Bandit Bride

Felix had his share of wild nights, but he had to admit that crowds really weren’t his think. Elisa and Jack has gotten swept up in the crowd of dancers and Felix had taken the opportunity to retreat outside and get some fresh air. As fresh as a place like Trevail got, at least. He settled on a bench and closed his eyes, taking in the cool night air.

He heard movement nearby and opened his eyes, looking up. A tall man in a refined suit stood there, smiling politely at him. Felix glanced around, just to be sure that the man was actually looking at him.

“Hello,” he said, offering Felix a flask. “Whiskey?”

“Uh, no,” Felix said slowly. “Thanks.”

“You’re missing out,” the man shrugged. “It’s imported.”

“I don’t drink much,” Felix said. “Can I help you with something?”

“Well I saw you hurry out so suddenly,” the man said. “I suppose I can understand. It’s quite crowded in there. Just checking on you. Will your son worry for you?”

“I don’t have a son,” Felix said. “I think you’re talking about my brother.”

“Right,” he nodded. “And the others… they’re friends of yours? Or are you all some sort of club?”

Felix hesitated. It felt like a friendly conversation, but Felix wasn’t sure why this man would approach him with so many questions. He was about to ask for the man’s name when he heard Elisa call for him from the back door of the pub. He turned and waved to her, and she flounced over with Jack following behind.

“What are you doing out here?” Jack asked.

“I was just talking to-“

He stopped mid sentence, frowning when he saw the man was no longer there. He must have slipped away when Elisa came out. Felix felt a bit uneasy, standing and putting an arm around her and a hand on Jack’s shoulder to guide them back inside.

“It’s getting late,” he said. “We should probably get some sleep.”

Elisa didn’t say anything until they were alone in their room, watching Felix start to pack up their things.

“Are we leaving so soon?” she asked.

“Trevail is a weird place,” Felix said. “The less time we spend here, the better.”

“Felix, is something wrong?”

Felix chewed on his bottom lip, then turned and shook his head, giving her a reassuring smile.

“No, I’m just tired and overthinking.”

He kissed the top of her head, ending the conversation there. Maybe he was overthinking.

The next morning, Lyle was nowhere to be found. Allen seemed convinced that he was off in someone girl’s bed, but Felix wasn’t sure. He usually came back in the early mornings, but as they started inching into the afternoon there was still no sign of him.

“He’s probably caught up in the sheets, that dog,” Allen chuckled.

“I don’t know,” Felix sighed. “It’s just not like him.”

“He’s a grown man,” Allen reminded him. “He doesn’t need you to change his diapers.”

“Lyle wears diapers?” Jack asked.

“I have a bad feeling,” Felix repeated. “I think we need to leave Trevail.”

“That bad feeling is more likely to be from this lunch than Lyle,” Allen said, tossing aside the stale bread they had been served with their meal and standing. “I’m going to have a word with the innkeep. You ladies keep waiting for your soldiers to come home.”

Felix scowled, pacing back and forth. He looked at Burns, who quickly looked down at his feet. Jack also didn’t seem to have much to say. Elisa seemed concerned, but more for Felix than anything else. But Felix’s worries rang true when Lyle came back, blood dripping from his nose and holding his stomach.

“What happened?!” Felix asked.

“I don’t fucking know,” Lyle said angrily. “Some thugs jumped me in an alley.”

Elisa quickly helped him sit, fetching a rag and some water to help clean him up. He winced when she touched his face, but eventually relaxed.

“What thugs?” Felix questioned. “What did they look like? Were they well dressed?”

“What?” Lyle sighed. “No. They looked like most thugs who hang out in dark alleys do. They asked me a bunch of questions about who I was visiting and beat the hell out of me when I walked away.”

“I knew it,” Felix said. “Something is going on.”

“What’s going on?” Jack asked, getting anxious. “Are we all going to get beat up?”

“No,” Felix reassured him. “It must be Anthony. He must’ve made some shady deals here that he didn’t tell any of us about.”

“What kind of shady deals?” Allen asked.

“I don’t know,” Felix said. “You were his best friend, if anyone knows it should be you.”

“And I’m saying that I don’t know about any deals,” Allen snapped back.

“It has to have been him,” Felix argued. “There’s no other explanation for all of this.”

“All of what?” Elisa asked.

“Someone approaches me last night,” Felix said. “He left the second he was outnumbered. I’m not sure where it would’ve gone if you didn’t show up. He must’ve had something to do with Anthony. Unless any of you know something I don’t.”

Everyone was quiet.

“So are we running, or are you going to do something about it?” Allen said.

“Do something?”

“Yeah,” he said, stepping up to Felix. “You’re our self-proclaimed leader. If you think this has to do with your brother then it seems like that’s something else he should pass to you. Unless we’re going to avoid confrontation again. Maybe we’ll pick up another pretty girl. Like the last time you backed down.”

Felix glared at Allen, holding his ground. “I’m not running from anything.”

“Felix,” Elisa said softly. “We should think about this.”

“He’s made up his mind, Elisa,” Allen said. “He wants to tell us what to do and where to go. He should do it.”

Felix’s fists were clenched so tightly that his fingernails were digging into his palms. He stepped back, shaking his head in frustration.

“I’m taking a walk,” he muttered.

“I can come with you,” Elisa said.

“Not this time,” he told her, taking her hand and giving it a light squeeze. “I just need to clear my mind. I’ll be back soon.”

“Like how Lyle would come back?” she asked.

“I’ll be careful,” he promised.

He didn’t plan to go too far. He really hadn’t planned for any of this. But whatever it was, it had to have been in his hands.