Page 48 of King of Ruin

I meant what I said to her. What’s between us is unusual. I know the word is special, but I’m trying not to even think it.

“What do you want?”

“I want to go home,” he growls. “I want to fuck my wife at six in the morning while she purrs in my ear.”

I let out a frustrated rumble. “I’m sorry Luke’s disappearance is so fucking inconvenient for you.” I never speak to Mason like this. We’re a team and he is our leader. But something is breaking between us.

“That’s not what I mean. I just…” Mason lets out a loud rumble. “After this tunnel, after we find Luke, let’s coast.”

“Coast?” This does not sound like my brother at all.

“That was always the plan. We’ll have such dominance that we won’t have to worry. None of the families will be able to touch us.”

I frown at the phone. “We’ve got enough money that we can coast without the tunnel, you know. Sell the casinos. As real estate developers we don’t need to interact with the other families.”

He makes a noise of dissent deep in his throat. “I’ve spent years building the business to this moment.”

“That’s the Mason I know.” And I’m the brother he knows. I do for people what no one else is able. Or maybe I’m just willing to do them.

“Finishing the tunnel isn’t just for me.” There is an ominous note in my brother’s voice. “Leo’s raid is complete. He brought the Vendettis in on murder charges, the blood in the car was enough, but no sign of Luke.”

“What’s that mean?”

“We don’t know,” Mason growls.

“Fuck me,” I run a hand over my face. “Luke’s dead, isn’t he?”

Mason is silent for several seconds. “I can’t say.”

I close my eyes, pain making my chest ache.

“Don’t give up hope,” Mason’s voice is softer than I ever hear it, which in and of itself is concerning.

“Fuck.”

“Roman, we need to keep moving forward. Now more than ever.”

My gut clenches. I know what he’s asking. “You want me to take Maddie’s house right now.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“They’ve brought in family from overseas. Rome, I think. I only caught one name but it’s Guerriero. Warrior. The fight isn’t over. We’re in the death throes, and that’s when things get ugly.”

Death throes? Did he use those words on purpose? Is Luke really dead? My eyes squeeze shut.

He’s silent, the lack of sound stretching out between us, filling with tension. Finally he breaks it. “Build her whatever you want. Spend millions.”

“It’s not like that. That house belonged to her grandmother. It’s her last?—”

“You want to help Luke? You make us impenetrable. Blocking that tunnel was the Italians last hope.”

“Fuck,” I spit into the phone. I know it was always the plan for me to seduce Maddie to extract what I needed, but the longer I’m with her... “If I do this…”

“You’ll give all of us some piece of mind.”

I hang up on my brother without answering, though I already know what I’m going to do.

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