Page 79 of Jackpot Joker

“Are to,” he says, and I roll my eyes.

I glare at Luca, but he remains unfazed. I don’t know if it’s because Gio has always been protective in his big brother role, or the fact that Luca will sit there and remain quiet, listening to every word you say, but I decide to confide in them.

“I’m worried about Jasmine.”

Luca reaches over and squeezes my knee. “We’ll find him.”

“When?” I cry out. “It’s been a fucking week, and we’re not any closer to him now than we were.”

“That’s not true,” Gio says. “While we’ve lost our connections at the law firm.” He glares at me. I shrug with no regrets. “We can confirm he put in for a two-week vacation the day after Jasmine found him at her place. I’m going to pull the men we’ve had stationed around the building since we won’t find him there.”

“How the fuck does that help us find him?” I demand, and Gio’s eyes tighten.

“It helps us get more eyes on the goddamn city. We’ll find him, Dario. I promise.”

My phone vibrates, and I glance down, relaxing slightly when I see Tank’s message.

Tank

She's shopping.

The man talks about as much as Luca, and I wonder for a moment how the two of them are friends. What the fuck do they talk about?

Gio continues, “I’ve got Lincoln looking into things. Delaney hasn’t used his credit card since the day she saw him, nor has he withdrawn money from his account. No airline tickets have been purchased in his name. Nobody in his building has seen him. The little shit is scared and hiding. He knows we’re coming after him.”

I stare at Gio, noting the wrinkles that have formed around my brother’s eyes and deepened in his forehead. The man is still the second-best-looking son of the Caruso family, but either the weight of the responsibilities passed down to him or the fact he’s two years into his forties is beginning to take its toll.

“Thanks for helping me,” I say. “For helping her.”

Gio nods. “She’s part of our family now. We take care of each other.”

I let the words sink in, knowing he simply means she’s family because she is now an employee of ours. Anyone loyal garners the title. It’s all very Fast & Furious of us.

Still, I can’t help but hope that being our family attorney isn’t the only way Jasmine is connected to our family. She’s tethered herself to me, and now there’s no way I will let her go. From the moment I met her, I was instantly attracted to her curves and confidence. I chalked it up to me being a bit of a manwhore. I’m attracted to many women, or at least, I was.

Since Jasmine has been in my life, my eyes haven’t shifted to anyone else. She’s the only woman I see in a room, and she’s the only woman I can see myself waiting at the end of an aisle for, standing beside a priest, as she walks toward me in a white dress. Or maybe one of those jumpsuits she wears often. Fuck, she’s hot in those.

“He has help,” Luca rasps, breaking my vision of a life I can’t help but one day hope for.

Gio bobs his head in agreement. “It would make sense. If he’s working with one of our enemies, they’re likely hiding him, but why? What can Todd possibly offer them in exchange for his protection?”

We all grow silent, contemplating the question, and I pull up my thread with Jasmine again.

Dario

I hope you're having fun shopping today. I miss you.

My finger swipes over my words, realizing how much I mean that confession. I do miss Jasmine. I miss the way her breath catches when my tongue swipes between her thighs. I miss the way she looks up at me when my cock is in her mouth. I miss her quippy jabs and her eye rolls. Fuck, it’s only been a few hours, and I’m already a lovesick fool.

The word love repeats in my brain. Is that what this is? The way I feel about Jasmine is different from any other woman I’ve ever encountered, but love? That’s not something I’ve seen a lot of in this family, so I’m not sure I would even recognize it if I saw it. Loyalty has always been valued over love, but have I somehow managed to find both?

“I think I’m in love with her,” I confess, shocking myself at hearing the words aloud. I look up to see Gio’s eyes narrowed and Luca with a small smile on his face. It’s terrifying.

“You think?” Gio asks, causing me to laugh.

I shake my head. “No. I know I do. I’m in love with Jasmine Baker.”

Confessing that feels so fucking good, but it’s not my brothers who need to hear the words. I’m on my phone, pulling up her number, ready to call when Luca abruptly stands and growls. “Something’s wrong.”