Page 41 of Vicious Little Games

“Not at the expense of my son, you're not!”

“What?” Cass asks looking between them as if trying to figure out what the hell is going on. She doesn't look at me again though. The girl has this way of sometimes making you feel like you're a piece of shit, one that doesn't exist, all at the same time. It's a hell of a trick.

Dante clears his throat and says, “Since Lochlan has fucked everything up, he can forget about being my successor. Not to mention, I wouldn't put it past him to kill me just to get his greedy hands on my money. Since he's no longer a viable option, I've asked Cole if he would be interested in learning the ropes.”

“Cole?” Cass repeats, again making my name drip with feces. “You want Cole to be your heir? Why? Why not me?”

“I love you, Cass. You know that,” Dante starts. “And I would do anything to keep you safe...”

“So, you'll keep her safe by putting my son in danger,” my mom butts in.

“They're all in danger, Vanessa! All of us will always be in danger. That is a fact.”

“I know that, Dante! But putting Cole in charge would be painting a giant bullseye on his back. Maybe Sophie and Lochlan will work things out.”

“No. Fuck that. That son of a bitch is dead to me, even if he miraculously makes Sophie forgive him.”

“So, you chose Cole over me?” Cass says. “Why? Because he's a guy?”

“His gender doesn't have anything to do with it.”

“Bullshit,” Cass and my mom say at the same time.

Dante glares at them both. “Honestly, Cass, I didn't think you would have any interest in being in charge.”

She huffs and crosses her arms over her ample chest that I want to bury my face in. Or my dick. It’s a shame I didn’t get the chance to do either of those things the times we fooled around.

“What else do I have to do? You won't let me date or go out. I train in the gym all day. That's it. That's my entire life. And I want more. I want to learn how to run your companies, the legit ones, and the drug trafficking.”

“You do? Seriously?” Dante asks. “Or do you just not want Cole to be my successor?”

“I can do anything he can do even better. And I'll prove it to you if you give me the chance.”

“I think you should give her the chance, Dante.” My mom’s eyes narrow at me. “If Cole insists on wanting to do this too, then let the two of them fight for it.”

“And you're going to root for Cass instead of your own son to win?” Dante asks her.

“Yes. Cass is just as capable.”

I scoff just as the little bitch says, “Thank you, Vanessa.”

“She only wants you to win to keep her precious son out of harm's way,” Dante informs her.

“That's not the only reason. I think Cass is fully capable if you would just give her the chance to prove it.”

Somehow, I’ve apparently found myself on Dante’s side with my own mother and the girl I’ve been fucking gunning for me.

I know Cass. She’s vicious on a good day. When something this big is at stake? There’s no telling how far she would go to win. She nearly drowned me for teasing her in the pool.

“So, Dante, what do you say?” my mother asks him. “Are you willing to give Cass a chance to prove herself or not?”

The man looks like he's on the verge of erupting like a volcano. “Fine,” he grits out through his clenched teeth. “I'll give Cole and Cass the chance to prove themselves to me for the next two months until Cole has to return to school. At the end of the summer, I'll pick one of them as my successor.”

“How?” Cass asks. “How will we prove ourselves?”

“I don't know yet. Possibly a series of challenges within both worlds to see how you handle things.”

“And someone else has to be the judge of each challenge,” my mom speaks up to say. “Otherwise, it wouldn't be fair.”

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