Page 23 of King of Deception

I know it’s going to get ugly, but in this moment, relief is the only emotion I feel, grinning at the bay window in my living room.

I draw in a ragged breath and look down at my phone. I’ll need to call Mason. My whole plan for remaining engaged was to first get Luke and Mason to make up. Then I could end things without worry of Mason, Luke, or Kincaid Enterprises suffering.

If I’m going to get this right, though, I need more information.

Biting my lip, I look down at my phone. Roman, Luke, and I grew up together. Mason has been like a father.

But I have one other brother, the second oldest, Leo.

Leo and I aren’t close.

When my father died, Leo took the first bus to crazy town. Muscled and unhinged, my other brothers have kept me from Leo.

But he met a woman, married, and has a baby on the way, and honestly, he’s like a completely different man.

With that in mind, I hit the button and place the call. Leo’s phone rings twice before he picks up.

“Ari? Is that you?”

“Hey, Leo,” I say, scuffing one of my feet on the floor. “It’s been a while.”

“I saw you at the benefit two nights ago.” I can hear a crowd in the background. Leo runs our clubs. His wife, Kim, was one of his dancers. He must be at one of them now.

“Right. I forgot.”

“You were busy looking miserable.”

“Did I?” I wince. “Shit.”

“No swearing,” he admonishes, sounding more like an older brother than I have ever heard him.

“Sorry.”

“You gonna tell me why you’re calling. Something wrong?”

“I…” I take a big breath. “I just broke it off with Preston.”

“Thank God. What a fucking twat that guy is. Need me to beat the shit out of him?”

I start to giggle but it turns in a full-blown chortle that has me bent over in glee. “Not yet. But I’ll let you know,” I finally push out. I’ve never loved Leo more.

“Ari,” he says, using his own nickname for me. “I know I haven’t been a very good brother.”

“It’s all right, Leo. I’ve got plenty of male influence. If you’d joined in, I wouldn’t have gone to school in New York, I would have had to go as far as France or maybe even Japan.”

It’s his turn to laugh. “Right.”

“I did want to ask you something, though.” I draw in a deep breath. “Mason isn’t going to be happy when he finds out about me and Preston.”

“Fuck. Yeah. If you’re calling because you need me to stand between you and our bossiest brother, you got it sister. I never miss a chance to kick Mason’s ass.”

Leo and Mason fight like cats and dogs. But somehow, they manage to stay together. Maybe it’s because Leo just calls Mason out on his shit and then they punch each other. “I might have to take you up on that.”

“Good.”

“But that isn’t why I called.”

“No?”

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