By Virtue I Fall (Sins of the Fathers #3)(98)

“That’s blackmail.”

“You got in bed with a mobster, Dolora.”

She pursed her lips. “Maximo doesn’t listen to me. I won’t be able to convince him.”

“Try 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’t 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’s expression made it plainly clear that he didn’t want anything to do with us. Clifford seemed surprisingly blasé about the situation. He’d never seemed awfully invested in his bond to Anna anyway. Now that he wasn’t going to marry her anymore, I found him much more tolerable. I suppose his opinion of me hadn’t improved though.

Dante got up with a businesslike smile. “You made it.”

As if they’d had a choice. Maximo ignored Dante’s outstretched hand and sank down on the chair across from him. “I hope this won’t take too long. I have another call with my lawyers.”

If he thought that would impress anyone here, he still didn’t 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.

“I’m 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’t 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’t really regret my actions. Clifford’s 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’s jaw tightened and his face turned red. He glanced at his wife, who looked like she wanted to disappear.

“It was a one-time thing, Maximo,” she said. A lie, no doubt. Dolora hadn’t been hesitant about her actions when she’d flirted with me. Not to mention that she had a second phone, which most people used for their secret lovers. “I was hurt because you’d picked your intern to cheat on me and needed to feel validated.”

“This isn’t about me,” he growled, glancing at Dante warily. Of course, my Capo would be filing this information away for later use. “Who picks the bodyguard of their son’s fiancée?”

“And uses his bed,” Clifford muttered.

“That was our son’s bed?”

Of course, Maximo wouldn’t 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.

“On my birthday, Mom?” Clifford asked with a disgusted shake of his head.

“It was a difficult time for me.”

“What about discretion? You and Dad always told me extramarital activities needed to be handled with care.”

“They do. Your mother obviously forgot.”

Dante watched with a look of cold calculation. We had the Clarks. He knew it.

“I have no intention to make your extramarital activities public,” he drawled. “If we can come to an agreement.”

Maximo motioned at me. “It was probably you who set up that guy to fuck my wife.”

“I can assure you that I believe in the sanctity of marriage and won’t set up my men to encourage cheating.”

Maximo snorted. “Stop it. We both know you don’t have any morals.”

Dante’s expression became even colder. “I have more than you, it seems.”

“What do you want? It wasn’t my son who broke the deal. It was your daughter.”

“Indeed, but that doesn’t have to be the end of our cooperation. I’m sure we can find another option. We have many beautiful girls who’re of marriageable age,” Dante said diplomatically, but I could tell he was running out of patience. If I’d 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.

Maximo pushed to his feet, which was another act of disrespectfulness. “We don’t want you to throw Clifford a bone as if he’s a dog.”

I had a joke about the dog Clifford on my lips and had difficulties reining myself in. Instead I growled, “Sit down. The conversation isn’t over.”

Maximo flushed, but I didn’t miss the brief expression of satisfaction that flitted across Clifford’s face. Maximo sank back down.

“It’s a way to protect a bond we’d both benefit from,” Dante said.

“I’m not so sure we would benefit from this bond. My son doesn’t need another scandal.”

Dante looked at Leonas, who had listened in silence so far, but like his father, he’d filed everything away for later use. Anna definitely shared their cunning.