Black Iris

Bled together.

Iris

I knew that there would be about forty minutes of time in which Blake would be out of the office, to have lunch with one of his business connections. Which meant I had thirty five minutes to get into said office and find what I was looking for.

What I was looking for, I had no idea.

I got Sampson to drop me off out the front, though I hid in the coffee shop downstairs for Blake to leave, and then a few more minutes until his secretary was ducking out to get lunch, before slipping inside.

Blake's office was just like the rest of his belongings: unscrupulously neat, and frustratingly gorgeous. In days long gone past I'd lovingly joked that he was an interior designer in a past life.

Nowadays we didn't joke about anything.

I went to the desk first, of course, combing first through the neat stacks on top of it, then drawing my fingers to the drawers. The top two were normal, just supplies and whatnot. The bottom ones were the ones that interested me, with little locks on them. Of course, most of it would be files on business deals and whatnot, but maybe if I found the key, there might be something that didn't add up.

I started looking around the room for any trace of a key, combing through the top drawers, then across to the black filing cabinet adjacent. I was just checking the base of the lamp on his desk when-

"Looking for this?"

I froze.

Slowly, I turned.

Blake was standing by the door, dangling a set of keys in his hand.

"I-"

"Save it, Iris." He muttered. "I know what you've been doing. You seriously thought I wouldn't catch on?"

"I don't know what you are talking about." I muttered breathlessly.

He raised an eyebrow. "There was no one else that knew about the Canadian, Iris. I know it was you that got rid of the NDA. And now I find you snooping around my office..."

He stepped closer, coming around the desk. I stumbled back. "Blake, it's not what it looks like-"

"Really? Because it looks like you're trying to find dirt on me, Iris. It looks like you're trying to take me down."

"Please-"

He cut me off, effectively pinning me against the wall, and lifting his hand to my mouth. I bit back my words.

"That's enough, Iris."

Then, to my surprise, he took my shoulders and turned me towards the window.

"Tell me, Iris," Blake said, "what do you see?"

Confused, I looked out at downtown Denver sprawling before us and tried to figure out what he was talking about. After a few moments I looked back at Blake.

"I see the city."

He nodded, lifting his hand to my chin and guiding my gaze back to the window. His fingers traced my cheek as he spoke, his tone vaguely condescending.

"That's right. We stand amongst a city that is filled to the brim with power. I mean both socially as well as literally. There are countless systems in place that keep the city running. Each of them is dependent on one another in some way in order to create a stable system. Are you following?"

I wasn't sure where it was going, but I nodded nonetheless.

"Good. Now, the trouble is, after a time, those systems begin to bleed together, becoming more and more dependent on others, to the point where, if a system were to ever break down somehow, it would have the possibility to cripple the entire city. Do you understand?"

I nodded again. At this, his hands grabbed my shoulders, jerking my body and smashing it against the glass window.

"You and I are the city, Iris. The same systems that put me in a place of power put you in a place tied to that power. Do you know what that means?"

My breath heavy, pain jarring through my skull, I shook my head.

He paused for a moment, before letting go of my arm. "Kneel for me, Iris."

I hesitated, glancing at the frosted glass windows out to the hallway, then up at the security camera in the corner of the room.

Blake chuckled. "Oh, don't you worry about that, Iris. No one is watching. Now get on your knees."

My stomach churning, I reluctantly obeyed, dropping to my knees on the floor before him. I felt his hand snake through my hair and I blinked back tears of fear. He drew my head up, so I was looking up at him. Not for the first time, I felt humiliated in his presence, like I was somehow less than he was.

I guess that was the whole point.

"You are connected to me, Iris. The lines between us have bled together. Now, whenever someone hits me, they are hitting you too. If they try to bring me down, you are brought down with them. What you did to Ophelia only cemented this fact."

I stiffened at the mention of her name. He gently stroked my cheek, letting the unsettling silence rest for a moment. Then, he muttered, his voice low, and dark.

"If you bring me down, Iris, I'm going to pull you right down with me."

He let go of my face and turned away. I couldn't help the tear that slipped down my face.

"I won't let you get away with it," I whispered. "What you did to her. What you're doing, discrediting her, like she's nothing but a deranged little girl. It's wrong."

"Wrong?" He echoed, his voice sinister, spinning back around to look at me. "Wrong, like, say, kidnapping someone to protect yourself? Like manipulating her into thinking you're the good guy, like you won't hurt her, then torturing her in a kitchen sink the moment she says something that upsets you? Is it that kind of wrong?"

Tears stung my eyes and I growled, "This isn't about me, Blake."

He scoffed. "Yes, it is. Did you not listen to what I just said, Iris? You and I are one and the same. To her, and to the public. If she wins, then we both lose. We'll be out behind bars, and if you're lucky, you'll see your son one a month. Is that what you want, Gwen?"

I faltered. No, it wasn't. I wanted Blake to be the one behind bars. I wanted Ophelia to be safe, as well as any other girl he might hurt. I wanted to be safe.

Blake shook his head, his eyes dark. "If you think there would be any other way it might play out, Iris, you're more dumb than I thought."

I felt tears well up again. Blake turned away once again.

"Get up," he snapped. "Get out of my office before I do something I'll regret."

I scrambled to my feet and stumbled to the door. As I was opening it, Blake called out.

"Oh, and Iris?" he said. I paused. "Tell Sampson I send my regards."

I frowned, then realised my error. Sampson was Blake's driver, not mine.

He was the one that told Blake I was here.

Cheeks red with anger and embarrassment, I slammed the door shut and stormed off.

Downstairs, the car was waiting in the taxi zone, so I walked over, flipped Sampson off, then stormed away. A few people looked on in confusion, but I ignored them.

On the outside, I was furious.

Inside, though, was another story.

The truth was, as much as I didn't want to admit it, Blake was right. I could lose my son over this.

And that terrified me.

But what Blake didn't realise was that there was something that terrified me more.

Him.