“No,” Felix said, letting his claw hover a millimeter from her eyeball. “You didn’t raise him. You tortured him…every day for years…for something that had nothing to do with him.”
“It’s almost not fair that you got to torment Zaney for decades but we only get to torture you for a night,” Avi mused. “Guess we’ll just have to make it count.”
Felix let his claw nick her eyelid. “I was going to see how long it took to pluck those eyes right out of your head. But if I did that, you wouldn’t be able to see what comes next. And I want you to see the slow, agonizing death that’s about to come for you.”
“Yeah, killing you quickly would be a kindness,” Avi said. “And we’re not feeling generous. Now, I don’t know what fate awaits you, but it’s under that tarp right there. Seeing as our stepfather makes reproductions of old devices for fun, it could be anything. The iron maiden. The rack?—”
“We used that already,” Felix interjected.
Bev’s eyes widened, uncertain if they were bluffing or telling the truth.
“Oh, that’s right,” Avi said, nodding. “Aiden would never use the same contraption twice. Hmm—what else? The thumbscrew? The scavenger’s daughter? The head crusher?” He gave her a slow once-over.
“Should we find out?” Felix asked.
Bev’s panic ratcheted up. Avi moved, snagged a roll of duct tape, and shoved a piece over her mouth. The tape crinkled, silencing her mid-sob. He then pulled a cheap plastic bag—just long enough—and slipped it over her head, pressing it gently at the base of her skull so the room would blur and her eyes would swim. The sounds she made were muffled and animal-like. They left her there: bound, gagged, bagged, exposed.
For a long, soft beat, the workshop hummed with fluorescent light and the quiet of two people who had just done something awful and necessary. Avi leaned back against the workbench and exhaled slowly. Felix watched him for a second, the way the light haloed his cheek, the small crease at the corner of his mouth when he relaxed.
Avi reached out, wrapping his arms around Felix. “You okay?” he asked, voice low.
Felix let out a short soft sound, letting his claws scrape softly against the fabric of Avi’s thin dress shirt. “I will be. I have to be. When this is over, Zane is going to need all of us. I hope you’re prepared to be up all night.”
“I’m never prepared when it comes to you and Zaney. You’re too unpredictable once all our clothes come off. But I’m up for whatever. You know that.”
“I don’t know if he’ll want that, but we’re definitely giving him a cuddle puddle,” Felix said. “No exceptions. This weekend is all about Zane and whatever he wants.”
“Whatever you say, kitten,” Avi said. “Your wish is always my command.”
They stayed like that two heartbeats longer then Avi brushed his lips to Felix’s cheek in a private kiss. It was quick, domestic, utterly normal considering there was a woman waiting to die just ten feet away.
Felix straightened. “Tell Calliope to gather the others,” he said, voice businesslike. “Let’s see what fate has in store for her.”
Avi nodded, clicking the button on his comms. “Let's do this, Calliope. I don’t think she’s got much fight left in her.”
“I thought you’d never ask,” Calliope chirped, then added. “How’s Felix?”
Avi glanced at Felix who was carefully cleaning his claws before setting them in the box. “He’ll feel better when he sees Zane. Is he coming down?”
“Yeah,” Calliope said. “Most of the others have gone home. It’s just family now. Matty and Lake are MIA but the rest of the boys will be there and your brothers, of course. Cricket says she’ll stay in the kids rooms with Shiloh and Ever. None of them have the stomach for torture. Lola and I will be on comms, watching from a distance.”
“Copy that.”
Felix walked back to him, grimacing as he found dried blood flecked on one nail…his real nail. “I can’t wait for this to be over.”
He hugged Avi once more, the two swaying as Felix fought the urge to jump his husband. Maybe it was the adrenaline, but Avi had never looked hotter to him. Then it hit him.
He’d forgotten to ask. “Where did that letter come from?”
“Just where I said,” Avi told him. “Calliope archived all of Gage’s stuff for Zane for when he was mentally strong enough to handle it. Since he wasn’t listening, I figured it was safe to use it to destroy her psychologically.”
“You’re so hot,” Felix murmured, kissing him deeply.
“I know,” Avi teased.
Felix jumped as Archer’s voice echoed through the workshop. “Let the games begin.”
And they did.
