Reyona's blood chilled when she saw that it was Thomas.
He was unconscious and sprawled out like someone who had been knocked out by a malevolent force.
The surrounding stench was even more than any other around the house.
An unfinished bottle of beer was lying close to his hand with some of its contents already drying up close to his soggy pants.
Even as Reyona's eyes narrowed, she quickly leaned forward to put her finger beneath his nose.
It was there!
Coming in spurts, but the bastard was breathing.
For a moment there, he had made her think that… bastard!
She automatically picked a bowl off the counter as she turned towards the sink.
She filled it mechanically.
As she turned this time, she could see the lifting and falling of his chest.
How had she missed that at first?
She dumped the water on his face.
"Reyona"
She barely heard Maxwell as she reached down and pulled up the soggy mess who was stirring from the soaking.
Methodically, she dealt him two sharp slaps that echoed throughout the house.
"Idiot! Idiot!!" she shouted at him before she let go of him.
Maxwell was behind her when she turned, and he wrapped his hands around her.
She held him tightly and sobbed into his chest.
"I thought…I thought…"
"Ssshhh, I know. I know." Maxwell said in comfort while he pinned a murderous glare on the soppy mess behind her.
"Uhh, uhhh" Thomas mumbled incoherently as he dragged himself up from the puddle forming around him.
His bloodshot eyes brightened a bit when he saw the discarded bottle with the little liquid left in it.
He reached for it just as he finally acknowledged the presence of the couple standing close to him.
"Awn uh, isn't this…just…" hiccup "... sweet?" he slurred with a sloppy, yellow-teethed, smile.
Maxwell's look darkened as he felt Reyona stiffen in his arms.
Then she lifted her head from his chest and cleaned her face with his handkerchief still tied over half of her face.
"Reyona" he called her gently as she stepped back from him.
She smiled and said "I am fine. I am."
Then the smile died on her face before she turned to face the miserable piece of shit she had once called her husband.
"Hey, look. It is my ex-wife." Thomas chuckled weakly as he moved himself enough to lean against the island. "My ex-wife and the man she is fucking now." he slurred almost to himself.
"You piece of…!"
Maxwell's fist was instantly raised as he wanted to descend on him, but Reyona's hand stopped him.
She saw the struggle on his face but shook her head firmly as she said "He is not worth it. Remember why we are here."
"Damn it!" Maxwell swore as he lowered his fists and made to walk past her.
She grabbed him instead and kissed him.
Thomas's face, which had been filled with lazy amusement, twisted with derision when he saw them kissing in front of him.
Then Reyona turned around to face him as she wrapped Maxwell's hands around her, with her back to his front.
"We are not here to exchange words with you, nor do I give a damn if you waste your life away while selling every single thing that your mother left in this house."
"Don't talk about her!" he said as he grabbed the bottle again. Furious that there was nothing inside it, he threw it to the far edge of the kitchen away from them. "Don't you fucking talk about her!"
"Watch your mouth, bastard," Maxwell said as he felt Reyona jolt from the crashing sound of the splintered bottle.
Reyona patted his hand as she swallowed hard at the raw pain in Thomas's voice.
"Fine, I won't talk about her. Let's talk about someone else. Your daughter."
Thomas's head swerved towards them and his bloodshot eyes trained on Maxwell as he said "What about her? She is with you, isn't she? What did you do to my girl?"
"Your girl that you didn't bother to check on since you got back here? Yeah, right." Maxwell said with a scoff.
Thomas looked away and said in a low tone, "They don't need me. I can't do anything for them. I can't do anything for anyone."
"Do you know where…have you seen her recently? Have you talked to anyone about them? Anyone at all?" Reyona asked urgently.
"No, I…" he looked back at them. "Why are you asking me all this?" he asked in a stronger voice.
"Just answer the damn question, Lanoth," Maxwell snapped.
Thomas looked at him warily, then back at Reyona. "No, I have not seen them. I got back and found out that…no, I have not seen her."
"She asked if you talked about them to anyone, or if anyone spoke to you about them recently. Did you give anyone my address, Lanoth?" Maxwell asked.
Thomas looked like he wanted to counter the question with another question, but then he slumped weakly against the island as he said "No, I didn't give the address of your hoity-toity house to anyone. I did not talk to anyone. Now, please leave me alone."
"Gladly," Maxwell said as he laid his hand on Reyona's shoulder. "Let's leave, babe. This has been a waste of time, and you've been here long enough."
Thomas scoffed "Yeah, you shouldn't be here, ma'am," he said in a pitiful tone with a downcast gaze while his hand hung limply over his raised knee.
Reyona hesitated, shook her head, then she moved towards the door.
She suddenly turned back to see that he had raised his head to watch her go.
"Just so you know, Allysyn is missing. She has been kidnapped and if there is anything you know, anything at all, it is better if you find enough time to check that alcohol-soaked brain of yours for any information you can think of. Anything that the police can use to find her."
"The police?" Thomas's eyes widened as he tried to stand up and pathetically tripped over his feet.
He swore weakly as he said "Allysyn is missing? I did not do anything. I did not tell anyone anything."
"See? Completely useless," Maxwell said as he laid his hand on her shoulder.
Reyona nodded and turned to leave.
Then, suddenly, she heard him shout, "Lance! I spoke to Lance about Rohan and how you now have…"
Everything that once belonged to me.
The unspoken words were apparent to everyone in the room.
Thomas tried to stand again as he held on tightly to the island just so he could stand straight. "I spoke to Lance. The fucker stopped talking to me though, so... Please, find Allysyn." he pleaded.
"He uses the same number?" Reyona asked.
"Yes, yes, you have it. I mean, you used to have it," Thomas said in desperation.
Reyona nodded sharply before she went towards the door.
From her side-view, she saw him fall again.
His frustrated swear followed them out of the house.