“What a miserable fucking evening,” says a gravelly voice.
I turn back to see Sorrow stepping on the terrace, hugging her arms around, trying to keep the cold out. She gives me a shitty look as she shuts the door behind her.
“What do you want, Sorrow?” I say, taking in a lungful of smoke.
Her eyes narrow and her lips become a grim line as steps up next to me, looking into the dark surrounding the house. “I wanted to apologize for being a bitch lately.”
I give a shrug. “You’re a Vice." All Vice women are absolute bitches, my mother being the main one.
“I also wanted to thank you. You stopped those bastards from…whatever they had planned the other night. I know my father wants me off his hands, married to some pig, but appreciate you looking out for me.”
I take another drag of my cigarette, leaving it balancing on my lips, and then reach into my pocket to take out my pack, offering her one. Sorrow doesn’t smoke but she takes one anyway and holds it to her lips while I light it.
“There’s more than one way to be useful,” I say finally. “If you can stomach it.”
She cocks a brow at me. “Oh really, aren’t you even pimping yourself out for the greater good.”
She’s got me there. This deal with Adrien all ties into this sham of a marriage. Viola hates me. I can’t look at her without wanting to hurt her. It’s all fucking screwed. “Do what Sal does. No one will make you marry anyone you don’t want to if you’re an asset already.”
We smoke in silence for a few more minutes.
“It’s not that easy and you know it,” she grimaces.
“Want me to speak to Lola for you?”
She shakes her head. “Fuck no.” After a pause, she adds. “Sal has asked me to do something for him.”
Sounds fucked up.“Do I want to know?”
“Ew, not like that.” She rolls her eyes. “He wants me to get information from someone and then get rid of them, for the good of the family. I haven’t decided if I’m going to do it yet.”
“Who?” I keep my voice light.
She side-eyes me. “I can’t tell you.”
I shrug and finish my smoke, stubbing it out on the low wall. I’ll just have to ask Sal directly. Fucking bastard, roping Sorrow in to do his dirty work.
“What do you think I should do?” she asks.
“My advice…do what needs to be done.” She seems to consider that. “No one else is going to save you,” I add before going inside.
Lola gives me a concerned look as I walk through the parlor. “Dino,” she says, calling me over.
I know what she’s going to say, she’s going to tell me to stay away from Viola because she knows that I’ll be strung up if my uncles suspect that Viola and I killed my brother together. Killing family is tolerated for ambition but not fucking love.
Never for love.
Not that I’m in love with Viola anymore.
That emotion died the day she left and didn’t fucking come back.