Chapter 26

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Leo

I walk back through the bedroom, not bothering with a shirt as I meet my brother in the hall.

"You smell like sex," Mason rumbles with a glare.

"I didn't have time to shower." Mason rarely has anything complimentary to say. It's his nature to be dissatisfied. Charlotte is a rare exception and, Mason is completely smitten with his wife.

With good reason, they're perfect for each other. And it's refreshing to see that Mason can soften for someone.

Something I wish I'd seen sooner.

Then again, I'd been so full of anger…

Kim has cleared my head in ways I'd never imagined possible.

"I told you I'd be here at eleven."

"What time is it?" I ask casually, leading the way down the stairs.

"Eleven thirty," Mason retorts. "Which means I got to hear the very loud fuck you just gave my wife's best friend."

"What can I say?" But my skin prickles. I don't want to share any part of Kim. Not even her screams.

"You can say that you're not going to just hit and quit it because I don't want to clean up another of your fucking messes, Leo."

This is how Mason and I end up in fist fights. I should have known it was coming. Mason and I can only play nice for so long.

I spin, my hands clenched. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, bro."

He stops, glaring back. "I was trying to be fine with it. You seemed to be helping her."

I run a hand through my hair as I try to relax. Not fighting with my brother is one of my goals.

"Can we talk about last night and how the Italians came at us again? How they tried to use Kim to hurt us?"

"Right. Good idea," Mason says, pushing past me and entering the kitchen, which is absolutely fantastic.

There's a massive window over the sink, a view of the landscaped back yard, making the space light and airy.

On the island, Mason has a bag of food, which he begins to unpack.

"Look. I've got an idea I want to run by you."

Mason stops. "You're asking for my advice?"

"This is an everyone-in-agreement kind of plan," I say with a deep breath. "And it's definitely more grey than we've been living so…"

The jail time I face for turning over that footage is minimal. But me falling on the sword and killing Toni Carcetti, that time has passed. I need to live my life outside of prison. But I've got another idea, one that works even better than the one I was hatching before.

Mason straightens. I half expect him to shoot me down before I've even begun. "Grey is fine with me. If they're going to come after our women, we'll do whatever is necessary."

I agree.

Taking a deep breath, I start. "We both know that Toni has two daughters."

Mason's jaw tightens. "It's that kind of plan."

"Yeah. And Jake is key so he's going to have to be all in too." I take a breath. "And we might need an assist from the Dukes. They're less known in this town and we might need them to do some tracking and baiting for us."

"Explain."

I do. In quick tones, I tell him my plan that will both protect us and make the kind of move on Toni Carcetti that will cut the head from the Italian snake. I wish I'd been able to implement it before last night. But I'm ready now…

Mason nods as I finish. "It's a good solid plan if Jake agrees."

Again, I'm surprised by my brother's acceptance. "I'll assist him. I'm already on the wrong side of the law handing over that footage."

Mason waves his hand. "That shouldn't be a problem. I've already got lawyers making certain you never see the inside of a jail cell."

"Thanks, Mason," I say, letting out a long breath. "But just in case, we need to discuss Kim."

Neither of us has touched the food he's laid out. Mason grabs a plate from the open shelves, beginning to spoon out food I know he'll barely eat. He's just keeping busy.

I do the same, something about moving, being in action, makes it easier to say some things that need to be said. "If the worst happens, I need to know that you'll take care of Kim."

He pauses, looking up at me. "You know I will."

"I mean like really take care of her. House. Car. Clothes. Security detail. All of it."

Mason sets down his plate. "Okay."

"She's…" I grimace, knowing that Mason's going to freak. But if I've learned one thing, it's that I have to own my shit. "She's pregnant, Mason."

He's holding a serving spoon, his knuckles turning white around the handle. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"It's mine," I say like that needs to be said. "And so I need to know?—"

The spoon flies at my head, and I duck as the metal projectile zings past my ear. "What the fuck, Mason?"

"You got her pregnant," he snarls, coming around the island and I know what's coming. I set down my plate just before he barrels into my mid-section.

I love my brother. And most of the time when we fight, I hold back, because we both know that I'm stronger. Even drunk and on a bender, I never came at him with full force.

But today, I'm in no mood. I can't get beat to shit because I've got a woman to protect.

So as we go flying backwards, I clock him hard in the jaw.

His head snaps back, his teeth clicking together as I land on the marble tile floor, his weight hurtling into my stomach.

It pushes all the air out of me, as we roll away from each other, both of us hurting.

"That's so fucking like you," Mason snarls. "Worried about going to prison while you've got a baby on the way."

Those words fucking hurt way more than what he just did to my stomach. "You think I want to leave Kim? The baby? I'd take the fall because I'm the most natural person to do it and because…" These next words sting my pride but that's been part of my problem…letting pride and selfishness make my decisions. "Because I know that with you and Roman on the outside, we have the best chance of making more money, gaining more power, and that protects Kim and the baby more than me being at their side. I'm ready to admit I'm the least important cog in this machine."

Mason drops his hand, his jaw already swelling, as he stares at me. "Jesus Christ, Leo."

"What?"

"What the fuck have you done with my brother and who is this man?"

Despite the ache in my stomach and chest, I smile. "So you promise? All the protection, all the money?"

"I promise."

"Good. That baby is a Kincaid, Mason. And if there is one thing you've always understood, it's family. I know that I went a little nuts after dad?—"

"You think?"

"But we both know I was the one most likely to detonate like he did." I slowly push myself off the floor. "But if I'm going to detonate, I'm going to do it for the good of our family, not for ill."

I hear a soft sob behind me, and I turn to see Kim standing in the kitchen doorway. She's in leggings and an oversized dance sweater that comes off one shoulder.

She looks natural and gorgeous, and I open my arms to her. She only pauses for a second before she rushes into my embrace.

I catch the tears in her eyes as I lift her into my arms. "Don't cry, baby. Everything is going to be fine."

"Do you really feel that way? That the baby is your family?"

"Of course, I do," I whisper into her ear. "I told you this house is yours."

Mason chokes behind me but I know he'll give it to her.

"But I didn't think you meant that the house was really mine."

I look back at Mason, Kim's face buried in my shoulder, and he nods back. I know we're on the same page.

His face is swelling as I lightly set Kim back on her feet. "You should eat," I say. "And I should get Mason some ice."

"All right," she says a moment before she steps away, swiping at her eyes. She takes my plate of food from my hand and digs in with gusto that makes me smile.

My woman can eat my food anytime. I move to the freezer, opening it, and find a drawer of ice. Pulling out some cubes, I plop them in a towel and hand them to my brother.

He sets the ice against his face, his eyes closing. He's going to have a wicked bruise.

"Mason," I start. "One more thing. Does your jeweler make house calls? We're going to need an engagement ring."

His eyes snap open but I don't catch his full reaction because next to me, Kim drops her plate, porcelain and food flying everywhere.