Rue nodded. “I heard all of it. I was on my way to speak to Iris when he was thrown out into the corridor.” The woman moved her head to the side and met her eyes. “Tell me, Iris. Do you remember what happened with Snap?”
She shook her head. Listening to them talk about something she’d done, without being able to remember, made her heart sink. Why would she block out something that had just happened? What did Snap try to do to her to push her mind into such a void?
“Iris is suffering from some sort of amnesia, and it looks like it’s getting worse. We really need to get to the top levels.”
“Who are you exactly, that you can reach the top levels of any building?”
“I’ve already told you. I’m a city official.”
“You’re a city official who wears the clothes of a Spec-Ops team?” Rue shook her head. “You might have pulled that explanation on her, because she tends to forget things, but I wasn’t born yesterday. I’ve lived on the top floors for many years, but I was never free to enjoy it. So, let’s get real. I’ve offered you my hospitality and am now risking not just all of our lives, but our entire colony. Two of our borders have been breached, and that leaves us open to anyone who wishes to attack. Stop playing games with me and tell me who you are and what you really want with the girl.”
Fox opened his mouth to reply, looked at Iris for a moment, then shut it again. “I just want to keep her safe.”
Another thump smacked against the door.
Rue chuckled. “In Nexus, no one wants to keep anyone safe…unless they’re family or have something the other person wants. So, what does Iris have that both you and the people outside want so badly?”
He shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. “I don’t know about them, but I want to help her remember.”
“Why?”
“I found her inside the basement of this building. Naked and alone, surrounded by the dead bodies of every member of my team. I need to know what happened.” His jaw was clamped tight as he avoided the eyes of both women.
“So you did lie to me,” Iris whispered. She’d known from the beginning that he’d known the corpses. Something deep down inside had whispered the knowledge to her. Maybe she’d hoped to be wrong about him, liking him so much that she wanted to believe he couldn’t have an ulterior motive. Yet, it was all unraveling, and it made her heart ache. The food she’d eaten weighed heavy inside her stomach. Nausea rocked her body violently, until she couldn’t stay upright and instead collapsed to her hands and knees.
“Iris…”
A primal scream tore out of her mouth.
The lightning returned, cutting the dark sky outside in two. She mourned the loss of the rain, wished she’d made it outside before this stranger had a chance to reel her back inside. That’s all he really is, after all. Some strange man who’d made her fall into one bad situation after another.
Now, she was trapped inside another room.
The phobia of being entrapped forced another scream out of her. She wanted to scratch her skin until the freedom seeped into her pores. Someone had kept her hidden, locked away from the world all of her life, and she couldn’t take it anymore.
I need to get outside.
She imagined the rain gliding down her skin, drenching her hair, face, and body until she could connect with everything beyond the concrete of this city.
“I need to get outside.” Her voice sounded strange when she echoed her thoughts. Her spine rippled with heat. Sweat poured down the sides of her face and under her shirt.
Fox stepped in front of her. “No, you can’t.”
She looked up through the curtain of her hair and met his eyes. Iris growled deep in her throat. A warning for him to stay back, and one he adhered to. “You can’t keep me from the outside world forever.”
“What is she talking about?”
He looked over his shoulder. “When I found her in the basement, she was trying to get outside, onto the street.”
“Did the rain touch her? Did she breathe the polluted air?”
Fox swallowed before he nodded.
“I can’t believe this! How could you bring a contaminated person into my colony? We could all be infected!” Rue stood up in a hurry, heading toward Iris but Fox stopped her.
“She’s not contaminated.”
“How could you know for sure?”
“She hasn’t shown any symptoms, and neither have I. I’ve been with her for hours. If she was contaminated, she would already be coughing up blood. As you can see, she’s far from such a dire condition.” His every word was directed at the other woman, but those intense, bright, blue eyes were pinned on Iris.
A shiver of delight raced through her. The cold, which had seeped bone deep, now softened. His eyes were beautiful. She’d never seen so much emotion in a simple gaze before. He was genuinely concerned about her. Somehow, she knew his intentions weren’t all pure and selfless, but it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but his need to protect her.
For a woman who couldn’t remember many personal details about her everyday life, this meant the world to her.
The rain beat against the roof, increasing its intensity. Lightning sliced across the sky, shortly followed by thunder. The storm roared overhead, and she could sense its pure and violent clash.
It’s just like me—totally out of control.
The world was angry and would lash out forever, if that’s what it took for the human race to realize what they’d done. Their technology and selfish ways had murdered those who attempted to maintain the harmony within their world.
Now, it was all dead—had become a desolate place, with a permanently bruised sky and nonstop rainfall. Still, humans with the power to make a difference continued to cause harm instead of aid.
“The world is dying,” she said. “The world is dying, and we’re all going to go with it.” Unless I step up and make a difference.
“Iris, is that you? Are you causing the thunderstorm to stir so wildly?”
She shut her mind for a few beats of her heart. Could the man hear her? Did they have a psychic connection of some sort?
“You’re getting closer, aren’t you?” he asked.
“Leave me alone!” The growl hurt her throat.
“We’re not going to hurt you.” Fox stepped closer, both hands held out in front of him. “What’s going on?”
Iris wanted to answer but couldn’t. Her mouth was dry and sore. Words wouldn’t come out. Let them think she’d been talking to them, even if she’d been trying to quiet the male voice inside her head. One day, she would find out who this man was, and she’d shut him up. Forever. He would never disturb her, again.
Iris met Fox’s gaze. She pressed her hands against the floor and pushed herself up. Shaky legs solidified to anchors, taking power from the earth, from the many floors below where she stood. There was comfort in knowing such a connection existed. Her bare feet moved slowly as she ignored the constant pounding on the door.
It wouldn’t take long for them to get through. If that happened, she knew her mind would completely slip away, and she’d do something drastic and violent. Would she remember having these fears and thoughts afterward?
She stood in front of Fox, only a step left between them. If she reached out, she could caress his face, feel the bristles of a light beard sprinkled along his cheeks and chin. He was a beautiful specimen.
“What’s wrong, Iris?” His full lips moved slow and deliberate, teasing her with something she didn’t understand.
She shook her head. “Nothing’s wrong.” Nothing else seemed to exist. Everything faded into the background of a world she understood in a way others didn’t. Even if she couldn’t grasp all the details yet, Iris knew one of these days she’d awake to her true calling. There was something about this man. Something that made her actually see him in her future.
No matter how bleak it all seemed right now.
“You lied to me…but you’re not lying about trying to help me. You care about what
happens to me for some reason.”
He nodded. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down a few times.
She held his stare, lifted her right hand, and let her fingertips caress his face. It felt divine, both soft and harsh. Iris was sure she’d never touched a man—not this way. Not with the intentions she desired from Fox.
“I need to remember.”
“I’ll help you, however I can.”
Her feet shuffled forward until the front of her body was flush with his. She craned her neck back a little to look into those big, gorgeous eyes. “I know you will.” She lifted up on her tiptoes and lightly brushed her lips against his. She stepped down, backing away from him.
The warmth of his lips remained on hers. If she held onto the sensation, she could and would survive this. Knowing there was just one person in this world willing to be there until the end made everything seem better. Worthwhile.
The world returned to her conscious mind.
Rue was saying something, and she seemed frantic.
Iris turned her head quickly. The dents in the metal were deeper, bigger. Whoever was out there wouldn’t give up until they got their hands on her.
I might as well face this head-on.
Why risk anymore innocents? If it’s her they wanted, it was her they would get.
Iris flashed Fox a smile.
Every one of her movements felt as if they were made in slow motion. She stood still one second, then her legs spun in a semi-circle. She changed the direction as she charged toward the door.
“Iris, no!” It could’ve been Fox who called out behind her. It could’ve been Rue, but it didn’t matter. She knew what she had to do, and this time her mind remained intact. She didn’t lose a single step or miss a single action.
Iris remained aware.
Every time she snapped a neck. Every time someone whacked her, hoping to stop her approach but to no avail. The speed of her wild strikes blurred everything, until she stood across from the only bad guy left standing.
Chapter Twelve
“Open the door.”
Rue shook her head. A defiant shake, echoed in the hardness of her dark eyes.
“Open the bloody door, now!” Fox’s fists were ready. If that’s what it took to get out into the corridor and follow Iris to her death, he would tear this door down. “I can’t let her face them alone.”
“If she ran out there, she must know what she’s doing.” Without looking at him, Rue locked the door and stood in front of it.
“They’re going to slaughter her, or take her. I can’t risk either one of those options.” Fox shook his head, trying to think of a way to get past this woman without hurting her. He liked Rue. Respected how well she structured a colony of outsiders others would consider freaks, but Iris was out there alone. He had to provide backup. It’s what he would have done with his team. Now, Iris was all he had left to remind him of them. Companions, they were damn companions! He couldn’t desert her.
“I think you’re underestimating the power and talent of this woman. You’ve known her for a handful of hours, but what do you really know about her?”
“I know she’s got something very important hidden inside her head. I also know I need to keep her safe.” He took another step forward.
“She’s hiding something she seems to forget afterward.” Rue chuckled. “Don’t look at me that way. We both heard the conversation and actions between her and Snap.” She crossed her arms in front of her stomach. It looked more like a comforting action than a defensive one.
“He tried to hurt her, and she reacted.”
“His wrist was broken beyond repair. She must have shattered every bone and didn’t have a single weapon on her. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen anything like it. The way she held him down and interrogated him, it all seemed so procedural. Maybe, instead of trying to figure out who she is, you need to focus on why she can’t remember anything afterward. Did you hear the growling and the weird chants? Something’s going on with her that neither one of us will ever understand. Maybe it’s time you cut your losses and let her go.” Rue remained in front of the dented door. “She might be all right out there, but you’ll surely die. So, let her do whatever it is she needs to do.”
Fox shook his head. He couldn’t let her go. He needed Iris. The touch of her lips on his still felt fresh—a sensation he never wanted to forget. What was going on with him? He should be concentrating on how he needed her to get to his father, yet his father didn’t seem to fit into the equation, anymore. No, Fox wanted to be with her.
How could a few hours with a stranger affect him this deeply? Not that he would admit it to Rue or anyone else. It was hard enough admitting it to himself.
“Bounty hunters rarely give up. If this lot fails, there’ll be more. Someone with a lot of clout and money is after her. I suggest you cut yourself off from such trouble. We could offer you a place to hide for a while.” Rue’s eyes seemed to be begging for him to listen. “We’ll make sure you stay safe.”
“Why do you care about what happens to me?”
“Unlike your father, I care about people.”
The words cut like a knife. “You know who my father is?”
She nodded, taking a single step away from the door. Her arms uncrossed as she turned to pull out the loose brick on the wall. “I’ve known who your father was from the moment I saw you. One doesn’t forget a face like yours or those blue eyes. Sure, there’s less innocence in there now, but you’re still the same boy.” She paused, fingers wrapped around the brick, holding it halfway out.
“I remembered you as well. My father kept you as a prisoner.”
Rue chuckled. The sound was starting to grate on his nerves. What was so funny? Or was this a hysterical reaction? He knew how much pain his father caused this city and many of its inhabitants. Some were driven to insanity, others killed. This woman had obviously survived and now led a bunch of outcasts in harmony. She may only be one person without much wealth, but her power was there. He could feel it. Her authority was the only thing keeping him from advancing toward the door and running to Iris.
Since she’d run out, he hadn’t heard a single thing outside. What were they doing to her? He cleared his mind. No point in thinking about all the atrocities. Now that he was trapped in here with this woman, it was time to find out a few things.
“Who are you? Or, who were you before you came here?”
“Your father had me as many things. Being a prisoner was simply one title leading to the next.” The bitterness in her voice was obvious, her eyes glassy.
“Experimentation…”
She nodded, turning around with the brick in her arms. She hugged it to her chest. “You’re a very smart boy. You’re also very lucky Kingsley didn’t find out about your knowledge of his private affairs. If he suspected how much you know, you’d already be dead.”
The comment roused a shiver down his spine. For all he knew, maybe the richest man in Nexus City had been waiting for the right opportunity to reel him in for years. She was right. Unless directly involved, Kingsley Wentworth didn’t want others to know any of his private business, including his own son. What if the attack on Fox’s team had been his plan from the beginning? He probably intended for Fox to be dead, too. No one but the six who’d died had known he always pulled back in case there was trouble. Unlike his father, they’d all seen him as the most valuable asset on their team.
Now, they’re all dead, and I’m still alive. So, I’ve got to make it count.
“Maybe he already wants that to be my fate. If you remember the experiments, why do you continually talk about evolution in front of the others?” Fox’s head hurt. There were too many possibilities, too many things to think about.
“Yes, he might. Sounds like you didn’t live up to your father’s standards.”
“I’m not vicious enough.”
“You’re not really a city official, are you?”
He shook his head.
�
�You didn’t want to discuss it in front of Iris.”
Another shake was the only response he could muster.
“That’s because you have your own motive for shielding her with your life. Other than stupidity, of course.”
“No wonder these people listen to you.”
Rue inclined her head. “I’ll accept the compliment.”
“I’ll accept an answer to my question.”
She sighed, turned back to the wall, and lifted the lever. “If I turn off the lights, I think she’ll have an advantage.”
Fox nodded and waited.
Rue turned to face him, brick still in hand. “I changed because my DNA was injected with cat DNA. Some of it took, some of it didn’t, and this is the result. I’m more like a half-freak than anything else, but the people here have already started to breed, and White is the result. He’s second generation and seems more cat than human, though his size is still like ours. He’s an amazing specimen.”
“Do you know if the experiments are still going on?”
“Oh, I’m sure there’s some form of experimentation going on. If I recall correctly, sometime after I’d endured the painful procedures, Professor Spalding would talk to himself and murmur about the next big thing your father had set his sights on. I was too drugged up to remember any of it, but I did hear the word ‘tree’ being thrown around a lot. Never knew what it meant, though.” She stopped, shrugged, and ran a hand over her brittle hair. “We had strays anonymously dropped here for a few years, but that stopped a long time ago. We’re all that’s left of the feline experiments, unless there are others scattered above. I believe I did a good job finding everyone. Although they somehow continually found their way to me anyway, like I had some sort of beacon or something. Just call me the cat woman.”
Fox cracked a smile, but his insides froze. A beacon. Yeah, she could have one of those even as they spoke. There was no way those experimented on ended up down here by pure accident. Someone knew where to leave them.
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