“Don’t ever leave me like that again,” Brett whispered fiercely. “I won’t survive.”
“Neither will I.” Felix stroked his fingers along Brett’s jaw. “As much as I want to stay like this forever, we need to get moving before they clean up where I was being held.”
Brett shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. You’re here now.”
“It does matter. There will be clues. I’m positive.”
Brett nodded and inhaled. “Okay.” He dropped another kiss on Felix’s mouth before stepping back but keeping hold of his hand because he couldn’t find the courage to let him go just yet.
Another car had joined them, and the occupants were dealing with the overturned second car. Guards surrounded them, but two held guns towards the car, heading for the backseat, and Brett frowned. Felix followed his gaze.
“No!” Felix tore his hand away and stepped in front of the guard, pushing his gun aside. “He’s already dead,” Felix said quietly and opened the back door, staring into the space. “He saved my life. He didn’t make it, but I made a promise to him. I intend to see it through.”
“A promise?” Brett said.
“He had a wife. He doesn’t want his colleagues to get to her. I told him I’d protect her.”
Brett nodded and slid a hand to his shoulder. “We will.” He glanced around. “Okay, everyone. Gear up. We’re going hunting.”
As much as he didn’t want to let go of Felix, he squeezed his shoulder one last time before getting on his phone to organise guards for the royal family and a hunting party. It took less than an hour before they were heading back to the location Felix had been kept at. On the journey, Felix gave them all the information he could about the layout and the people Rico—the guy who had helped him—had told him about. Felix didn’t know which of the people were the ones he’d shot in his escape, so they assumed they were still alive.
The house was still standing when they arrived, and there didn’t seem to be any additional cars in front of it, so Felix said, so they carefully entered the building and checked every room for anyone alive. No one was, just the five Felix said were killed, not including Rico. Once they were sure everything was clear, they let the forensics team get inside, and they both walked through the house, looking at anything they could find. But it was as Brett looked at the faces of the dead men that he paused.
“I recognise him,” he murmured, crouching beside him and scanning his brain to connect the dots. When he did, he growled, “Malcolm.” He went to the next guy, cursing. All in all, of the five men, he recognised three of them as being Malcolm’s men.
Felix stared at him. “There is also something else,” he muttered, glancing around him before indicating for them to leave the house and move to the side, away from everyone else. “Rico gave me the names of some people who weren’t there. Names he’d overheard.” Felix met his gaze. “You’re not going to like it.”
Brett dropped his head and shook it before meeting his gaze again. “I don’t like any of this anyway. Who?” When Felix told him, he turned to stone. Another voice carried on the air, and he turned to it. He started towards it, and before he could stop himself, he had his arm around the man’s neck, pulling him backwards and throwing him to the ground. The man rolled before coming to a stop on his back, staring up at him in shock. At least to begin with. Then he began laughing, not bothering to get up.
“Come on, Brett. You’ve got to admit, it was getting boring. We needed some excitement around here.”
With heat burning in every part of his body, Brett kicked out, catching Maddox’s jaw and sending blood arching across the gravel. “Boring?”
Maddox laughed again. “You were moping and couldn’t figure out which way was up. Jesus, Brett. I never expected you to be like that. And when you didn’t snap out of it when Felix ‘died,’ it got bor—”
His voice cut off when Felix pressed his foot against his windpipe. “I’m not going to kill you, Maddox, but I’m going to make life very difficult for you. You don’t know who I am.”
Maddox grinned, despite the pain he must’ve been in. “I do,” he grated.
Felix’s eyes twitched, and he let go, allowing Maddox to breathe freely, and Brett wished he could put his own foot there without stopping. However, the traitor had information they needed.
“God, you are all so easy,” Maddox rasped. “I know exactly who you are, Felix.”
“Bet you didn’t expect me to escape, though, did you?” Felix said.
Maddox paused, staring up at him with something akin to worship in his eyes. “No, I didn’t.”
Brett’s heart expanded as he smirked. “You don’t know him well enough to know what he’s capable of.” He met Felix’s gaze. “If anyone could get free, it would be him. And look at that. He did.” He glared at Maddox. “Now, if you don’t mind, you will be escorted back to Windsor, where youwilltell us everything. Especially about the one behind this all.”
Maddox snorted. “Not a chance.”
Brett chuckled. “I bet you’ll be seeing it my way soon enough.” He glanced at Sam, Nina and Eric. “Take him.”
They didn’t respond, just grabbed Maddox by the arms and dragged him to a car. Within seconds, they were on their way back to Windsor, leaving the rest of them behind.
“Goddamn it,” Brett shouted, kicking up dust as he booted a stone away, and rested his hands on his hips. Felix stopped beside him.
“I’m sorry.”