Page 71 of King of Ruin

But when I touch the side of his face, he winces the slightest bit. I can feel the swelling. “Roman!”

“It’s nothing.” He takes my hand from his face, bringing my palm to his lips.

“It’s not nothing. You need ice. What happened?”

“Mason and I had a little talk.”

I’m pushing off the couch so that I can get up and get ice, when I stop… “Talk? Which part of your face did you use for this conversation?”

He gives a low chuckle, bending down to kiss my lips. “The wrong one, clearly.”

“But…” I didn’t have siblings and certainly not brothers. “Is this normal?”

He sighs. “For grown men to solve their differences with their fists? In my family, I’m afraid so. Mason, Leo, and I were without parents at a fairly young age. We might be more wild than most.”

“Oh.” But some kind of heat pools low in my belly. I like wild…

Roman’s brand anyway. It’s the perfect combination of safe and free, and I’ve never felt more able to let my own inhibitions go.

He hears the change and his light kisses deepen. Much as I’d like to lose myself in that kiss, I push at his chest. “Ice.”

He lets me up and I cross to the fridge, fumbling a bit with the ice drawer. “Need help?”

“I’m helping you,” I say, my exasperation evident. I finally get enough ice in the towel, and I cross back to him. I don’t give him the towel though, instead I lift it to his face. “What was this fight about?”

I’ve got some idea. Mason was not pleased with the deal Roman offered me. It was obvious.

“It was about how Mason thinks he is the boss of everything.”

My brows lift. That doesn’t really help. “Like you?”

“He is my boss. But not yours. And when he speaks to you, he won’t do so like he’s talking to an errant employee.”

“Roman,” I gasp. “You did not need to fight with your brother on my account.”

“Yes, I did.” And then he pulls me close.

“Really. I’m fine. I?—”

“No one is going to speak to you like that. You will get the respect you deserve.”

I melt into him. I don’t need people to respect me. I’d prefer they didn’t show disrespect.

But Roman doesn’t seem to be finished. “Look, Maddie, there’s more I should tell you.”

I pull my chin back, trying to understand. “About Mason?”

“Mason. Me. Our future.”

He tightens his hands in my dress. I don’t mean to, but the ice pouch drops a bit. “Our future?” There is that hope again.

But he lets out a long tired breath, the kind that makes me wince. I don’t think I’m going to like what he’s about to say.

“Before we talk about all of that, can I just tell you how I feel?—”

But he’s interrupted by Thomasina’s meow. It sounds off. Like she’s hurt or scared. I’m spinning, bending down. I see the blur of her jumping from the whelping box.

I reach a hand down to her, realizing she’s got one of the kittens in her mouth. Running one hand down her back, I grabfor the kitten in her mouth. But when my fingers wrap about the little body, I gasp. The kitten’s body isn’t warm enough.

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