Chapter 13

13

Cass

B efore dinner that night, Sophie took pregnancy tests that were all negative, yelled at her husband loud enough for the entire penthouse to hear, and then made up with him loud enough for all of Vegas to hear. I had to put in my earbuds and go down to the gym for a jog on the treadmill to escape Sophie's screeches and Lochlan's loud ass swears.

I'm stretching on the mat, well, lying flat on my back staring up at the ceiling with deafening rock music playing in my ears when Vanessa's face appears above me.

I remove one of my earbuds to pause the music.

"Cass, can we talk for a second?" she asks.

"Yeah, sure," I agree. Sitting up, I pull my knees to my chest.

Vanesa rolls over a giant blue exercise ball and takes a seat on it. The petite woman doesn't look any worse for wear after her and my dad argued and then made up. It's like all hell has broken loose and everyone in the penthouse is fighting and fucking today.

Not me and Cole, though.

I meant it when I told him never again. I've got a million different plans to start putting in action, starting with convincing my father to make me his heir over Cole.

"I just wanted you to know that I'm not rooting for you to win this competition just to keep Cole safe. I want to keep you safe as well, of course," she explains.

"I get it."

"I mean it, Cass. Dante has kept you sheltered from the worst aspects of this world. Are you sure you want to be a part of something so dangerous, so violent?"

"I am," I tell her honestly. "I…I need this more than you know." And then, even though the words burn my throat, I add, "Thank you for inviting me into the conversation, and insisting that Daddy give me a chance too."

With a small smile she says, "You're strong and smart. Just as smart as Cole even if you didn't choose to go the college route. I just wanted to make sure you knew where I stood and let you know that I'm here to help."

"You would really try to help me beat your son?" I ask in surprise.

"Absolutely. Anything you need."

Nodding, I ask for her the truth. "Do you actually think there's any chance my father would ever let me take over for him?"

"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."

"Who said anything about her leaving the property?" he huffs.

"Fine, they can stay here and get to know each other in Cass's bedroom," Vanessa replies with a grin.

"Out of the penthouse it is," Daddy quickly amends. "I'll...think about it."

"Thank you."

"Is there any particular criteria you're looking for?" Vanessa asks, seeming very excited about the prospect of playing matchmaker. I guess she doesn't have much to do now that the wedding planning is all over.

"Rich with damn good security," my father supplies for me.

"Sure," I agree since I know he won't budge on the security issue, and that's not something broke men have. I do add, "And attractive, obviously."

"Obviously," Vanessa agrees with a roll of her eyes. "But what is your type, Cass?"

"Oh, um, I don't really have a type."

Cole snorts and tries to cover it up as a cough. I know exactly what he's thinking—that I'm a slut so I'm not picky. Or that I'm into guards.

I decide to continue ignoring him, like I plan to do from now on. Eventually he'll hopefully get the hint.

Cole doesn't get the hint.

In fact, he breaks into my room late that night. I'm propped up against the headboard still awake and doing a little research on my phone in the private browser when he barges in.

"What the hell was that about, Cassie?" he asks when he's standing at the foot of the bed.

"What was what about?" I ask innocently while closing out my search tabs, not even letting myself glance in his direction.

"Why did you ask your father to choose men for you to date?"

"Because you convinced my guards to quit," I remind him. "Besides, I've never had a chance to go out for dinner or do whatever else it is that people do on dates."

"They fuck, Cassie, that's what people do on dates."

"Oh, well, that sounds perfect," I tell him with a smirk. "And I don't want to just date and fuck them. I want a husband." Finally, I look up at the cocky bastard standing in my bedroom shirtless in a pair of thin cotton shorts that leave little to the imagination.

"A husband? Are you fucking high?" he exclaims. "Come on, Cassie…"

He climbs up and kneels on the foot of the mattress, but I shake my head. "Don't, Cole. I meant what I said before. We're enemies. I'm not fucking you again. It's over. And my name is Cass. Cassie makes me feel like a dog."

"That doesn't make any sense," he says, refusing to budge. He needs to leave and soon. The blond jackass is too tempting kneeling on my bed mostly naked.

"It does to me. Cassie sounds like Lassie."

"You know what I meant! I wasn't talking about your damn name. I meant why do you all of a sudden want a husband?"

"I don't owe you any explanations," I tell him. "Now, get out of my room."

"Fine," he says as he slips off the bed, getting to his feet. "But don't forget that if you're dating men, then I can do the same with any woman I want. And thankfully, I don't need my mother to set up dates for me."

Asshole. He's such a fucking asshole.

"My father doesn't let me near any men other than the guards and my instructor!" I yell at him, louder than I should have. At least Sophie doesn't live here anymore to overhear. A tiny bit of my outburst may have been caused by the thought of Cole fucking a bunch of random women.

"Yeah, and look how well that turned out with the guards."

"Fuck you, Cole. Get out."

When he actually does as I demand and leaves, I wish I could call him back.

It's so stupid. I shouldn't want him. He's been nothing but a pain in my ass since he came back to Vegas.

And now, he's not just my stepbrother; he's also my competition. As much as I enjoyed the great sex, I have to focus on the future now, and that future cannot involve Cole.