Page 21 of King of Sinners

“I will do whatever is necessary to further this family’s business. But like I said, I don’t think looking weak and giving her to the Dukes is the right move.”

“But you would? If you had to?”

I hate the word, but I know I need to say it. “Yes.”

“Good to know.” He smirks back at me.

“Don’t do anything stupid, Leo.” I’m not playing. Leo is a weapon and turned against us…

But he’s pivoting away, striding for the elevator. “Keep working on your tunnel. Good plan big brother.”

And then he pushes the button, the doors slide open. He steps inside, crossing his arms over his massive chest. He glares at each one of us before the doors close and he disappears.

“You boys pissed him right off,” Jake says around his cigar.

Luke scowls. “This is a chick he dated two years ago, a couple times. What’s the fuss?”

I know the answer. He’s pissed because I got in his way. Because I’m not following the rules we established when we started this business. I’m not acting in the best interest in the family. I’m thinking with my dick.

But it’s Roman who responds. “Charlotte came to family dinner, took one look at Mason, and lost all interest in Leo.”

“Ah,” Luke pushes up from his seat. “Leo does not take ego blows well.”

But I turn to look at Roman. Because this is news to me. “She hardly looked at me at that dinner.”

“That’s right. She looked at everything but you while you stared at her like she was a wagyu steak you’d just imported.”

“And you’ve stayed away for two years? Your self-control has always been astounding.” Luke looks at the elevator. “Still. Leo is going to be tough to manage.”

“Just claim her,” Roman says to me quietly. “And then we’ll deal with the fallout. In between might be worse.”

Roman was getting smart as fuck. I clap him in on the shoulder. “You know I can’t do that. It goes against everything we’ve promised.”

“We never promised to stop fucking,” Jake rumbles the words. “Might do you good to clear out some of the cum.”

He’s not wrong. “Luke, can you to talk to Leo? He’s not going to speak to me now, and I’m afraid his temper will get the best of him.”

“On it, though I don’t know how I’m explaining that we’ve agreed you should fuck her brains out. But…I’ll think of something.”

I start for the elevator, glad this meeting wasn’t worse. No one threw a punch and the other four of us are on the same page. But I can’t linger. I’ve got a ridiculous amount of work to do and even less time to do it.

And the faster all of this gets done, the better.

I mull over Roman’s words as I take the elevator one floor down to my office. Just claim her…

As usual, things with Charlotte are not that simple. Still, the idea has merit.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Charlotte

I hit send on my email, my body wilting into the chair. I did it.

I didn’t have as many pictures as I’d hoped but I’d creative a visual arts campaign on the dark side of Vegas.

Sure, I was a marketing major, and these pictures would never be featured in any glossy advertisement for the city, but that wasn’t the purpose of this class anyway.

We were supposed to tell a story with our pictures. I’d started with glossy shots of the strip and then I’d transitioned to grittier and more derelict images, ending with the homeless. I’d even taken one trip down into the tunnel to show the tunnel people. It was a true portrait of all walks of life in the City of Sin.

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