King of Wrath (Kings of Sin #1) by Ana Huang

Yesterday, I’d been in D.C., meeting with Christian and discussing how to take down Francis Lau. Now here I was, taking his daughter for pancakes and milkshakes like we were suburban teenagers on a first date.

Life had a fucked up sense of humor.

Vivian finally decided on the strawberry, and I waited until our server left before I spoke again.

“What’s the work crisis you mentioned earlier?”

This time, Vivian’s sigh was heavier. “The original venue for the Legacy Ball got flooded.” She gave me a quick rundown of what happened, her shoulders growing increasingly tense the longer she spoke.

It was a shitty situation. Venues of that size and caliber booked out months, if not years, in advance. Finding one at this late date was like trying to find a lake in the desert.

“Did you try the museums?” I asked. Places like the Met and the Whitney regularly hosted charity galas and balls.

“Yes. Their calendars are full.”

“I could make a call. Free up a spot.”

“No.” Vivian shook her head. “I don’t want to put anyone else in the same spot I’m in by making the museum cancel on them.”

Typical Vivian. I wasn’t sure whether to be impressed or exasperated.

“The New York Public Library?” I suggested.

“Also booked.”

Apparently, all the usual suspect hotels were also out.

I rubbed a thumb over my bottom lip, thinking. “You could host it at Valhalla.”

Vivian’s eyebrows winged up. “They don’t allow outside events.”

“No, but the Legacy Ball is extremely prestigious. Most, if not all, members will be there. They’d consider it if I asked them.”

The managing committee would throw a fucking tantrum about it, but I could convince them.

Maybe.

“I can’t ask you to do that,” she said warily. She wasn’t a member of the club, but she lived in our world. She knew payment for things like these came in the form of favors, not money.

And sometimes, the favors cost more than anything money could buy.

“It’s not a big deal.” I could handle the management committee and anything they threw at me.

“It’s a huge deal.”

“Vivian,” I said. “I’ll handle it.”

The committee required a unanimous vote to approve all decisions. I was a yes. Kai would likely say yes. That left six more people to convince.

I had my work cut out for me, but I’d always appreciated a good challenge.

Vivian scraped her teeth across her bottom lip. “Fine, but I’m looking into alternatives, anyway. Valhalla will be the last resort.”

“Don’t let anyone else from the club hear you say that, or you really will be blacklisted. Even I won’t be able to save you from ninety-nine bruised egos.”

“Noted.” Her laugh settled somewhere deep in my chest before it faded. “Thank you,” she said, her face softening. “For offering to help.”

I cleared my throat, my face oddly warm. “You’re welcome.”

Our server returned with our orders, and I watched, muscles tense, as Vivian took her first sip.

“Wow.” Surprise flared in her eyes. “You were right. This is amazing.”

I relaxed. “I’m always right.”

My shake matched her sentiments. I’d worried it wouldn’t live up to my childhood memories, but it was every bit as good as I remembered.

Our conversation soon shifted from work and food to an eclectic mix of topics—music, movies, travel—before it tapered into a comfortable silence.

It was hard to believe Vivian and I had been at each other’s throats so often. If I set aside my intense dislike for her family, being with her was like breathing.

Easy. Effortless. Essential.

“You know it’s not about the money for me,” Vivian said after we finished our drinks and readied to leave.

I raised a questioning brow.

“This. Our engagement.” She gestured between us. “I know what you must think of my family, and you’re not entirely wrong. Money and status mean a lot to them. Me marrying a Russo is…well, it’s the ultimate achievement, in their eyes. But I’m not my family.”

She twisted her ring around her finger. “Don’t get me wrong. I like nice clothes and fancy vacations as much as the next person, but marrying a billionaire was never my end goal in life. I like you because of you, not because of your money. Even if you piss me off sometimes,” she added wryly.

The warmth in my veins died a quick death at the mention of her family, but it rekindled with her admission.

I like you because of you, not because of your money.

A fist squeezed my chest.

“I know,” I said quietly.

That was the most incredible part. I really did believe her.

Once upon a time, she’d been a Lau.

Now, she was Vivian. Separate, distinct, and capable of making me question everything I thought I wanted.

Self-preservation told me to keep her at arm’s length. We were heading toward an inevitable collision, and our new boundaries wouldn’t mean shit once the truth about her father came to light.

But I’d tried distance, and all it’d done was make me want her more. Her laughs, her smiles, the sparkle in her eyes when she teased me and the fire in her replies when I pissed her off. I wanted all of it even when I knew I shouldn’t.