Page 72 of King of Sinners

“Mason,” I whisper in a quick rush. “Hurry. Leo’s here.”

“Fuck.” He doesn’t hang up, but he doesn’t say anything else as his footsteps echo through the line.

I’ve got the phone to my ear when Leo calls again, the sound closer. “Where are you? I’m guessing we don’t have a lot of time for hide and seek, so why don’t you come out so we can have a little chat.”

I don’t say a word, but the smallest whimper escapes my lips.

Mason snarls into the phone his steps moving quicker as Leo enters the bathroom.

“I know you read my texts, Charlotte. I saw the moment you saw them. You have to turn off the Read feature but then again, you’ve always been crap with technology.”

I shrink deeper into the cabinet.

“So I know you know that Mason was always going to betray you.”

“Fuck,” Mason grunts into the phone. Clearly he can hear Leo too. “That motherfucker.”

“Come with me and we’ll go far away,” Leo says standing just above the cabinet. He knows I’m here. “Mexico? South of France?”

I’m shaking, barely able to hold the phone. I don’t trust Mason in this moment, but I trust Leo way less…

I know I shouldn’t trust Mason, but right now, I just want him here.

The door opens and Leo’s face appears. I scream then and Mason snarls into my ear as Leo grins. “Who are you talking to?”

“Put my fucking brother on the phone,” Mason rumbles into the line through gritted teeth.

I hold out the phone to Leo, our eyes locked, though I’m still completely silent.

Leo takes it, his fingers brushing mine. It takes everything in me not to recoil. “Hello, big brother.”

“Touch one hair on her head?—”

“Don’t play that shit,” Leo spits back. “She knows the truth, Mason. Knows how you told the entire family you’d hand her over to the Dukes. Enjoy your tunnel and your money.”

And then Leo throws my phone, grabbing my arm with a quick jerk. Burning pain shoots through me as he wrenches my shoulder socket.

I scream again, as I land half out of the cabinet. The small of my back landing awkwardly on the lip of the cabinet and more pain shoots through me.

Leo wraps an arm around my waist pulling me the rest of the way out. “Stop fighting, Charlotte, and you won’t get hurt.”

“Let me go,” I cry, trying to pull away, trying to fight. With his hands on my waist, he hauls me over his shoulder, my fight doing almost nothing to stop him. “Please, Leo. Please let me go.”

“I’m doing this for your own good.”

I sob out a gasping cry as my good hand fists and pounds on his back. “This is not for my good.”

I think I hear Mason roar through my phone on the other side of the room, but I can’t be sure as I try to kick my legs.

“You want to stay here and let him turn you over to the Dukes? Don’t be stupid, Charlotte.”

“I don’t want to go with you!” I cry, squirming, which only makes his arm tighten.

“I know you don’t. I saw that book you made, stupid woman.” He smacks my ass, making me go still. It’s not like when Mason does it. It’s meant to humiliate, not excite, and I try to hit him back, though I’m like a buzzing fly. I’m just annoying him. “But try to understand you are safer with me than you ever were with him.”

“It’s not true.”

“Mason doesn’t get to win this one,” he roars, his strides growing longer.

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