Page 109 of Dangerous King
Dad watches me for a beat, then sets his glass down with a soft clink.
"There's something else," he says. "Cesare pulled me aside before dinner. Told me Roberto froze all his accounts. Every one of them. He can't even access the Costa Foundation funds."
That gets my full attention.
"He asked me for a loan. He wants to keep it quiet, and he doesn't want Catalina to know."
I exhale slowly, the weight of that settling in my chest. "I figured something was wrong. Cat mentioned something earlier about overhearing you both."
He nods. "I said yes, of course. We can't let him drown. Especially not since we're going to be a family soon."
"No," I agree. Then I add, "I was thinking of offering the sons jobs at the casinos. Keep them on the legit side."
My father raises a brow, but he doesn't seem surprised. "That's… smart. They'll need income. And it keeps them close enough for us to watch."
"Exactly," I say, finishing the last of my scotch. "I'll keep them out of the back rooms, give them floor training, and move them through security and compliance. We'll see who earns their keep."
"Good," he says, and his voice is warm with approval. "That's leadership. That's thinking like a capo."
I don't say anything. Just accept the words for what they are. Rare and earned. He refills both our glasses, but when he hands mine back, there's a subtle change in his expression—a shadow behind the pride.
"I don't quite trust him," he says.
"Cesare?"
He nods once. "If it had been Izzy taken, I would've started a war. I would've pulled down heaven and hell to get her back. Cesare waited. Sat on his hands while his daughter rotted under a predator's roof—and did nothing."
I run a hand down my face. "I've thought about that too. But he's not us. He doesn't have the resources or the network. The old man had to be careful."
"Still," he says darkly. "He could've done more."
I don't argue.
"Your mamma," he adds, "she's having the same thoughts. Not about Cesare. About the rest of the Costas. Especially Sabine."
That gets a flicker of unease out of me. "Sabine?"
"She watches too closely; she smiles too tightly. Your mother says something about that girl's hunger feels… wrong."
I think of the way Sabine stood in the archway tonight, arms crossed, eyes hard. I hadn't noticed much then; my mind was too focused on Cat. But now…
"I'll keep an eye on her," I say. "And I'll start looking for some real estate, give the Costas a place of their own, maybe that'll help them settle."
He nods, satisfied. Then he clinks his glass against mine.
"To your future," he says quietly.
"I've waited long enough," I say, handing the empty glass back to him.
He smirks faintly. "Try not to fall off her balcony."
I grin at that, "Have I ever?"
I've never dried my hair faster in my life.
I'm still towel-wrapped, freshly scrubbed, lotion-slathered, and about three seconds from putting on one of my new negligees when I hear it.
A faintthump,but it's not coming from the hall. I draw my brows together, trying to figure out where it's coming from. I'm not scared; there are too many guards around to be worried. But Shadow growls quietly from his kennel.
