Page 130 of House of Payne

So why are you still having this conversation? You know you’re not going to leave. Whether it’s because of Mason, the contract, or your father. You’re staying. That’s all there is to it.

Miss Deveroux downs the rest of her drink and exhales loudly. “Have I ever told you how I wound up working for the club?”

I sit up straighter and shake my head. “No, you haven’t.”

I haven’t had the heart to bring it up.

She makes a face. “When my parents got divorced, my father acted like we didn’t exist. My mother got depressed, and my sisters and I… we had to rely on each other to see things through. For a while, I thought things were going to be okay.”

I frown. “What happened?”

Miss Deveroux’s expression darkens. “Our mother died, and our father swooped back into the picture, convinced she had left money behind.”

I grip my mug tighter and don’t say anything.

“At first, I wasn’t worried because we’d been through enough together.” Miss Deveroux’s voice is surprisingly soft. “But when he started pitting us against each other, I realized how dangerous he was.”

My mouth is dry, and I swallow a few times before I respond. “What happened?”

Miss Deveroux squares her shoulders and looks at me. “He turned us against each other. Had my sisters convinced I was hiding money that my mom left. It didn’t take him long to convince them to kick me out.”

My hands fly to my mouth, and a gasp falls from my lips. “No.”

She nods. “I’ve had years to make my peace with it, but it still hurts. Anyway, I took on a few odd jobs here and there, and slept in abandoned warehouses and apartments until someone took pity on me and brought me here.”

“So, you made a deal with them, too.”

“I did, but my contract ended a long time ago, and I decided to stay. When everyone else turned their backs on me, this was the only place I could count on. Besides, I did go through a bit of Mason phase myself.”

My eyes widen. “You and Mason?”

“Briefly,” she smiles. “But enough to know the man can’t change. Believe me, I thought he could, too. But no.”

“You stayed anyway, though?”

“I know the ins and outs. I know how to make sure the girls do their jobs, and I keep my mouth shut.”

I release my cup and exhale. “Don’t you ever wonder what kind of life you could’ve had?”

Miss Deveroux’s expression softens. “Sometimes, but there’s no point in wondering, is there? We make the best choices we can with what we have, and we do our best to survive.”

“What if I don’t want to just survive?”

“Then I’d think very, very carefully about what to do next. I know you didn’t have much of a choice when you made the deal to save your father, but there’s a difference between serving out your contract and forgetting why you’re here.”

I search her face. “I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

Miss Deveroux’s laugh cuts through some of the tension. “Honey, I’ve been around a long time. Longer than you might think. I’m not telling you anything you don’t know.”

I blow out a breath. “Are you sure?”

She reaches across the counter and pats my hand. “Don’t you worry about me. I can handle myself.”

I give her hand a quick squeeze. “Thank you.”

After a brief pause, Miss Deveroux withdraws her hand. “Don’t thank me yet. I’m not sure I’ve done you any good by telling you any of this.”

I nod a little too quickly. “But you have. You’ve given me a lot to think about.”