Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own the prime piece of Cajun beef.
Chapter Two
Things were rarely simple in the Mansion of the Thieves Guild.
Of course, that was only to be expected, the place was just wall to wall with professional liars and pick pockets. It was hard to get an honest conversation out of anybody, but not quite as hard as it was to hold on to all of your possessions.
Remy was hiding.
In all truth, Remy LeBeau did not hide. He was not a coward, he did not run away and let others deal with his problems for him. But just this once he had needed some peace and quiet, and had decided that the roof was as good a place as any to find it. He lit up his second cigarette and took a long drag, savouring the sweet buzz of the nicotine. It wouldn't be long before someone found him, and he had to make the most of it while he could.
He was just sick of listening to others tell him how he should live his life, when he knew perfectly well that he didn't want any of their suggestions.
Remy hadn't been back in New Orleans for long, his exile had only been lifted a mere 18 months ago and he felt as though he was still treading a fine line between peace and sorrow.
His exile had been sentenced by Marius Boudreaux, the Patriarch of the Guild of Assassins. Remy's Guild and theirs had been feuding for as long as anyone could remember and it didn't seem like history was going to change any time soon.
Years ago, when Remy had been a mere child, he had dreamed of uniting both Guilds under one banner. Since he'd grown, he'd learnt it was pointless to dream. Back then he had been so young, a mere twenty year old, and he had fallen in love. With the daughter of Marius, one Belladonna Boudreaux. The princess of the Assassins.
Well, no one could have predicted such an unprecedented turn of events.
Both Marius and Remy's father, Jean-Luc LeBeau, had been overjoyed at the thought of a marriage between their children. What better way to bind the Guild's forever? There couldn't have been a happier way to end the feud.
So, he and Belle wed and he didn't think he'd ever been so happy.
Unfortunately, Belladonna's brother Julian was none too pleased by the union. He had accused Remy of hoodwinking his sister, told him he would never been good enough and pulled out a six inch blade, claiming he was going to take Remy's life. It was safe to say that Remy wasn't about to take that lying down. There had been a struggle, and Julian was killed.
Remy still felt sick thinking about it now. He didn't like killing, he never did it if he could avoid it and he hadn't meant to that day either. Unfortunately, Marius did not take the death of his only son well. He banished Remy from New Orleans, threatening his return would mean his death.
For years Remy had drifted from place to place, never settling and never feeling quite at home.
That was until a year and a half ago, when Marius Boudreaux breathed his last and his only daughter, Belladonna, took his place as head of the Guild.
Her first order was to remove the exile on Remy, and he had come home.
He really wished he could say it made him happy.
The problem was that everyone was hoping to carry on as though the last five years had never happened. His family never mentioned his absence, choosing to gloss over it as though it was a mere slip up. His father did nothing but push him into jobs he didn't want to do and push him into the arms of a woman he didn't want.
He took a long drag from his cigarette.
That was one of the things he'd realised during his time away from the Guild, that he really wasn't in love with Belladonna. He cared for her, of course he did, he'd known her since he was a child. But he didn't love her the way he had when he was eighteen years old. The only thing he could think to explain it was that it hadn't been love at all, merely lust.
Or maybe he'd just loved the idea of uniting the Guild's more than he had ever really loved Belle.
Happily, she seemed to agree with him. Or she did because that was what he wanted. But he had caught her stealing glances at him, smiling coyly across the room and batting her eyelashes. He was afraid she wanted to start where they'd left off five years ago.
He knew he couldn't do that.
So when Jean-Luc had turned around and asked why he wasn't paying his wife any attention, Remy had turned around and given his father a piece of his mind.
The constant badgering made him just antsy to leave, and maybe he would if he had anywhere to go.
He sighed as he heard a rustle from the other side of the roof.
Someone had come for him.
"Remy" a voice said softly, and he turned to see his cousin Etienne glaring at him with narrowed eyes. "Jean-Luc is askin' fo' yo'."
Remy rolled his eyes and flicked his cigarette butt of the roof, "What he wan' wit' poor ol' Remy dis time?" he asked.
"Don't know none 'bout dis poor or ol'" Etienne mocked, already turning to leave, "Mais yo' best not keep him waitin'."
Etienne disappeared without a word and Remy sighed again as he got up. Well, the boy might be right. Jean-Luc sure did get on his nerves but he didn't like to be kept waiting. With that in mind Remy scaled the side of the building and shimmied down the drainpipe until he reached the right room. He climbed onto the balcony and stepped through the door, not bothering to wait to be invited.
"Yo' sent f'r m'" he said, affectively announcing his presence.
Jean-Luc had his back to him, he was looking up at a huge set of blue prints he had tacked to the wall. "How much longer would it have taken for yo' t' use de door" he chastised, turning to survey his youngest son.
Remy merely shrugged, dropping himself into the nearest chair and lounging as though he didn't have a care in the world.
"Know how much yo' hate t' be kept waitin'" he said simply.
"Den why yo' still not made t'ings up wit' yo' wife?" the older man shot back.
Remy strongly resisted the urge to roll his eyes, what was it with thieves and just not getting the hint?
"She'll only be m' wife s'long as it takes us t' get an annulment."
"Belle will never agree t' dat" Jean-Luc looked shocked.
"Sho' she will" Remy grinned, "De heir t' de Assassin's Guild gotta be born somehow, an' it sho' ain't gonna be m' son."
"But Remy-"
"Jean-Luc" Remy cut him off, his eyes flashing dangerously. "I ain't goin' over dis again."
Jean-Luc's eyes hardened like stones, "Yo' have t' produce an heir t' dis Guild one day too" he pointed out.
"Ain't gonna be yo' heir, Jean-Luc" Remy said, he felt like a broken record that had been playing all the same tracks for the past year. "Ain't never gonna be de Patriarch, nor produce little thieves f'r yo' t' manipulate."
"Remy-"
"Give de job t' Henri" Remy cut across him again, "He yo' only son."
"Yo' are my son."
"Ain't no father would do t' his son what yo' did too me."
"Don't know how many times I can 'pologise."
Remy shook his head, "Never gonna be 'nough, Jean-Luc" he said simply.
Jean-Luc sighed and ran his fingers though his hair, taking a seat at the chair behind his desk. "Yo' never did make it easy on me, even when yo' were a pup."
"Yo'd get bored."
Jean-Luc let out a bark like laugh, "Mebe" he agreed. "Mais yo' will always b' family Remy, dat be de truth whether yo' like it or not."
"Huh" Remy grunted, "Dat all yo' called m' in here t' say den, Jean-Luc?" he asked.
For the first time since he'd entered the room the Patriach of the Thieves Guild looked uncomfortable. His eyes glanced guiltily at the table, "Well-"
It was Remy's turn to laugh, "O' course not!" he burst out, "Den spit it out, Jean-Luc, what job yo' sendin' Gambit on dis time?"
Jean-Luc narrowed his eyes at his youngest son before tossing a folder across the table, "Here" he said, his voice filled with venom.
Remy tipped his head, saluting his father with two fingers before getting up to leave. He'd barely reached for the door handle before Jean-Luc spoke again.
"Oh an Rem, need yo' t' keep an eye on Roxy's f'r me" he sounded amused as he said it, "G't t' keep de clients sweet an' g't a couple o' new girls startin'" he laughed, "Yo' know how it is."
Remy narrowed his eyes as his stormed out of his father's office without looking back.
Oh, he knew how it was all right.