Page 34 of King of Sinners

Leo blinked at me, like he can’t believe I even asked the question. “And how you screwed me over? Every day.”

I grit my teeth together. “Now, see, that’s thinking about me. Not her. Did you miss anything about her?”

Leo’s brows scrunch in confusion. “What does that have to do with it?”

“You want to take her now, not because you want to protect her, but because you want to beat me. Which is neither in her best interest or the best interest of the family, is it?”

If Leo ever wants a larger role in this world, he’s got to learn this lesson. Then again, the way I’m playing my brother right now, maybe I need to learn it too.

But at the end of this, I will make our business stronger.

Leo hisses through his teeth, “Fuck you.”

“No. Fuck you. And fuck your ego too. And fuck your temper and you, you selfish prick.”

He spins. “You think you’re so much better than me, but you’re exactly like him.”

I go still. I know he means our father. “How’s that?” I shouldn’t have asked. I don’t want to know.

“Letting pussy get in the way of your good sense.”

The hit hurts. We never compare each other to him. It’s a wound too gaping and the fact that Leo has done it… “And you? How are you not like him? Blowing hard without a single thought to the consequences? You’re going to ruin us just like he almost did.”

Leo is in my face in a second, a sucker punch to the gut that had me doubling over. But I take advantage of the position to wrap my arms around his waist, sending us crashing to the ground. He twists, getting in another good rib shot before he finally rolls away.

But when he stands, his face is blacker than I’ve ever seen it. “I’m done with you, Mason. Done being your lackey. Roman can do your bidding because I am out.”

And then he stomps to the elevator. I watch him go, watch the doors close. It was bad, but honestly, it could have been way worse. Leo will calm down and then he’ll be back.

Pulling out my phone, I see the video feed of him leaving the elevator. That’s when I change the code. No one is getting in here again without my express permission, Leo least of all.

Firing off a text message, I set a family meeting for first thing in the morning, knowing that I’d better have a plan in place, and my thoughts razor-focused.

And I know just how to clear my head.

Turning, I head toward Charlotte’s room.

I open the door to find the room empty, everything in its place. For a moment, I stop, fear trickling down my spine. Did she hear? Is she in the closet packing at this very moment? Something feral replaces the fear.

At this point, I’m not sure what I would do to keep her, but I know I’d go pretty fucking far.

Is this going to abate when I’ve finally claimed her? That’s what Jake, Luke, and Roman seem to think, but I’m not so certain.

This doesn’t feel like the sort of thing that’s going away…

I cross to the bathroom, trying the knob, but it’s locked. I should have made a key because I hate being locked out. I need to touch her, know that we’re all good, that she didn’t hear those words Leo said.

Charlotte has no idea how well I know her. There are so many messed up problems between us that it maybe means I should quit. Instead, I’m using all that information to my advantage.

I know her mom left her, understand her dad died. She has one good friend now, because she retreated from all the others, and the only reason Kim is still in her life is because Kim is the sort of woman you can’t shake without real effort.

And if Charlotte senses that I am using her, playing her… she’ll either retreat or bolt. I know it.

Abandonment is her wound the way revenge is mine and it’s the one place I cannot tread hard.

I’m not getting into the bathroom, not without breaking down the door. I knock, but don’t get an answer and then I step back, contemplating if it’s actually a good idea to give it a good hard kick.

Leo’s got me frothing, part of me knows that. Which means I should take a breath and not go hard at this. I don’t want to scare her…

---