Page 132 of Blood & Lace
Nash secured Régis to the single metal chair in the room. It was a windowless concrete room. The floor had seen more blood than a morgue and just as much bleach. Soon Régis’s blood would be added.
Onyx squatted down on the ground, his arms folded over his knees as he stared at his father. His gaze was heavy and unwavering.
Silence filled the room as each of us just watched as Régis slept, unaware of the fate that awaited him. His once neatly combed hair was a mess, his freshly pressed suit was wrinkled, and would soon be soaked in his blood.
This was his deathbed and he had no idea.
“He’s waking up,” Onyx finally said after what felt like forever. He stood up and stretched behind Régis.
Sure enough, a groan emitted from his parted lips as his eyes started to flutter open.
“My head,” Régis groaned.
Damian pushed off the wall, the cigarette he’d come in with long gone. He pulled out another, lit it, and let it hang between his lips. My brother whipped the back of his hand across Régis’s face.
The older man’s head whipped to the side as his eyes widened in shock. “What?—”
Damian backhanded him again before grabbing a fistful of hair and forced him to meet his gaze. "I told you that family is important to me. Well, it's been brought to my attention that you've threatened my family twice now. That's more than most people have the opportunity to do." Damian pulled the cigarette from between his lips and ashed it to the side. “You think I’m a joke.”
Régis coughed as he tried to pull away from Damian. His struggle seemed to only make him panic more. “No, that’s not it at all, I would never.”
“And to further your insult, you’re calling my family liars.” Damian nodded as if he was finally understanding something. He held the cigarette up to Régis’s face and slowly brought the glowing cherry toward his eye. “Marinos aren’t to be fucked with.” He put the cigarette out in his eye. The sizzle echoed around the room before it was drowned out by Régis’s screams.
All four legs of the chair he was in rattled against the concrete flooring but moved nowhere. Damian took a step back, pulling at his sleeves as he released Régis. "You're right, I was letting you win. You're a shit player. I'll be taking the winnings you got from tonight as payment for the disrespect. Count yourself lucky I won’t be taking your life."
Régis cursed and thrashed about, nearly making the chair topple over. Still, no one moved to help him. No one said anything as he wallowed in pain. It was like watching a cockroach end up on its back after getting too close to poison.
Onyx was still watching like a predator, more than ready to strike. There was a smile on his face that even sent chills down my spine.
Régis slowly settled down, his shouts turned into ragged breathing. His entire body shook. “Okay.”
My brother and I looked at each other. What the fuck was he okaying?
“You proved your point, whatever I did won’t happen again.”
Damian chuckled, something he rarely did. “We know.”
“So let me go so I can go get checked out,” Régis demanded. When no one helped him, he kept shouting nonsense. "Any further and you’ll be making a grave mistake." Régis stared at Damian with the one working eye. "Anymore and my business partners will no longer work with you."
"You must piss people off constantly," Nash said. "We approached each of them and they were more than happy to go into business without you."
Régis spat to the side, and blood ran down his face. “I doubt that. I’ve been in this game longer than you all have been out of diapers.”
“Even at times like this, where you’re clearly at everyone's mercy, you act like everything is under your control.” Onyxwalked over to the front of Régis, and I swore his face paled the moment his gaze landed on my husband.
Yeah, bitch, be afraid.
“Louis, what are you doing?” Régis stared at him with one eye blinking rapidly as tears streamed down his face.
“Something I should have done a long time ago.”
“Wait!” Régis’s voice broke as desperation took over. He struggled in his binds, rattling the chair as his head turned both ways. “Louis, I’ve told you time and time again, he lied. I would never. Look at me.”
Onyx’s shoulders bunched at his father’s words. He drew his fist back before punching the shit out of Régis. The man rocked back, balancing on two legs for a few seconds before slamming back down on all four.
“You don’t get to sit here and claim Adam lied, not when he's broken after what you did to him.”
Blood gushed from Régis’s nose, running over his mouth and down his chin. He sputtered as he was forced to breathe through his mouth.
