“You are more than capable, Felix. I wouldn’t have anyone else at my back. But everyone needs to be able to let things outoccasionally.” Brett huffed and shook his head. “Yes, I know. I should talk. But in the same way I helped you, you helped me. Giving and receiving. And now it’s time for me to help you again. Let me take you home, Felix.”
Felix really wanted to work on the information Maddox had provided, but it didn’t matter if it happened that day or another day. They weren’t going anywhere yet. They had time.
“As long as you take me to your house instead of mine. I don’t think I could face anyone right now.”
Brett nodded and pressed his lips to Felix’s temple. “As you wish.”
****
Chapter 20
Owen
Owen didn’t know what to think. So many things had happened in such a short space of time, he had trouble trying to reconcile everything. One thing he did know, though, was that Brett was a fucking idiot. The slap Owen had given him had been the only way he could think of to make him see what an asshole he was. Felix didn’t need his condemnation; he needed his love.
And then there was what Felix had done.
After watching the man become someone—something—else to what Owen had always thought he was had been wrenching, but he’d known that showing his true feelings about Felix’s…abilities would harm their friendship as he’d been warned beforehand. But shit, that stuff was hardcore. He was surprised he’d been able to keep his stomach from revolting.
Knowing there was still work to be done but not being able to concentrate, he headed home for a few hours. The entire situation was one mind fuck after another, starting from when Dominic and Randall had problems with that asshat, Addams, or Carlos, or whatever the fuck he called himself. Since then, things had been a shitshow, and Owen was all for ending this once and for all, but not at the cost of Felix’s humanity. He might’ve said that he was capable of protecting his family, but he could honestly say he wasn’t sure he could do what Felix did.
He let himself into the house, noticing lights on, and checked his watch. It was too early for Evan to be home from his shift at the hospital.
“Evan?”
A pan or something similar smashed down, and Owen went for his gun seconds before Evan’s head popped out of the kitchen. Owen’s racing heart made his head spin, and he exhaled in a rush.
“Fuck, you scared me,” Evan said. “One of the nurses turned up early, so they said I could escape.” He moved closed, taking Owen into his arms with a smile. “I was going to make lasagne for dinner, but now that you’re here…” He lowered his lips to Owen’s neck, and despite it feeling wonderful, Owen was too distraught to think sexy thoughts.
He tightened his hold on Evan, and his boyfriend must’ve realised something wasn’t right because he led him to the sofa, sat down and encouraged Owen to lay on his side with his head in his lap.
“What’s wrong?”
Owen sighed. “The world is fucked up.”
Evan brushed his fingers through his hair. “It can be.”
“Felix always kept himself…not closed off, but some things he didn’t talk about, didn’t even give clues that something wasn’t right in his life.” Images of Felix’s bloody hands flashed through his head. “He tortured someone today,” he whispered. “They deserved it, but I never would’ve believed he was capable. That he could do it. Until I saw it with my own eyes. But that wasn’t what destroyed me.” Owen licked his lips, closing his eyes and watching it play out. “It wasn’t even when he said that I would change my opinion of him when I saw what he could do. It was when he broke down afterwards. In total shock. Who made him capable of that? Who thought that man would be a good choice to teach those skills? Who made him become that?”
Owen hadn’t even realised the tears were leaking until he couldn’t see anymore. Evan bent over him, holding him as best he could in their positions. Owen wasn’t just sad; he was fucking furious. If he ever found out who had done that to him, he would kill the fucker. Felix was the sweetest, strongest, most giving person on the planet, and the person who had trained Felix had taken that and made him a weapon.
“We have to show him he’s more than that, Evan. We have to.”
“We will. He’ll know that it doesn’t matter what he’s done before, he won’t have to do it again. He’ll never have to touch that again. We’ll all make sure of it.”
Owen took the words into his heart and hoped they could. Felix deserved it all, and hopefully, Brett had got his head out of his ass and was helping the man.
****
Chapter 21
Brett
Having Felix in his house for longer than a drop-off wasn’t something Brett ever thought would happen, except when Felix had looked after him that once. Mainly because he didn’t mix business and pleasure, and Felix was the only person he’d ever wanted. He tried to see his space through Felix’s eyes, and he found it wanting. For Brett, it was a place to rest his head for a few hours, not a home, but it was sparse and almost cold. When Felix had brought him home and stayed with him that day, Brett had been so out of it he had no thoughts about whether the place was in any condition to have visitors, and Felix had mentioned nothing, so he hadn’t let it concern him. In fact, he hadn’t worried about it at all until that moment, standing behind him as Felix took everything in while he wandered around.
“What did you do while I was out of it that day?” Brett asked, knowing Felix would understand what day he was talking about.
“I fed your cat, at least from a distance, and then read a book,” he said, skimming his fingers along the short set of shelves near the TV.