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Sixteen

Has The Casino King Chosen His Queen?

“Oh my God …” she cried again, the pit in her stomach about to make her sick.

“When was this?” Dante slid the paper out of her hands, keeping her from staring at it a moment longer, to see the date.

“Today’s paper,” Lucca informed him. “And I’m sure you’ll get the front page again tomorrow due to the boat blowing up.”

“Get the editor in chief on the phone and remind him who he really fucking works for,” Dante ordered fiercely.

His son nodded.

Dante now looked at Amo. “I want you and Drago to switch off guarding Nadia until we find One-Shot.”

Amo went to firmly nod his own head when Lucca spoke up.

“Drago’s not going back to bodyguarding anytime soon. He has his wife to worry abou—”

“That was an order,” Dante boomed as he hit the desk with his fist.

Nadia could see it then, as the ice-blue eyes battled against the blue-green ones. The shift of power that was trying to be out won from father to son. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know that Lucca must’ve been his underboss, and he sought the chair his father sat in. She just wondered how much longer it was going to be before the bloodshed. And for bloodshed to happen against your own family, of those you once loved, was a crime of the highest accord. It was simply unforgivable.

Nadia would know because she had survived it.

The boss’ tone shifted, his order now coming out as a plea. “Please, just ask Drago. I’m sure you could figure something out to keep Katarina protected while he’s with Nadia.”

“I don’t think One-Shot will go for Kat again. I think, after that,” Leo finally spoke up, pointing at the paper that sat on his father’s desk, “Nadia might be next, especially if she’s an easy target with no guard. She needs the best,” he warned his brother gravely.

Whoever Drago was, she could only imagine he was the best of the Caruso men, right along with Amo, who had proven himself on the yacht.

Lucca seemed taken aback by Leo’s response, moving his eyes to his younger brother’s. It was like they spoke to each other without words before he nodded, agreeing to do it.

“Thank you,” Dante said with relief.

If it was possible, blue-green eyes went back to staring at her even more curiously, making her head spin more than it already was with how they were talking about her as if she wasn’t in the room.

“Dante, can I talk with you?” Nadia interjected quietly. “Alone.”

None of the men waited to hear Dante’s response, beginning to leave.

“See you soon,” Amo told her.

Leo, however, paused at the door, turning to give her a last good look. “Bye, Nadia.”

“Bye, Leo.” She waved at him with sadness in her heart. She couldn’t help but feel hurt to see him leave when she just wanted more time to help him.

Waiting until he was completely gone from view, she finally turned back around to face Dante, only to see Lucca still standing there, closely watching her. He did so a moment longer before he spoke.

“It was nice meeting you, Ms. Brooks.” His eyes glowed as a slow smile curved his lips. “I hope to see you around.”

Those words should have scared her, coming from The Boogieman. However, there was no chill that went up her spine when he had said them, seeing he had genuinely meant them. Whatever had just taken place, she wasn’t quite sure what to think, other than she strangely got the approval of the most dangerous man in Kansas City.

“Nice meeting you, too, Lucca.”

She watched him quietly disappear and couldn’t help but think what it would have been like to not have gotten his approval.

Dante got right to it, without hearing what she had wanted to talk to him about. “You can stay here at the hotel. I have a roo—”

“No,” Nadia said, stopping him.

“No?” He looked at her, not comprehending what she must be referring to. “No, what?”

“As in, no, I’m not staying here. I haven’t been home in days,” she clarified. “I just want to go home and sleep in my bed and in my clothes.”

Stunned, Dante clearly hadn’t considered what she might want. It took him a few seconds to get his thoughts in order. “Okay, Amo will take you home, then, and stay with you for tonight.”

Nadia shook her head. “Your men are clearly spread thin. He can take me home, but I’ll be okay for tonight. Haley is my roommate, so it’s not like I’ll be alone. Besides”—she looked at the godforsaken newspaper—“whoever it is wanting to kill you won’t know we’re back till tomorrow.”

Opening his mouth, he then quickly closed it before he seemed to say something else entirely as he went around the desk to stand in front of her. “If this is about the paper, fuck the paper.”