Page 162 of House of Payne

I’m Mason fucking Payne, and they picked the wrong person to mess with.

When I nod at Katia, she looks almost disappointed as she leans back. She glances over at Carlisle, and the sedan pulls away from the curb. My phone buzzes again not long after. I take it out of my pocket and scroll through some of Mathew’s angry texts.

Carlisle sails past a few stoplights, and no one stops us.

It doesn’t take long to reach the abandoned house on the outskirts of the city where London is being kept.

Several guns fire at us, but they bounce off the bulletproof sedan.

I have my gun drawn as the sedan screeches to a halt.

I jump out immediately, firing a few rounds in their general direction. There are a few yelps and howls of pain as I hit the pavement and roll away behind a nearby wall. A few seconds later, I jump to my feet and grip the gun with both hands. I can barely see anything, save for the vague outline of a two-story house with peeling brown paint. A few more guards come out, and the rest of my men barrel at them. I pop off a few more rounds and hit some of the guards on duty, cold resolve settling over me as I hear their bodies thump to the ground. Katia is a blur next to me as she moves to take out a few more. I hide behind a pillar and duck my head out, aiming blindly into the darkness. Then, I hear Carlisle from somewhere next to me, grunting and panting.

None of us says anything as we continue firing.

Then Katia materializes out of the smoke with a look of steely-eyed determination. She steps over a few of the bodies, and without stopping, takes down a few more men who appear out of nowhere. Thunder cracks in the distance, and a bolt of yellow lightning streaks across the sky.

I grip the gun tighter, letting it infuse me with power.

Focus. Get London and get out. That’s all you have to do.

The smell of blood and sweat fills the air as I spot a few more men rushing at us. With Carlisle and Katia on either side of me, we shoot. Soon,there are more bodies on the ground, and the group of men and women Katia recruited appear in and out of my field of vision. The steps are illuminated by soft patches of light, and I take them quickly, ignoring the pounding in my ears.

At the top of the stairs, more are waiting for us.

A few bullets streak past me and I flatten myself against a wall.

Someone’s hand appears out of the darkness and knocks the gun from my hand as rage overtakes me. I growl and lunge blindly forward, smiling when I connect with something big and solid. Once my enemy is on his back, I straddle him and land a few punches, the sound of flesh connecting with bone oddly satisfying.

After days of keeping myself in check, it feels good to let loose.

London is close, and the thought of saving her has me half-blinded by hope.

Arms wrap around me from behind and I thrash, causing us both to topple backward. I cough and pat the floor, grateful when my fingers close around the cold barrel of a gun. Then, I aim it at the nearest person and fire a few rounds. The brunette stares down at her chest, her mouth forming a surprised “O” seconds before she hits the floor.

Blood rushes from her mouth as she gurgles.

I rise to my feet and step over her. “Where is she being kept?”

Her dark eyes widen, and she gives me a confused look.

I bend down and hoist her up by her neck. “Where is the prisoner being kept? Tell me, and I’ll make your death quick.”

She opens her mouth, and more blood comes out.

Growling, I shake her firmly, and she squeezes her eyes shut.

When they open again, she cocks a finger at me, and I lean in closer. She whispers something barely audible into my ear, sending another chill through me. When she finishes, I let her fall back to the ground.

I put a bullet between her eyes, and she goes still.

Another figure races at me, and I fire without thinking. I put a fewmore bullets into a man on the floor who was dragging himself to the nearest weapon. He makes a choking sound and goes limp.

Pausing, I reload and take stock of the carnage around me.

The smoke is too thick, and I can’t make out Katia or Carlisle anywhere, but I see that the pile of bodies around me is growing. Another bullet sails past, clipping my ear. I roar my displeasure and fire a few rounds in its general direction, grinning triumphantly when I hear yelps of pain. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot a flash of movement, and Katia appears, wisps of hair matted to her face and a few blood stains on her clothes.

She meets my gaze and offers me a grim smile before pressing close to me.