Chapter 29 #2
She fixed me with a glare I knew all too well that meant shut the hell up and listen. It was like being ten all over again. I sat up straighter, making sure to give her my full attention.
"You have no idea how many times your father has made me so angry I've left to go back to Italy to be with my parents."
He had? I couldn’t remember a time when my parents weren't madly in love. Throughout my childhood, my father had worshiped the ground my mother walked on. They’d never shied away from showing each other affection in front of any of us. I’d vowed to have the same kind of marriage when I got older.
"No one is perfect."
"Onyx is."
She huffed out a chuckle. "No, he isn't, and I can guarantee he knows that. If he shows you his flaws, will you run?"
"No."
She smiled at me as if I gave her the right answer. "Do you love him?'
There wasn't an ounce of hesitation even after everything that had happened. "More than anything."
"Good." She reached over, and I flinched, expecting another slap. But instead, her cool hands wrapped around mine. "I'm going to hold your hand when I say this. Sometimes love isn't enough. You made a mistake. It's all about how you go about making up for it."
"I tried to figure out how to fix it already, and I got nothing." I grabbed the manilla envelope, holding papers I would rather burn and then piss on before ever signing them. "He sent these."
She took it out of my hand, glancing over the contents briefly. "You were served two weeks ago, Lucero."
I flinched at how much time had passed. Had it really been two weeks? And I was no closer to a way to win my husband back. "I couldn't sign it."
With a sigh, she closed it and sat it to the side. "Fine, no fixing.” She shrugged like her words weren’t an atomic bomb on my heart. “Can you change what you did?"
I shook my head knowing there was no way to time travel.
"Then what can you do?"
I don't know .
Stress ate away at me as I stared at my mother, hoping she'd give me a hint. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my forehead.
"Figure it out. Unless all that stuff you said about loving him was bullshit. If that's the case, stay away from him. Onyx is a sweet man and he deserves someone that's going to put his needs first." She got up, gathering her purse. "If that's not you then the next man will do what you couldn't."
The thought of someone else making Onyx happy had bile lapping at the back of my throat. I couldn't ever allow that to happen.
"No."
"Words are meaningless if you don't have actions to back them up.”
I knew that, and yet I didn't know what actions to take. I replayed the day Onyx called everything off in my head on a constant loop. Mostly to punish myself, but I thought about everything he said, and slowly, it felt like the cogs were turning.
Régis. Adam.
Maybe there was a way. It was a long shot and probably had less of a chance than me hitting the powerball. But I'd take anything if it meant I got to see Onyx.
"Take a shower first." Her nose scrunched up as her words cut through my thoughts. "You smell like cheap perfume, whiskey, and BO." She stopped short. "You didn't touch one of these girls here, did you?"
I was up and out of my seat. "I would never cheat on Onyx. He's the only one for me."
Her smile was knowing. "Good, you're up. Go shower." She pointed over her shoulder at my siblings, all acting as if they hadn't been listening. "I expect to see my son-in-law for dinner. Along with all my children."
"Tonight?"
"Lucero Elvis Marino, was I not clear?" Her tone made it very clear that I didn't have a choice. "You go do what needs to be done."
Telling her that Onyx didn't want to see me felt pointless. "Okay."
She smiled at me. "Good, then get moving."
I moved as if there was a fire under my ass. I leaned down and gave Ma a kiss on her cheek before running past her.
It took me less than two hours to shower, trim my facial hair, and make it to the other side of town.
There were so many warning sirens going off in my head again, and yet I still took the stairs and knocked on the door.
I waited, my heart racing and my palms sweating.
This could all go to shit or it could work out. Either way, I needed to do something.
The door opened and Adam peeked out through the crack before closing it. The sound of the chain rattling eased some of my anxiety. He opened the door a bit wider, not fully letting me in but not sending me away either.
I'd take it.
"You can tell me to fuck off."
Adam tilted his head as he stared up at me. "Will you listen?" Sarcasm dripped heavily from his lips.
"Yes." I didn't make a single move to step further into his place. The fact that I was there could blow up in my face.
"You're here because of Louis, right?"
I nodded. "I need your help."
Adam stared at me for a long as if contemplating what he should do. "What do you need me to do?"
"Come to dinner at my parents’ house."
Adam's eyes widened. "What?"
My plan, if you could even call it one, was simple. Get Adam over for dinner. Onyx finds out and has no choice but to show up. I woo him, and bam ! Back to being married. There was probably some hole in the plan, but it was mine, and it was all I had.
"Please, Adam. I love Onyx, and I messed up. I know that, but I'm not ready to give up on us."
"Wait, wait." Adam's hands were up. "You two broke up?" He pressed his fingers to his temple. "Is that why he looked like that?"
"Like what?" Worry twisted my stomach into knots. Was Onyx okay? It killed me not watching over him, making sure he got enough sleep. Or ate a balanced breakfast. "Adam!" I hadn't meant to yell.
He jumped back, and I took a step away, giving him space. "Sorry. Is Onyx—How is he?"
Adam scratched at his neck, leaving behind red lines on his pale skin.
"He's… cold?" He grunted as if he wasn’t sure how to explain it.
"Distracted and indifferent. He was over the other day, but he forgot half of the stuff and then got frustrated and stormed out.
" Adam chewed his lip, hesitation written all over his face.
“I feel like I'm tattling, but he was pretty drunk.”
Bella, I’m so sorry.
I wanted so desperately to go to him. Make sure he was okay.
"You two are married, you can't just break up," Adam said, cutting through my wavering thoughts.
"He served me divorce papers."
"What, why?" Adam looked confused and angry. "Don't tell me because he found your shirt at my place. I told him all you did was cook and ask for French lessons."
All I could do was nod.
"Petit frère idiot. Il a tout et il va tout gacher, et pour quoi ?"
"It was my fault." I swallowed, and it felt like razor blades slid down my throat.
Not because I had to admit that I messed up, but because I was reminded of the severity of what I'd done to Onyx.
"I broke his trust. You were the one person he wanted to keep safe.
The one line he begged me not to cross, and I didn't listen.
" I cleared my throat. "I know it seems stupid to come back if it pissed him off, but you're all I have in order to get him back.
" I met his gaze once more. "But if this is too much, you don't have to come. "
Adam stood there in silence for a few more seconds. "You love my brother?"
For the second time today, someone questioned my love for Onyx, and it gave me pause. My love for him should have never been something someone had to wonder about. It should be an undeniable fact.
"With every fiber of my being."
Adam's shoulders seemed to relax the longer he stared at me. "Okay, let's go piss your husband off." He grabbed some shoes, slipping them on. "Can your mom cook?"
"Who do you think I learned from?"
Adam groaned. "I hope I can take some to-go boxes." He looked back at his place as if he had second thoughts about leaving.
I sent a text to Emir, letting him know a little bit about Adam. Maybe he’d have something to help him if he decided to still come. I waited patiently for him to grab what he needed before we made our way to my car. I nodded at the familiar guy standing outside.
"You know him?" Adam questioned.
"Yeah, we put protection on you." I knocked his shoulder. "You're family."
Adam stumbled a bit but caught himself. "You sound like you're in the mafia." He chuckled to himself and slipped into the passenger seat. "How far are we going?"
"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.