Nobody does.
But that was before the other night, on the roof of the Empire State Building.
Two lost souls, ready to throw it all away.
Except I’m not ready to do that anymore. Not when I know what she did to take Lark away from me.
She took away someone I cared about. She took that life from me.
She fucking owes me one in return. Andthisis how I’m going to get it. That video of her and me iseverywhereby now, and I know it’s forcing Cesare’s hand.
He doesn’t have many options. Either he does nothing, and it becomes even more impossible to arrange a marriage for Dove that is worth anything to him. Or…
My lips curl into a dark smile.
Or he saves face by making a public statement about his daughter and I being a couple and tells everyone he can’t wait for the wedding. The Antonov and Marchetti families becomebound by marriage, and we get access to that fucking shipping port.
Game. Set. Match.
“Bane…” Dad sighs and shakes his head. “I agreed to this when it wasChiara.”
“Who’s already married,” I remind him. “This is an easier?—”
Dad barks a cold laugh. “Exactly how is Lark's best friend?—”
“Dad.”
There’s an edge to my tone. He eyes me, his mouth closing as he nods.
“I’m sorry, son,” he says quietly. His brows knit. “The other night was…”
“Seven years, yeah,” I mutter out.
Dad nods somberly. His eyes drop to the glass in his hands before they lift to me. “You want one of these?”
“I think I’d like two of them.”
He smiles quietly as he goes back to the bar cart and pours me a heavy splash. When he hands it to me, he subtly touches his glass to mine.
“To Lark,” he murmurs.
I just nod and then slug half my glass back at once.
To Lark.
The girl I loved.
The girl I sometimes hated.
The girl I was ready to entwine my life with, before it all blew away like dust.
Dad exhales. “Chiara is a cleaner execution of the plan. Dove is…”
“She works just as well,” I grunt. “I’d argue that she works even better.”
My father cocks a brow. “Really,” he says dryly. “Then why didn’t you mention her before, when we were creating this plan?”
I roll my eyes. “Have youmether? The gothy emo bullshit? The mopey ‘I write sad poetry’ vibe? Way too much eyeliner? I didn’t suggest her because I had no interest in marrying her, and I doubt she’s the marrying type. Chiara is.”
