Ruinous Love Trilogy, #2
Leather & Lark
by Brynne Weaver
Contents
Chapter Twenty-Three: Last Defense
Overview
Lark meets Rose before Rose departs to rejoin Silveria Circus, underscoring their diverging paths. After returning home, Lark learns Aunt Ethel has died and, seeking support, she and Lachlan finally confess they love each other. The moment is shattered when Abe Midus breaks into Lark’s apartment, drugs her, and threatens her as Bentley defends her.
Summary
Lark meets Rose at a café, where Rose notices Lark’s changed demeanor toward Lachlan. They joke candidly about Lark’s revitalized sex life, but the conversation turns bittersweet as Rose prepares to leave to rejoin Silveria Circus, with Fionn set to drop her off. The friends part with affection and unspoken worries about Rose’s situation.
Walking home, Lark texts Sloane and reflects on her unconventional but happy marriage to Lachlan. At the apartment, her mother calls to tell her that Aunt Ethel has passed away peacefully. Grief overwhelms Lark, and she immediately reaches for Lachlan for steadiness and comfort.
On the phone, Lachlan offers to meet Lark at Shoreview. As Lark voices how unmoored she feels without Ethel, Lachlan quietly confesses, “I love you.” Lark, moved and exposed by the loss, returns the words and resolves to see herself clearly, without pretense. She prepares to leave, feeling both devastated and buoyed by their new honesty.
Moments later, Bentley’s barking draws Lark into the living room, where she finds Abe Midus intruding. Lark bolts for the kitchen but is struck down, injured, and injected with a sedative. Disoriented and losing strength, she sees Abe cap the syringe and brandish a blade while Bentley plants himself protectively over her legs, growling.
As darkness presses in, Abe addresses Bentley with chilling calm, leaving Lark drugged, bleeding, and vulnerable on her living room floor, her declaration of love with Lachlan brutally interrupted.
Who Appears
- LarkProtagonist; grieves Ethel’s death, confesses mutual love with Lachlan, and is ambushed and drugged by Abe Midus at home.
- Abe MidusIntruder who breaks into Lark’s apartment, injects her with a sedative, and threatens her with a blade.
- Lachlan KaneLark’s husband; offers support and confesses he loves Lark, which she reciprocates.
- RoseLark’s friend; meets Lark to say goodbye before leaving to rejoin Silveria Circus, masking her own sadness.
- BentleyLark and Lachlan’s dog; growls and guards Lark during Abe Midus’s attack.
- Lark’s motherCalls Lark to inform her that Aunt Ethel has passed away peacefully.
- FionnAssociated with Rose; plans to drop her off before she departs to join the circus.