Page 97 of Agony

“Fuck that noise,” Fisher snapped. “You kept your head in the sand to avoid the truth.”

“Shut up,” Rogue said thickly, but Fisher wasn’t done, not by a long shot.

“Tanis used you just like he used me and then sold us to Solomon.”

“No…it was different,” Rogue murmured.

“How so? Don’t tell me you loved that fucker?”

“I killed Tanis!”

“When? How?” Fisher asked quietly. He needed information and if Rogue could give him something to go on, he’d take it. So, for now, Fisher kept to himself that Tanis was indeed not dead. And the fact that the bastard was still running boys.

Rogue finally turned from gazing out the window, his eyes filled with so much despair.

Fisher swallowed hard.

Fuck.

Solomon and Tanis had done so much damage to them that Fisher wondered if they would ever recover.

“It was winter. I remember it was so cold in the warehouse.” Rogue’s voice was low, and the man’s eyes held a far-off glaze to them. “Solomon had brought you in a few weeks earlier. You were a few years older than I was, but I tried to get you warm. But you were terrified of me…of everything. It took me weeks to finally figure out why, but that was only after Solomon stripped you down.”

Fisher squeezed his hands into fists. He’d blocked out a lot of the humiliation he’d gone through back then, but Rogue’s words brought some of it up.

“I started paying attention when Solomon let me out of the cage. I overheard what they talked about.”

“What was it?” Echo whispered when Rogue seemed to be caught in his own hell.

“Tanis was raping boys and when he was done or they grew too old, he’d sell them to Solomon.” Rogue’s voice held a dead tone.

Echo gasped, staring at both of them as if trying to grapple with the sudden information.

“I followed Solomon on the next run and I shot Tanis with his own gun. Solomon got me out of there.”

Rogue’s words petered out, and Fisher suspected that there was a lot more to it.

“Finish it,” he growled. He didn’t remember about Tanis being dead until he’d escaped from Solomon. He needed answers that he suspected Rogue could give him.

Rogue’s eyes went from tormented to cold, flat, and hard. “Solomon told me that Tanis was dead. After that, there were no more boys sent over or picked up.” Rogue’s gaze burned into his. “I told you that Tanis was dead and you finally started crying.”

Rogue’s voice broke. Fisher didn’t remember, but when Rogue reached out a hand, Fisher gripped it tightly.

“Why did you ask me about Tanis?” Rogue asked.

“Tanis didn’t die, he just went to ground,” Fisher rasped. “He’s been doing the same fucking thing. I’ll bet you money he raped Azrael.”

“Why didn’t I ever meet Tanis?” Echo interjected, confused.

“Because the sick fuck was out of the picture, or so we thought, by the time Solomon found you,” Fisher said.

Echo gripped the paper coffee cup tightly, holding his eyes for a long moment. “Did you…were you…”

Fisher turned away from Echo’s searching gaze for a moment. But now was not the time to keep this to himself. He needed Echo and Rogue’s help to find Tanis.

“Yes. I lived with Tanis from the age of six until I turned twelve. He considered me too old. After that…I was sold to Solomon. Or gifted to him, I’m not sure how it all worked.”

“And was this Tanis guy an assassin?”

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