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Granted, the status of that relationship was currently unknown, but there was no need for him to act like an immature teenager with Julien just because they had a past. Especially when there were far more serious things at stake here tonight.
So, yeah, if his brain could get that memo, that would be amazing.
“Robbie told me you needed to talk to someone tonight. That you needed a friend.”
Oh my God. This was worse than he thought. Going home to his empty house sounded so much more appealing than it had earlier.
“Henri?”
Henri let out a breath and then looked over to Julien, who was sliding a glass of whiskey across the bar.
“I know I’m the last person you came here looking to talk to tonight. But from what Robbie told me, I’m probably the best.”
Henri narrowed his eyes on Julien, who picked up the tumbler and held it out. Henri eyed the drink, and as he thought about that final look in Bailey’s eyes, the distance and sadness, his stomach again twisted around itself. He thought, what the hell? He’d wanted a drink ever since he’d woken up in Jamaica last night, so he might as well drink their whiskey.
He walked across the living space and reached for the glass, but Julien held on to it and said, “You told him what you did that night, didn’t you?”
Henri thought he’d see anger, disappointment, and even annoyance in Julien’s gem-colored eyes. But instead, he saw approval and happiness.
Henri said nothing, but Julien let go of the glass and offered up a half-smile. “I told Joel and Robbie you would.”
Henri blinked as he raised his glass and took a sip. “And let me guess, you’re happy about that because Joel will kill me?”
Julien laughed, and the sound was close to fucking musical. Again, did he really need to be so perfect?
“Non, I’m happy about that because you deserve to be loved, Henri. I always wondered who the right man would be to show you that. It’s interesting that it turned out to be Bailey, a policeman. But then, he is rather magnifique.”
That Henri could agree with Julien on. Bailey was magnificent, wonderful, fucking perfect. But had Julien forgotten what Henri had just said? Had he forgotten what Henri had told his policeman?
Henri searched Julien’s expression to see if there was some underlying joke in his words, some hidden meaning that had gone over his head. But judging by the twinkle in Julien’s eyes, Joel’s sexy Frenchman was being one hundred percent serious.
He’d also lost his mind.
“Yeah, well, I don’t think I’m all that loved anymore. He couldn’t wait to get away from me tonight.” As Henri recalled Bailey’s front door shutting and the light turning off, he drained his glass and enjoyed the burn of the alcohol as it traveled to his aching gut.
“Can you blame him?” Julien pointed to his empty glass, and Henri held it out.
“No. It’s not every day the man you think you know and trust tells you that he murdered someone.”
Julien paused in pouring the whiskey and lowered the bottle to the bar top. “Is that what you told him?”
“Not exactly like that, no.” Henri sighed. “I told him everything that happened that night, and everything leading up to it.”
“And how did he take it?”
Henri scoffed. “Hmm, well, we were in Jamaica and now we are not. Now he needs time away from me, so, I don’t know. This might be the last drink I get before I’m hauled off in the back of a squad car.”
Julien grabbed the bottle and walked around the bar, then indicated the couch. “Sit.”
At this stage, Henri didn’t have any better options, so he did as he was told, and Julien took the cushion beside him.
Henri rested his forearms on his knees, clasping his hands together as Julien placed the bottle on the coffee table in front of them.
“You and Joel come from a world that not many people know or understand. It was violent, cutthroat, and terrifying on the best days. But Henri, I have to believe that if you told Bailey about yourself, if you really opened up to him and trusted him with all of that, then he’s just taking a moment to process. He’s taking a moment to try to understand that the man he loves comes from a place he’ll never comprehend. A place that’s as close to hell on earth as there’s ever been.”
Henri’s eyes began to blur as he fidgeted with his fingers, and when Julien placed a hand on one of his arms, no one was more shocked than Henri that he felt…comforted.
“He’s taking a moment to come to terms with the fact that you had no choice that night. No choice, Henri. It was survival—for you two, it always has been about survival. Bailey’s smart. He’ll understand that.”
