Iris

by Yolanda Sfetsos

  As she walked past him, her right hand reached for his. She lightly caressed the back of his fingers. In spite of his confusion and anger, he squeezed them back.

  The connection felt intimate. He was again forced to ignore the instinct to wrap his arms around her, and tell these people he’d help her clean up and watch while she slept. No one else should be protecting her.

  Yet, he couldn’t move. He remained where he stood and watched her until she turned the corner.

  “I think things have just become complicated for you, Fox.”

  He looked up to meet Rue’s steady gaze. “Things have been complicated for me since the day of my birth.”

  “You have no idea just how right you are.” Rue looked away and used the wall to help her get to her feet. Until that one movement, her age seemed undetermined. Now, her weariness had shown. “Still, it’s not what I meant.”

  Fox spread his arms wide to motion at the mess. “No, you’re talking about this slaughter. We both know Iris did this, without the use of a weapon.”

  “It seems impossible.” Rue narrowed her eyes as she stared at the body pieces closest to her feet. “Once again, it’s not what I mean. I’m talking about what’s happening between you and Iris.”

  “Nothing is happening between us.”

  “So, you still intend to deliver her to your father? Even after what you’ve just heard? He wants her. If he’s prepared to hire hunters to reel her in like this, he’s more desperate than ever. What do you suppose she is? The bogus target of thief is obviously a cover, meant to throw all of you off-course.” Her arms were crossed in front of her as one of her feet tapped a little too close to the pooling blood.

  “I have no idea what he wants, but if Iris can kill men this easily, I know what he’d love to use her for.” The thought turned his stomach. Had he known what she was capable of when he’d sent the team after her? Without precautions or warnings of what was awaiting them?

  “You know, there is one other rich and powerful family in this city. Maybe it’s not your father who’s willing to hire killers to grab her…”

  He shook his head. “This has my father written all over it. I’m pretty sure it’s him.”

  “Then you’ve got some soul-searching to do. If Iris is some sort of weapon, she’ll be lethal in the wrong hands. In your father’s hand, she’ll be ruthless. You know how easily he’ll be able to apply mind-control tactics on her. You can’t give her to him, and I don’t think you want to, either. I can see the way you look at her, the way she seeks comfort and understanding from you. I would bet my life that what happened out here affected her so much because it means that now you know she was the one who killed your team.” Her eyes were liquid, shiny.

  “I didn’t say—”

  “You didn’t have to. Do you know how your team handled her once they tracked her down?” She took a step, avoiding the blood near her feet. “Did they harm her? Even if they didn’t, the threat was posed. It’s why she reacted with violence. It looks like any threat against her or someone she cares about triggers this…”

  “Carnage?” A harsh chuckle tickled his throat. It sounded more like a cough than anything else. “I don’t want to talk about it.” The awful truth of how the confrontation went down inside the basement had died with his team. Now, knowing that his father somehow had a hand in this situation, he couldn’t hold Iris responsible. If she didn’t remember, there was probably a good reason for it.

  “You’ll have to address all these issues sooner or later.”

  “I’ll take the later.”

  “If you’d like to speak to me, I’m willing to listen. I could help you work through all of this.” A hand rested on his shoulder. He hadn’t seen her get so close, but her touch was warm and motherly. “My offer still stands. If you wish to wash your hands of all of this, I’ll help you disappear for a while. I can arrange it for you.”

  Fox shook his head. He could not walk away. Iris needed him more than ever. He’d seen the look in her eyes. She was ashamed. He couldn’t let her believe he’d walked away because he held her responsible for the death of his Spec-Ops team.

  “I’ve already told you too much. It seems like I’m losing my edge, trusting people I don’t know.” He pulled the goggles off his head and held onto them.

  Emotional weakness was something his father had always despised. Fox despised it for different reasons, but he still did. Now, he felt like a fool for lowering his guard with both Iris and Rue.

  He had to harden up again. The loss of his team and the unpredictability of finding Iris vulnerable and alone had shaken him. Not to mention the way she made him…desire her.

  “If you want Iris to disappear with you—”

  “How are you going to get this cleaned up?” He really didn’t want to talk about this at the moment. Besides, running away and hiding wasn’t his style. Sure, it would be the easiest way out—to let Rue hide him and allow his father to assume he’d died along with the rest of Spec-Ops—but he’d never run from his problems before. He sure as hell wasn’t about to let his father misuse a woman with such a fragile temperament. She’d lost control too many times for Fox not to realize just how volatile she was. Getting to the top of the Wentworth Corporation Tower would prove to be quite a challenge.

  Rue shrugged. “I’ve got people.”

  “People for what?”

  “To clean up this mess.”

  “Do you need my help?”

  She shook her head. “You go and rest. I think you know who needs your help the most around here. The loss of White will affect everyone very deeply, but we’ll pull through.”

  Fox turned around and headed for the room he’d been assigned.

  “If White was willing to risk his life for Iris so many times, she can’t be evil or have evil intent toward anyone. He could sense these things. Your father might have started with these experiments as a way to mess with nature, but our genes are the ones calling the shots. I’m not saying White was psychic or anything like that, but he could spot a true heart. Maybe you should think about that before allowing yours to harden and lock her out.”

  “Yeah.” He kept walking, his thoughts turning at a hundred miles an hour. The cat hybrid had been willing to die for her. It seemed as if he’d been affected as quickly and thoroughly as Fox had by Iris.

  Maybe a strong, mutual attraction did exist between them, but he would never trade his life for another.

  No matter how good she proved to be in the end.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Top Floor, Wentworth Corporation Tower

  Kingsley Wentworth III’s Personal Floor

  “Have the bounty hunters checked in yet?” Kingsley sat back in his plush leather chair, stretching his long legs underneath the oak desk. Nothing but the best for the King of Nexus City.

  A smug smile curved his lips.

  He looked away from his computer terminal and the face of the woman he so desperately wanted back in his possession. He’d watched the tape a hundred times and still couldn’t figure out how she got away. She’d been his safely caged animal for so long, he didn’t know what to do without her.

  He turned his gaze toward his most trusted informant/assistant. At least, that’s what he was for the moment. If anyone knew how hard it was to keep someone loyal for the long haul, it was Kingsley. He’d been through a multitude of secretaries, informants, goons, and bodyguards during his time.

  Still, Innes had proven himself so far. The young man had even offered to become much more than what his position entailed, but Kingsley wasn’t interested in indulgence of the carnal kind. There were more important things to conquer.

  He was an old man and had experienced and experimented with such delights in his younger years. With only one slip up as a result, he was proud to have wiped away any evidence of his personal involvements. No need to keep a trail of his conquests, in turn adding turmoil to his already full life. He had enough on his plate to keep him busy as it was.

&n
bsp; “No, Sir. No one has reached the checkpoint, yet,” Innes answered in his soft, almost feminine voice. His dark hair was gelled back, shiny and tight against his skull. The suit was bottle green and clung to his tall, lanky frame a little too snugly. A suit this expensive would support any random family in the scum-filled floors below for months.

  “Any luck making contact with my son?” Kingsley pursed his lips, his hands resting on his lap. “My mic is down.”

  Innes shook his head. “I think we can safely assume he was taken out with the rest of his team.” A shrewd expression crossed his face. It was no secret that Innes and Kingsley’s only son despised each other. Kingsley had personally enjoyed the confrontations, the competition. Of course, he was a cruel old man.

  He couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought.

  Innes raised an eyebrow.

  Kingsley ignored the reaction. “Do we know this for sure?”

  He nodded and bowed. “I sent one of our enhanced hunters. Not the scum we sent in to retrieve the girl from the basement. This guy knows his way around the city like no one else. If your son were still alive, he would’ve found him by now. Did you view the carnage down there? I transferred the images to you.”

  “Yes, I did.” It wasn’t the first time he’d seen the violence she was capable of. As disturbing as it was, he couldn’t wait to get her back to utilize her…starting with the York family.

  “I’m sorry about your son,” Innes said.

  “Not your fault. There are always casualties in war.” He knew Innes didn’t care one way or another about his son, but for Kingsley’s benefit, he displayed compassion.

  At least Fox was one problem he could now scratch off his “to-do” list. Of course, it still held many more, but one at a time was the only way to achieve results. “Have this guy scour the lower levels. I want her found ASAP. I’ve got plans for her.”

  “She may be dead, too—”

  “No, she’s not dead. You have no idea what Iris is capable of.” Images of what he’d seen her do—the wonder of how he stumbled onto her in the first place—filled his mind. He closed his eyes. “No, she’s still alive. I need her returned within the next two days, or the most important deal of my life will be forfeit. Get this guy out there. Get him to do whatever he has to in order to find her. I don’t care if he needs to kill half of Nexus. I need her back!” The control chip he should’ve installed years ago was long overdue. This time, she wouldn’t be able to override it.

  “Yes, Sir.”

  He opened his eyes long enough to watch Innes turn to go. “Oh, and while he’s at it, see if he can track down Spalding for me, okay?”

  Innes raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow a second time, but didn’t comment.

  “Also, make sure we have some insurance on this bounty hunter, I want him to know just how much is riding on this capture.”

  “His wife is already in our custody, Sir.”

  “Excellent.”

  Innes nodded, turned around, and left the office.

  Kingsley pressed one of the many buttons on the armrest of his chair, and the office door clicked shut. He didn’t want to be interrupted while he indulged in his biggest, most fulfilling secret.

  Turning the chair slowly, he gazed out at the city. The many large screens he’d had installed on the outside of the buildings he owned were still dark. Soon, they would all flicker to life and be filled with the promise of a new day, and a new place. Nexus City would never be the same again after he announced the one thing capable of elevating him from powerful man to God.

  Many of the buildings below were lit with little, white lights. Others lay in total darkness, but he could almost feel the lives buzzing inside. Nexus was filled with souls. Many which had no right to be here. He’d tried to eradicate the problem many times, but pest control was the hardest and most unreliable tactic he’d ever faced. Some humans were like vermin. No matter how many times they were sprayed, they continued to pop out of nowhere. So, the levels had been divided. It was the only way to keep the filth away from him. As well as from the select few wealthy enough to enjoy the perks of skyscraper life.

  His quest to eliminate the weak was a constant pursuit. One of these days, he would find someone able to create the ultimate weapon against the filthy poor. Then, Nexus would be free of the bottom-heavy burden and those who survived would finally enjoy a content life, able to wander outside if they wanted.

  For now, he used the Lottery as a way of population control.

  He pushed off the armrests, bones cracking with every movement. Age was catching up with him, again. Soon, he’d have to engage in the procedure of cloning to prolong his already long life. He wasn’t beyond robotics replacing whatever broke from his body, but with cloning being so effective, why bother? Still, with every new opportunity, Kingsley enjoyed extending the time he spent in the latest body a little longer. He was determined to see how far he could push the years. So far, with each lifetime, he’d elongated it successfully, but he hadn’t been this old before.

  As long as he could continue to live, it was all that mattered. Even if he didn’t want to start fresh until after his latest business venture was signed, sealed, and delivered. The surprise his new business partner would get was sure to take his breath away…literally.

  He leaned over and located the lever just below the right armrest. It was easy to miss—within the many angles and shadows of the chair—but he knew exactly what to do. He lifted it. The huge window in front of him spread open—slowly and silently—until it encouraged him to move forward.

  The sound of falling rain filled his office. He closed his eyes and imagined walking outside, in the streets below, just as humans had once done with their many automobiles and constant city life. The rat race they’d called it. Now, those same streets were desolate. Most thought the air outside to be poisoned—a campaign that took him years, and a tremendous amount of wealth, to ensure. He needed the uneducated poor to believe the outside world was toxic. This was his strongest weapon—the only way to confine everyone to their appropriate levels.

  It proved to be his main control over the city. Even the wealthy morons over at the York Industries Tower believed it to be true. Who wouldn’t? With the constant rain and black clouds overhead, it had been too easy.

  The sky, once blue and laced with puffy white clouds, had been nothing more than a bruised mess for hundreds of years.

  He took the first step outside, sucking in a lungful of the pure oxygen around him. His hands curved around the railing as he gazed out at the city. At this great height, everything looked even more beautiful.

  Lifting his head to the raindrops sliding sideways, he opened his mouth. There was nothing remotely toxic about the air or the moisture outside. It was his private little secret. No one else knew about it.

  Well, no one but the rat Spalding.

  Professor James Spalding, one of his most trusted scientists and resident madman. For over 20 years, he’d lived in the luxurious floors of this tower, experimenting on those less fortunate and trying to reproduce the one DNA discovery he just hadn’t been able to crack.

  After many years of creative freedom over his insane experiments on subjects taken from the lower levels, he’d up and left. Not a word, not a single letter. He just disappeared into thin air.

  Just as Kingsley knew his precious Iris was still alive, he knew Spalding was out there somewhere, too. The bastard had somehow hidden below. Another lost soul in the slums, but it was time to bring him home. So far, he hadn’t spilled the secret, but Kingsley wasn’t stupid. Spalding was probably biding his time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to unravel the Wentworth Corporation.

  The last thing Nexus needed was some sort of revolution.

  He looked down at his hands. The thought angered him so much, he was holding onto the railing with white-clenched fists.

  If this bounty hunter was as good as Innes claimed, everything would soon return to normal. His life had always run in a linear
fashion, and he couldn’t stand it right now. Too many loose ends.

  Kingsley needed to see his son’s dead body.

  In this life, nothing was certain until seen through your own eyes. Still, it was out of his hands, for now.

  For the moment, he needed to bathe in nature.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Iris turned onto her other side and blew out a breath. She patted down the lumpy pillow with frustrated punches, then pushed it closer to the wall. Still, comfort seemed unattainable. She made a move to return to the position she’d started in, but paused to lay on her back, gazing at the concrete ceiling above. The harsh light was small but still stung her eyes.

  Emotions and sensations blended into a sea of confusion. What was going on with her? She’d been through so much during the last handful of hours—from waking up alone, to being found by Fox, and then saved by White. Every bit played out inside her mind, almost as if she hadn’t lived it at all. What was real and what wasn’t?

  Maybe, having people hired to kill her was finally breaking her down. One of the men she’d punched, stabbed, and torn apart told her someone wanted her alive. She belonged to a madman willing to hire killers to find her. Killers were unpredictable and untrustworthy. A cold chill raced down her spine as she realized she knew, because she was one of them.

  I’m a killer.

  She could no longer hide behind blackouts or the loss of her memory. Most of her life might still be a mystery, but now she knew she was capable of killing with her bare hands.

  She lifted her arms and held her hands up toward the ceiling, hiding the light. A glow ignited around her long fingers—a reminder that although she’d taken life away, she’d also given it when White had been shot the first time. Why hadn’t she been able to save him a second time? It made her heart ache all over again. Especially when the knife-wound on her side had already healed.