Page 110 of House of Payne

You’ll survive this, London. You don’t have a choice.

But with each passing day, I wonder how much, if any, of me will be left in the wake of Mason Payne.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Mason

London gets out of the car and stops to adjust her shirt. Then she glances back at me, an inscrutable expression on her face. “You’re not coming inside?”

“I have business to attend to,” I reply, gesturing vaguely. “Someone will take your bags inside. I’ll see you tonight.”

A shadow settles over her face as she takes a step back. Then, she turns and walks away with her head held high. I don’t know what she’s trying to prove, but I’m not in the mood to teach her another lesson.

There’s a storm brewing inside of me.

Fucking Noah.

Why in the hell was he at her house?

Forcing myself to stand and watch was one thing, knowing that London needed at least a shred of her dignity intact. The minute I felt like he was stepping out of line, I swooped in to intervene.

Before London did anything stupid and made me angry.

It’s no wonder she keeps assuming I’ll come to her rescue.

Each time I tell myself it’s not my fight, I find myself lingering, unable to watch them come at her.

What are you doing, huh? You know how this ends, Payne. You’re a lot of things, but dishonest isn’t one of them.

I can’t resist the look on London’s face whenever I save her.

It hits a little too close to home, reminding me of the man I used to be.

The man I thought I would be.

You can’t afford to entertain thoughts like that, Payne. London is hot, and she’s a freak in the sheets, but don’t go getting any ideas.

I shouldn’t care about the fact that she’s easy to talk to, that I find myself telling her things I’ve rarely shared with anyone else, and I definitely shouldn’t be acting like some kind of knight in shining armor.

It’s pathetic, and it’s weak, and it’s not what we are to each other

But there’s something about being around her that blurs the lines between need and desire, that makes all common sense fly right out the window.

A part of me almost wishes I was the kind of man she imagined, the one who cared about more than corruption, chaos and power.

You do not need London, and she most certainly doesn’t need you.

And I know all too well what happens to people in my line of work who get distracted. With a shake of my head, I watch London through the glass and wait until she’s inside the mansion before I rap on the roof.

I spend the ride reminding myself what’s at stake, and all the reasons I need to make sure that London doesn’t seep into other aspects of my life.

I’m in charge.

Katia is waiting at the docks when we arrive.

“You got here fast.”

She falls into step beside me. “I’ve been expecting this. Carlisle and I coordinated in case you need us.”