The Billionaire Playboy's Regret (Lark and Max) novel Chapter 72

Lark was on her knees as they wheeled Max away. The shouting of the man doing compressions on Max’s chest eerily familiar to the way her mother did them to Nana Prue earlier. She was going to throw up. Bile rose from her stomach, and she heaved on the floor as Ollie grabbed a trash bin and held it under her chin.

“Shh,” Ollie held her hair back.

Olivier and Bobbie were racing down the hall after Max after ordering their children to stay put.

LJ grunted, “once again, they’re chasing after the golden boy. The minute he’s not the center of attention he has to cause a scene.”

“LJ,” Mori growled, “he has a heart condition. He could die. Could you stop your weird vendetta against our brother for ten minutes?”

“He won’t f*****g die. Mom wouldn’t allow it. Heaven forbids anything happen to her precious Max.”

“Are you for real?” Ollie growled.

“They are needed here, and they ran after him.” LJ waved his hand. “Nana Prue is gone, and Gracie is probably dying, and he has to have a panic attack, so the attention is back on him.”

“You’re an asshole. He was probably having a heart attack!” Margot smacked at LJ. She looked at Mori, “should we go with Mom and Dad?”

“Dad said to stay here.” Mori shook her head as tears coated her cheeks. “I can’t keep doing this. It’s too much for one day.

“Suck it up,” LJ growled at her. “It’s only a panic attack, Mori. He always has them when s**t gets too real for him. We’re here for Fallon, not him.”

“LJ!” Everly snapped at him angrily like the second mother she was, “whatever your problem is right now, take it elsewhere. If you can’t be supportive and loving, then take your anger and your frustration and petty jealousy of Max and go somewhere else so we can focus on what we needed.”

“Fine!” LJ rose to his feet not noticing his father came back to the room and was accompanied by his grandfather Levi. He froze as both men glared at him and then was about to walk out when they each grabbed him by an arm and cornered him.

“I have had it with your s**t,” Olivier growled. “I warned you about hurting the people you loved and instead of being the kind of person who we could be proud of, you’ve gotten even worse since you arrived on Monday. You’re going with your grandfather.”

“What do you mean I’m going with my grandfather?” LJ gave them a panicked look.

“You’ve been jealous of your brother’s success. You have always been given the same opportunities as your brother and sister but instead of embracing them, you squandered them and then made your mother feel badly for not giving you more. You think because your brain doesn’t work as well as Max or Margot’s you should be given more. You forget, Ollie, Mori, Ronnie all have intellect comparable to yours and yet they all continue to work hard and make the best of their situations. Your anger is hurting the people around you, and I draw the line at you causing your mother pain. You hurt her last week and then again yesterday. No more.”

Lark couldn’t believe all of this was happening right now.

“Your father called me yesterday to say he heard you making disparaging comments about your family, LJ. I told him I would be here today to take you with me.” Levi was firm. “You were the one who leaked to the paparazzi about Max meeting a woman who was extorting him. You did it. Max might have recognized the photographer in the lobby and didn’t stop them, but you were the one who called it in. Family doesn’t set family up.”

“Where are we going?” LJ folded his arms mutinously.

“Bayou,” Levi said simply.

“As of this moment, you are hereby cut off from all financial support of the Villeneuve and Moreno families.”

“What?” LJ was incredulous.

“This,” Olivier waved around them, “is a family and we stick by one another. Nana Prue died today.” He took a shuddering breath, “do you understand this LJ? Grady’s mother, Fallon’s grandmother, died in Everly’s arms. Yet from the minute we arrived here, you’ve complained about your brother and your mother. If you think I didn’t hear you plant the ear worm in Johan’s head about Max’s culpability you are wrong. You took an emotionally strung-out man and gave him a horrible thought to let it fester. Shame on you, LJ. It is not how a man acts. Not a real man. You are a spoiled boy.”

“Wait,” Lark spoke up, “you were the one who made Johan blame Max for all of this?” she stood in front of LJ. “Why?” “He’s the f*****g golden child. He is always the center of attention.” LJ blurted as if unable to help himself. “This is jealousy?”

“I’m not jealous. I’m sick of him getting away with everything. I hate him.” The gasps at his bold statement made him immediately back down. “I don’t hate him, but he pisses me off.”

“Well,” Bobbie’s voice broke in, “the brother you claim to hate is down the hall fighting for his life. He suffered a heart attack.”

Lark looked at Bobbie nearly falling to her knees again, “What?”