Page 97 of Waste of Worth

In all his efforts to keep Karen from being pulled into his life, she had become the most important part of it.

Somehow, he had done that.

He just didn’t know how to keep her light from being snuffed out because of it.

Dino figured he could handle all of that at another time. He would handle his uncle’s disapproval over his relationship with an outsider, and what Ben might do because of it, at another time.

Right then, Karen was more important.

Dino owned her an apology and an explanation.

The ringing of a phone call echoing through the car’s speakers brought Dino from his thoughts with a bang. He didn’t think to check the caller ID, assuming it was probably Karen calling back to make sure he was still on his way to her place.

Theo’s voice answering back when Dino picked up surprised him. “We’ve got a problem.”

Dino groaned, his hands tightening hard around the steering wheel. “Not today, man. I’ve got other things to—”

“Doesn’t matter,” Theo interjected. “The club got raided, Dino.”

Dino turned into a block of ice as he hit the breaks, damn near causing the car behind him to ram into his backend. He flipped the guy the middle finger as the man maneuvered his vehicle around Dino’s to drive off.

“What did you just say?” Dino demanded.

“The club is being raided.”

“Right now.”

“Yeah,” Theo confirmed.

“Police or—”

“FBI.”

Fuck.

Dino’s frustrations boiled over as he slammed his fists into the steering wheel.

“Sounded like they’re working on other warrants,” Theo continued, “for other places.”

“Where?”

“Your guess is as good as mine, but it seemed like if they found what they were looking for at the club, the warrants would be approved on the spot.”

Probably his place, Dino thought. Maybe his other businesses.

Dino checked the clock on his dashboard and noted the time. He could be home in five minutes from his current position. He had time to get there and destroy the papers and files in his safe that would basically put him away for years on fraud, tax evasion, money laundering and more.

Nobody ever said the mafia was clean living.

Dino knew that all too well.

He made another illegal U-turn.

Karen would have to wait—she would understand.

This time, he would finally explain.

DINO didn’t even bother to park his car properly once he was in the lot for his building. No, he just threw it in park right at the front door while leaving it running, ignored the man who tried to hold open the door for him, and bolted for the stairway.