Page 44 of Vicious Little Games

“If you win, he'll have to,” she replies as she gets to her feet. “I’ll make sure of that, and I’ll also ensure that the contests are fair and judged by unbiased individuals.”

“Then I can’t wait to prove what I’m capable of to them,” I tell her.

“Me too.”

Later that night at a family dinner with the four of us, my father says, “I'm working on ideas for your first competition. Hopefully, we'll be able to get started soon. I would like to have a few days to make sure everything is settling down between Sophie and Lochlan first.”

“It sounded like they made up,” I remark.

“After Sophie had Lochlan by the balls,” Cole adds with a snicker.

“I don't want to talk about that shit,” my father snaps.

“Your father is still a little testy because Sophie called Lochlan ‘daddy’ in front of him,” Vanessa informs us with a girlish giggle.

“Jesus,” Cole mutters, followed by a chuckle.

“Butterfly….”

Heeding the warning in his tone, Vanessa bites her lip to calm her laughter. I hide my grin behind my napkin.

Figuring now is a good a time as any to broach the next part of my plan, I say to my father, “Now that Sophie’s marriage may actually last more than a month, can we talk about my dating life?”

“Your what?” Daddy grumbles at the same time Cole chokes on his sip of water. “You don't have a dating life.”

“That's right,” I tell him. “I don't. Yet. I want to start dating–”

“No.” My father says the one word as if it’s the end of the conversation.

“Dante,” Vanessa starts. “How can Cass prove to you that she's capable of taking over your empire if you won't even trust her enough to go on a few dates?”

“I don't like it.” My father shakes his head and eyes me. “You're all I have left. If something happened to you…”

“You can't keep Cass locked up in this penthouse forever just because Madison ran away and you rushed Sophie into a marriage,” Vanessa says, laying into my father as only she can do.

“You are never going to let me live down arranging Sophie’s marriage, are you, butterfly?”

“Only if Sophie is a happily married woman a year from now,” she replies honestly.

“Let's hope she will be,” he mutters.

“So, about me dating,” I start again.

I can feel Cole glaring at the side of my head, like he’s confused and pissed. Maybe he thinks I’m about to rat him out. Or maybe he just doesn’t like the idea of me with other men. While I enjoy his jealousy, it's also none of his business. “How about this, Daddy—I'll let you choose the men I date.”

“You'll let me choose who you go on a date with?” he repeats as if it's some sort of trick.

“Yes. Set me up with someone. Anyone you approve of, and I swear I won’t bitch or complain.”

Cole’s knee rams into the side of my thigh but I ignore him.

“Okay,” my father agrees way too quickly and easily. “I choose…no one.”

Sighing, I say, “Daddy, please. You picked Lochlan for Sophie and she sounded happy enough with him earlier today.”

My father rubs his temples as if he's trying to permanently purge the sounds of my sister's happiness from his head.

“It seems like a good compromise to me,” Vanessa offers. “You can fully vet each man before you let them leave the casino with Cass.”

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