Page 135 of Vicious Little Games

Cass and I look at each other, and I know she knows exactly what I’m thinking. We’re already in deep, so I may as well finish digging my grave.

“No,” Cass whispers and adamantly shakes her head no, but I blurt out, “Dante, we have a resolution to who should be your successor.”

“Oh, yeah?” her father asks. “I can now guaran-fucking-tee that it won't be you!”

“Seriously, you won't even have to choose between me or Cass.”

“Oh, really. And why is that?”

“Because we're a package deal now,” Cass interjects, as if that will stop me.

“Package deal?” Dante asks.

“We’ll both take over for you,” she tells him confidently.

“And our son or daughter that’s on the way will be a Salvato and have the Russian ties you wanted,” I add.

“Son or...you are fucking dead!” Dante charges toward me, but Cass intercepts him. Taking his wrist, she places his hand on the same bump I just felt.

“Meet your granddaughter or grandson. And Vanessa’s.”

“Holy shit. Holy. Shit,” my mom whispers while staring at me. “I'm going to beat your ass, but first I need to hug you and Cass.” She comes over and wraps me in a hug and then shoves a stunned Dante aside to hug Cass. “When...how...no, scratch that, just how far along are you?” she asks her while cradling her bump with both palms.

“Almost twelve weeks now,” Cass says, which has me feeling equally surprised.

“Sophie’s wedding?” I ask her and she shakes her head. That was the first night we didn’t use a condom. So then when…

Oh shit. There was only one other time before the wedding. The same night I embarrassed myself. Guess I didn’t pull out fast enough. “The first night?” I ask and she nods. “Jesus. That was so long ago! I thought it was just the other day…”

“Cole, please shut up about the conception until Dante is no longer around,” my mom advises me.

“Right, sorry.”

“Cass, sweetheart, I can't believe you’ve kept this a secret all this time,” Dante grumbles.

“I didn’t find out for sure until you got Sophie all of those pregnancy tests,” Cass admits. “I thought you would torture me until I told you who the father was, then kill Cole after you forced me to get a DNA test, so I wanted to figure out what to do…”

“I'm sorry,” Dante says, pulling her to him for a long hug.

“I'm sorry we were irresponsible. I hope you will forgive me and him, Daddy.”

“There's nothing to forgive, other than keeping secrets from me. I don't like it,” he tells her. “I won't have it. You two both better tell me everything from now on.” Dante winces as he pulls back then adds, “Tell me all pertinent information, I mean.”

“I will.”

“We will,” I assure him.

“Thank you for not taking it out on Cole,” Cass says. “It wasn't his fault. We're both responsible. Irresponsible. You know what I mean. I wasn't innocent in this, or innocent at the time. You know what? I think I'll shut up now.”

“Don't worry, the two guards she was with first are long gone,” I proudly inform him. Cass glares at me like she’s going to literally drown me in the pool one day soon.

“You had sex with two of my guards?” Dante shouts.

“It was a while ago, and I regret it. They’re dead now. Cole killed them.”

“They hurt her,” I explain when my mom also looks ready to drown me. “Besides, even if they hadn’t, they were both pussies for not wanting to be honest with Dante about being with Cass.”

“And you weren't afraid of that?” Dante comes up and asks me.

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