LOREN
When I first walked over with Gabriella, Atticus examined me quizzically, a look of uncertainty on his face. It didn’t help that the moment I reached him, his father walked in, acting like he was some bigshot everyone should focus on.
The crowd stopped to stare, giving Dayton a moment of the limelight he craved, but they turned away when he didn’t say anything, drawing back to their conversations. Atticus pulled me closer, keeping one eye on his father as he began talking with the mayor again.
I supposed that Dayton expected us to make a big deal of his arrival, or perhaps he wanted us to make a play publicly. I realized that was his weakness. He was too arrogant to think anyone would make moves against him without taking credit. While he was busy trying to draw attention and favor, we were making deals and sabotaging him right under his nose.
At the end of the day, Atticus didn’t need the fanfare; he just needed his father out of the picture so we could live the life we were creating. That was the reward in the end—the chance to live.
“How did it go?” Atticus whispered, his fingers tapping against my side as he gripped me.
“I improvised, but she’s on board.”
Atticus peered into my eyes intently for a moment before a smile spread across his face. “You always surprise me in the best ways, Bellezza.” Leaning forward, our lips met, tuning out the rest of the room. I could relish in his kiss and everything it promised for a second.
Drawing back, he pulled me tighter to him, turning back to our guests. “Excuse us, newlyweds.”
The mayor smiled, looking me over. It wasn’t predatory but more assessing, as if he was measuring our worth in votes. “Congratulations to you both. Your husband was telling me about the fire at the youth center. It’s devastating. I’d be interested in hearing more about how you’re working to help our city's youth. Perhaps we can set up a meeting?”
I glanced at Atticus, a smile on his face as he peered down at me. It seemed we had both deviated from the original plan. “That would be lovely, thank you,” I said, turning back to the man. “I’m very passionate about helping others.” Smiling, I peeked at Gabriella, hoping she understood. I wouldn’t go back on my word.
She whispered in his ear, and I watched as the man became putty in her hands. I almost envied the skill, but I didn’t really need it when I already had five husbands myself.
“It was lovely meeting you both. I look forward to hearing from you this week, Mr. and Mrs. Mascro. Please, excuse us.” Gabriella winked as they walked away, his hands possessively over her. I hoped she would call and we could help her. She had spunk, and I liked that about her.
“Well, that’s settled. How about we see if we can take out some trash?” Atticus asked, pulling my body to his.
“Hmm,” I hummed, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I quite like the idea of dancing.”
“Oh? If the lady wants to dance first, then we shall.” Atticus took my hand from around his neck, spinning me out. The dress fluttered around me as I did, the cool silk rubbing against my body in the most delicious way. I eagerly returned to his arms, and we fell into an easy step, following along to the music. Every few beats, he’d spin me under his arm and then bring me back, making me feel like an actual princess at a ball.
“You never cease to amaze me, Lore.”
I smiled; because one, I was out of breath, and two, what did you say to something that sweet? Some applause broke out when the song ended, and I blushed, realizing we’d had a crowd.
“It’s all for you, Lore.”
Atticus spun me out, and we did a bit of bow, and I truly felt like my face was going to fall off from the amount of smiling I was doing. I felt so light and happy; I’d forgotten for a millisecond that we were actually here to remind Dayton he wasn’t as powerful as he thought.
In order to take down Dayton, Atticus knew we had to do it on multiple fronts he wouldn’t see coming. He’d expect us to come at him full force, plotting behind his back like he’d done to us. And while that was part of it, we were smarter.
Atticus wanted to change the Mascros for good, and this was the first step, by separating them from Dayton. We weren’t just after Dayton; we wanted him to never be able to gain any following ever again. We couldn’t just kill him; we had to destroy him for his legacy to die.
So, first, we’d embarrassed him and tarnished his name with the incident at the restaurant. His powerful allies would be questioning his power after that night.
Second, we’d donated all of his and Jacqueline’s money to charities across the city, including a new youth center the mayor was interested in helping sponsor.
Third, we would take his business and stop him from gaining any footing in the criminal world. He might be able to work underground for some things, but for the empire he was building, there would be a lot of hands he’d need to grease to get his club opened now. Without any capital and the blockades we’d placed on the people he needed, we’d effectively stopped him from gaining any momentum, and ultimately, power.
He was stalled in the water. Which only left one more thing—the family.
Since we hadn’t acknowledged his entrance the way he wanted, he made his way onto the dance floor, knocking people over as he charged toward us. I pushed my shoulders back and tilted my head high, knowing he wanted to see fear. He’d tried to intimidate me once and had been successful, but he wouldn’t be this time. This time I was next to my men and knew what game he was playing.
At the thought of my husbands, I felt them trickle down next to us, standing at our back in solidarity. It didn’t matter what Dayton thought, we were a united front, and nothing could break us.
“Did you need something, Dayton?” I asked, steeling myself to keep my voice steady. I couldn’t falter now. I’d made it this far.
He sneered at me, not liking that I was the one talking. Which was precisely why I was. Atticus stared at his father indifferently, showing no emotion, and I could almost picture the others’ faces. Dayton grew angrier the longer they continued to ignore him, making me even more confident in my assessment of him.