Page 164 of House of Payne

Somewhere far behind, I hear Carlisle’s heavy breathing, but I ignore it and home in on the whimpers.

Please, let her be okay.

I have no idea who I’m praying to, or if I even believe in a higher power, but I do know London doesn’t deserve to be caught in the crosshairs of my screw-up.

Frowning, I grip the gun tighter and step over another body. When I round another corner, I squint and see London’s hair, crusted with blood, with a gun pressed to the side of her head. I step forward slowly, and the hand holding the gun yanks her backward, but I hear the man’s uneven breathing.

Good.

I want him to be afraid.

“It’s over,” I say calmly. “You have nowhere to go. Let her go, and I’ll consider making your death quick.”

A low chuckle follows. “I know you’re not going to follow through on that.”

I know the voice instantly.

“I’m a man of my word, Lance,” I maintain, taking a few more steps forward.

I study him, noting the tremor in his hands and the way he’s favoring one leg. His hair has streaks of blood in it.

He looks worse than I imagined, and it makes me feel marginallybetter.

You should’ve known better than to underestimate him. You’ve been so focused on Michael that you failed to notice the weasel by his side.

Lance is exactly the kind of man who operates in the shadows and triumphs because people underestimate him.

I’m one of the idiots who didn’t give him a second thought, save for his role as Michael’s accomplice.

London is deathly still, and when I look closer, I see that her mouth is taped and her hands are bound behind her. I move forward until she’s only a few feet away, close enough now to notice a gash on the side of her head and her wrinkled clothing covered in dirt and streaks of blood.

Her golden eyes meet mine, and it sends a bolt of electricity through me.

I’m going to kill them, and I’m going to enjoy every second of it. I’ll make sure they beg for mercy.

London’s eyes are wide and unflinching as she looks at me.

Is she cursing my name?

Does she regret agreeing to the contract?

She blinks, and I see relief move over her face, but it’s gone so quickly, I wonder if I imagined it.

She probably thought you weren’t going to save her. Why would she, when you’ve spent most of your time together telling her there are no feelings involved?

I shouldn’t be offended by her surprise, but I am.

Until we pulled up outside the abandoned house, I’d been talking myself out of it.

A few times, I’d even almost succeeded.

Maybe it would’ve been better if I had.

“What’s your plan here? Fighting your way out?”

“It’s better than the alternative,” Lance replies.

He pulls London closer. “I know what you’ll do if you get your hands on me.”