Iris

by Yolanda Sfetsos

  The black spot in her soul seemed to grow a little more each time she spilled blood and caused death. Tears of frustration stung the backs of her eyes. Was she some sort of monster who went around killing people? Maybe she was some sort of heartless assassin.

  It would explain why I’ve forgotten so much. Maybe I chose this path, so I could purge myself of everything. Yet, how many more people had died at her hand during the last few days?

  So much confusion and pain stirred a storm inside her, causing her head to throb.

  Iris sucked in a breath and swallowed down all the bizarre speculation. She decided to walk away. She spun around, turning her back on the cowardly man. She took a step but stopped when a cool sensation spiked over her body.

  She couldn’t isolate where she’d been hit, but she knew she had. The coolness switched to a throbbing heat that stung like hell, so she reached behind her, trying to yank the weapon out but she couldn’t feel anything. Over her shoulder, she spotted the tall man pulling back a short, sharp knife. He’d stabbed her in the back and looked ready to strike again. Even after she’d been prepared to walk away, he’d decided to attack her when she was blindsided.

  Iris swallowed down the pain and screamed. The commotion around her seized and every set of eyes turned to look at her. Even the auctioneer held the megaphone poised in front of his mouth but didn’t say a word. Everyone watched as she jumped into the air and scissor-kicked the man in the face. People stepped aside, making a semi-circle around her.

  He dropped to the floor, crumbling like a piece of useless trash. Both of his hands were up in front of his face again, even the one still holding the weapon he’d used to knife her.

  She took one careful step after the other, until she stood above him. Her gaze darkened. Everything inside this room seemed to have turned to tunnel vision, as if the lights had been simultaneously shut down.

  Iris remembered this sensation. Her spine rippled with energy, rousing goose bumps along her body, causing her to shiver.

  The roar of anguish and pain, for what she was about to do, tore at her throat. This time she didn’t stay in the moment. She disappeared inside, to a place with no noise or sight—nothing but the tranquility of passing out. Except, she knew she wasn’t really passed out. She had just temporarily checked out of whatever horrible deed this awful man had pushed her to perform.

  When she came back to herself with a rush of breath, the deafening screams snapped into her ears like cruel music—ready to make her ears bleed if she didn’t cover them.

  Blood splashed the wall in front of her, and the man who’d forced her hand lay in a bleeding mess below it.

  She tightened her bloody hands into fists as people ran past her in a panic, avoiding her personal space as she stared down at the mayhem she’d hoped would never happen again at her hands.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  The metallic thump clanged when the cans collided with Ivy’s right temple, and she dropped in an unconscious heap in front of him.

  Fox stood with the bag still hanging from his right hand, heart pounding hard and fast. The exertion of his struggle to get this bitch off his back should have been his only focus, but it was surpassed by a haunting yell he’d just heard behind him.

  On the other side of the thin curtain, chaos ensued. Something disrupted the organized noise of the ongoing auction. Panicked voices called out in every direction, too frantic to understand any of them. The auctioneer tried to control the crowd, calling out commands through his megaphone, but no one listened. It sounded as if everyone was too busy trying to get away from whatever had disturbed their plans.

  Fox dumped the cans behind the curtain, pushed the fabric aside, and stalked out into the mayhem. With no idea of where the problem was, he continued forward—doing his best to dodge the crowd trying to escape.

  Wrapping his hand around the closest person, he stopped her to ask, “What’s going on?”

  The woman stared at him with fear in her wide eyes, distracted and jumpy. “I don’t know. She just appeared out of nowhere!”

  “Where is she?” Fox had a sinking sensation in his stomach. Only one female could have this effect on a crowd this size.

  The stranger shook her head. “I don’t know. Let me go. I’ve got children waiting for me at home. I don’t want to die.” Her eyes were filled with horror.

  He released her, and she ran for the closest exit.

  So many people had cleared out by now that Fox spotted the cause of the disturbance across the room. It felt as if the crowd had decided to part just so he could find his way back to her.

  Fox stared at Iris.

  She stood with her legs apart, her back heaving with every new breath she took. A stain darkened her top, in between her shoulder blades. Both of her hands were fists at her sides, and her hair was wild. Some sort of green light emanated from her arm, but he couldn’t afford to waste any time on small details. He had to get to her and stop whatever had started.

  His heart pounded as he sprinted, not because of the adrenaline, but because he’d found her.

  When he reached her, he stopped abruptly. The scent of blood hung thick in the air, too pungent and strong this close to the scene. He knew it wasn’t hers, because a tangled mess of flesh and blood lay near her feet.

  She spun around, as if she’d sensed his approach. Her eyes widened and lost all of their darkness when she recognized him. The long strands of her gorgeous, silky hair dropped back against her shoulders. She uncurled her hands and stumbled into his arms, sending him back a few steps with the impact.

  “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t want to, but he stabbed me. He hurt me. When I’m hurt, I lose total control.” She sobbed against his chest. “Please, get me out of here. I need to go. We need to find Honey, or did you find her already?” She pulled away, far enough to look up into his face. Tears streaked her pale face as she silently pleaded for his understanding.

  He shook his head. “I had my own fight to deal with back there. I’m so sorry. If we hurry, I’m sure we can still intercept them. There’s no way they would’ve had enough time to process everything so quickly. The Weasels are stingy with their credits and won’t hand anyone over until the fee has cleared their account.”

  She sank back into his arms, holding him close. Her arms tightened around his waist, as if she couldn’t get close enough. “I thought I’d lost you. I—” Another sob broke her voice, causing her body to tremble against his.

  Fox held her, one hand around her shoulders and the other pressed to the back of her head, wanting nothing else but to protect her and ensure she wasn’t forced to act so violently when threatened. He tried not to stare at the broken, bloody body behind her, but he couldn’t stop the familiar flashes from invading his mind. Just how many people had she killed? He tried to draw comfort from the fact that most of those she’d killed had deserved it, somehow. Except for my team. He couldn’t understand or justify what they’d done to deserve being slaughtered like animals.

  Not until Rue’s wise words echoed inside his head… “Do you know how your team handled her once they tracked her down? Did they harm her? Even if they didn’t, the threat was posed. It’s why she reacted with violence...”

  It was true that he hadn’t been with them at the time, and had no idea what degree of brute forced they’d used on their approach. Even the smallest threat of being cornered could have set Iris off. A group of people chasing her down with guns probably hadn’t done much to ensure her they were friendly.

  “I didn’t want to kill him.”

  Fox glared at the man, recognizing him as being the one who’d watched Iris so closely when they’d first arrived at the auction. Although his eyes were closed and blood covered his body, he noticed the man’s chest rise and fall.

  “Hold on a second,” he said, slowly disentangling himself from Iris’s grip. He advanced, toward the man.

  “Fox. Please don’t.”

  “He’s not dead. I don’t think he’s dead.�
�� He quickened his strides, kneeling to press his fingers against the man’s neck. “He’s got a pulse.”

  “What? Are you sure?”

  He nodded as he double-checked. Fox stood up and headed back toward her. He cupped his hands around her face, holding her steady to stare into her tear-filled eyes. “Iris, you didn’t kill him.”

  A small, rueful smile curved her lips.

  “By the way, you won’t lose me,” he said before thinking. He would never let her go. All he’d ever known and felt in his life had unexpectedly changed because of Iris. Nothing would ever be the same. She’d given him something new and shiny to care about—a new lease on life. For so long, he’d lived like a hollow shell, trying to satisfy a man who would never see him as anything more than a pain in the ass. He was stuck behind the shadow of a successful, rich man who didn’t have any time for him. His father would never appreciate him. The sooner he realized that, the better off he’d be.

  Yet, this woman wanted to be with him by choice.

  “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.” She held his gaze, her watery eyes staring deep into his.

  Fox kissed her forehead and pointed at the curtain leading backstage. “While all this commotion’s going on, it shouldn’t be too hard to get Honey back.” He released her face.

  She nodded, slid her arms away from his body, and started walking. He followed, unable to stop staring at the wound that didn’t seem to affect her. She didn’t even slow down.

  Iris charged into the backstage area, lifted the curtain aside, and turned to smile as she stared down at the unconscious, muscled lump of Ivy. She raised an eyebrow and nodded with approval. “Is this the fight you faced?”

  “Yeah, she was tougher than she looks.” He rubbed his jaw. Bruising would no doubt show up sooner or later, but the throbbing was already there. “Hold on a sec.” He grabbed the hidden cans, slung them around his body, and continued forward.

  “Can you speed this up a bit?”

  As soon as he heard the voice, he wrapped a hand around Iris’s to stop her and pressed her back against another curtain. “Shhh.”

  “Professor, we’re processing as fast as we can. You know these things take a while to clear.”

  Fox peeked around the corner. One of the Weasels had an arm wrapped around the front of Honey’s body. She stood rigid in his grip, trying to keep a secure hold around her child while staring at the white-haired man who’d just bought her.

  She didn’t appear to be hurt or otherwise affected by the fact that she’d just become someone’s slave.

  When Iris saw her, she made a move to slip away from him, but Fox held her back. “Not yet.”

  “Well, you need to speed it up. It looks like you’ve got some trouble out there, and I don’t want anything to jeopardize my purchase,” the man with white hair said. He stood in front of the shabby, uneven table. Impatience caused his foot to tap against the concrete floor.

  “Have any of your many purchases ever been jeopardized? Don’t worry about what’s going on out there. We’re almost done.” The cashier turned his attention to a small screen in front of him.

  Fox scanned the area, surprised at the lack of security. Were these Weasels so self-assured, they didn’t think it necessary to guard the one place where credits continually changed hands? It seemed a little cocky.

  “Don’t move, either of you.” The cold end of a weapon was jabbed into his spine, and he stiffened. “I’ve got me a zapper, and I’m not afraid to use it.”

  Fox released Iris and raised both hands up at his sides. He motioned for Iris to do the same. “We don’t want any trouble. We thought this was the way out.”

  A chuckle and a snort echoed behind them. “You think I’m stupid or something? I watched the show earlier. Good job on that bitch, by the way. I’m glad you took her out. She had it coming. Always dropping in here and never spending a damn credit. She takes away from our business. At least she’ll be out of action for a while.”

  It took him a while to realize this man had to be talking about Ivy. “We can call it even, then We’ll head back out—”

  “I don’t think so. Now, both of you move forward, very slowly and together. Keep your hands where I can see them!” He jabbed him harder.

  Fox caught a quick glimpse of the man also pointing another zapper to Iris’s back. If either of them made any sudden movements, the zapper-happy moron would attack. He didn’t particularly want to add electric current to his mix of injuries.

  “Okay, you won’t get any trouble from me.” He took a step, pressing his hip lightly against Iris so she’d do the same. He hoped she wouldn’t lose it, now. Not when they were so close to Honey, and he was pretty sure he’d recognized the voice of the man who’d bought her.

  Luckily, Iris didn’t cause a commotion, so it took seconds to cross the curtain they’d used for cover. As they stepped out into the area where business was being conducted, he surveyed their surroundings.

  Another table sat a few paces from the first, and the redheaded lady who’d purchased the young boy waited happily for her transaction to be completed. Up close, the boy, still in the grasp of a Weasel, appeared sickly.

  The Weasel in front of the white-haired man said, “You, my lady, can take your prize and go home, now.”

  The redhead nodded, wrapped an arm around the boy’s shoulders, and left without another word or glance to anyone. She had what she wanted. It sickened Fox to realize he couldn’t do a damn thing to help the boy.

  Several other Weasels, all with weapons in their hands, stood at different points around the room. Each took a step when they spotted them.

  Damn. He’d miscalculated everything.

  “Look what I found,” the Weasel who’d captured them called out.

  The cashier behind the table lifted his shaggy eyebrows. “Where’d you find them?”

  “They were sneaking around backstage. Must’ve gotten in while all that crap was going on out there.”

  “What happened, anyway?” The Weasel didn’t pause his typing and glaring at the screen in front of him.

  “Don’t know. I think someone got a little greedy and took another person out. What do you want me to do with these two?”

  Fox’s attention was on the man waiting for Honey. When he turned around to glance their way, the room seemed to fade. Those eyes, that white beard…he’d seen it all before. He recognized the man, but with so much going on, Fox couldn’t place him. The man stared at him intently and did a double take—glaring first at Fox, then at Iris. For a second, Fox thought this man knew him on sight too, but it wasn’t him the older man stared at with such intensity. It was Iris. Recognition flashed in the man’s eyes, but he turned away before anyone else noticed.

  “I’ll take her, too,” he said to the Weasel, hitching a thumb toward Iris.

  “She’s not for sale—”

  “I’ll pay as much as I did for this one.” He motioned at Honey. “What have you got to lose?”

  The man pursed his lips and nodded. “Fine. Pay up, and she’s yours.” He motioned for the zapper man to bring Iris forward, but Fox grabbed a hold of her hand.

  “Let go before you piss me off!” the man warned.

  “She’s not for sale,” Fox snapped.

  “Everyone’s for sale.” He pressed the zapper closer to Fox’s spine. Vibrations hummed against his clothes. The energy collected and raised the hair on the back of his neck. Getting zapped seemed inevitable. So, I might as well fight back.

  Fox swung around to face the Weasel, taking the man by surprise. He fumbled to press the button on his zapper, but Fox had already snatched a hold of his wrist. By the time the voltage zapped through the weapon, it was the Weasel who received the full dose.

  He went down, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth as he convulsed.

  Iris intersected one of the other guards before he could reach Fox by catching both of his arms and using them as leverage to swing him around. The gun tumbled to the floor nea
r their feet, but with both his arms being yanked over his head, he couldn’t do much else but attempt to kick the weapon. She let go of his arms, knocked him on the side of the head, and he fell to the ground with both arms at unnatural angles.

  “Honey,” Iris whispered.

  “Stop them!” The Weasel behind the desk yelled, even as he reached for the white-haired man’s plastic card.

  The man pulled it back, watching the spectacle of violence with interest.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Fox had his gun in his right hand, pointed around the room. Stopping at each of the two guards left in mid-approach, and then at the cashier. “If either one of you even twitch, I’ll shoot the three of you in a matter of seconds.” Fox clicked off the safety and kept it steady, pointed at each of their heads.

  The cashier Weasel raised his arms in surrender. “Don’t shoot. I’m sure we can come to some sort of arrangement.” He looked over Fox’s shoulder, probably hoping someone else would surprise them.

  “Iris, watch my back,” he said.

  She nodded and moved to stand behind him. “Clear.”

  They made a great team. He could see himself wandering the streets of Nexus City, doing the job City Officials were supposed to do. Instead of the job they didn’t. All officials were either on the Wentworth Corporation or York Industries payroll, and they hardly interfered in what happened in the lower levels, unless directly commissioned.

  Change was a good thing, and he’d be prepared to set up some sort of real law enforcement in the future. With Iris at his back, they could make this work. First, we have a lot of other things to take care of.

  “What do you want?” the cashier asked.

  “All we want is the girl.”

  He shook his head. “I’m afraid she belongs to someone else. There’s nothing I can do to change that. The transaction has already been completed.”

  “She’s not yours to sell!” Iris yelled.

  The cashier shrugged. “Professor Spalding has paid a large sum of money for her and the child. There’s nothing I can do—”