Page 12 of King of Sinners

Instead, I walk back over, grab the covers, and pull them over her body.

Because Charlotte is more than an obsession. She’s a temptation I can barely stand. I look at her face, so soft as she sleeps, and think of how she dropped to her knees in front of me tonight.

That alone might have done me in. Nothing had prepared me for how absolutely gorgeous she’d looked on her knees with those lips parted and those soft grey eyes staring up at me.

But then… She hadn’t begged for her life, hadn’t even cried. She’d just asked me to be the one to end hers…

My chest tightens at the idea of hurting her, every nerve reacting with a ferocity that surprises even me. She is mine to protect, not to hurt. The slightest snarl pulls at my lip. I could burn down the world to keep her safe.

I’ve got the money. The men. The power.

My business is legitimate. But my competition…not so much.

It requires me to skirt a fine line that involves using less-than-legal means when the Italian mafia and those Russian bratva assholes step their toes over my line. Occasionally, I have to use force to keep their feet on their fucking side.

And the Italians owe me a very old debt that will be paid in blood. Make no fucking mistake. They will pay.

I don’t mind living in the grey.

But it makes me harder, stronger, and more cunning than all those fuckers, that I don’t have to lie, cheat, and steal to get what I want. That’s what I’ve always understood that they don’t.

I turn away from the bed just as the phone in the pocket of my sweats chimes that the elevator to my apartment has been activated.

Only a handful of people can do so, which means one of my brothers, my uncle Jake, or my cousin Luke is on his way up.

If it’s Leo, a shitstorm is about to hit my apartment. Which is why I close the door to Charlotte’s room and come to stand in the middle of the living room, my arms crossing over my bare chest as I wait.

Ten seconds later, the doors slide open, Roman steps out of the elevator and into the hall that connects to the kitchen with Luke behind him. My shoulders relax slightly, not that this conversation is going to be pleasant.

The five Kincaids are the backbone of Kincaid Enterprises. We came together when my father died, and we are an impenetrable force that keeps the entire operation strong. If three of us are meeting, it means that there is a problem.

I’d like to say that Roman and Luke think Leo might be an issue, but honestly, the problem could be me.

Then again, what did Roman think I was going to do with Charlotte? Shoot her in the middle of the conference room?

Roman takes one look at me and grimaces. “Stand down, big brother. I’m not here to fight.”

My shoulders relax a little at those words.

That is until I catch Luke’s face. He looks pissed. “I might have,” he confirms, tossing himself on one of my couches. “Do not tell me you’re going to fuck over Leo for pussy.”

But I don’t even answer before Roman snarls, “That’s not what I brought you here for.”

Luke quirks a brow. “You got a thing for her too? How fucking crazy is that? All three of you fighting for the same woman?”

But Roman’s eyes swing to me as he says to Luke. “She dropped to her knees, but she didn’t beg for her life, Luke. You know what she asked for? She asked for Mason to kill her himself instead of turning her over to those thugs.”

“Fuck,” Luke spits. “She’s got balls. I can respect that.”

“Technically, that’s not true.” But I get his sentiment. And I agree. She’s got more grit than most men I know. One more reason why Charlotte is special.

“If I’d been on the fence before,” Roman shrugs, “I’m in the protect Charlotte camp.” He’s watching me, paying attention to my reactions. If Leo is the muscle, Roman is the reader. He never misses intentions behind actions and he’s watching for mine now. And honestly, he’s getting smarter by the day.

“I will say what I always say, and I’ll say it to Leo too. I am in the whatever is best for the family camp. You all know what I’ve done in the name of family, and I’ll do it again. And until I have more information, I have no idea what we’re doing with Charlotte yet.”

But that same feeling wells up inside me. That she is mine to protect.

I’ve been obsessed. Maybe I need to fuck her already and let it go.

---