Page 74 of Waste of Worth

Theo shrugged like nothing was amiss. “You seem happy.”

“That’s a problem? I can’t be happy?”

He knew damn well that he sounded harsh, and probably a little deflective. Dino didn’t really have a choice but to do what he had to in order to keep people the hell out of his business at whatever cost.

Even Theo.

Especially Theo.

Dino didn’t want his brother more mixed up in his mess than he had to be.

Theo was already moving on to another topic at hand, waving at the young man behind him. “Artino sent his kid over for you to look after for the day.”

Dino passed Dean a look, and then went right back to his brother. “You can’t do it?”

“Other shit—Ben, you know,” Theo offered, saying nothing more.

Well, Dino supposed he wouldn’t be getting out of the club as soon as he wanted, but he could still make it to Karen’s place in lots of time like he promised. That didn’t mean he was particularly happy about having to watch the Artino kid.

Besides, watch was only a euphemism for teach.

Apparently, Walter wanted his son in the Outfit, but he wasn’t all that interested in making sure the kid understood exactly what that meant.

No, that job had suddenly fallen to Dino.

Too close, he thought, taking in Dean’s disinterested expression.

He hated how it felt like Ben was getting too close to him in certain ways again, like planting someone at his side, perhaps because Theo was not good enough anymore for Ben’s plans.

Especially considering Theo was Dino’s understudy.

All that work Ben had put into separating the brother’s was torn to shreds by one simple demand from the boss shoving them back together.

Of course, that didn’t mean Dino and Theo had to like it.

“We done, or what?” Theo asked.

Sometimes, his attitude burned like acid.

Dino didn’t really have to ask why, though. “Yeah—get out.”

Theo left, but unfortunately, the snake stayed behind.

“Stop rushing me,” Karen said, giving Dino a half-hearted glare over her shoulder. “It takes a while to get all of this packed up properly.”

“I should have made rules about this.”

“Do tell, Dino. What kind of rules exactly?”

Dino prided himself on the fact he wasn’t a particularly stupid man. Sometimes his actions didn’t always reflect that, but this time, he knew better. He was not about to take the bait Karen just offered and jump into an argument with her.

Not today.

It was supposed to be a good day.

“Do you need all of that equipment?” Dino carefully asked, waving at the bags Karen had set out for him to take to her car.

Karen’s gaze flicked between Dino and the bags. “You said I was going to take pictures. I need my stuff, Dino.”