The Billionaire Playboy's Regret (Lark and Max)

Lark's head was pounding. She found herself wondering if her father's head hurt as bad as hers did. She rolled off her childhood bed and landed with a thud to the floor on her knees. She contemplated simply crawling to the bathroom instead of trying to get up and walk.

"Oh good, you're up." The door pushing open and Ollie coming into the space had her whimpering. "The last thing I remember is doing shots with Dad at the bar of the club where we held the wake." "Your Dad insisted Riggs take him back to the grave last night and he apparently poured a shot for him and Nana Prue. He then passed out right there. You on the other hand, went down like a lead balloon after the third shot of sambuca of all disgusting things. We got you home and put you to bed." "We?"

"Me, Heriberto and Santiago." She made a face, "be careful around Heriberto, would you? He made a comment about hoping Max would slip up sooner rather than later. I think he likes you, a lot." "I like him too."

"Enough to leave Max for? I'm thinking he's trying to wiggle his way in. Would it work?" "No! He gives me big brother vibes." She grinned suddenly, "maybe we're related."

"No. He wants to f**k you, Lark."

"He doesn't!"

"He does. Big time. Be careful. He's sneaky, Lark."

She shrugged, "I'm in a committed relationship with Max. We're getting married. Heriberto can want what he wants but I know what I want. It's Max." Lark managed to get upright and held onto the edge of the nightstand. "I need to get cleaned up and head over to the hospital. I want to see Max. We shared a weird conversation at the funeral home. He left without saying goodbye, which is not like him. I texted him multiple times last night and other to say goodnight and he loved me, I haven't heard from him at all." "Lark, you accused him of extorting you and coercing you into marriage. He's been processing." She frowned, "what? What do you mean processing?"

"I mean, he thinks you don't really want to marry him. He's second guessing every single conversation you had. He told me he's not holding you to marrying him because he knows you only agreed because he extorted you into it."

She grimaced, the throbbing in her head not nearly as painful as the one suddenly happening in her chest. "What are you talking about, Ollie?"

"I'm talking about my brother realizing you don't really want to be with him. He accepts you for being bitchy. You accept him for being coercive." Ollie rolled her eyes, "did you really say that to him?" She rubbed her forehead confusedly. A vague recollection of the conversation at the funeral home flitted around. "Maybe?

"Well, he thinks you believe he's a manipulative asshole who extorted you into agreeing

get married.

He also said while the house he bought was meant to be a gift for you, you thought it was a bribe. An exchange of some sort. Marry me and I'll give you a house. He would have given you the house without marrying him in exchange." Ollie sighed. "Anyway, he's doing some kind of therapy thing this morning at the hospital for his chest and then he has group therapy with the counsellor and our family after this." "He thinks I don't want to marry him?"

"Yup. You're the one who said it, Lark."

"I didn't mean it, not like that." She frowned, "I was teasing him because," she trailed off and looked at Ollie in confusion," you're f*****g with me, right?"

"No. He's giving you space because he knows he's been hounding you and he feels guilt."

"I'll talk to him and fix it." She pushed the thoughts away. Obviously, there was a misunderstanding, but they would work it out. "Why are you here so early? I thought we weren't leaving until dinner time." "I'm leaving now. I was only popping in to see you before I head back to Houston with Santiago. He doesn't want me out of his sight right now because his crazy soon-to-be ex-wife has flipped out now, she knows he has his sister freed. She might retaliate somehow. I don't know. Mafia families are weird. All I know is I'm under the Santiago lockdown which means I have more guards than I normally do, and I have to be attached to his hip."

"I'm happy for you Ollie," she gave Ollie a smile.

"I told him I want a house in Dallas. I don't want to move back to Houston permanently. It took too much work to relocate all of my business here last time. I also want to be closer to my family, especially since we're already trying for a baby." She gave a sheepish smile at Lark.

"You're trying for a baby already? How exciting, Ollie!"

"It is." She hugged Lark tight.

Fallon burst into the room and pointed at Ollie, "I'm coming back to Houston with you and your man. Mom just told me you're leaving now. I'm coming with you, and I don't care if I'm cramping your style either. I can't do one more day of your sister and brothers. I can't. I'm done. You were right, Lark. I should have gone to another university."

"What did they do now?" Ollie groaned.

"They decided last night to break into the university."

"Why?" Lark asked with a frown.

"Apparently," she took a heaving breath, "LJ has been dealing."

"Dealing what?"

"Drugs. He's dealing drugs at the university. He's been trying to find a way to make money since your dad has been at him lately about all his spending."

"Do my parents know this?"

"No. No they don't and I'm not going

down with this ship! I'm not a billionaire heiress who can buy herself out of things!" Fallon paced frantically. "Ronnie said he found out last night at the wake when someone mistook him for LJ and asked to buy some pills off him. Ronnie told him to pound sand, but the guy was persistent. Kept calling him and telling him he got the best stuff before. They made me go with them to clear out his tocker at the school. I was breaking into the school at four in the morning following my grandmother's wake and we almost got busted. The cops showed up, Lark. They hid me in a locker," she wiped angry tears off her face. "I only got back now. I don't even know where they went but I'm done. I know they wanted to protect him but I'm not going to be you, stuck on a rooftop almost raped and murdered because selfish people want to use me." She looked at Ollie, "your family owes me, so you'll take me to Houston. This morning. Now."

"Sure, kiddo," Ollie made wide eyes at Lark. "Uh. Mori is going to be worried -"

"Mori can kiss my ass. She's the one who shoved me in the locker and then ran. They didn't come back

for me. The janitor let me out when I was banging on the locker."

"Oh f**k," Ollie groaned, "this will be a lot to unpack in group."

"I don't care," Fallon said. "I already

told Mom I'm heading back to

nes

Houston. She and Dad are renting an apartment month to month until Gracie is well enough to decide if she wants to move to Dallas and she'll call and have the landlord meet me with keys at the unit."

"Right. I forgot she won't have anyone in Houston once she wakes up and we all move back." Lark whispered.

"Johan will be there," Ollie shrugged. "He told Max he's relocating until she's well. We're all jumping ship on Max but he's a big boy. He can take it."

"What do you mean?" Fallon grumbled.

"I'm going to Houston for the unforeseeable future. Johan is staying there. Lark will probably be there while Gracie recovers. Max will be stuck here with Mom up his ass. I mean, she means well but she's been so intense lately."

"Your siblings are the reason your mother is on the cusp of a full-blown mental break," Fallon shot back. "Your mother needs a month-long retreat at one of those places which do meditation and clean eating and no stress."

"Fair enough." Ollie nodded. "We really have put her through the ringer lately." She stared at Fallon, "you might be onto something. Maybe I'll talk to Dad about taking her to their island for a month and do to her what they did to LJ but not in a swamp."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean make mom go cold turkey and make us go cold turkey." Ollie shrugged. "We're all constantly dumping on her, and the triplets are driving her nuts."

"Um, you can't," Lark looked at Ollie as if she were crazy.

"Why not?"

"Margot. Sixteen-year-old child

prodigy who can't look people in the eyes. She needs her mother home..

Don't get me wrong. Mori, Ronnie and LJ-should be living on campus without your mom's interference or your dad bankrolling them, but Margot is still too young to be home on her own a month."

"I forgot about her."

"Everyone does," Fallon griped. The sound of a car honking outside made her grin. "Let's go. I bet it's your ride, right?"

"Yes." Ollie looked at her phone. "You and I can brainstorm on ways to help Mom. You know Fallon, you're pretty insightful for a mere nineteen years old."

"Yes. I am. It's because I'm the grown up of my group." She looked at Lark, "call me if you and Max set the wedding date today otherwise, I'll see you in Houston."

"She's not getting married." Ollie tossed out. "Max is trying to figure out a way to rescind the proposal and take a step back without making her think they're breaking up.

Lark's legs buckled at the comment, but Ollie didn't notice as she followed Fallon out.

"I'll call you after," Ollie waved behind her, currently caught up in explaining to Fallon how Lark called Max

out for using underhanded tactics to force her into marrying him.

Max didn't want to marry her anymore? Her body moved as if on autopilot to the bathroom where she stripped and stood under the shower. She needed to see Max.