Even though Ewan maintained a calm deanor watching Aiden approach him with lips pressed in a thin line, he was a bit tense; after all, the older male was a significant part of Athena’s life.
Offending Aiden was bound to have consequences for his budding relationship with his wife. What questions would the male attack him with first?
"What’s going on up there?" His lips moved on their own accord, needing to exhale the tension in so way.
Aiden shrugged his shoulders in response, coming to stand before Ewan, his eyes fixed tautly on the latter—as if appraising the emotion in his eyes, as if doing so would let him see Ewan’s innermost thoughts.
"A continuation of what you allowed... Susan, though, is taking the reins this ti around. She doesn’t seem to be backing down anyti soon, especially since Athena ntioned Morgan had raped her mother..."
Ewan pursed his lips, biting down the urge to express his foremost thought—Morgan deserved whatever he was getting, and the females were right to get their pound of flesh—not wanting to trigger Aiden’s cuss words again.
"You know those hooligans deserve it. Athena and Susan need the release."
After Aiden had finally saved Morgan from Athena’s almost maniacal wrath, he had ordered Ewan’s n to take Morgan and his faint-hearted crew of two upstairs to one of the torture rooms.
However, Susan had stopped them by demanding from Athena what Morgan had really done to her mother. And when Athena had given the answer, a simple yet heavy-laden "He raped her," Susan, before anyone could stop her, had rushed over, taken the knife, and stabbed Morgan in the thigh.
She was only able to get in three stabs before one of Ewan’s n, ordered by Ewan, had stopped the young lady. They had dragged her, kicking and screaming, away from a passed-out Morgan, who couldn’t take the continuous assault, while Dax watched on, urinating on himself.
However, they hadn’t been able to stop her when she insisted on following the crew upstairs. Aiden had let her go, after Athena’s consent to Susan’s request, on the premise that she not kill the cruel gang leader; they needed to question him.
It has been more than fifteen minutes and over twenty shouts, as Athena had resuscitated Morgan and Heron before the torture had continued, and the females were not done releasing their pent-up anger that had simred for months.
"I know you are right; they needed to get the anger out of their system, but..." Aiden paused, exhaling tiredly. "I don’t want Athena descending into chaos. It’s not favorable for her."
"How would you know that?"
Aiden sighed again. "We worked together for so years in the field, Ewan. Both at the CIA and Nimbus. A few tis she stumbled into that haze—mostly when there’s gross injustice towards children and won—it triggers her to go on a... well, a crazy, righteous rampage, sothing like what you just witnessed. And when she’s done, when we return to base, when her mind settles down, she begins to doubt herself, ask questions, even takes to alcohol..."
Ewan took his lower lip in thought. "Have the kids caught her in that state? A drinking state or doubtful haze, I an..."
Aiden shook his head. "She manages to snap out of it before she ets them."
"And how would you rate the frequency of the matter, and her taking to drinks since the first ti...?"
Aiden furrowed his brows, checking, calculating this matter. "I think the frequency of the matter and the drinking habit thereafter has quite reduced. If I should be honest, I would say that with every descent, she has built a better handle on her emotion."
"And there you have it, Aiden. Athena is not a breakable glass, I doubt she would want to be attributed as such, not after the fire she’s been through. Of course, it’s okay to show concern for her, to protect her in so cases, but in this matter, I think I’m not evil for letting her vent out her anger. She needed it. And Morgan needed to see that she wasn’t so easy prey to manipulate—that there’s a reason why she’s highly respected by her counterparts in the CIA and Nimbus."
Silence followed Ewan’s little speech, where Aiden turned it over and over in his mind, realizing after a few turns that his overprotectiveness and assumption to know what was best for Athena was what had caused their last fight so days ago.
"You know, you might be right, Ewan," He muttered, to Ewan’s amusent, who thought he was actually right, not ’might’.
However, he kept his thoughts to himself; no need to push the truce, seeing as the tension had faded between them.
"So, Ewan..." Aiden slipped his hands into his pockets, taking a position that made him stand next to Ewan, both looking at the staircase that was now stained red with the blood of the captured n.
"You know Connor Brafus. How is that? Athena doesn’t seem surprised either, which would only explain that she knows—that you have told her—that I’m the only one in the dark about a particular matter..."
A pause.
"How do you know Connor, Ewan? His identity shouldn’t be privy to people like you..."
"When you say ’people like ’?..." Ewan teased, folding his arms across his chest, basking in the atmosphere of camaraderie between them, despite the loaded question.
Aiden scoffed. "Are you going to talk, or will I have to punch it out of you?"
Ewan laughed, shaking his head. "You don’t need to. I’m Wolfsbane."
Aiden’s chuckle that had followed Ewan’s laughter sputtered to a halt. He frowned, swallowing saliva.
"What did you say?" Humor thoroughly dissipated from his face and voice.
"I’m Wolfsbane," Ewan repeated in a more serious tone, quelling the need to explain himself as he had for Athena. "Or rather, I was."
A pause. "I’ve not answered to that na since I married Athena nine years ago."
A long ti, quite all right. Aiden thought, his brain calculating dates and tis. But it didn’t change the consequences that ca with bearing that na.
"But you were..."
"Too young to be leading the gang? Yes, I’m aware, but drastic situations called for drastic asures then."
Aiden grappled with the disbelief that threatened to consu him, but seeing the level of n who worked with Ewan—even the few who had saved them in their last mission—he couldn’t help but push his disbelief aside.
"Well..." He coughed, shaking his head, not sure what to say.
Dramatic much? Ewan thought, bemused, still facing the staircase.
"Wow, I’m still struggling with this. How did Athena take it?"
"Well, she was aghast at first, until I explained the situations to her and promised that this truth won’t ever surface in the dia."
Aiden nodded slowly. He could see why Athena had made Ewan make that promise; their children’s future depended on it.
Before he could ask more questions about this discovery, which still befuddled him, Athena and Susan, in the company of Connor, walked down the staircase, all three with bloodied fists; the gloves had done little to no good, and it inford Ewan and Aiden of the possible number of tis these three had used their fists on the captives.
"Are you two cool again?" Athena asked, taking off the gloves, accepting the clean rag that Hank gave her; the agent had discovered a bunch of clean rags on the dining table.
"Thanks," She muttered, using the rag to wipe her hands slowly, carefully, to get rid of any blood stains.
Beside her, Susan did the sa, while Connor sank his bloodied hands into his pockets, at ease with them, to the no-surprise of the people around him. Everyone knew Connor Brafus, even Susan.
"Yeah, we are cool again, especially since I found out that he is Wolfsbane," Aiden replied, looking at Athena aningfully.
Susan gasped. "Really? That’s so cool!"
Ewan smiled. At least one of them thought he was cool.
Athena, anwhile, shrugged her shoulders, saying nothing.
"So, what next?" Susan asked just as imdiately, throwing the now bloodied rag into a little dustbin by the doorpost leading to the stairs.
"We go ho," Athena responded weakly, doing the sa, before turning toward the exit, feeling the entire weight of tiredness and hunger. She needed a hot bath, food, and rest.
As they prepared to go ho, Aiden and Susan entered one of the cars that had followed the transport of Morgan to this location, while Athena and Ewan entered the car they had ridden in since this particular mission started.
"I’m so tired," Athena bemoaned, resting her head on Ewan’s shoulder as if it was the most natural thing in the world, letting out a deep sigh.
Ewan, happy with his luck, rested his head on hers, grabbing her slender hand. "It’s done now. You can rest well enough when you get ho."
"Yeah," Athena muttered. "Will you follow ho? I’m sure Old Mr. Thorne would love to hear from you. Nathaniel and Kathleen too..."
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