Chapter 12

12

Cole

T he two weeks following the quickie at Sophie's wedding, Cass is even icier to me than before. She doesn't speak to me or even look at me during our forced family dinners now that it's just the four of us: me, my mom, Cass, and Dante. Even though it sucks, it's probably for the best not to keep it up, to chance letting it become more than just great sex knowing what I have to do at the end of August.

There haven't been any new guards visiting Cass's room or kitchen either. At least none that I know about. She even told Dante one night that she's no longer working out with his employees in the gym.

Why he ever agreed to that shit, I have no clue. Probably because he thought it would help Cass learn how to better defend herself. In reality, he just gave a bunch of assholes the chance to roll around with his horny daughter .

Not that she's been horny enough to visit me. And I haven't attempted to break into her room again. That was a one-time thing. If she wants me, she knows where to find me. After all, it's easier for her to sneak downstairs than for me to sneak up to the third floor.

I sleep most of my days away, other than the one morning my mom made me go play tennis with Sophie. That didn't go over well with her new husband, so I don't plan on going back any time soon.

One afternoon around lunchtime, I'm woken up after a late night jerking off to videos of Cass to loud voices and slamming doors on the main floor of the penthouse.

I make my way down to find out what's going on, since it's the most excitement around here since the wedding. Once the wedding was over, Dante and my mother have constantly been lurking around the penthouse, and my guards aren't giving me any space when I leave it.

"What's going on?" my mom asks Dante when they meet outside the hallway near his office and I'm still on the stairs. "I thought I heard Sophie."

"You did," Dante mutters. "She's home and she's...I'm going to fucking kill Lochlan Dunne!"

I have no idea if Dante is just saying that because he's angry with the man or if he means it. You never know with the mafia king.

"What happened? What did he do?" my mom asks as I eavesdrop.

"Sophie won't tell me. She was just sobbing and wouldn't stop. She begged me not to make her go back to him."

"Oh, no."

Sighing, he adds, "She also asked me to get her some pregnancy tests."

"Oh, shit," my mom mutters.

"Yeah," Dante agrees. "If you see two women in the penthouse, they're her new guards, the ones that Lochlan hired. I offered to pay them more to stay on since Sophie seems to feel safe with them."

"Good, that's good," my mom agrees. "Is there anything I can do? Should I go downstairs to the pharmacy and get some tests?"

"Yes. Get a dozen. I want Sophie to be damn sure either way."

"Okay, I'll be right back," she agrees. Going up to her toes she gives Dante a peck on the cheek before starting for the door.

"Take guards with you, butterfly," Dante yells out.

"Always," she agrees.

"Is everything okay with Sophie?" I ask Dante when I make it to the first floor. Now I'm feeling guilty that I didn't tell him about the belt marks on her ass I saw when we played tennis the other morning. Mostly I kept quiet because I didn't want to have a conversation with the mafia king about his daughter's ass, and second, because for some reason, I think Sophie cares for the fucker, so it would be a shame if Dante overreacted to the belt whooping by killing him.

"No."

"Is there anything I can do?"

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."

"You don't have to say anything right now," he replies. "Just think about it and let me discuss it with your mother. She's going to be fucking furious that I asked you."

"I'm not a child anymore. And I know she's always going to want to protect me, but shouldn't this be my decision?"

"It should be, yes."

"Then can I talk to her with you when she gets back?"

"Are you sure? It may get ugly. "

Grinning, I tell him, "I can handle her."

"Then we can try and convince her together. It's been almost a year since I first brought the idea up. Last summer, actually, before we took out Petrov."

"Damn," I say since that's another surprise. "You barely knew me then. We had only met, what, once? And then there was the bombing..."

"Let's not go there," he interrupts. "I'll just say that I had a good feeling about you as a leader. You seem easy enough to get along with, but I think you've got some teeth that will come out if necessary."

"Ah, thanks, I guess."

"You're your mother's son. She's a tough woman who has been through hell. I'm sure you get it from her," he replies. "And I would never say this in front of her, but you also have your grandfather's blood in you. Some of the Russian holdovers who have been trying to cause problems might be happy about the idea of Yuri Petrov's grandson taking over for me some day."

"I take it they don't like you very much after you killed him?"

"They can't fucking stand me. I'm surprised they haven't tried to kill me yet."

"No kidding."

"I allowed the ones who couldn't stomach taking orders from me to pack up and leave town. That was about half of the Russians. The ones that stayed are no doubt still unhappy. With your help, there might be something there worth salvaging. They employ a lot of people in their bars and restaurants. Not to mention I would hate to lose the benefits of running illegal funds through all of those legit businesses."

"Okay, so I don't know shit about the illegal side of business," I tell him honestly.

Grinning, he says, "Trust me. It's nothing you can't learn."

"Well, I cleaned out the pharmacy. Bought every kind of test and brand they had," my mom says when she barges into Dante's office as if it's no big deal to disturb him when the door is closed. Then she sees me sitting there on the other side of his desk and her brows hit her light blonde hairline. "Cole? What are you doing in here? Did you hear the fuss about Sophie? I would beat that Irish man's ass if I could for hurting her."

"Cole's actually in here to discuss something with me," Dante says. "I've asked him if he's interested in being my heir."

"You did what now?" Mom exclaims, dropping the bag in her hand to the floor.

"Now, calm down, butterfly." Dante gets up from his chair to walk around the desk toward her. "I know you were opposed to him being a part of this world..."

"I did everything under the sun to keep him away from my father for twenty damn years! You knew how I felt about this."

"Yes, I knew how you felt about it last year when I first mentioned it, but not how Cole felt about it," Dante replies. "He's a grown ass man. He deserves to make his own decisions now."

My mom scoffs as if her husband has just waged war. "Never. It's never going to happen."

Now I get to my feet to add in my two cents. "I want this, Mom. It's not a big deal."

"Not a big..." She scrubs her palms over her face and says, "The fact that you don't think it's a big deal just goes to show how much you know about the mafia. Nothing. You know absolutely nothing!"

"I can learn, though."

"No. You aren't going to learn anything except what they teach you at school in New York."

"Butterfly," Dante starts, but she cuts him a look that has him closing his mouth.

"How could you? How could talk to him about this behind my back? While I was gone to find pregnancy tests for your heartbroken daughter! "

"You know I appreciate everything you do for me and my girls. But I have to start thinking about this seriously. There's a billion-dollar empire that will be left behind when I'm gone."

I can't even fathom a billion fucking dollars. It's more than I could ever dream of.

"Somebody I trust has to run it, or a lot of people will be out of a job, losing the way they support their families. Then the city will be infiltrated with the types of drugs that send kids to the hospital and cemeteries. I don't want that to happen, and I doubt you do, either."

"Of course, I don't want nasty ass drug dealers to take over the streets of Vegas. But I do not want my son to be the one in charge either!" she huffs. "What about Cass?"

Dante reels back a foot as if she's struck him in the face. "What about her?" he asks softly, calmly.

"Why aren't you having this discussion with her, your own daughter, your flesh and blood? Cass is a smart girl, tough as shit, and more ruthless than most men I've ever met. She trains with guards and can probably take out half a dozen without a weapon, using her own two hands."

"That's a bit of a stretch," Dante says, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yes, Cass is strong and can win a hand-to-hand fight, but that doesn't mean that she's...emotionally capable of running a legit business, much less an illegal one where people need to be handled in a particular way."

"Oh, but you think Cole is emotionally equipped for such a thing?"

Dante stares at her and grits his teeth. "I know what you're implying, butterfly. I am not being sexist."

"Oh, really? Because it sounds like you are, Dante. You wanted Lochlan Dunne to be your heir, and now Cole, while never once considering your own girls."

"Because they are girls! Girls, not women who can bring powerful men to their knees."

"Cass could," my mother says simply. "In fact, I think we should bring her down here to join this conversation." My mother pulls her cell phone from her pocket and starts typing.

"Don't you fucking dare," Dante warns her.

"So, it's okay for you to talk to my son without my approval but I can't invite your daughter down here to ask her what she thinks about all of this?"

A moment later, there's a swift knock on the door.

"Vanessa," Dante grumbles, using her actual name instead of the pet name because he is fucking furious.

My mother strolls right over to the door and opens it wide. "Come in, Cass. We were just talking about you, and I thought you should at least be able to participate in this conversation since it affects you as well."

Cass's pale green eyes widen a bit, then fall right on me. I give the slightest shake of my head to tell her this is not what she thinks it's about. Our parents haven't found out we've fucked behind their backs.

"What's up?" she asks, sounding out of breath. "Is this about why Sophie came home bawling?"

"Your sister is going through a tough time right now. Try not to be a raging bitch to her," Dante says, causing my mom to huff in outrage. "What?" he asks her.

"Did you ask Cole not to be a raging bitch to Sophie too?"

"No, because he doesn't actively try to kick people when they're down or seem to enjoy it."

"And you think I do?" Cass says in disbelief. I'm not sure why though since it's true.

"Sophie is vulnerable, and she might be..."

"Knocked up," Vanessa finishes for Dante. Picking up the discarded pharmacy bag from the floor she says, "We've got some tests for her."

"Oh," Cass replies, brow furrowed. "I can...I can help her take them."

"Not if you're going to make her feel worse," Dante says .

"I won't. I swear." She sounds like she's being sincere, which is…odd.

"That's kind of you, Cass," my mom says. Then, "Back to the reason why we called you down here. Your father is considering who will take over the family business when he's dead."

"I didn't say dead," Dante grumbles. "Maybe I want to be able to spend more time with you and have less stress on my shoulders."

"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."

"Fine, I'll figure out some way to have an outside judge make the decision for each challenge. Whoever wins the most over the summer wins, no debate, no argument. Agreed?" he asks looking right at my mother.

"Agreed, if that's okay with Cass and Cole."

"Sounds good to me," Cass agrees.

"Yeah, I'm fine with it too."

"Then it's settled," my mom replies. "Now, Cass could you and Cole give me and your father a moment alone?"

We both easily agree, not wanting to be in the middle of the fight they're about to have.

My mom hands Cass the bag of pregnancy tests, and then as soon as we get out in the hallway and shut the office door, the yelling begins.

"Fuck," I mutter.

"Don't worry, Vanessa can take care of herself," Cass says as we retreat.

"I was more concerned about Dante getting his eyes clawed out."

I watch as Cass's lips nearly lift in a grin.

"Is it messed up to let them fight like this over us?" I ask her.

"If you want to stop it you could just bow out."

"Me? You bow out."

"You're a nice guy, which means you don't have what it takes to be a gangster," Cass informs me.

"Oh, but you do have what it takes because you're a raging bitch? "

"You're not even a part of this family!" she says when she starts up the stairs.

"Fuck you." That's one of the more vicious things she's ever said to me.

She pauses with her hand on the rail to look back at me. "That's not...I didn't just mean that you're not my father's blood. I also meant that you're never around. You'll be going back to New York in the fall."

"I know all that. But New York isn't forever. I only have one more year before I'll get my degree. And trust me, I'm well aware that Dante only thinks I'll be a good leader because I'm Yuri Petrov's grandson."

"That's not something I would brag about. Yuri was a piece of shit who deserved to die slowly at my father's hands."

"I know that. I'm not proud to be related to him. I'm just pointing out that Dante believes his men would prefer to follow me over him, and definitely over you."

"You're a dick."

I wink at her. "You love my dick."

Before she can respond to that, there's a sound of a loud crash coming from the office.

"Should we see if they are okay?" I ask. But before either of us move, more sounds filter down the hallway that has me following Cass up the stairs.

"I think they're already having make-up sex," Cass mutters as she climbs.

"That was fast."

Cass snorts. "Not as fast as you, but yeah."

"Jesus. You're never going to let me live down that one little time, are you?" I ask, then give her ass that she's swaying in front of my face a slap.

"You're the one who added in the word little ."

"That is not a word you can ever accuse me of being so don't even try. "

Rolling her shoulders back, she says, "Whatever. Your dick is never coming near me again."

My feet freeze on the second-floor landing as she continues walking up to the third floor. "Oh, yeah?" I ask hoping my disappointment isn't obvious.

"Yeah. You're my enemy now."

"Your enemy?" I repeat.

"That's right." Looking over her shoulder at me, she pulls the plastic bag to her chest and says, "I've got more important things to do than you. So let the games begin."

"You don't stand a chance of winning, Cassie, and it has nothing to do with your gender. I've been studying business administration for three years while you just, what, play around with guards on the mats and call it training? Do you fuck your instructor too?"

"You're an asshole. My trainer is like seventy."

"So? I didn't think you were that picky."

"Obviously not if I let you inside of me," she replies.

And I let her have the last word, while praying she's not serious about never letting my dick near her again.