Page 46 of King of Sinners

He’s not wrong. But if I tell them I was kicking Charlotte’s professor’s ass, they are going to get the wrong idea. Actually, they’ll get the right idea. Charlotte matters to me when she shouldn’t. I told them I’d sacrifice her for their benefit and yet here I am, righting every wrong in her life.

Which sounds an awful lot like a man who has fallen, and we’ve got a pact. It was business and family first, sex second, and love never.

Leo has scented my weakness though and he’s stalking toward me, chest puffed. “Tell us anyway. We’ve been waiting for this story for forty-five minutes.”

“Let’s just get down to it,” I say, moving to my chair.

They all watch me, and I know they all know. I’m not myself…and every single one of them is worried I’m slipping. Making the sort of mistakes that might detonate the business. Get one of us killed.

“This is business,” Leo sneers. “See, I think that you’re losing your grip and that what this operation needs is a change of leadership.”

I push back out of my chair. “Now see, yesterday, when you showed up uninvited at my apartment, I told you the truth. You are the one who is thinking like a child and not considering the family or the business.”

“And you’re thinking with your fucking cock,” Leo fires back. “Is she soft and warm, big brother? I bet her mouth looks so good wrapped around your dick. Those lips always were fucking amazing.”

I’m over the table in a hot second, vaulting the four-foot-wide surface and tackling Leo because Charlotte’s mouth should never be on his mind.

I take him to the ground, both of rolling as I plant my fist in his face. He gets me good with a solid rib shot.

“Stop,” Luke barks, both of us ignoring him as Leo swings hard, catching my jaw and sending my head snapping back. My face is going to hurt for days.

But I barely feel it now, going back in for more…

It’s Luke who hauls me off, Roman jumping on Leo to keep him from the counterattack.

Jake is puffing on his cigar. “I guess you boys didn’t learn from your father after all. Never let a woman get involved.”

I shake off Luke, running a hand through my hair. The Italian mob offed my dad because of the giant debt he’d collected.

But a few people knew the whole story. He’d been fucking the Italian mafia’s queen, Maria Carcetti, and when Toni Carcetti, her husband, had figured it out, he’d hired a hit on my father. We all knew pussy clouded judgment.

And everyone in this room already knew that mine was impaired.

I knew it too.

Leo shakes off Roman and charges toward me, only stopping when his finger is in my face. “This isn’t over, Mason. You’re not taking the ship down like he did. I won’t let it happen.”

He shoves me and then charges for the elevators.

“Then stay and fight,” I snarl back. “And stop stomping off like a bitch.”

He spins, charging at me and I drop my stance, getting ready, but Luke knocks him off kilter so that he crashes into the wall.

Roman stands in front of me. “Leo, you can’t just declare yourself leader. It doesn’t work like that.”

Luke stands next to Roman. “We decide together. That’s how it’s always been.”

“Fucking fine,” Leo snarls. “You don’t want me to be in charge. At least remove him…” He jabs his finger at me. “He’s losing his touch.”

Jake draws another puff from his cigar. “If you’re asking for a vote, we’ll vote.”

“I am,” Leo retorts. “And I need everyone to see the truth. Mason is going soft, and it will get us all killed.”

“You are going off the deep end and that is the biggest danger we’ve got,” I say, adding in my own two cents before the voting happens.

The room is silent as Leo and I lock gazes, neither looking away. We’ve both aired our grievances, there is no taking them back.

“All those in favor of removing Mason.”

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