Page 69 of Pregnant Bratva Wife
“Nothing serious. Just some business Dante’s handling.” He steered me toward a different section of the casino. “Let me show you how the floor works.”
For the next hour, Federico gave me a tour that no regular patron would have ever received. He explained the security measures—the angles of the cameras, the plainclothes woven through the crowd, and the dealers trained to spot cheaters.
“Every game is slightly weighted in the house’s favor,” he explained as we watched a roulette wheel spin. “But not enough that people feel cheated. The real money isn’t in taking everyone for everything they have—it’s in keeping them coming back, spending consistently.”
“So it’s psychological?” I asked, fascinated despite my family history. Despite the pain and trauma my mother caused us. “Makes people…addicted?”
The truth was, I had always wondered how she could have been so foolish. That night, in some small way, I hoped to understand.
Federico tilted his head at me, as though he could read my thoughts. “Yes,” he said, softly. “It’s a sad truth of the business, but the place is designed to reel and keep people in. You see?” He pointed to the walls. “There are no clocks. No windows. The lighting keeps people relaxed, but alert. The music transitions so damn slow that an hour can pass by and people will think it’s the same track.”
I studied the patterns, saw what he meant. “That’s... manipulative.” I couldn’t help the accusatory tone that came with my words.
“That’s business,” he corrected. “Every casino in the world does it. But, we also have a blacklist. Anyone who we feel is self-sabotaging or putting themselves in grave danger,we don’t allow back in. We see the signs. Credit lines unpaid. Depressive mannerisms. In fact, we allow people to blacklist themselves. Not all casinos do that.”
I watched Federico as he spoke, the way his eyes softened when he explained how they were different. Almost as though he was trying to tell me something, like he wished my mother visited establishments like this rather than the seedy ones she did.
And the truth? I wished so too. If someone had to gamble, a place like this seemed like a better option.
Federico continued guiding me forward. We rounded a corner near the high-roller rooms, nearly colliding with Dante.
“Well, well,” Dante gave me a hug, then turned to Federico. “Did you finally bring your wife to career day?”
Federico didn’t miss a beat. “You’re still not allowed to speak to her without a warning label.”
“Relax.” Dante grinned at me. “Welcome to the circus. You ever dealt cards?”
“Uno,” I said. “Aggressively.”
That earned a real laugh from both of them.
“You’re lucky,” Dante said to me. “This guy’s got a brain under all that brooding. Stick with him. You might even end up running the place one day.”
Federico muttered something under his breath in Russian, but Dante just winked and melted into the crowd.
“Do all your meetings start with insults and end in compliments?” I asked.
“Only with family,” sighed Federico. “Come.” He placed his hand on my lower back again.
God. Why was it that every time he did so, I felt like I’d been electrocuted? In the best possible way, of course.
We ended up in a huge office filled with desks and computers, and massive screens.
“This is our nerve center,” Federico explained. “Everything gets tracked here—wins, losses, patterns, potential issues.”
I scanned the room, taking it all in. “It’s pretty high tech.”
“Did you think we kept the books in crayon?” he teased.
“Honestly? I wasn’t sure what to expect.” I picked up a spreadsheet, studied the columns of numbers. “This is a cash flow analysis.”
“Yes.” He sounded surprised. “You know accounting?”
“I took some online classes when I thought I might someday start a business of my own.” I scanned the document more carefully. “These numbers don’t match up.”
Federico stepped closer, looking over my shoulder. “Where?”
I pointed to a section. “Here. And here. The daily reconciliations are off by small amounts, but they add up. Either someone’s skimming or there’s an error in the tracking system.”
