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Chapter Ten
Remy had decided he wasn't going to the bar tonight.
He had other things to worry about, and he wasn't sure he could bring himself to face Marie.
It was beginning to scare him, how much he thought about her. She plagued his thoughts, especially last night when she's turned up all curly hair and red lips just begging to be kissed.
He had also begun to wonder if she could give him something he hadn't wanted for a long time. Maybe something he had never really wanted, not even with Belle.
When he was eighteen he had claimed to love her, but obviously he hadn't known the meaning of the word. His so called love hadn't stopped him from hopping into bed with any woman that gave him the option, and there had been plenty of them.
Belladonna never haunted his dreams, and as loved up as he had been when he was with her, she rarely crossed his mind when they were apart.
Even now, when he looked at his wife, he felt nothing but an old stir of affection.
It was different with Marie.
Even if he ever could bring himself to stop thinking about her, it was as though a mist had clouded his vision.
Suddenly other women held literally no interest to him. Just last night he had found himself stood talking with Charlotte, and if the way she squeezed his arm didn't tell him what she wanted, then the suggestive tone of her voice did.
He couldn't even pretend to be interested, his mind continued to drift back to Marie and he found himself wishing he was talking to her.
He wanted to be good enough for her.
Which was the reason he was currently brooding on the roof of the Mansion, rather than down at the bar where he should be.
The Senator had sent over the details of the job he wanted Remy to carry out earlier that morning, and just thinking about it made him sick. He knew he wouldn't be able to look Marie in the face again if he went through with it.
Whatever this object was that Kelly wanted him to steal, it wouldn't be good news for mutants.
He was practically betraying his own race.
Or that would be how Marie would see it, if she ever found out. She hadn't been able to hide her shock when he'd told her the Senator would be stopping by, and he could tell she didn't approve.
For Remy, or rather, for Jean-Luc, it was just another job. If Remy didn't do it he would be seen as a traitor to the Guild, not to mention the sheer amount of money they would lose because of him.
Remy mulled over this as he took a long drag of his cigarette. He had taken a look at the blue prints and security details the Senator had sent over that day. The job wouldn't be impossible, but it certainly wouldn't be easy.
Henri had told him that their father had volunteered him for the job because he was the best, as if he was supposed to take that as some sort of compliment.
Remy knew better.
Jean Luc was testing his loyalty, as he had been from the moment Remy had returned to Louisiana. He didn't trust that Remy would put the family first, if it came to it, and maybe he was right.
Remy tossed his cigarette butt off the roof and began to climb down.
If staying married to a woman he didn't love and taking part in jobs he didn't agree with were what it took to be a part of this family, then maybe he didn't want to be anymore.
Once upon a time he would have felt honoured to be named Patriarch of the Thieves Guild. Recently he had began to fell more and more that he was just being used, that nothing really mattered other than the skills he could offer to the Guild.
Maybe if he hadn't been exiled then he wouldn't feel this way, but he just couldn't seem to ignore the restless feeling that plagued his every thought. That maybe there was something more to life that this corrupt family, and maybe someone who would care about him for more than the dollar signs his skills carried.
He climbed back in through the first story window and went in search of his so called father.
He needed to talk to Jean Luc about this job, to persuade him that there would be someone better to do it.
If his track record at getting Jean Luc to change his mind was anything to go by then he wasn't likely to have much luck. But he had to try.
He took the stairs two at a time after he found Jean Luc's office was empty, hoping he would find the Patriarch sat relaxing somewhere. If he had gone out on a job, Remy would never find him before tonight.
He moved silently through the empty corridors, wondering where everyone had disappeared to, until he heard voices coming from the drawing room.
He paused in the entryway and listened to what sounded like a disagreement.
"How yo' know?" The raspy voice of Jean Luc was demanding. "Yo' ain't even tried."
"He asked f'r de papers, Jean Luc" the feminine voice of his wife, Belladonna Boudreaux replied. "Don't get much clearer."
"If yo' jus' spent some time together-"
Belladonna cut him off now, sounding angry. "I got a Guild t' run, an' people waitin' on me" she said angrily, "My Guild needs security, I don't have time t' be waitin' on Remy LeBeau an' his skirt chasin' ways."
"He will be Patriarch o' dis Guild" Jean Luc assured her.
Belladonna snorted.
"He will!"
"When yo' gonna face de truth, old man?"
Remy shoved his shoulder into the doorway and cleared his throat, effectively announcing his presence. "De woman know me well, non?" He winked at Belladonna, "Knew I married her f'r a reason."
Belladonna Boudreaux might pretend to be cold and unfeeling, but she had never been immune to Remy's charms. She looked breath taking, with her soft blonde hair pulled up into an impeccable bun and wearing a sharp white suit paired with absolute killer heels. Her eyes were ice blue as she glared at him, but she couldn't quite keep the pink out of her cheeks at his comment.
Belle had always been a little too wound up for his taste, she was never willing to let herself go.
Maybe that had something to do with being an Assassin.
"Bonjour, dear husband" she mocked coldly, "Yo' papa here is tryin' t' call off our annulment."
"Always stickin' his nose in where it ain't wanted" Remy said cheerfully, taking a step into the room.
"Yo' a disgrace t' dis family" Jean Luc spat.
Remy shrugged before turning his eyes to his soon to be ex-wife, "Yo' look as lovely as always, Belle" he said, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek.
"Merci" she said stiffly, not lingering over the kiss. "I brought over de papers, yo' jus' need t' sign dem."
He could hear the hurt in his voice as she said it and he felt a little guilty.
"Yo' didn't have t' bring dese over yo'self" he said, "But I real appreciate it, petit."
Belladonna moved to look at him straight in the eyes, "A part o' me was still hopin' yo' change yo' mind" she said quietly, "But yo' ain't de boy I loved, Remy LeBeau."
"If only I were, chere" he said softly.
Bella reached over to squeeze his arm, "Was nice t' see yo' Remy" she said quietly, "Send over de papers when yo' ready."
Remy placed his hand over the top of hers, "Yo' know I did love yo', Belle."
Belladonna smiled but did not offer him a reply, simply extracted her hand from beneath his and made her way towards the exit.
They could hear her heels clicking all the way down the marble lobby.
"If yo' had a brain between dose ears, yo'd go after her!" his father said, after a beat of silence.
"Don't t'ink dat organ got much t' do wit' it."
"Yo' infuriatin', Remy!" Jean Luc shouted, "When yo' gone grow up an' accept yo' responsibility?"
"Dis responsibility ain't mine" Remy said, in a deadly quiet voice. "It ain't in me t' lead."
"Yo' put yo' feelin's aside when it comes t' de family" Jean Luc was lecturing him now. "Ain't nothin' more important."
"Yo' t'ink I ain't?" Remy fired back, getting angry himself now. "Why else would I be doin' Senator Kelly's dirty work?"
"Yo' done get paid."
"Den keep yo' filthy money" Remy spat, "I don't want it, not f'r dat."
"Yo' are a member o' dis family."
"I'm a mutant!" Remy shouted, "Yo' done forgot dat?"
"Yo' a thief first, boy" Jean Luc said, with a note of finality in his voice.
"Mebe I don't wanna be, not dis time" Remy said quietly.
"Den how bout I make yo' a deal."
Remy looked up to see his father considering him with calculating eyes. He knew better than to make a deal with Jean Luc, the man was only out for himself.
But then, it it got him out of the situation he had landed himself in, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing.
"What deal?"
"Yo' go t' Belladonna, give yo' marriage a chance" Jean-Luc listed his demands slowly. "Yo' agree t' b' de next Patriarch o' dis Guild, Remy. An' I give de job t' someone else."
"Dis job ain't worth dat much" Remy spat.
"Dose be my terms."
Remy was so angry he could barely keep his hands from shaking. He couldn't do it, no matter the price he might pay afterwards, he would not stay married to Belladonna and he would not be the future Patriarch of the Thieves Guild.
He would not give up his freedom, or even the slimmest chance of a future outside of this Mansion, no matter what the cost.
"Suppose I best prepare den" Remy said as quietly as he could, moving past his father without looking at him and exiting the room.
He swore to himself that this would be the last job he would ever do for Jean-Luc LeBeau.
A man who had no loyalty to him, did not deserve his loyalty in return.