Page 115 of Blood & Lace
"It's thirty minutes." I buckled up and pulled into traffic.
Silence filled the car as I contemplated saying anything. Should I ask if he was comfortable? But what if that made him uncomfortable?
How's your mental health? Because you know, we talk about that stuff all the time.
Not.
Hey, so I heard a little bit about your childhood, and I'm sorry.
No, that’s just as bad.
So about your dad…
That’s fucking stupid.
"What?" Adam's voice bounced off the inside of the car, jarring me from my thoughts. “I can tell you want to ask something." Adam's leg bounced as he pulled at a loose string on his shirt. He sounded confident but looked the opposite.
If I didn't know what had happened to him or even somewhat of what he went through, I might have overlooked some of his nervous habits. Everything that had happened when we first met made so much more sense now.
"There is another part of my plan," I eased out.
"Okay?"
I blew out a breath, ready to rip the Band-Aid off. "Régis Auclair, I can't seem to find him." I kept checking Adam's responses as I drove.
His leg stopped moving and he went stone still. Like a gust of wind could have come by and knocked him over. I wasn't even sure if he was breathing.
I shouldn't have said anything. "This is too much for you?—"
"Don't," he said through clenched teeth. "Don't treat me like I'm some broken thing. That’s what pisses me off about Louis. I liked it better when you pushed." Adam shoved his fingers through his hair in jerky movements as if he wasn't sure what to do with himself. "It's not Auclair. That—It was our mother’s maiden name. We both took it when they got a divorce." Adam cleared his throat. "His name is Régis Monet."
There was something familiar about it that tickled the back of my brain. Where had I heard it before?
Monet?
I quickly called Nash as I turned the corner to the house.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Régis Monet." It didn't go unnoticed when Adam flinched at the mention of the man's name.
"Yeah, what about him?"
We do know him. "Where do we know him from?"
"Asshole set up that bullshit test a ways back. Had Damian surrounded.”
I ground my teeth, finally remembering the man with the gray eyes. I could see it now that I knew the truth.
“Why? What does this have to do with your marriage problems?"
"He's the failed target. He cornered Onyx in the bathroom that night."
"You have got to be fucking kidding me," Nash growled.
"I'm almost at the house. Let Damian know I need to talk to him. I need a favor." I hung up, knowing Nash would relay the message. I didn't ask for much, and hopefully my brother would be okay with me taking out a business partner. I knew how important it was to him that we establish ourselves even more, but this one I'd take with or without permission. As we pulled up to the house, I hit Onyx's number. It rang twice before going to voicemail. It hurt, but I could handle it for now.
"I know you put the tracking app on my phone. I have Adam with me." I ended the call and prayed to a higher power that my husband came. His ring sat heavily in my pocket, and I made a mental vow to slip it back on his finger where it belonged.
