King of Pain (Lords of Las Vegas #5)

Chapter 28

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Luke

I like Mark right away. He’s a good dude.

First, he replaced Alice’s starter for me, and she’s purring like a kitten. We talk about trucks for a minute, before he turns to me. “Gotta ask. What are your intentions toward Kate?”

I like a man who gets right to the point. And I like that he’s got my girl’s interests at heart too. “The best,” I answer. “Kate is an amazing woman.”

He quirks a brow but doesn’t ask me to elaborate. Which is good. Because I’m not sure telling him that I’d like to propose after a week of dating makes me look good. I might sound crazy.

Maybe I am.

But I’ve got another topic we need to discuss. “Look, I know we just met, and I know this is sensitive, but I’ve got a question too.”

“Shoot.”

“That guy that hurt Kate in high school…”

“She told you about that?” he asks. “She tell you what happened?”

“Yes. She did.”

“Is it as bad as I always thought?”

“Yeah. It’s pretty bad.”

His fists clench around the rag he’s holding. “Damn it.”

Again, I don’t want Mark to think I’m crazy. “You got an address for this guy? I’d like to chat with him.”

Mark clears his throat. “I do, but he’s going to be tough to talk to.”

I cock my head. “Why’s that?”

“He resides in a cemetery.”

I don’t ask and Mark doesn’t say, but something tells me Mark might have helped put the guy there. And if that’s the case, we’ve got even more in common than I thought. “Good to know.”

Kate comes over, beaming at us. “I got another internship!”

“That’s great, sweetheart,” I smile back, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. I give her a quick kiss on the forehead before I let her go again so she can greet Mark.

I give them a minute before I ask the question. “So where are we taking Alice? Back to New York?”

She nips at a lip, a sure sign she’s not sure of my reaction. “Not exactly.”

“Where?”

“It’s in Vegas.”

I frown, but don’t answer in front of Mark. It’s the only place I don’t think I want to go. But I’ll do anything for Kate.

And she’s got it in her head that she shouldn’t separate me from family. I get what she’s saying, but my priorities are right in line. Kate first. Arabella and Roman second. Kincaid Enterprises… never again.

Which becomes even more obvious when my phone rings. Arabella’s name pops up. “Can you two give me a second? It’s my sister.”

“Of course,” Kate nods and smiles. “Tell Arabella I said hello.”

Mark smiles too. With a quick nod of thanks to them both, I turn to answer the phone. “Hey, bug. Everything all right?”

“Not really,” she huffs. “Mason just called. He says I have to come to Vegas for the rest of the summer.”

Mason.

I know that he’s Ari’s benefactor, but if he thinks he’s going to mess with her life, he’s got another thing coming.

Me and him. We’ll have to go some rounds.

“Why is that?”

Arabella is quiet for a moment. “I didn’t want to rain on your news about Kate, but I’ve been seeing this guy…”

My hackles go up. “Yeah?”

“And Mason says that I’m going to get some shares and then Preston proposed and now I’m all confused…”

My fist clenches at my side. This does not sound good. Not at all.

Kate gives me a quizzical look, surely wondering abut the dark expression on my face.

More and more memories are filtering back. And I know if I’m taking on Mason, I’m going to need some help.

Maybe being in Vegas for the summer is a good thing after all. Kate’s right. There is some shit to work out with my family, I just don’t think it’s in the way Kate’s envisioning.

“You can stay with me and Kate, bug. You’re going to love her.”

“Thank you,” Arabella answers. “But Mason already set me up in one of the apartment complexes, so I’d have a place of my own. Which is a shitty consolation prize. I just landed a position at Dior that I’m going to have to give up. I could kill Mason.”

“There is a lot of that going around.” I’m going to have to talk to Roman. It might be time to do something about our leader.