Page 43 of House of Payne

I take a deep breath. I doubt he’ll allow it, but I have to at least ask. Ineed this.

“I want to see my father and Noah one last time before I stay here,” I tell him. “I’ll miss them so much. I just want to spend a bit of time with them.”

Mason gives me an indecipherable look, his stormy gray eyes giving nothing away. “I can’t allow that,” he replies. “You signed the contract. You have to stay until the year is up.”

Tears well in my eyes. I didn’t realize just how much seeing them meant to me.

I clench my hands into fists and ignore the lurch in my stomach. “I’m here, and I promise I’ll come back. But I’ll miss them so much. What if something happens to them?” Tears fill my eyes, and I blink them back. “What if it’s the last time I see them?”

Mason sighs. “So dramatic,” he says cruelly. “You’ll see them again; it’s just a short break. Some people are happy to get away from the people they’re forced to spend their time with. No one has been as dramatic as you are.”

I don’t believe him, and I can’t believe I ever saw Mason in a different light.

There are no traces of the man who helped me clean and bandage my knee.

I am not the first person Mason has ripped from their family, I doubt I’ll be the last. But I know I can’t be the only one who has been reluctant to leave people behind.

There’s no use in arguing though.

I won’t appeal to him if I get emotional. Mason will see it as a sign of weakness, and I need him to view me differently if I’m going to survive.

Mason heaves a sigh and grunts. “You look so distraught that maybe I’ll consider it. If you get on your knees and be my good girl. That might be a compelling argument.”

Heat flushes my cheeks at his assertion. How could he ask that of me?It’s the worst form of blackmail. I can’t believe I’m faced with something like this.

Still, thoughts of Noah and my father taunt me. I’ve never been away from them for long. How can I bear it without seeing them one last time?

I’ve already signed up for something I don’t want to do. I’ve made a deal with the devil. Why not take it a step further? He knows how to get under my skin and get what he wants.

Biting my lip, I swallow my pride and drop to my knees. I can’t meet his gaze at first, but then I realize the more compelling I am, the better chance I have of getting what I want. So, I look straight up at him.

“I want to see my father and my boyfriend. Just one last time. Then, I’ll come back to you. I promise.”

“So heartfelt.” A cruel glint appears in Mason’s eyes. “You must really love your father and boyfriend if you’re willing to go to such lengths for them.”

He says it in such a sarcastic tone that I want to slap him. I want to get up off my knees and assure him that nothing is worth this. But I can see it in his eyes. He’s enjoying this too much. Maybe hewillgive me what I want.

“I do,” I admit. “I love them with my whole heart. It would mean the world to me if I could see them again.”

“If they mean so much to you, then surely you’re willing to go to even greater lengths to see them,” he mocks. “I want you to strip. I want to see you touch yourself. I want to break you free from your old world.”

I see it now. He also wants me to fear him. He wants to show me how much power he has over me. He delights in it and in wielding it against me.

As disgusted as I am, I’m also exhilarated. It is the most daring and vulnerable thing I’ve ever done. I still can’t believe I would even consider it.

Despite the warring emotions and conflict, I start to take off myclothes. There’s nothing else I can do. I want to see Noah and my father. I can’t leave them without a goodbye.

So, I slowly take off my shirt. Then my shorts. I look up and see his hungry gaze. He’s devouring me with his eyes, and I feel something strange.

Noah has never looked at me quite like this.

As I take off my bra, I’m intrigued by the way Mason looks at me. I don’t know exactly what I feel, but it’s almost suffocating.

I take off my panties and stand fully naked in front of him. I’m scared, wondering what he’ll do next.

But there’s also a certain thrill.

I’ve never been in a position like this, and I don’t know what to expect. Goosebumps break out across my flesh, and I twitch with the desire to move and find something to cover myself.