Page 69 of King of Ruin

“He can leave them here,” I call loud enough for my brother to hear. “We’ll worry about signing them later.”

“This is just the first step, like a purchase and sale,” Mason answers through the closed door.

“Then perhaps you should have been more polite,” I grit back.

I hear Mason sigh. Maddie’s hand comes to my arm. “Thank you, Roman. But I can sign today. It’s no problem.”

And she starts around me, heading toward the door.

“I will be right out,” I tell her, shrugging on the shirt. There is no way I’m leaving Mason alone with her for more than a few seconds.

My secrets aside, my brother is not bullying her into anything.

But when I come out, he’s got her hand in his, leading her toward the counter. “My apologies, Maddie.” His tone now soft and gentle. “I miss my wife and I’m afraid it’s made me…difficult.”

“You’re always difficult,” I gripe back, sitting on the couch to put on my socks and shoes.

“True,” Mason smiles, helping Maddie into a chair. “Let me read the clauses out loud to you so you know what you’re signing.”

“Thank you very much,” Maddie answers. “I don’t know what Roman has shared but I can see the outlines of things. Blurs. But reading is not something I’m able to do under the best of circumstances.”

Mason sets himself to explaining each clause, Maddie nodding along. When he’s done, he hands her a pen. She wraps her fingers around it. “Could you…would you mind just placing my hand in the appropriate place?”

I’m next to her, my hand clasping her free one. Maddie has gotten better and better at maneuvering my apartment. It’stimes like this, I’m reminded of how much more difficult life must be for her.

I bend over, brushing my lips over the shell of her ear, even as Mason places her right hand just above the line for her to sign.

His eyes meet mine over the top of her head. Is he starting to understand how vulnerable Maddie is? And, even though she has every reason not to be, how generous she is too? She came back out for Mason’s comfort.

Or did he just want her to sign? It’s tough to tell with my brother.

She signs the paper and then gently sets down the pen. “Roman has mentioned Charlotte several times. Please send her my regards. And I sincerely hope you make it back to her very soon.”

“Thank you, Maddie.”

She hesitates for a moment, her fingers squeezing mine. “And thank you for your efforts to find Kate.”

“I think we might be thanking Kate, if she patched Luke back up.” Mason runs a rough hand through his hair with a quick glance at me. Does he know something I don’t? Has he heard from Luke? His voice wasn’t filled with the worry I’d heard last time Mason and I spoke about our cousin.

Maddie nods. “I’m sure she did. But my guess is that, just like me and Roman, Luke is taking care of her now.” She squeezes my hand like she’s thanking me.

The words hit me like a gut punch.

“Maddie, I’m going to see Mason out.”

She nods. “Of course.”

I bring her hand to my lips, brushing her knuckles with my lips, before I let her hand go.

I walk to the elevator, Mason following. I don’t say or do a thing until the doors close. Without warning, I take a swing, clocking him in the fucking jaw.

His head snaps back as he falls against the wall.

Leo and Mason go rounds regularly, but I rarely physically fight with either of my brothers. They’re so much older than me, it’s not been our dynamic. Luke and I were a different story. We fought like two junkyard dogs.

But today, the rules change.

I let Mason recover, squaring my shoulders as he shakes off the hit and charges toward me.

---