Chapter 38

38

Cass

" S o, let's hear the full report," my father says as he takes his chair behind the desk in his office. "Was it just me or did it smell like smoke down in the lobby? Not cigarette smoke but the kind from the place literally burning down."

"You set that cigar fire, didn't you?" I ask him as I take a seat as well.

"Why would I burn down my own casino?"

Crossing my legs, I say, "I don't know. Maybe to teach us a lesson, to see how we would handle a crisis, oh and to get the insurance money?"

"Are you accusing your own father of arson and insurance fraud?" he asks narrowing his blue eyes.

"Yes, I am."

"I wasn't even in the city," he points out. "Which is step one of getting away with it."

"Noted," I reply with a puff of laughter.

"So, what else happened?" he asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

"There was a third-shift workers strike."

"Oh, yeah?" His brow lifts as if in genuine surprise.

"That wasn't you?"

Daddy shakes his head. "Nope. Definitely wasn't me. How did you handle it?"

"I didn't. Cole did," I admit. "He gave the employees everything they asked for within minutes to get them back to work."

"Fuck," he mutters while reaching a hand up to rub his temples. "That boy is going to bankrupt me if I make him my heir, isn't he?"

"No."

Dropping his hand, Daddy stares at me silently. I'm almost afraid he can see the truth about me and Cole on my face. Then he asks, "No? You're actually going to defend your enemy?"

"He's not my enemy, he's my competition," I clarify. "And I don't think he would intentionally bankrupt you if you put him in charge. I do think he would give away half if not more of your wealth to charity."

"Like mother like son, huh?" he mutters. "Vanessa gave her father's inheritance away."

"She didn't need it now that she's married to you."

"No, I guess she doesn't, does she?" He frowns a moment before saying, "She's putting a lot of trust that our marriage will last."

"It will, won't it?" I ask him.

"Yes, it will. I didn't think about it in those terms. Her confidence in our marriage makes me love her even more."

"Anyway," I groan with a roll of my eyes. "Other than the strike and the fire, mostly it was only minor emergencies like staff calling in sick at the last minute."

"Such a shame," my father remarks with a small grin that I know means he was behind the staff shortage.

"So, I guess we're all caught up. Cole suggested that we both write up the events of each day so I'm sure he'll print those out for you."

"Good. Cole will make a hell of a businessman," Daddy says, pretty much wiping out the small remaining hope I had of proving that he can trust his legacy to me.

"Yes, he will," I honestly agree as I stand up to leave.

"But he'll never be as ruthless as you, sweetheart."

I freeze and look up at my father's face. "So, I'm not out of the running?"

"No. But if Eli gives Cole the win for running things while I was gone, you'll need to catch up and fast."

"How should I do that?" I ask him.

"You have a secret weapon that Cole doesn't," Daddy says. "Being a beautiful woman in this world isn't a hinderance. It's an ace up the sleeve if you're willing to use it to your advantage."

"How should I use it?"

"Use it in two ways in the next twenty-four hours, and I'll make you my heir. You'll start helping me run things immediately."

"Okay. In what ways do you want me to use it?" I ask him curiously. God knows I'm ready to do them if it means finally proving myself to my father.

"Bring a Russian to the penthouse."

"A Russian? Any Russian?"

"No, bring me one from Yuri's establishment who thinks he's going to spend a night with you."

"And when he gets here, you're going to torture him for information?"

"Yes. Unless he agrees to cooperate willingly."

"Okay," I say thinking that sounds easy enough. "What else do you want me to do?"

"This one may be a little harder to accomplish and if you mention it to Cole, I'll deny it," Daddy says.

"Trust me, I know how to keep secrets from Cole," I assure him .

"Good. Convince him to concede the competition to you by tomorrow night."

Certain I misheard him, I say, "What? You want me to…seduce Cole?"

Wincing, my father says, "Flirt, not seduce. That's a line you don't ever cross for anyone or anything. Understood?"

I nod my head in agreement of what he's telling me—using my curves to tempt a man to do what I want, but never give him sex to achieve my goal.

The worst part is, I think I can convince Cole, and it won't even require any flirting because he's in love with me.

Cole

Andrew, my dad, is thankfully waiting for me at the lobby when I get back down.

I'm still blown away that it's really him.

His eyes scan me as if searching for pieces of himself.

"Hey," I say in greeting.

"Hey."

Then we both stand across from each other awkwardly.

"Do you want to…there's a lounge nearby, the one where my mom worked, actually, if you want to sit down and have a drink?"

"Sure, that sounds good," he replies. "Although, I think I should stick to water, try and sober up before going home tomorrow so my wife doesn't lose it."

"You're married?"

"Yes, for fifteen years."

"Do you have any children?"

"No. Lucy is…that's my wife, she's an attorney. The first years of our marriage she was focused on making partner, so it wasn't a good time to start a family. Then, when we were ready, she couldn't get pregnant even after a year. We both assumed it was me, that I was the problem. She didn't want to go see a fertility specialist, saying that if we were meant to be parents, then we would be. So, no kids."

Slipping into the table in the lounge I ask him, "Do you think you'll tell her, you know, about me?"

"Yes. Definitely. We don't keep any secrets from each other. But she'll probably want to conduct her own DNA test to confirm, so don't take it personally. As an attorney, Lucy is just very…analytical I guess is the best way to describe her. She doesn't trust anyone. But once she confirms it, I'm sure she'll want to meet you."

"Understood," I agree, not really caring if his wife is warm and fuzzy. After all, it's not her genetics that I inherited.

When a waitress comes over, one I recognize worked with my mother, we both ask for sodas rather than alcohol.

"I still can't believe you're my son," Andrew says once the waitress leaves. "I mean, I believe the tests, it's just…you're a grown man, like you said. You were born, grew up, and had a whole life while I never even knew you existed. I wish…I wish I had known about you sooner."

"Me too. But my mom is…she has trust issues," I explain to him. "It was just the two of us until she got married last year. Dante, the man you met with her earlier, he owns this hotel and casino."

"Really? Wow," he says as he gazes around. He blinks and then looks at me. "The fraternity reunion, it wasn't James who orchestrated it? He took credit, but it was you?"

"No. Actually, I didn't know anything about it until after all the DNA swabs had been collected."

Andrew's entire face reddens. "I knew lap dances for a clinical trial was too good to be true. That is not something my wife needs to know about."

Laughing, I tell him, "I'm sorry you and your friends were all deceived. My…stepsister figured the fake reunion was the only way to get all the members from the fraternity here at one time."

"We've all had a blast. Who wouldn't enjoy a free trip to Vegas with all your old college buddies? I haven't seen some of the guys since I graduated."

"Well, at least something good came out of it for everyone," I reply just as our drinks are slid in front of us.

Taking a sip from his glass, Andrew says, "You mentioned that you were a college student. Where do you go, what are you studying?" Andrew asks me.

"I'm about to start my senior year at Lennox in New York working toward a business administration degree."

"Really? Business?"

"Yes."

"I was a double major in accounting and business at USC."

"Right, you're a CPA? I did a search of your name online."

"That's right. What are your plans after you graduate?"

"Oh, I'm not sure yet. I'd love to start my own business and I may be taking over the casino."

"This casino?" he says with his brows raised as if impressed.

"Yes."

Laughing, he says, "Well, how can my little office compete with a casino?"

"What do you mean?" I ask, not understanding what he means.

"I was going to ask if you wanted to come work with me after you graduate," he says, which blows my mind. "I mean, it would just be administrative at first, but eventually…"

"That's…wow," I mumble. "You don't even know me."

"Which is why I thought you could come to Thousand Oaks, so we could have a chance to get to know each other."

"That's…very generous of you to offer. Let me think about it?"

"Of course. No pressure. I may still be a little in shock, but without a doubt, I want to get to know you better. I have friends in New York and Vegas isn't that far. We can figure out when we can meet up."

"I would really like that," I tell him. "Honestly, this is going better than I expected. I thought…if I were hit with paternity results in the middle of a weekend trip, my first reaction would be to get angry or think it's a scam."

"My wife always says that I'm too trusting. And she's the one with an awful temper. It's my job to try to keep her calm whenever things don't go her way," he says with a smile full of warmth for the woman he married. Even talking about her faults, it's obvious that he loves her.

Isn't that what love is? Caring for someone, wanting all of them, even the flaws?

Cass is a stubborn little liar with a penchant for violence, but she's my violent, stubborn little liar.

And I wouldn't change a single thing about her.

So, she can keep insisting I go back to New York, and I'll keep pushing back, reminding her how good we are together, making sure she knows that I'm not giving up on us.