Page 158 of House of Payne

I cast another glance down the hallway and step out of the room.

I try not to breathe loudly as I creep away, occasionally pausing to flatten myself against the wall. Once I reach the top of the stairs, I peer down, but the place is shrouded in darkness. I take another deep breath, place my hand on the banister, and feel my way downstairs. At the foot of the stairs, I tilt my head and listen.

Silence.

I take a few more steps and breathe a sigh of relief when I make out the vague outline of the door. A gust of cold air bursts in when I pull it open, and I inhale a lungful. I step outside, and a dark chuckle makes the hairs on the back of my neck rise. I wheel around and throw up my arms.

There’s a flash of movement on my right, but I’m too slow.

A pair of arms wrap around me from behind, and I throw myself backward. The person holding me grunts, but their grip doesn’t falter. I buck and thrash and claw, earning a few grunts as I do. I’m still panting,my chest growing tighter as I’m dragged back upstairs. Before we round the corner, I spot a familiar head of hair, and I stop breathing altogether. Then, they throw me into the room, and I land on the hardwood floor like a rag doll.

Someone twists my arms behind my back, sending bursts of pain through my body.

My eyes water as I lift my head. “Let me go. I’m not a part of this.”

A face materializes in front of me, dark eyes framed by bushy eyebrows, and a scar over his left eye. “Denial isn’t going to help you. I suggest you pray to whatever God you believe in. It won’t be long now.”

I press my lips together and refuse to look away. “If you kill me, you won’t get what you want.”

The man shrugs and takes a step back. “Looks like we’re not getting that anyway. You’re a liability now. I hate liabilities.”

“What if I worked here? I could clean or cook or…” I trail off when he starts laughing, and the knot in my stomach tightens. “I can make myself useful.”

He leans forward and frames my face in his hands. Then his nails dig into my cheeks, and I can smell the alcohol on his breath. “I’m sure you can. Whatever tricks you used to ensnare Mason Payne won’t work here.”

I swallow past the lump in my throat. “I didn’t use any tricks. There’s nothing between us.”

What the hell does he think I did to Mason?

Does he think I used sex to curry favor with him?

Isn’t that how it started, though? You might not want to admit it, but it doesn’t make it any less true. You just hate it’s obvious to everyone around you.

I’ve been branded, and there isn’t a thing I can do to rid myself of the mark.

I should’ve walked away when I had the chance.

Getting involved with Mason is one of the stupidest decisions I’ve ever made, and the longer I sit there under the man’s watchful gaze, theworse I feel.

Why did I think I could walk away unscathed? It’s not like I didn’t know who I was getting involved with.

Miss Deveroux told you what would happen if you let yourself get swept up in it, but you didn’t listen. You thought you were different.

As if I could’ve left Mason better off than when I found him.

Stupid, stupid girl.

The dark-haired man cracks his knuckles. “Any last requests?”

I eye him defiantly. “I hope he makes you pay for this.”

A heartbeat later, my cheeks burn with a sting, and I taste blood in my mouth. I swallow and refuse to break my gaze.

If they’re going to kill me, they won’t get the satisfaction of seeing me beg.

I’m sorry, Dad. I’m so sorry.

Chapter Twenty-Eight