Page 152 of House of Payne

Fucking hell.

Why did I think any of this was a good idea?

I’ve spent the past few hours in a blood fueled haze, breaking whatever was in reach and yelling at everyone in my path. While a part ofme knows I need to reign it in before the whispers start, the other part of me doesn’t care.

I can’t remember the last time I was this terrified and uncertain.

Half of me wants to get London back just to punish her myself, and the other part wants to storm every enemy warehouse guns blazing till she’s in my arms again.

Jesus Christ.

How in the hell did she manage to worm her way into whatever was left of my heart?

And why hadn’t I stopped her before she did?

Because you thought you were immune. London isn’t the first woman to try and bring out the man behind the mask, but she’s the first woman to make you care enough to try.

Ishould’ve just stuck to Katia. At least with her, I know what I am getting into, and so does she.

Katia wouldn’t have gotten herself kidnapped.

Nobody would have dared touch an assassin like her.

I growl and land another punch to Carlisle’s stomach, but he remains upright, his jaw tight. “You better have a damn good reason for letting this happen on your watch.”

Carlisle presses his mouth into a thin line and says nothing.

I wonder how far I can push him before he breaks. Even a man like Carlisle has limits to his loyalty.

I don’t want to test them. I can’t afford to have Carlisle on the fence about his loyalties. Despite his shortcomings, I need him.

And I know Carlisle’s only crime is being an easy target for my anger.

When I withdraw my hand, the door to my office bursts open, and Katia walks in. Carlisle groans when I punch him again, but he still says nothing. He barely even reacts, and if it weren’t for the furrow between his brows, I wouldn’t know he was affected.

Katia pauses, her eyes remaining on Carlisle for a second too long. Irelease him and reach for a napkin to wipe my knuckles. Then I turn to face Katia. My stomach hardens as I finish cleaning my hands and throw the napkin onto the floor.

Katia’s expression gives nothing away.

“I’ve gone to all their usual haunts, and I followed a few of their men. The Everetts and Fitzpatricks are behind this, but they’ve covered their tracks.”

This isn’t the news I was hoping for.

Unlike Carlisle, Katia won’t let me take my anger out on her in the way I need.

I can tell by the glimmer in her eyes that she has other things on her mind.

She’s probably relieved that London is out of the picture. Without knowing it, the Fitzpatricks and Everetts have taken care of the problem for her.

Another smaller voice in the back of my mind wonders if she orchestrated the whole thing.

Katia wouldn’t betray you like that. No matter her personal feelings toward London, she wouldn’t do that to you.

Especially because she knows that no matter our history, if I uncover even a speck of evidence linking her to any of this, I will make her pay.

The kind of punishment even an assassin like her tries to avoid.

I clear my throat. “What the fuck does that mean?”