Unspoken Obsession (Casino King #4)

2. Dante

DANTE

I can't stop thinking about her. Her bright green eyes, how her gold dress curved over her perfect body. Her luscious lips. The thrill of it all.

It's been weeks since the charity event at my casino.

And I've got a multitude of urgent matters to focus on - but I can't get that beautiful, mysterious little fox out of my mind.

I find my thoughts drifting off - wondering where she is.

She's out there somewhere, and it bothers me, every day, that I never got her name.

I keep reassuring myself that one day we will meet again because if she was at that event, she must be connected to someone in the city.

But even the reassurance doesn't stop the constant wonder.

I sit at my desk, staring through the massive one-way glass that overlooks the casino floor. It's always busy. There is always something happening here.

Glancing at my watch, it is still too early to head down below the casino to my underground operation -- the part of my business that I keep hidden from the rest of the world. This is the reason that they call me 'The Shadow'. Because I am so good at keeping things in the dark where no one can find them. It is essential to go unnoticed—if I want things to run smoothly.

I do need to check on my crew. We've been having some issues.

"Sir." There is a knock at my office door, pulling me from my thoughts. Lorenzo is standing there, waiting to be invited in.

"Come in, Lorenzo. Is there news about Daniela?" I ask, already knowing the answer. It will be the same answer as it was yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that. For the last six months, we've found nothing - not a trace - not a clue - nothing that even hints at where my sister might be.

"No news, sir. Not about your sister. I've got a lead I am going to follow up on this evening - But I came to see you now because I wanted to update you on other business."

"Alright. I've got fifteen minutes before my next appointment." I say, gesturing for him to take a seat.

Lorenzo is my head of security at the casino and my right-hand man. He is the person closest to me and one of the very people in this world that I trust.

He grabs a chair and pulls it up close to my desk. His bulky frame makes him daunting, and very few people would dare mess with him.

He puts a printed document in front of me, showing growth charts for our distribution chain.

My businesses are growing. The underground ones and the legitimate companies that are there to wash the dirty money. If this interference underground continues, it will stall that growth.

Beneath my casino is a network of vaults and tunnels - all carefully designed to move illegal products. Anything you want - I can get it and move for you.

I've become more powerful, richer, and gained more influence - but none of it has helped me find my sister.

I still believe one of my rivals took her. The stronger I become, the more of a threat I become, and there are plenty of people in this city who don't enjoy having their positions threatened. Nonetheless - I will continue to push. The further my connections reach, the more chance I've got of finding her.

"This is great, Lorenzo," I say, thinking about Daniela. Dani is ten years younger than me. I always needed to keep my little sister safe from the world. That is my job. But somewhere along the line, I failed her.

In my heart, I don't believe she is dead.

I don't know if it's because I am connected to her, my blood, my family - or because I refuse to even consider the alternative.

"Alright, sir. That's it for now. I'll call you this evening if anything comes of that lead." Lorenzo stands and gathers his things.

"Before you go, I'll be heading underground to see what the hell is going on, around seven. Will you meet me there?"

"Will do. Yeah, like I told you yesterday–whoever is messing around in those tunnels is getting braver by the minute. We need to put a stop to it."

"Agreed. See you later."

I nod in thanks and when he has left the office, I stand, too. I am meeting with a powerful mafia boss, someone who owns a casino here in Las Vegas as well. He claims he wants to ally with me.

I want to hear what he offers and decide if he is legit or not. I tend to er on the side of caution when it comes to letting people closer to me. I am suspicious even of my allies. I don't trust anyone until they've earned it - and like I said - Lorenzo is the only one I trust.

I pull the collar of my shirt straight and shrug my shoulders to adjust my jacket, making it more comfortable.

I've been sitting down too long. I prefer to be on the move. I don't enjoy these mornings of admin - so I'm grateful it's over and I can get out of this office.

The weight of my Glock against my side beneath my jacket is a welcome security. In my work, I must be prepared for anything. And I've been pissing people off with my investigation - searching for my sister.

I head down into the elevator. The doors slide closed and I sigh.

Where would that little fox be? Who was she?

Fuck. She was so beautiful, even half covered by the mask. I shouldn't be so obsessed with her - I keep telling myself to let it go, move on, forget - but it seems to be impossible.

If I put proper resources into finding her, I could. But I should not be wasting time or energy on that when I haven't found my sister.

And, if that little fox wanted to give me her name, she would've.

So, it's respectful not to hunt her down.

I already wasted a lot of time in the past just trying to learn her name. I scouted the casino security footage, hoping to catch a clear image of her face so that I could run facial recognition on it. But she seemed to be very aware of the cameras and kept her face hidden from every one of them. It made me suspicious of her because an average person with nothing to hide wouldn't do that? And what reason could she have for hiding her identity?

It makes me even more curious to uncover who she is, and my desire to see her again is growing stronger by the day. I don't know how much longer I will be able to ignore it.

Perhaps I need to host another casino event. Another masked ball. Perhaps she will come in the same gold dress to let me know who she is.

The elevator doors slide open, and I walk towards the restaurant section where I've got a table reserved in the private area - so that I can meet with a potential ally.

What I want to do is cancel this meeting and join Lorenzo to follow his lead. I shouldn't be sitting at a lavish restaurant, talking shit, wasting time - I should be out there looking for.

I sigh in annoyance at myself. There are men all over this city searching for her.

My time is better spent creating power and building wealth. Lorenzo will call me if the lead shows promise.

I will find out what happened to my little sister.

And I will find out who is responsible.

And when I do, I will tear that person limb from limb. I will destroy their entire world and everyone and anything they care for.

Stepping into the restaurant, the manager nods, smiles, and gestures toward the private eating area. My guest is already here.

I walk into the room with a bold step and my shoulders back. My stance is effortless and effective.

The man waiting to meet me stands up, stammering over his words, he holds out his hand to shake mine.

"Mr. Russo. Thank you so much for meeting me today. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it."

"Mr. Tailor. Welcome to my casino! Why don't we get straight to the point and you can tell me what it is you want?"

I sit down and the man rests his elbows on the table, twirling his glass of vodka in his shaky hands as he talks.

I thought he was someone more powerful. This is not what I was expecting. He is from another low-level family, eager to ride on the coattails of my name and enjoy the benefits of protection that being my ally offers.

Sure, I've turned down some of these requests. There are people I do not want to be associated with - scum with ties to human trafficking and sex rings. Not my style. Consent is sexy.

But this man is the owner of a smaller casino nearby. He deals with low-level drug distribution; he flies under the radar. He is the type of person who is useful for gathering information -- someone overlooked, underestimated, and quiet. He's an asset and I'll use him to work in the search for my sister. I don't take on charity cases. He'll earn his keep and build his own brand under the protection of my name.

The man stands up, smiling and looking relieved.

"Thank you, Mr. Russo. Thank you so much. Anything you need, or anything I can do for you - you just call and I'll be there."

"Mr. Tailor, it's my pleasure. Welcome to the family of allies. I will inform you when to attend our monthly meeting. We like to stay in touch even when things are calm. I will reach out when I need you."

Mr. Tailor nods, still smiling, and I watch as he scuttles from the restaurant. I'll give him a few days before I ask for any favors. He will benefit from my protection the minute he walks out of the casino.

After the meeting, I've got the rest of the afternoon free and I want to get in a session at the gym. It helps me clear my thoughts. I usually go before the day starts, but this morning was chaos. I glance at my watch. It's almost four o'clock.

I'll hit the gym, then after a shower I make my way to the underground sector of the casino.

The huge cement-walled industrial elevator that carries me down beneath the floors of my empire is cold and daunting.

The doors slide open, and I step out into a different world compared to the one above, with lights music, and color.

This world is gray. Industrial. People hurry back and forth, pushing massive steel-framed carts carrying products that will make their way into the tunnel network and out to wherever they need to be.

Lorenzo is already there when I get there. I walk over to where he is talking to the shift manager.

"Sir, shall we head to my office? It's noisy in here to talk."

I nod, then follow him, along with Lorenzo, into a cornered off-steal-walled room. It's insulated against the sound outside.

He flicks a massive screen on, taking up an entire wall in his office. A map of the tunnels lights the room.

He points to a section further away from the casino, closer to where the trucks collect the product on the outside. "This is where we had some minor issues two days ago. I don't think it's anything to worry about, but I wanted to make you aware of it."

"When you say issues?—"

"Two crates are fucked. At first, I thought it was just mishandling, but on closer inspection, it looks like it was deliberate tampering. I checked the cameras, but they both went down in that section of the tunnel."

"I see."

Lorenzo steps closer to the screen, squinting at the image. "Where does this one come out?" he asks.

"Back of Archer Street. Close to the truck yard." It's an exposed exit. We don't use it too often.

"Are there men set up near that exit?" I nod. "In fact, I think we should increase security at all exits? Even inactive ones."

"Agreed. Set up additional crews at each exit point. For now, we take precautions, but I don't want to overreact." Drawing attention to our operation increases the risk of getting caught.

After the meeting downstairs, I head back up for dinner and plan to get an early night.

I haven't been sleeping well. My mind is always racing.

Thoughts of Dani and where she might be.

Flashes of the mysterious woman in the gold dress.

Worries about my businesses and how I can extend my coverage in the city.

My mind never seems to find peace.

Perhaps that is why I am so caught up in the idea of that little fox. She is an escape for me. Something beautiful in a dark world. Something that sparks inside me and makes me come alive. Because I did - that night - I was more alive than I've ever been.