“From someone who was creating a man as a weapon. That time is now.” He waited, expecting Owen to bow out, but all the man did was nod. “You won’t like what you see, Owen. It’ll make you look at me differently. You’ll ask yourself if you ever really knew me at all. If you ever knew what I was capable of.”
Owen stepped closer. “I know what you’re capable of. The same thing I’m capable of if it was my family I was protecting.”
They stared at one another for a moment before Felix nodded. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Owen winked, and they headed towards the cell holding the traitor. It was a balancing act to keep himself on the right side of the line. One side of him wanted blood, no matter the consequences. The other side wanted information. Ensuringboth sides got what they wanted and he didn’t tip over into becoming what he despised was something he had never had to worry about before because it had never been so close, so personal. This was going to leave a mark where no one would see it, but he refused to stop himself. It needed to be done, and he wouldn’t allow anyone else weather the weight of the burden.
They entered the room, Owen closing the door behind them and leaning against it while Felix ventured closer to Maddox. He eyed the room and hoped there wasn’t a hidden camera. They didn’t want any evidence of what Felix was about to do.
“I would say it was nice to see you again, but…” Felix said, stopping in front of the man and crossing his arms.
Maddox grinned, his split lip opening again and blood beading at the top. He swiped at it with his tongue. “I have to say, I am surprised you got out of there. I know they didn’t plan to kill you straight away, but even I expected you to turn up in pieces shortly. I’m impressed.”
“And I live to impress you, of course.” Felix stared at him, face neutral. “Who’s in charge?”
“And what makes you think I’m not?”
Felix couldn’t help it; he barked out a laugh, with Owen joining in, earning a thunderous glare from their prisoner. “Sorry, that was just too funny.” He stepped back, leaning against the wall and putting one foot flat against it, bending his knee. “You don’t have the ability to pull this off, Maddox. You’re like a child playing dress-up in his father’s clothes. No one takes you seriously, especially not us.”
Maddox worked his jaw from side to side, and his muscles bunched as if ready to strike, though how he thought he could do that with how he was chained was beyond Felix’s mind. They had a chain going around his waist, which his wrists were locked to, and then a chain going down to his ankles. And then, thosechains were locked to the floor. Maddox wasn’t going anywhere unless someone unlocked him.
“You know nothing, Felix,” Maddox spat. “Nothing. You don’t know our world, what we’re capable of. You think you are all higher than me, worth more, better, but you’re not. You’re all sheep, following people around and doing what you’re told. Why be a sheep when you can be a shepherd?”
“Oh, you mean you’re a shepherd?” Felix asked. “In which case, prove it. Prove that you’re better than we are. I highly doubt it.”
“Well, sheep only get pieces of a puzzle, don’t they? They don’t get the entire plan. I’m trusted with everything. Can you say that about Brett or the royals? I don’t think so.”
Felix glanced at Owen and shook his head, raising his eyebrows at the delusions the man spewed. Did he honestly think he was all that? He doubted it would take much for Maddox to spill what he had, but maybe that was a good thing. It meant he wouldn’t potentially have to lose Owen’s friendship over what he could’ve done.
“What do they trust you with? Making breakfast for the rest of the team?” Felix taunted, dismissing him with a shake of his head and a roll of his eyes.
“I’ve done stuff right under your noses, and you never even knew it.” Maddox grinned. “Like Matt and Van. So easy to go under the radar and get them out of the way. They never even saw it coming.”
In the blink of an eye, Felix was near him and yanked his finger back hard enough to snap it. Maddox grunted, cursing up a storm, and glared at him, undoubtedly in a bit of pain. But there was more where that came from.
“For every transgression you tell me, I’ll break a bone,” Felix said.
“That doesn’t give me a reason to tell you jack shit,” Maddox growled.
“Ah,” Felix said, holding up his finger. “But for every lie or misinformation you provide, I’ll break three bones. Your choice.”
“You think that scares me? With who my father is? You’re delusional. Bring it on, Felix.”
“Oh, your wish will be my command, Maddox. I’m barely getting started.”
****
Hours later, Felix and Owen left the cell with Felix coated in sweat, blood and tears—not his own—and headed for the showers so he could wash up. Owen walked quietly beside him, the tension palpable. Felix licked his lips.
“I told you that you shouldn’t have been part of it,” Felix muttered as they entered the large, open-plan space.
Owen stopped him with a hand on his arm. “I’m not at all bothered by what you did in there, Felix.” He met Felix’s gaze, strong and steady. “What I am bothered about is howyou’refeeling after having todothat?”
Felix stared at him, seeing the empathy in his eyes, and his legs began to wobble. Owen caught him before he hit the floor but continued to lower him until they sat together, Owen’s arms around him.
“As long as I don’t think about it afterwards, I’m usually good,” he muttered, his jaw chattering as if he was cold. His entire body shook, but he couldn’t close his eyes because all he saw was blood.
Owen rubbed his hands up and down his arms, trying to warm him, but the cold was from the inside and had nothing to do with his temperature.