able to avoid his hands.

It's useless.

One hand grips my wrist while the fingers on the other slip under the end of the bandage.

"Jae-yeon, please."

He unwraps the bandage, revealing a 0 and an 8. August.

Seeing that second 0 on my arm makes me question what the point was in all that training, all that pushing me to my limits, in getting stronger if I couldn't even stop this.

The bandage flutters to the ground.

Silence. One last moment of calmness.

"That can't be." Colton's arms release me, and in a blur, Jae-yeon's replace his.

"It's what you thought," I say, my voice oddly calm.

"It doesn't change the fact that it's impossible."

You'd think Colton would have some other emotion on his face besides disgust when looking at an impossibility. Maybe some wonder? But no. I'm filth to him.

"Colton, we have to show everyone." Jae-yeon keeps his arms on me steady.

"Does my brother know?"

Your brother has known before I even stepped foot in your home.

My chest feels like someone set a brick on it. All of the times Jonas betrayed his family for my sake have now gone to waste. "Please, don't tell him, Colton. Please." I choose that to say because it's the only way Colton will believe me. If I say No, he doesn't, Colton will know I'm lying. He has to think I'm terrified of his brother. "Did you expect me to kill myself when I didn't die?"

"Yes."

"You would do that if it was you who was Expired?"

"The Society comes before all else."

Behind me Jae-yeon murmurs a yes.

"The Society took everything from me. Why would I kill myself for them?"

Colton grabs me by the wrists and drags me out of Jae-yeon's hold. He opens the door as Colton shoves me toward it, my arms pulled behind me. I think he would have pushed me through the door if it was still closed. I know that if I get away there's nowhere for me to go, but running and dying is better than being led to death.

Once we're out of my door, I shove my heel between Colton's legs. His grip loosens enough for me to slip through. I dart for the stairs and hear feet pounding against the marble behind me. If I can get outside, maybe I'll have a chance to escape.

Hands dig into my back, shoving me forward. I hit the ground with a roll. The marble is unforgiving against my body, and I let out a groan. Jae-yeon yanks me to my feet.

"Jae-yeon, please."

He studies my face, his eyes waver, and for a moment—a split second—I think he'll help. "The Society before all."

He pushes me toward the stairs. He holds onto one arm, and Colton holds tight to the other. I don't beg anymore. I'll get no mercy from them. Why would I when I couldn't even get it from those I grew up with?