Page 78 of King of Sinners

A smile curls my lips before I bend down and gently kiss her. “Is now too soon?”

“Yes.”

I shake my head. It’s time I started making some promises. “I know you want to leave Vegas. I’ll go with you. Anywhere you want…” Jake is hearing all of this, but I don’t care. He and Roman can take over. “We’ll start over.”

Charlotte shakes her head. “Running away is my thing. Remember? Not yours.”

“I suppose that’s true.”

“I’m not running this time.” She touches my cheek with her uninjured hand. “And I might be willing to forgive, but you have to meet me halfway.”

“Anything,” I whisper. Watching her suffer has made me even more certain that I am supposed to be her protector. I love this woman. I think I have for a long time.

She looks over at Leo. “You need to forgive your brother.”

“No.” That is one thing I’m not willing to give.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Charlotte

Mason’s glare at Leo would turn a lesser man to dust.

Leo, however, bleeding nose and all, just glares back. They are so alike in this way. And that swagger is what made me interested in Leo for a hot minute.

But he’s different than Mason too in ways that would never suit me. He’s impulsive, hot-tempered.

It’s Mason’s methodical control that keeps me from running scared. My fingers flex against Mason’s cheek. “I know if you really think this through, like you always do, you’ll know I’m right.”

He drops his face to mine, kissing the tip of my nose, and then both my cheeks, his kiss so light and gentle, he’s clearly worried he might break me.

“He’s going to need time, Charlotte,” Leo interjects. “He’s been angry at me for a while for being so like our father.”

Mason sits up straighter. “I’m not angry at you for that.”

“Yes, you are.” Leo’s voice gets harder too.

“I’m not.”

“Then why don’t you give me more responsibility?”

“Because…” Mason rumbles in frustration. “Your method of solving problems resulted in all of this…” He sweeps his hand around the room.

Leo winces. “Only because I was trying to prove myself to you.”

The doctor steps up to examine Leo’s nose and Mason and his brother stop talking. Instead, Mason looks down at me, his face softening. He reaches for the sling, helping me put it on my injured arm and then he helps me up from the hard counter to return to the couch. The shoulder still throbs and aches and once I’m settled on the couch, he gets a glass of water and one of the pills the doctor gave me.

I swallow it down, lounging back. I’d been about to run but between my shoulder, and Mason’s public affection, I know I’m not going anywhere. For once in my life, I’m going to stay right here and I’m going to ask Mason some of the hard questions.

How does he feel about me? What does he see in our future? It’s time for me to be a big girl.

But as he sits down next to me, settling my legs over his lap, his hand skates up my hip, settling on my waist. “Charlotte?”

“Yes?” I steel myself for whatever comes next because I know we’re about to really start talking. I want this, but my stomach still clenches.

“I’m in love with you.” His eyes are steady and strong as stares at me and my heart jumps into my throat as the air rushes from my lungs.

“I’m in love with you too.” I can’t hold back the words, and even if I could, everyone in this room knows it’s true.

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