Page 56 of House of Payne

I’m doing this for him, but I also want to know that I haven’t wasted the past few years of my life, and that dropping out of college was the right thing to do.

Silence settles between us as Miss Deveroux scans the floor. Wordlessly, she steps out from behind the bar, and I follow her again. In the semi-darkness, it’s almost easy to forget about everything happening within these walls, but between the moans and the distinct smell, my senses are heightened.

Miss Deveroux points out a few more rooms, some with closed doors, some with the doors open and displaying various activities. The floor is painted in dark, muted colors, and the other workers glide past on the tips of their toes. Some cling to the shadows, never seen or heard but always one step ahead of the clients.

Everything revolves around the clients, who pay top dollar for privacy.

Shock floods my system as we move through the lower floor and I recognize a few faces, celebrities, businessmen, and politicians alike. Under the same roof, the faces blend together.

Miss Deveroux takes me back to the main floor and we stand in a quiet corner that offers a full view of the floor. A few poles are scattered throughout, and women in bras and thongs twirl and dance while men watch hungrily. I swallow and dig my nails into my palms, already counting down the days until I can get out of here.

I don’t like how this place makes me feel.

I don’t like knowing that I feel the pull deep inside.

I can’t afford to lose myself here.

Focus, London. You’re here to pay off your father’s debt. That’s it. Anything else is just asking for trouble. Mason is wrong. You won’t beg for him or anyone else. That’snot what you’re here for.

I’m repeating the mantra for the fifth time when I realize Miss Deveroux is looking at me expectantly.

I blink. “What?”

“There are other ways you can pay off your debt.” Miss Deveroux’s dark eyes are glittering. “You could do more than housekeeping.”

I shake my head. “I have a boyfriend.”

Her lips lift into a smile. “Honey, I never said you had to marry them. It’s just sex.”

“It’s not just sex. At least not to me.”

It has to mean something, and I can’t imagine letting any of the creeps in this establishment touch a strand of hair on my head, much less get anywhere near my body.

Miss Deveroux places a hand on my shoulder. “It’s a way to pay the debt off quickly. You might even enjoy yourself. How old is this boyfriend?”

“He’s twenty-two, and he just graduated from college.”

Miss Deveroux throws her head back and laughs. “Sweetheart, he’s just a boy. He doesn’t know anything compared to the men here. You can have a little fun, and he doesn’t have to know.”

“I would know.”

Miss Deveroux makes a noncommittal sound and motions to me. My heart is pounding as I hurry after her, ignoring the leering looks. When we reach the other side of the floor, she veers into a hallway with several rooms. The overhead lights flicker and buzz. Once we reach the end of the hallway, I realize the door is propped open to reveal a naked woman on her back.

Her hands are handcuffed to either side of the bed, her legs are spread, and she is panting.

The man in front of her is holding a whip and has a glint I don’t recognize in his eyes. He advances on her and uses the whip to caress herbare skin. She whimpers quietly, and their eyes meet.

“What’s that?”

The woman swallows, and her lips part. “Please.”

“Please what?”

“Please, Daddy. I want you to fuck me.”

I press my lips together to hold back my surprise. The brunette tosses her head back, licks her lips, and smiles. “I want you to fuck me good.”

The bed dips as the man settles between her legs, his eyes roaming her. “You’ve been a bad girl, Jessica. You need to be punished.”