Page 107 of Waste of Worth

Ben shrugged. “Theo was the tip of a floating iceberg. The most dangerous part of an iceberg is what we cannot see of it, Dino. But as the tip of the iceberg, you’re also entirely unneeded—a waste, really. Something disposable, replaceable even.”

And that was exactly the problem, Dino knew.

He would always be nothing more than waste to his uncle.

A man with no worth.

Wasted worth for that matter, as Ben’s only effort where Dino was concerned had always been to manipulate, to abuse, and to use.

“If you were willing to begin defying me on something like your brother and what I wanted from him, as you did when you were younger, and if I allowed that to continue, what would happen, hmm?” Ben asked. “Tell me.”

Dino knew the answer all too well.

He would have continued to defy Ben.

He had already been doing so over and over.

Ben was just cutting off the problem at the knees before it could grow into something he couldn’t control.

Problem was, Ben didn’t realize his own mistake in what he’d done.

This time, he’d pushed Dino a little too far.

This time, Dino had far more to lose.

More than Theo.

More than his sister Lily.

Dino had things to fight for, now.

He wasn’t going to take this lying down.

It might take a little while, sure. Dino had every reason to believe he wouldn’t be able to do much while he was behind bars, especially if Ben was working to make damn sure he stayed right where he was for as long as possible.

Dino could wait.

He’d been waiting for a long time, anyway.

Ben rapped his knuckles on the bars, smiling again. “Enjoy your time away. Tony will see you on Monday at your arraignment.”

“Go to hell, Ben.”

His uncle walked away laughing.

DINO attempted, and failed, to straighten out his crumpled looking suit jacket after the cuffs had been taken off and he was directed to sit with a row of waiting people. Other detainees waiting who were also at the courthouse for their arraignment.

His lawyer had yet to show, though Dino wasn’t surprised.

Opting to stand against the wall while guards patrolled the hallway, Dino stared out the window at the bright sun, his fatigue fading for a brief moment. It was long enough for him to think he might actually be able to make it through this godforsaken day.

If anything, he’d be able to stay awake while the sun was high.

It was only the shout of his name that took his attention away from the sun and the brief bit of comfort it provided. To his left, Dino found his brother jogging toward him, and another man close behind him. Damian Rossi.

“Dino, shit …” Theo maneuvered his way past the guard, a garment bag in hand, and passed it over to his brother. “Tony is almost here.”

Dino wished that would make a difference for him.