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She put a hand to her chest, aware her heartrate had just spiked. The proximity was killing her and it was time, if possible, to create some physical distance. “I should be getting back to HQ. I need to let Donaldson know I’m still alive.”
The permanent line between Connor’s brows deepened. “But what if he’s part of this, Iris? Everyone knows he’s on the take and you already said he requested you. It’s possible he was directly involved in the assassination attempt since the Trib has the ability to shut any of the bridges down. If he’s involved, he might be under some obligation to send someone else after you.”
She rubbed her forehead. “You’re right. Someone got to him.”
“We need to figure out what’s going on here before we split up. And as it happens, I have a lead.”
He told her about Gary Smith, who Iris knew was called Big Nuts behind Gary’s back. She’d seen him several times and knew exactly why he’d earned the nickname. He had the biggest balls she’d ever seen and for some reason enjoyed showing them off.
He also owned a sex club that featured overweight women called House of Big Sex.
“Why Big Nuts?”
He smiled, probably because she had no problem using Gary’s nickname, as horribly descriptive as it was. “Tammy said she owed him for some blood flame. He’s the one who sent her out to Amado.”
Once more, her gaze moved from Connor’s left shoulder to his right. He was a physically powerful man and was probably her best chance of surviving the night, whatever path it took.
When she’d first realized Connor had started visiting her home, hovering above her garden while she worked in it, she’d searched him on the net. She found out he’d worked as an engineer and had built over fifty of the bridges throughout Shadow and Crescent.
She remembered being stunned to learn that a vampire had created anything useful. The fae were the real workers of Five Bridges as well as the dead-talkers. Maybe that was the moment she knew she was in trouble with him.
“Iris, there’s one thing I’d like to know. I’m fully aware that most witches wouldn’t get this close to a vampire without engaging an enthralling spell. Why haven’t you tried one of your witchy trips on me? Tried to control me?”
She rarely talked about these things, about her craft or her philosophy of being a witch. But it seemed appropriate now. “Mostly, I don’t believe in it.”
“Could you do it, though? Do you have that level of skill and power?”
“I do.” A shot of fear went through her. “But please don’t tell anyone.”
He frowned. “Why not?”
“There are dark forces in Elegance among the various more powerful covens. Witches who practice the dark arts summon power from evil spiritual elements that have taken root in Five Bridges. These women, and a few wizards, don’t hesitate to use their gifts to enslave witches of power like me.”
He cocked his head. “Is that why you live such a solitary existence?”
“It’s definitely the main reason. I have a healthy fear of vampires, but an absolute dread of dark witches.”
“Anyone in particular?”
“You’ve probably heard of her. Seraphina.”
His nostrils flared and his lips turned down. “I’d kill her if I could find her.”
Seraphina and her group had murdered over a hundred of Connor’s kind in the last year alone. Rumors had it she planned one day to rule the Tribunal with the intent of turning Crescent into a police state.
Still looking at her, Connor narrowed his eyes once more, something he did a lot. His eyes were incredibly blue, his brow as furrowed as ever. “I need to be honest here. None of the criminal encounters I’ve had with witches have ended well. I’ve destroyed many of your kind and thought nothing of it.”
“But my guess is, you only take a life during the commission of a violent crime. Am I right?”
Connor shifted his gaze away from her. His eyes looked haunted. “Not always. There have been a couple of incidences where I was out of control and deserved to be taken out. If you’d seen me, you would have shot me and I would have welcomed it.”
This was a lot of honesty and she wasn’t sure what to do with the information. Finally, she said, “Did these events happen earlier in your life?”
“Somewhat. Yes.” He shifted his gaze to stare at the slate floor. “And they’re my biggest regrets.”
Iris could have pressed him for more details, but she didn’t want to know too much. If he told her, she was pretty sure she’d have to leave. And right now, she needed him.
“I’m not innocent either. When my sister, Violet, was murdered, I’d fully intended on hunting down the vampires who tortured, raped and killed her. If I’d found them, I know I would have used any witch power I possessed to drive them into the dirt.”
