Page 113 of House of Payne

This wouldn’t have anything to do with how protective you’re feeling toward her, would it?

I purse my lips together and shove the thought away.

Once word gets out that our contracts aren’t honored, I’ll just have another set of problems on my hands.

Or at least that’s what I tell myself.

I glance over at Carlisle. He steps forward, and Katia shifts closer.

I know that one wrong move could turn this into a bloodbath. I didn’t come here to make such a bold, public statement, but I wonder if it can’t be avoided.

I’m not above getting my hands dirty to keep things running.

“Tell your goons to back off,” Michael warns, “unless you want to start something you can’t finish.”

“Is that a threat?”

Lance steps between us. “It’s not a threat. No one wants to start a war.”

Luckily for Michael, I’m in a generous mood, and as much as I dislike Lance, I know he has a point.

Dropping a few bodies won’t solve the more immediate problem.

I want to wipe the smug look off Michael Everett’s face, but I know I can’t go after him directly.

It doesn’t mean you can’t get your point across in other ways.

“How’s that sister of yours doing, Michael?” I fix my gaze on him, a faint smile hovering on my lips. “She works at one of your marinas, doesn’t she? One of the hottest restaurants in town, or so I’m told.”

A muscle ticks in Michael’s jaw. “Stay the hell away from her.”

“What about that girlfriend of yours, Lance? What was her name again?”

Lance’s face darkens in fury. “What the hell are you pulling, Mason? We’re not the only ones who have people we care about. Word on the street is you’ve got yourself a new whore.”

I have my gun pointed at him before he finishes his thought. “Watch your fucking mouth.”

Lance raises an eyebrow. “You’re not the only one who can make threats.”

I take a menacing step forward and bare my teeth. “I’ve got men and women everywhere. At the marina. At the wharves. At the trucking company. One word from me, and I’ll rain hell down on all of you.”

“There’s no way for you to do that without getting caught in the crosshairs,” Michael points out. “Even you’re not reckless enough to do that.”

They’re right.

I’m not reckless, but I’m also not naive.

They’re baiting me, and I can’t figure out why.

“Let’s get one thing straight,” I shoot back. “You don’t know me well enough to know what I will or will not do.”

Michael takes a step in my direction and folds his arms over his chest. “I know you don’t want to do anything stupid.”

I raise an eyebrow. “That’s exactly what Ishoulddo since stupidity seems to be the order of the day.”

Dumbing myself down to their level might be the only way for me to get my point across.

Lance throws up his arms. “We all need to calm down. We’re not going to reach a resolution today, so why don’t we all just take a beat and figure this out somewhere else?”