"Want to get some sparring in?" I asked Felix as we finished. "You never know if we might need it."
Felix, who was obviously still troubled by his twisted ankle, thought about it. I was hoping his pride would keep him going, I didn't want him one hundred percent for the break in. We couldn't back out anyway, not with the cover that my contact had given. "Come on," I needled him. "You never could hang with me without contest rules anyway."
Felix's pride was sufficiently pricked. "Fine," he said.
We went into the back yard, actually very close to the space where we'd talked with the men yesterday, each of us carrying the mouthpiece that we kept in the barn for this purpose. It had been a long time since we'd worn them, and I spat in disgust at the taste. "Hold on, rinse out," I said. Going to an outside faucet, I doused the rubbery safety device and put it back in, sucking water through before repeating the process twice more. "Okay, ready."
Circling Felix, I was happy to have an advantage. While my brother is bigger and stronger, we’d trained together since we were practically babies. I knew his movements, his style, and his techniques. We could counter each other almost without thinking, and normally a sparring session between us would last for a very long time without either of us getting any sort of telling blow in on the other.
This time, however, I knew that Felix was hobbling and that it was his lead foot that was injured. Attacking swiftly, I made him continually have to pivot on that foot, pressuring it with movement until it tired out. Soon, he stumbled, and I was able to take advantage with a punch to the jaw that sent him sprawling. I backed away and gestured for him to get up. "Come on, lucky shot."
Felix got up again, and again I pressed my attack, fending off his off balance punches to knee him deep in the muscle of his right thigh. With that muscle knotted up as well as his ankle in pain, I quickly outmaneuvered him and landed another punch, this time to the stomach that doubled him over. Felix coughed, spitting a wad of phlegm and a little bit of blood into the dirt, and held up his finger. "One more round."
I was taken aback when Felix switched his feet, pulling his right leg back and putting his left leg forward. He knew my tactic. I decided to overwhelm him again, pressing in quickly. I was shocked when suddenly I ended up on my back, Felix standing above me with his left foot at my throat. "Knockout," Felix said quietly, then helped me to my feet. "You got cocky with my leg."
I shook my head, surprised. Felix and I needed to fight more often, he was the best opponent I'd ever faced. "I barely felt it until I was on my back."
Felix grinned. "Thank you. Now, help me inside. I want to get this jaw iced and my ankle soaked in hot water before Jordan gets back. If she sees me hobbling or in pain, she's going to freak out and probably kick both of our asses."
After helping Francois into the bathtub, I got on the computer, logging into my secret e-mail. There was a message from my contact, the boss of the man who'd come by the house the day before. My men said you did a very good job of selling the deal, but they were surprised when they realized who you and your brother are. There is a new rider on the contract. Your brother is not going to be terminated but instead be brought into the custody of certain partners of mine. We will take possession of the book and your brother at that time.
If that’s what it takes, I wrote back in an e-mail. Arrange the hand-off to be soon after the obtaining of the book. We will not be alone, and I don’t want her suspecting. Send details in next message.
I shut down my computer, making sure to wipe the history of the e-mail. The hateful idea resonated with me. The king who becomes a slave. I kind of liked the sound of that.
Chapter 22
Felix
Stuttgart is a city of contradictions. One of the oldest cities in southwestern Germany, most people associate it with the history of the automobile. After all, Karl Benz invented the car in Stuttgart, and even today Mercedes-Benz and Porsche are headquartered there. But at the same time, Stuttgart isn't overly industrial like some of the other manufacturing centers of Germany. There are large artistic centers, universities, and museums that made it a fine place for people who were looking for culture to visit as well. Of all the cities in Germany that I'd been to, it was one of my favorites and a routine stop on my travels around Europe.