Page 17 of His Beautiful Revenge
Lucian sighed. “What does it matter?”
Tara smiled cruelly. “I just want to know who my ex is fucking.”
Lucian stopped. “What?”
Tara stubbed out her cigarette and was studying her own breasts. “He’s fucking her. I thought you should know.”
Lucian made a disgusted noise. “If you think that, then you’re crazy. Norah doesn’t sleep around.”
Tara’s mouth set in a thin smile. “Have youseenGiacomo? The man is a god. He could get a Mary Knoll nun into bed.”
Lucian stared at her. “You’re serious.”
“Deadly.”
Tara watched as a myriad of emotions played out across Lucian’s face, then he shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “None of my business anymore.”
“He knows about you and me.”
“I thought you said there was no way.”
“Carmel Price must have told him. She never liked me, the stuck-up bitch.”
“I thought you said you were taking care of that too.”
Tara’s smile returned. “Oh, believe me, she won’t get away with it.”
“Too late now.”
“For you and me? Yes.”
Lucian stood and tucked his shirt in. “What do you mean?”
Tara waved her hand around vaguely. “I mean this. Us. Thanks for everything and all that, but this is goodbye.”
Lucian shook his head. This was nothing new from Tara. “You’re a fucking bitch, you know that?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.” She laughed suddenly. “Okay then, Lu-lu, I’ll give us one last chance. Who knows? We may be made for each other.”
As Lucian left the apartment, his gut began to churn with the thought of Norah in bed with another man. AndGiacomo Conti …god …
He had to get back with Norah …but how? Part of his bail conditions meant he couldn’t go anywhere near her. He needed to get to her via Zulika—which would be a problem because his half-sister hated him even more than Norah did. Still …Lucian was nothing if not a good actor.Turn on the waterworks. Beg for forgiveness.
Wait for the billionaire to screw someone else, and if he didn’t, if hewastruly enamored with Norah, there was no reason that Norah couldn’t be made to believe that hehadcheated on her.
Lucian began to smile. Norah had been his, and he had been dumb enough to throw it away.
He wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
Lucian called Zulika a few days later, begging her to meet with him, crying down the phone. She had never liked her brother much, but even her cynical heart was touched by his grief.
“I’ll meet you,” she told him in a firm voice. “But I tell you now, I am one-hundred percent Team Norah. Do you understand?”
“I do.” And he sounded genuine. “Just meet with me and hear what I have to say. If you don’t like what you hear, fine. Please, Zul.”
She met him at a coffeehouse, well away from their apartment or the bookstore. He smiled at her, but she didn’t return it—just nodded. “I only have a half hour,” she said shortly.
“Just hear me out. That’s all I ask.”
