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33. Rueben

Rueben

I t’s been years since I last went hunting. My dad was an avid hunter. He used to take Tyson, Ansel, and me up in the mountains each year at the end of each school year. It was our tradition. We stopped going after Camila died. Maybe it’s time to start again.

Though this time will be different; we won’t be looking for wild turkey, elk, deer, or other game, but for a man we thought was our friend. Alekos’ cabin is the perfect place to bring Maddox since the woods here are very dense, but we know them well. I’ve never given chase to another Lord before, but today looks like a good day to start.

It’s been a minute or two since Rin parked close to the cabin. We’ve been silent since we got in. The tension is so thick it can be cut with a knife. Don’t they always say that in books? Maybe I should read more instead of watching sports and playing video games.

On the way here, Maddox tried to speak several times, but Tyson kept his gun pointed at his head, making him keep his mouth closed. Tyson is rarely this worked up about whomever we intend to kill, but this time is different. Maddox has been our doctor and friend for years. He and his blood-brothers spent many summers at the farm.

Once we get out, things will change for us all. Depending on what he has to say, Maddox may die in the next couple of hours.

Tyson’s eyes are enraged, and his demon lurks expectantly behind them. If Cirro is not wrong about Maddox, and he rarely is, then we let a traitor willingly into our house. As a doctor, Maddox has visited many patients at home. He knows many things about a lot of the Lords. God knows what he told the Dukes. Was he the one who told the Senator where the farm was? We even asked him to take care of Olivia when she was sick. He could have hurt her or worse.

I might not like what Olivia made me do to prove my love to her or whatever her intentions were, but I don’t want to see her hurt ever again. After what she did for Ansel, Tyson, and me, no one will ever lay a finger on her again. From what Ansel revealed to us, I understand why Olivia was Azael’s target, but I still can’t figure out why he also went after us. Did he want to experiment on us as he did with Yan and many others?

Tyson suddenly punches the back of the driver’s seat with his free hand. His gun is still pointing at Maddox’s head “Fuck!” He inhales deeply before snarling, “Get the fuck out before I blow your brains out!”

Cirro opens the door next to him and gets out. Maddox quickly follows. Part of the tension disappears. It is rare for Lords to be snitches for the Dukes, but when it happens, they are sent to the Catacombs. They never return. The demons there have a special treatment for anyone who betrays the vow made the day they become one of ours.

Tyson bites his fist, trying to contain his rage.

Rin and Yan get out of the car.

Tyson is one of the best at torturing people. He detaches from any feelings and turns into a cold-blooded monster. He is like Reyes in a way, only that Reyes doesn’t have the same patience for torture as Tyson does.

“Do you want me to take over?” I ask Tyson.

After a deep inhale and a slow release of the air, Tyson says, “I’m good.”

I open the door and step out into the snow. It’s colder up here than in the city. Tyson was right. I shouldn’t have left without my coat. Maybe Alekos keeps extra clothes in the cabin.

Tyson quickly pulls his shit together, puts his gun back in the holster, and goes to look at the sun rising from behind the line of trees.

Rin narrows his eyes. “We didn’t come here to admire nature.”

A creepy smile spreads on Tyson’s face. “I’m choosing the spot where we will bury Maddox and his blood-brothers after we are done with them.”

Maddox turns white as a ghost. “Cole and Henry don’t know anything. I’ll tell you everything you want to know, but leave them alone.”

Desperate people always make mistakes, although, in Maddox’s case, it’s not a secret that he is very protective of his blood-brothers. We will use that to our advantage.

Tyson pulls out his phone and dials a phone number. “It’s Tyson. We need more people for the hunt. Bring Cole and Henry. Stefan and Reyes won’t want to miss this. Maybe Maddox knows something about Carlos.”

From the looks of it, Tyson is talking to Alekos. Maddox takes a step toward Tyson, gets kicked in the back of his knees by Yan, and falls in the snow. He doesn’t dare move again.

Tyson keeps talking. “If you are not comfortable leaving your pregnant wife home alone, take her to the farm. I’m sure my bonded will enjoy some company.” He looks at Maddox. “I don’t promise anything. Hurry up if you want to catch the traitor alive.” He ends the call. “Let’s go inside,” he tells us.

Rin and Yan each grab Maddox by the arms and drag him to the cabin. Cirro opens the door, and all four of them enter.

“Let’s show Maddox what happens to traitors,” Tyson says.

I know how this will go. Tyson will make Maddox curse the day he was born while I and the others watch.

“Bring in some firewood. It’s freezing in here,” Rin yells from inside.

Tyson climbs the steps leading inside. “You heard him,” he says over his shoulder.

It’s been more than a week since Tyson has started having an attitude when it comes to doing stuff that I ask him. He is not the only one. The others give me death stares when they think I’m not paying attention to them. “Since when are you ordering me around?”

Maybe he wasn’t ordering me around, but I fucking hate it when people tell me what to do like I’m a child. This is why I stepped up when Jasper said he didn’t want to lead our group.

“Since you lost the right to be the leader of the group,” Tyson snarls.

For a moment, I am hurt. For years, I’ve worked hard for my blood-brothers. Most of the money I gained went into the house and especially into the Lair. Yet this is how I am repaid: by being seen as unstable because of what happened when I was drugged.

I fucked up badly with Olivia. I get it. The most frustrating thing is that I still have no recollection of the time spent in the facility. How do I make right by Olivia when I don’t know what I was thinking then?

I go to the little shed behind the cabin, where the firewood is. As I grab some logs, I realize that it’s for the best if someone else takes over my duties. Then I won’t have to worry about leading missions or any of the other shit I normally do.

Maybe I will learn how to relax a bit. Find some hobbies and dedicate time to Olivia. The more I think about it, the more I like the idea.

When I go inside, I find Tyson sitting on the coffee table, staring at Maddox, who is across from him on the sofa. Cirro is over at the dining table, scrolling through his phone. He prefers technology over human interaction. Yan is close to the front door, looking like he is about to bolt out of here at any second.

I take the firewood to the stove. Rin is already there, clearing it of ashes.

“Now that we are all here, you may begin,” Tyson says to Maddox.

I sit in the rocking chair next to the fireplace. “Aren’t we waiting for the others to join our little party?”

Tyson pulls out the knife Reyes gave him from his belt. He usually takes it with him when we leave the farm. “My fingers are itching.”

Maddox’s throat bobs.

Tyson keeps talking. “I don’t usually do this, but I’ll give you one opportunity to tell the truth. If you lie to me, Cole and Henry will pay the consequences.”

Maddox runs his trembling fingers through his hair. No wonder he is nervous; he has seen Tyson torture many times. Not a traitor, though, but enemies. “My family was originally with the Dukes. A feud with the Deymar family made my grandfather switch bands.”

The fucking Senator from hell is all over the place; his son as well.

“My father was the first in my family to become a Lord, and I was the second. The day I received my demon, my sister, Indy, disappeared. For days, my entire family searched for her. The police were taking their time with the investigation. Only when Deymar Senior contacted us did we understand why.”

Deymar Senior? Is he referring to the Senator’s father?

“He was behind my sister’s disappearance.”

Rin starts the fire, and Maddox stares at it. “Indy was taken to Azael’s facility,” Maddox whispers.

Yan’s shoulders tense. He must remember the things he went through while he was there. “Deymar Senior said it was his revenge and that from that point forward, he wanted nothing to do with my grandfather or Indy.”

Maddox keeps talking. “From what I heard, Azael, my grandfather, and Deymar Senior were all friends. They met in college, where all three of them studied medicine. Azael revealed who he truly was only after they opened the first facility together. After years of working together, my grandfather and Deymar Senior had a huge falling out. While growing up, I’d always hear him curse out Azael for taking Deymar Senior’s side. He vowed never to have anything to do with either of them. Azael was more than furious with my grandfather for leaving.”

I didn’t expect that. Did the Elders know about Maddox’s family and their connection with Azael and Senator Deymar?

“Indy was so young and innocent. Azael hurt her. Experimented on her. We asked him what he wanted in exchange for returning her to us.”

Maddox presses the heels of his palms against his eyes. “He demanded my father to become an informant for the Dukes. My grandfather forbade it. His hatred for Azael was greater than his love for his granddaughter. In the end, Indy was the one who had to pay the price. Deymar Senior tormented my parents for years with photos of what Azael did to my sister. I still have those images burned in my mind. The most vile things I’ve ever seen….”

The only normal person from the Deymar family is Olivia. How she didn’t end up as fucked up as the rest, is beyond me.

“Still, my grandfather wouldn’t budge. He was a bitter old man who preferred to let Indy suffer than find a way to save her.” Maddox shudders. I shift in the chair because I understand Maddox better than anyone else.

“I’ll never understand why Deymar Senior targeted her.”

While Tyson is the one leading the entire show, I can’t stop myself from saying, “She was a weakness, and Deymar Senior used it to his advantage.”

Maddox removes his hands from his eyes and glares at me. “Indy wasn’t weak!”

He is talking about her in the past.

“That’s not what I said. Deymar Senior probably targeted her because your grandfather must have displayed public affection towards her at some point.”

This is why Lords can only show their true feelings while they are in the Lair. It’s the only safe place where they can love their children and their wives. Dukes will use anything to bring us down, even our families. We have to make them believe we marry only for convenience. “Maybe it was Azael who told Deymar Senior to kidnap Indy.”

Maddox’s voice drops to a whisper, “He could have taken me.”

Tyson leans the tip of the knife against his chin. “He didn’t, so here we are.”

Maddox nods. “How does Senator Deymar and his son fit the story? You talked about Deymar Senior, but from what I know, he and his wife retired years ago at his ranch, several hours from here.”

Camila always talked about how Olivia’s parents and brother would always spend the weekends on the ranch while leaving her at home.

Maddox rubs the back of his neck. “Deymar Senior had a stroke not long before he retired at the ranch. He had all his dirty work done by his son and grandson. Samson and Jason Deymar. Jason was the one who took my sister to the facility.”

Senator Deymar and Jason, I wasn’t wrong to think that they were everywhere. They seem to have a habit of destroying families and lives.

“If your grandfather was so against Azael and Deymar Senior, how did you end up spying for them?”

Maddox’s expression turns serious. “I wasn’t about to let my grandfather get Indy killed. My father is a coward who obeyed my grandfather all his life. Indy had only me. I only hope that when that old, senile man dies, he gets to suffer for eternity for failing Indy.”

Rin steps away from the stove. “So you became a spy.”

“I had no other choice,” Maddox starts to make up excuses.

Tyson pretends to check how sharp the knife is. “Bullshit. You could have said something to the Elders.”

Anger reflects in Maddox’s eyes. “You think I didn’t try? I also have to check in with Jason Deymar every four hours and let him know where I am. And Azael has eyes all over the place. I can never speak my mind because it will reach Deymar Senior or Azael’s ears, and they will have everyone I care about killed.”

This statement gets everyone’s attention. We always assumed there were spies, but we never had any actual confirmation.

“How many more of ours work for Azael?” Tyson asks. Maddox doesn’t reply, so Tyson punches him. “I bet Henry’s eyes will look good next to the ones from the last Duke I tortured.”

“Henry has nothing to do with this,” Maddox snaps at Tyson, letting his mask slip and showing us his true character.

Tyson leans forward until he is an inch apart from Maddox’s face. “I will use anything and anyone to make you talk, you piece of shit. I let you inside my house, near my woman.”

“Ah, yes, Olivia. I came every time I was needed. If I wanted to hurt her, I would have. I am not like you or Rueben to drag women to a shed and torture them,” Maddox says and Tyson punches him again.

Maddox grunts in pain. “The truth hurts.”

“What’s going to hurt is my knife chopping off your fingers if you don’t tell us about the other spies,” Tyson snarls in his face.

Maddox shrugs. “Some pornais. Other Lords.”

Rin leans against the table and folds his arms against his chest. “We need names.”

Maddox reaches for his pocket, and Tyson pushes the tip of the blade into his neck. A few drops of blood run down his skin. “I have a list on my phone, which is in my pocket.”

Tyson doesn’t trust him. “No sudden movements.”

Maddox slowly sticks his hand in and pulls out his phone. “Cirro, can you take a look at it?”

Quiet as always, Cirro gets up from the chair and comes to take Maddox’s phone, then returns to the table. “I will need a day or two to analyze all the data.”

I think it’s the most I’ve ever heard Cirro say in an entire sentence.

Something comes to my mind. “Why were Tyson, Ansel, and I taken to the facility?”

Tyson comes up with another question before Maddox can answer mine. “Why does Senator Deymar hate Olivia so much?”

“Olivia didn’t just happen to be Jason’s twin. She was created in the facility by Azael, my grandfather, and Deymar Senior years ago.” All eyes are on Maddox. “Biologically, she is the daughter of Jon, Khloe St. Clair, and an unknown person—she has DNA from all three of them. Legally, she is her sister’s daughter.”

Holy fuck!

Yan, who has been looking out the window all this time, finally eyes Maddox. “What was Olivia’s purpose?”

“She was supposed to be the Anti-Christ.”

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