揑 can抰 do that.?
I showed her the photos of us on my phone. Her blue eyes widened. 揑抣l be ruined if this comes out. Maximo won抰 forgive me if I ruin his career with something like that.?
It was kind of fitting that he抎 worry more about his career than his marriage. I suppose that ship had sailed a long time ago.
揟hen talk to him and make him see reason.?
揟hat抯 blackmail.?
揧ou got in bed with a mobster, Dolora.?
She pursed her lips. 揗aximo doesn抰 listen to me. I won抰 be able to convince him.?
揟ry your best.?
She gave me a pleading look but I simply stared back. She closed her eyes, then nodded.
Two days later, she called to tell me that her husband wouldn抰 listen. That meant we had to convince him ourselves.
Dante, Leonas, and I waited in an Outfit restaurant for the Clarks to arrive. With a minute to spare, Maximo, Clifford, and Dolora entered the restaurant. Their bodyguards stayed outside on their orders. They obviously wanted fewer ears to listen in.
Maximo抯 expression made it plainly clear that he didn抰 want anything to do with us. Clifford seemed surprisingly blas?about the situation. He抎 never seemed awfully invested in his bond to Anna anyway. Now that he wasn抰 going to marry her anymore, I found him much more tolerable. I suppose his opinion of me hadn抰 improved though.
Dante got up with a businesslike smile. 揧ou made it.?
As if they抎 had a choice. Maximo ignored Dante抯 outstretched hand and sank down on the chair across from him. 揑 hope this won抰 take too long. I have another call with my lawyers.?
If he thought that would impress anyone here, he still didn抰 understand what a deal with the devil meant. Only Dolora looked thoroughly spooked, which made me feel almost sorry for her. But again, she slept with a mobster so she could have foreseen repercussions.
揑抦 sure we can settle the matter quickly and to both our satisfaction,?Dante drawled. I had to stifle a smile.
He pushed the printed-out photos across the table. I wasn抰 proud of my actions, especially because Anna had caught me. My feelings for her had changed me, but now that my Casanova ways were our ticket to blackmail the Clarks I couldn抰 really regret my actions. Clifford抯 face twisted with disgust then anger. He shook his head and stepped back. He probably recognized his bed, which in hindsight had been a really awful place to get it on, but Dolora had chosen it, and he was her son, not mine.
Maximo抯 jaw tightened and his face turned red. He glanced at his wife, who looked like she wanted to disappear.
揑t was a one-time thing, Maximo,?she said. A lie, no doubt. Dolora hadn抰 been hesitant about her actions when she抎 flirted with me. Not to mention that she had a second phone, which most people used for their secret lovers. 揑 was hurt because you抎 picked your intern to cheat on me and needed to feel validated.?
揟his isn抰 about me,?he growled, glancing at Dante warily. Of course, my Capo would be filing this information away for later use. 揥ho picks the bodyguard of their son抯 fianc閑？？
揂nd uses his bed,?Clifford muttered.
揟hat was our son抯 bed??
Of course, Maximo wouldn抰 recognize it. I doubted he spent very much time in his kids?rooms or with them. He seemed like someone who had kids because they looked better on his CV and made good extras on campaign photos.
She shrugged.
揙n my birthday, Mom??Clifford asked with a disgusted shake of his head.
揑t was a difficult time for me.?
揥hat about discretion? You and Dad always told me extramarital activities needed to be handled with care.?
揟hey do. Your mother obviously forgot.?
Dante watched with a look of cold calculation. We had the Clarks. He knew it.
揑 have no intention to make your extramarital activities public,?he drawled. 揑f we can come to an agreement.?
Maximo motioned at me. 揑t was probably you who set up that guy to fuck my wife.?
揑 can assure you that I believe in the sanctity of marriage and won抰 set up my men to encourage cheating.?
Maximo snorted. 揝top it. We both know you don抰 have any morals.?
Dante抯 expression became even colder. 揑 have more than you, it seems.?
揥hat do you want? It wasn抰 my son who broke the deal. It was your daughter.?
揑ndeed, but that doesn抰 have to be the end of our cooperation. I抦 sure we can find another option. We have many beautiful girls who抮e of marriageable age,?Dante said diplomatically, but I could tell he was running out of patience. If I抎 been in his stead, I would have thrown Maximo Clark from the closest bridge by now. Something about that man simply set my teeth on edge. He appeared far more relatable and pleasant in his campaigns. His campaign managers must be true magicians.