This time, Marcus did leave. He couldn't listen to it again, couldn't bear to hear another person die screaming in that basement.
He climbed the stairs and found Kane waiting in the hallway, his expression grim.
"Is it almost over sir?" Kane asked.
"Soon," Marcus said. "Ryan needs this, he needs to finish it properly."
Kane nodded and Marcus walked to the kitchen. He poured himself water with shaking hands and stared out the window at the garden where morning light painted everything gold.
His father had protected him, had sent him away to keep him safe from Logan's influence.
Owen wasn't innocent, he'd benefited from Logan's crimes, had looked the other way for too long, had prioritized business over morality for years.
But he'd also drawn a line, had forced Logan underground when he learned about the massacre, and had protected his son the only way he knew how.
It didn't excuse everything, but it meant something.
