Page 58 of Felix

“Focus, guys,” Angel interjects, his voice as sharp as the blades we’re all carrying. “We need to be ready for anything.”

“Fuck yeah, we do,” I agree. My heart beats faster, and my adrenaline pumps hard. This isn’t just another job—it’s personal. It’s about saving my darling Aurora from the filth that wants to destroy her.

We park the car behind thick blackberry bushes. I can feel the tension building in my chest like a fucking pressure cooker, ready to explode.

“Fuck, I wish we had those earpieces,” Matteo mutters, struggling to balance his phone against his shoulder while he talks to Niko. “Making this shit harder than it needs to be.”

“Stop bitching,” I snap at him, grabbing my gear and heading out of the car. “I’m sure Niko can arrange some for the next kidnapping rescue mission.”

“I’m hoping this is the last one,” Matteo grumbles but follows me into the bushes anyway. Moody bastard.

The dried leaves crunch under our boots as we scramble through the scrub. The hot air is suffocating. My heart is pounding in my ears, drowning out the sound of insects buzzing around us. I fucking hate this place, but if it means finding Aurora, I’ll tear it apart with my bare hands.

“Up ahead,” Angel whispers, pointing to where the old cattle station looms in the distance. The red brick house looks like it’s seen better days—cracked and weather-beaten. Behind it is a concrete milking station, looking just as fucked up as the rest of this godforsaken place.

“Christ, who’d live in a shithole like this?” Spike murmurs, his eyes glinting with an unsettling hunger for violence. I can tell he’s itching to use his knives.

“Doesn’t matter,” I growl, my mind focused on one thing—finding Aurora. “Let’s just get this over with, yeah? We got a job to do.”

“Right,” Angel agrees, his eyes cold and determined. “We’ll get her back, Felix. Don’t worry.”

“Fucking better,” I mutter. The thought of anything happening to Aurora is gnawing at my insides like a pack of rabid dogs.

“Matteo, what’s the fucking plan?” I ask, my voice low and gravelly. I need to know how we’re going to tackle this shitstorm.

“Let’s split up,” Matteo says, his eyes scanning the decrepit buildings before us. “One takes the house, the other takes the milking station.”

Angel sidles up beside me, his gaze locked on the house. “Let’s go, Felix,” he says, determination dripping from his words.

“Fuck yeah,” I agree, feeling the adrenaline pumping through my veins. We start our sneaky walk towards the house, hoping like hell that Aurora is still alive.

The grass crunches beneath our feet, each step closing in on the goddamn place where they’re holding her. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest, louder than a fucking drum. My blood is boiling, ready to explode at the slightest provocation.

“Keep it down,” Angel warns, his eyes darting around the property. We both know that making too much noise couldtip off whoever is inside, but I can’t help it. I’m fucking furious. I clench my fists tight, trying to contain my rage.

Stay focused, Felix, I tell myself, my thoughts racing.We’ve got one shot at this, so don’t fuck it up. We need to stay sharp if we’re going to get Aurora out of here in one piece.

As we approach the house, every muscle in my body tenses up like a coiled spring. The smell of decay hangs heavy in the air, mixing with the stench of fear and desperation. It’s a vile combination that makes me want to hurl, but I push it down, keeping my focus on the task at hand.

“Ready?” Angel whispers, his eyes locked on the door. I nod, feeling a shiver run down my spine as we prepare to storm the house. Whoever is in there, they better be ready for a fucking fight because that’s exactly what they’re going to get.

Chapter Forty-Two

Aurora Henry

I’m hanging there, wrists bound tight above my head in this godforsaken cement room, naked as the day I was born. The masked man beside me has this sick grin plastered on his face. I can tell by the squinting eyes and tense brows.

Fuck him!

“Ready for some heat, sweetheart?” he taunts, rubbing oil on the bottom half of my left leg. My heart throbs and my breath is ragged with fear and anticipation. But I’ll be damned if I let him see it.

“Go to hell,” I spit back, staring him down with all the rage I can muster. He chuckles darkly, flicking a lighter to life. I brace myself for the pain, but nothing could’ve prepared me for what comes next.

In an instant, my leg is ablaze, flames dancing up my skin like a lover’s caress. There’s no pain at first, just the stench of burning flesh filling my nostrils, making bile rise in mythroat. My mind races, thoughts of Felix flooding through me. I need him so he can end this pain.

The masked man watches me intently, waiting for my reaction. I grit my teeth, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing me break. But then, after a few agonising seconds, he wraps a wet cloth around my leg, smothering the flames. And that’s when it hits me—the burning, white-hot pain, worse than anything I’ve ever felt.

“Aaahhh!” I scream, unable to hold back any longer. Tears stream down my face as I writhe in agony, flames of torment searing through my body. My vision blurs, the world around me fading to black.