The Billionaire Playboy's Regret (Lark and Max)

Lark turned on her stool as her dad approached and she let him draw her into a tight wordless hug. He held her as if he never wanted to let her go and she knew his conversation with her mom was hard and brutal despite the words she'd said to Santiago earlier.

When he pulled away, he kissed her forehead, tears in his eyes and he took the glass which sat in front of her and sipped

it.

"Let me order you another drink." She lovingly rubbed his cheek as Bobbie stepped into Max's outstretched arm. Bobbie rubbed Grady's shoulder and Lark appreciated the movement.

"Your mother is pissed." Grady admitted after Lark ordered her father a drink.

"At you?"

"At the f*****g universe if I'm honest." He gave Johan an appreciative smile as the man moved down one so he could sit next to Lark at the bar. "She's furious with Charlotte more than anything. She knew. She knew all along Gracie was mine." He made a face, "also, naming her Gracie? Seriously? Your mother wanted to punch Sawyer in the face because she knows he did it." He sighed, "Gracie and Sawyer will be joining us for dinner. Your mother has instructed me to put my differences with Sawyer aside for Gracie's sake and I will have to. The DNA test was brought up to my room ten minutes ago and your friend assured me we will have test results tomorrow, but I don't need them." He thanked Max with a smile and then looked to Lark. "If you put her between you and Fallon, there is no doubting you are sisters." "I thought the same thing. It's like she's the missing piece."

"Are you upset?" Grady asked quietly. "Your mother is most concerned about how you and Fallon feel." "I'm fine, Dad."

"Lark."

"No. Seriously Dad. Sawyer is a shitty human being, or at least his reputation leads us to believe this, but I don't think he was lying when he was talking about how kind she is. I'm upset I missed out on having an older sister growing up and all the experiences we could have had but we still have the rest of our lives, right? I mostly feel sad she missed out having you for a dad. Otherwise though, I'm fine. It's not really my life being completely upended. It's hers and it's yours and it's Sawyers. I'm here for you. Whatever you need, Dad."

Grady's eyes watered as he stared at her, "when did you grow up to be so strong and compassionate?" "I learned from you and Mom," she felt her own eyes watering. She took a breath, "do you need me to call Mom and make sure she's okay?"

"No. I mean, you can if you want but she'll be here by bedtime. Olivier is loading the chopper up with your mom and Fallon and the triplets and Mori. Nana Prue too."

"They're all coming?" she was surprised.

"We're family," Bobbie said quietly. "Not one of them thought of anything but being here for you and your dad, Lark." She looked around suddenly, "where is Ollie?" Lark, Max, and Johan exchanged glances and Bobbie's brow cinched together." What did she do?"

"Um," Lark made a face unsure of how to answer.

"Ollie's in love with a guy Dad and Riggs use to clean up messes." Max threw Ollie under the bus without second thought. Grady made a choking noise on his drink and his eyes bugged. "f**k. Not a Laredo." "Not a," Lark clarified, "but the Laredo. Also, when Sawyer said Doug applied to a place in Laredo, I know you all thought he meant the city, but I knew immediately it was at their organization in Laredo. I knew it and they confirmed it. They think he's stupid, but I think he might have been telling me he knows who Ollie got to tell him to shut up.

Grady groaned, "did you tell them this?"

"No. We were more worried about the fact Johan threw Ollie into a room with the man she's been hiding from for two years because he's married."

"He's married? My daughter is in love with a married man? Why is she hiding? Is he dangerous? Grady, is this guy dangerous? Why does Olivier use him?"

"Mom, relax. Apparently, they provide a service to the uber wealthy in fixing problems and according to his creepy and over attentive brother, he is crazy in love with Ollie. Ollie was being Ollie and instead of talking things out when his marriage was announced two years ago, she ran away like a coward and blocked him from her life." Max tried to change the subject, "he stumbled across her here because they were checking on someone they're hiding here in the hotel in the presidential suite."

"The prince who beat his wife's lover within an inch of his life? The lover is a politician in Nevada. It was all the makings of an international scandal between a prince and congressman or so your dad said when he explained why I wasn't going to be able to have the fancy room." Bobbie snorted. "Your father

apparently is is charging him fifty grand a night. He's staying here until they find a way to get him out of the country. You know your Dad, Max. If he can make a buck he's going to." "Nobody makes money like Dad does. Having him help me with my investments is an amazing part of my business' success. He's a savant and the entire world knows it. He'll probably turn this guy's payment into ten million overnight." "Probably," Bobbie made a face and then sighed, "so they use this guy Ollie's in love with to make s**t like this happen?" "Yup." Johan grinned, "and his brother has the hots for Lark. Told her right in front of Max if she got tired of the craziness of the Villeneuves he'd give her a nice quiet life on a homestead outside of Houston. He has goats and chickens." He wiggled his eyebrows at Lark while Max flipped him off. Bobbie snickered at Johan, "I'm sure my Max is better looking."

"You know those two men we were eyeballing when we first got back on our floor? They booked a room across the hall from me hoping to catch Ollie."

"Oh," Bobbie thought and then her lips rounded, "Oh! They were hot."

"Right?"

"They weren't, Lark!" Max gave a warning growl and wagged his finger.

"Is this why Max's eyes look glossy?"

"Well, that and he suffered a panic attack after I punched him."

Lark reached out and grabbed Johan's drink. "You're cut off." She shot him an annoyed look. "You're talking too much." "You punched Max?" Bobbie looked at Max's face and noticed the bruising at his jaw

for the first time. "What? Why?" "Ollie was dragging Lark into her madness. Ollie was trying to manage the Laredo brothers on her own and Lark pulled a gun on them."

"You did what?" Grady clutched his chest. "Are you insane? Do you know who they are, Lark? They are the guys Gael Moreno uses to drop men down oil wells."

"My baby is up there alone with them?" Bobbie hopped off Max's knee at Grady's words.

"He loves her and won't hurt her, Bobbie," Lark kicked Max's shin for his verbal diarrhea. "She was panicky and asked me to get her out of there and I did. He already told me he'd never hurt me because I'm important to Ollie and I'm not afraid of him, but I needed help getting Ollie to see reason, so I wanted her to come clean. She seems to think her entire family believes she's a giant f**k up and doesn't want to tell you guys anything. I needed to convince her to confide in Johan and Max and she thought if she made me share secrets, I wouldn't push her as hard. I already knew I was going to tell Max my secret anyway so when she demanded I gave up secrets if she did, I jumped on the opportunity."

"Your secret? What secret?" Grady asked and then his voice trailed off and he gave he a sad knowing smile, "oh honey. I'm sorry. I know how hard you worked to put it behind you."

"It's fine. Telling him was important if we are going to give our relationship a real go. Can't keep secrets. Right?" she gave Max a smile and the sadness in his expression made her heart clench. There was so much more still to talk about.

"Sweetheart," Bobbie pushed Lark's hair off her cheek. "You've had a hell of a day. Dealing with Doug. Finding out you have an older sister. Dealing with Ollie and the Laredo brothers whoever they are and spilling your history to Max and Johan." She paused and looked to Johan, "why'd you punch Max?" "Because he told her he'd be there one time too many and she got hurt. I'm angry because he was a shitty friend to her. Even if he wasn't interested in her romantically, he was shitty."

Bobbie was going to protest but Max held up his hand, "he's right Mom. I was shitty. I was horrible. The worst kind of horrible but I will spend the rest of my life making it up to her. I will forever be grateful she is seeing past it and giving me another chance at being her friend and hopefully so much more." He shared a sad smile with Johan and Lark. "I deserved the punch and I love you both for giving me the reality check I need."

"Violence is never the answer," Bobbie shook her head. "I've spent too much of my life telling Ollie to stop throwing fists and now Johan is throwing them. My kids are going to be the death of me."

"I'm not your kid, Bobbie."

"Pfft. You were at my house more than your own. Your own mother used to joke about sending me child support." "True story," he nodded with a smile. He looked past them towards the door, "uh, I have a question."

"Sure."

"What time were we meeting Sawyer and this Gracie chick for dinner?"

"Seven why?"

"Because it's not five yet and if the woman coming into the lounge isn't related to Lark, well, I'll have to agree I've had too much to drink."