Maximo pushed to his feet, which was another act of disrespectfulness. 揥e don抰 want you to throw Clifford a bone as if he抯 a dog.?
I had a joke about the dog Clifford on my lips and had difficulties reining myself in. Instead I growled, 揝it down. The conversation isn抰 over.?
Maximo flushed, but I didn抰 miss the brief expression of satisfaction that flitted across Clifford抯 face. Maximo sank back down.
揑t抯 a way to protect a bond we抎 both benefit from,?Dante said.
揑抦 not so sure we would benefit from this bond. My son doesn抰 need another scandal.?
Dante looked at Leonas, who had listened in silence so far, but like his father, he抎 filed everything away for later use. Anna definitely shared their cunning.
揑 could marry one of your daughters,?Leonas suggested with a shrug. 揑 bet you can spare one of them.?
Maximo Clark抯 skin turned an even darker shade of red, which I hadn抰 thought possible, but in his eyes, I could see he was considering it.
I didn抰 listen to rumors very often but I knew one of the Clark twins had been involved in an unpleasant incident that had made some smaller waves in the press.
Maximo exchanged a look with his wife then Clifford, but the latter seemed less than enthused about the suggestion. Maximo, on the other hand, seemed relieved to have found a way to dispose of his scandalous offspring. 揥hen would you suggest a wedding??
揧ou really want to throw yourself in front of the bus for me? You were always against a bond with the Clarks and now you want to marry the bad Clark twin??
Leonas smirked. 揑 was against it, am still against it, but the situation is different now. You抎 have to play the politician抯 wife, leaving our life behind in parts, but if I marry a Clark twin, she will have to bow to our way of living.?
揅harlotte doesn抰 look as if she likes to bow to someone.?
Leonas had a dark smile on his face. 揇epends on the rumors you listen to.?
I rolled my eyes. 揘obody will be happy with this bond.?
揗aybe Bad Clark will be glad to be rid of her family.?
揌er name抯 Charlotte.?
I抎 only exchanged a few meaningless pleasantries with Clifford抯 sisters in the past, so I didn抰 know them梕xcept for the occasional pieces of gossip.
揑 can抰 distinguish them. They look pretty much the same and their names are almost clones of each other.?
They used to look identical but since Charlotte changed her style it was easy to tell them apart. 揧ou can be a dick.?
揟oday I抦 the hero who saves the day.?
I shook my head. 揂re you really sure about this? I doubt the Clarks will be very happy if another wedding bursts into flames because a Cavallaro decides, he doesn抰 want the bond.?
揝is, I have one advantage over you.?
I made a doubtful face.
揑抦 not in love with someone else, and I won抰 ever be. This heart is as cold as ice.?
揧ou are full of shit.?I leaned over and kissed his cheek. 揃ut thanks for throwing yourself in front of the bus for me.?
Leonas shrugged. 揊or you and for the Outfit. It抯 better if I抦 the one caught in a bond with Outsiders. That way I can control how it goes.?
I shook my head with a smile. Leonas was already planning ahead, for when he had more of a say in the Outfit, though Dad had already given him more and more responsibilities. The conservatives were gaining momentum, especially among the young Made Men and Leonas had good standing among them. Many never wanted a bond with Outsiders, nothing that extended over bribing them, which was why many didn抰 condemn me for choosing not to marry Clifford. It was like Leonas had said. I would have had to leave the Outfit in parts to become part of Clifford抯 world. The same wouldn抰 happen now that Leonas would marry Charlotte. She would have to submit to our world and rules, or be swallowed whole by it.
The sound of an engine carried into the living room where I sat with Bea, waiting for Santino to arrive.
Bea抯 face lit up. 揑s that Santino??
I nodded, feeling overjoyed. I had only caught glimpses of him in the last two weeks since his release from the hospital. Mom and Dad had demanded we keep our distance while they handle the Clarks and the first waves of the scandal die down. It had been hard not to talk to him or see him, especially now that we no longer had to hide, at least from our families. The public was still unaware of our relationship, though that would probably change tonight. Dad too knew that nobody would believe it if we told them that Santino and I had found our love after the failed wedding, and luckily he wanted to handle the matter offensively.
I pushed to my feet, grinning, and hurried into the lobby. The bell rang and I was about to open the door when Dad抯 voice rang out, 揕et me.?