Page 38 of Vicious Little Games

Dante's jaw tightens. He shakes his head and then freezes. Looking back toward the door my mom just went through he says, “Actually, I need to have a word with you in my office.”

Shit. Shit, shit, shit. “Ah, yeah, sure.”

What if he knows about me and Cassie and he's going to take his anger at Lochlan out on me? Well, his anger at me and his anger at Lochlan because I know he would be homicidal if he found out I fucked the only daughter he has left. Unless Sophie is back home for good...

I follow the mafia king into his office where he shuts the door behind me. Never a good idea to be completely alone with an armed mobster. I should start carrying one of the guns I stole from the two guards. Then Dante says, “Have a seat. I want to talk to you about something before your mother comes back.”

“Okay, sure. What's up?” I ask, trying not to sound like a scared little pussy. I knew the consequences when I fooled around with Cass both times and I have zero regrets. Well, no regrets except for one—coming too fast the first time.

“So, here's the thing,” Dante starts, leaning back against his desk. “Your mom isn't going to like me having this conversation with you, but I hope you and I can convince her to come around. That is, if you're even interested.”

Okay, now I'm fucking confused.

Dante is the one who seems a little nervous as he tugs at the knot of his tie before going around to take a seat behind his enormous desk.

“Lochlan Dunne was going to be my successor, either when I died or when I decided I had had enough of running the legal and illegal businesses in the city.”

“Oh. Wow,” I say in surprise. “I thought you would leave it all to the girls.”

“You think my daughters could handle being in charge of all this?” he asks, gesturing with his hands to the office around us.

“I honestly have no clue.”

I don't mention that I could see Cassie ruling the entire city, hell, probably even the state or country with an iron fist.

“So, here's the thing. Your mother has made it clear that she doesn't want you to have anything to do with the mafia.”

“Right, yeah. I mean she lied to me about everything my entire life and hid us from her father to keep me from being part of the Russian mafia.” I don't mention that I'm still a little pissed off at her for it. I love my mother. I know how much she sacrificed to raise me on her own with no support, but she still could've told me the truth once I got older.

And better yet, if she knew who the hell my father was, he could've been helping us too. I guess I also have some anger about that part of my life, growing up without a father figure. My mother never even dated until I went off to college. And I would never call her ex-boyfriend Mitchell a person to admire or consider a role model.

“So, while I completely understand Vanessa's hesitations, I told her that I would still like to ask you if you have any interest in being part of this world,” Dante explains.

“Being part of it how?” I ask.

“Being my heir, taking over for me someday, possibly soon.”

Jesus.

Fucking.

Christ.

“You want me to take over your drug trafficking empire?”

“That and my casino, properties, and all other businesses. You're a smart kid, Cole. Business is what you've been studying, right?”

“Yes, but I pictured running a small company, not the underground in an entire city.”

“So, you're not interested?”

“I didn't say that. I just said that I never imagined such a thing was even possible. My mother made sure that I didn't know anything about my grandfather's mob. I know you're not like him, that you have...a code of ethics that you live by while he was all for killing innocent people.”

“It's a dangerous lifestyle,” Dante says, steepling his fingers together on his desk with the understatement of the century. “But I think you've got a good head on your shoulders, with enough charisma and ruthlessness to be able to keep people in line, to make people want to have you lead them.”

That’s one hell of a compliment coming from the mafia king. Is this some kind of trick?

“I don't know what to say.”

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