Iris felt the heat of his body pressing against hers, a physical manifestation of the trap he had set. Her mind screamed to retreat, but she knew that retreat now would mean losing the only leverage she had left: the chance to speak to the only person who still mattered.
"Wait," she gasped, the word torn from her throat as his hand slid lower.
She forced her breathing to remain shallow, her eyes locked onto his with a desperate, calculated intensity. "If you want this, if you truly want to see what's beneath the armor, then you give me something first... A promise."
Rex paused, his lips hovering just millimeters from hers. "A promise, Iris? How transactional."
"One condition," she pressed, her voice gaining a fragile strength. "You promise me that you will let me speak to Veylor."
"Truly speak to him... You said there is a debt, a connection that needs to be settled."
