Page 117 of House of Payne

Today was reckless, and I don’t know if it was seeing Noah with London again or seeing the look on her face in the car on the way back that made something in me snap.

I don’t like this version of me she’s bringing to the surface.

What the hell is London doing to me?

And why can’t I seem to confine her role to the bedroom where it belongs?

Chapter Twenty-Three

Mason

I let my eyes sweep the room, pausing to spare Michael Everett a brief look. “I trust we’ve all had a chance to think things through since the last time we met.”

Today will be different.

I will not let anyone in this room get under my skin, and I am a lot better prepared than I was on the docks.

This time my focus is solely on eliminating the problem.

“You mean since you showed up out of the blue and shot someone.” Michael gives me a dark look. “You realize he’s from one of the rising families. You’d better hope to fucking God you haven’t made an enemy of them.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Your concern is touching, but that’smyproblem to worry about.”

I’ve already reached out to the family to make reparations.

Thankfully, once they heard my name, they were more than willing to throw their cousin under the bus.

It pays to have a name like ours.

Any family hoping to make something of themselves in the business knows not to mess with us. After spending an hour with them, they were the ones begging me not to retaliate. Luckily for them, I have biggerproblems to worry about than a faceless worm making a deal behind my back.

I’m not sure why I thought inviting Michael and Lance to the club for a sit-down was a good idea, but now that they’re here, I can’t take it back.

It’s not like you have a lot of other options. You can’t meet on their turf again, or they might shoot you this time. At least you’re on your territory.

It’s a good place as any because it ensures we all stay in line. Even me.

Still, having to sneak them in the back door to avoid raising suspicion and needing to double security for the night is making me regret my decision, especially with a trigger-happy mayor still sniffing around, hoping to build his senate platform on our backs.

I won’t let that scrawny little guy undermine everything we’ve built. If it means setting aside my wounded pride for now, so be it.

It’s not the first time I’ve made decisions for the good of the family, and it won’t be the last.

This has gone on long enough, don’t you think? Either offer them the location or find another place that works.

But even with Katia and Carlisle scouring the city for another place, I have nothing to show.

We’ve already moved in on most of the prime locations in the city.

London’s dad’s diner is one of the few places we hadn’t been able to sink our teeth into, and when he approached us a year ago, I’d congratulated myself on finally being able to do what my father hadn’t.

Setting up shop in clean-cut neighborhoods is something few have attempted.

I know it will be worth the risk as soon as we have solid ground to build on.

I stand up, reach slowly for the gun in my holster, take it out, and set it on the table. Michael freezes, and I see him gripping the edges of the chair. Lance looks over his shoulder, and his security detail moves closer.

The air in the room is heavy.