Katia gives me a look that borders on pity. “I wouldn’t underestimate Jack Payne if I were you. He’s not the kind of man you want to piss off.”
“Too late,” I say.
Katia steps toward me. “He’s nothing like Mason. Whatever you think you know is nothing compared to what happens in the shadows.”
I stare at her. “I’m well aware of that.”
Being in the man’s presence has left my stomach in cold, hard knots.
I’ve been trying to shake the feeling for the past hour, but the harder I try, the more worried I become.
I know I need to be strong, especially if I’m going to survive in this world, but I have no idea how to do that when there’s danger around every corner.
Without Mason around, who will have my back?
Katia might be on watch duty now, but I know she won’t hesitate to turn the other cheek.
All Mason’s father needs is to promise her Mason on a silver platter, and she won’t hesitate to throw me to the wolves.
I almost wish Mason had left me to fend for myself.
I’ve heard enough whispers about Katia to know she’s not the kind of woman you want to mess with.
You wanted to be a part of Mason’s world, remember? You can’t get cold feet at the first sign of trouble.
Mason needs someone smart and strong who can hold her own.
But I can’t stop thinking back to the ice in his voice when he left me in the room, and the dismissive look he gave me.
It reminds me a little too much of the ruthless man who made me sign the contract.
Don’t forget that he’s still there, lurking underneath the man you’re trying to pull out.
Katia gives me another infuriating smile, prompting me to step back into the room and slam the door in her face.
When she laughs, I toss her a dirty look through the wood and begin to pace.
I know I don’t have a lot of options, especially when Mason’s father could be waiting for me to be left vulnerable.
He looks like the kind of man who would slice my throat without batting an eye and then drag me out to be made an example of.
How is Mason even related to him? He can’t be his father.
A sliver of fear winds its way up my spine as I wonder just how much trouble Mason is in, and how I can help if I’m being kept under lock and key.
How am I supposed to prove myself if I’m not being given the chance?
How can I keep Mason’s father from driving a wedge between us?
Jack Payne has only been here a few hours, and he’s already pierced our little bubble and shoved us, unceremoniously, into the real world.
I shudder to think of how far he’ll go to get rid of me.
As soon as the thought crosses my mind, I reach for the phone Mason left behind and dial my father’s number from memory. My heart is pounding and my palms are sweating as I wait for him to pick up. The entire time, I’m imagining a car driving by the house and opening fire on anyone in the vicinity.
I picture my father knifed in his driveway, calling out to me as he bleeds out.
Then I see them drag him here, binding his hands and legs as he is forced to his knees for my mistakes.
