Page 75 of Hidden Ties

In that moment, Sal couldn’t help himself as he brought Dante in for a hug.

“You okay?” Dante asked, surprised by the action.

“Yes,” he assured him with a laugh, and his eyes went misty. “I just never thanked you for the day you picked me up when my mother died.”

Dante wrapped his arms tightly around his son with his own tears forming in his icy gaze. “You never had to.”

“I know,” Sal told him, believing it. Dante had never asked him anything in return for his kindness. Anything Sal did for him, including joining the family, had been of his own mind. “But thank you. Thank you for that day and every day after. I’ll never be able to repay you for the wonderful life you have given me.”

“And you’ll never have to,” Dante promised him. “Love you, son.”

Sal finally said the word he had never been able to say before. “Love you, too,Dad.”

TWENTY-EIGHT

ENGRAVED WITH THE NAME CARUSO

“Ihave a very addictive personality.”

You don’t say?he thought; better to not speak the fucking obvious out loud.

“It’s not fair that you don’t have an addiction,” she continued pitifully as she was dragged out of the gift shop. “You wouldn’t get it.”

Sal threw her his own look of pity. “Who says I don’t?”

“Yeah, right,” she huffed, giving up and letting him lead her away. “The only thing you’re addicted to is buying organic snacks.”

“Because I used to eat out of a dumpster,” he reminded her calmly.

“Oh, right.” At the reminder that it could always be worse, her mood lightened. “Fuck Game Hookup. I’ll start my own company if I have to.”

“That’s okay. I have a feeling they’ll be calling you soon.”

“You think?” Valerie asked hopefully while also chewing on her nails nervously. It was another habit she was starting up while waiting for an answer from the company.

“They’ll have no other option but to,” he promised nonchalantly. “Just give it till the end of the day. If they don’tby then, I’ll be the first to invest in your new company. Then I’ll make Lucca your second.”

“Okay,” Valerie said gleefully, knowing it was a win-win either way. “What should we do in the meantime?”

Sal brought her closer to his body in a sudden rush. While he was at work, he had gotten a notification that a movie-accurate Harlequin cosplay costume that went with her bat had arrived. He had to go back to receiving all his mail here at the Casino Hotel, but it wasn’t that big of a deal to swing by the front desk to get it. As long as it didn’t have a picture on it of what was inside the box.

You win some, you lose some.

Leaning down, he hovered his lips a few centimeters above hers in a sensual smile. “I have a few ideas that come to mind.”

Valerie enteredthe Underground for the second time, but this time, she did so alone as she sat at the barren Black Jack table, just like she had been told.

“Sorry, honey, this table is currently closed.” The female pit boss came over, giving her an apologetic smile and waving to a table that was already almost full. “At this time of day, we’re a bit slow, but you can join this table over here.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Valerie quickly explained, “It’s just my first time playing, and I’m a bit nervous to join another table, but I totally underst—”

“That’s okay, sweetie; you can stay right there.” The pit boss kept her from getting up to join the group of men after seeing the apprehension on her face. “I always love a good reason to deal again, so what the hell? I’ll help you out.”

Relieved, Valerie puffed out a huff of air. “My gosh, thank you so much. That is so kind of you!”

“Of course. It will be my pleasure to show you the ropes. What’s your name, honey?”

The gorgeous woman with blonde streaks through her hair looked like she belonged on the front of aPlayboymagazine. Getting an eyeful of her ginormous tits, Valerie adjusted the extravagant earrings that Sal had given her as a gift, already devising a plan to use them in his death if he wasn’t able to talk his way out of this one the next time she heard his voice in person.