Chapter Eleven #2
I ignore Katia and Carlisle and make a beeline for the study, where Doctor Ackles is waiting for me.
I pour two drinks and hand him one. London materializes in the doorway as I sit down and roll up the hem of my pants.
Another sharp pain races through me as I grit my teeth and focus on a spot over the doctor’s shoulders.
Doctor Ackles says nothing as he cleans the wound.
Katia pours me another drink, and I finish it in one gulp.
I’m used to the pain, but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t piss me off.
You should be out there, making sure Everett’s lying in a ditch somewhere, painfully bleeding out.
I shift as Doctor Ackles leans over me, his eyebrows knitted together in concentration. The smell of disinfectant fills the air, and I see a flash of silver. Carlisle shifts closer to me, and I grip my armchair with both hands, forcing myself to count backward from ten.
Pain blossoms behind my eyelids.
I bite back the howl as Doctor Ackles pinches the skin of my leg and spots dance in my field of vision. A heartbeat later, he drops the bullet into a bowl with a loud clank. Sweat breaks out across my forehead and back as I lean away.
Doctor Ackles’s fingers are warm and steady against my skin as I feel the needle weave through it.
I don’t realize how hard I’m gritting my teeth until I hear London’s quiet gasp and see her standing behind my father with Katia at her side.
I look at Katia, who tries to take London’s arm and steer her away, but London’s eyes flash as she inches away.
Always so stubborn.
I don’t know if I want to kiss her or throw her into my room and lock the door.
Once Doctor Ackles is done, my father strides toward me and peers at the wound.
With a scoff, he leads the doctor away, with Mathew following close behind.
Carlisle retrieves the bowl and first-aid kit and hurries off, too.
Katia glances between me and London before spinning on her heel and stalking off.
Slowly, London shuts the door behind her.
“Do you need me to get you anything?” she asks.
“What part of keeping yourself out of trouble don’t you understand?” I snap.
“I heard them talking about trouble at the docks, and I knew something had happened. I had to check on you.”
I cover the distance between us and frown. “You should’ve stayed upstairs.”
London lifts her chin. “I already told you I’m not going to cower and hide. How many times are we going to have this argument?”
“As many times as it takes for you to get the fucking point. Every time you’re anywhere near my father, you’re endangering your life. Just because he hasn’t retaliated doesn’t mean he’s not planning something.”
“I’m aware of that. I know he’s difficult—”
I snort. “Difficult isn’t a word I would use to describe Jack Payne. Asshole. Bastard. Those are words I’d use, and right now, there are too many things for me to worry about without adding endangering your life to the mix.”
“I am not a liability,” London replies. “Katia has been training me. You won’t have to worry about that soon enough.”
“You honestly believe that, don’t you?”
London let her hands fall to her sides. “You need someone strong by your side. I can be that.”
“I don’t care about that,” I shoot back.
“I know that having someone like Elise makes more sense—”
I raise an eyebrow. “This is about you being jealous? Of Elise fucking Thayer?”
“You’re telling me that you haven’t thought about it? How much easier it would be to have her by your side properly?”
I pull her to me. “I’m only going to say this one more time. I’m not interested in Elise Thayer. She means fuck all to me.”
Myriad emotions dance across London’s face before she adopts a neutral expression. “She could if you let her.”
I let out a low, incredulous laugh. “You’re starting to sound like my father.”
“I know her family has connections. She could probably figure out a way to end the war. I’ve been looking her up.”
Ice races up my spine and spreads through my veins. “You’ve what?”
“I know how to cover my tracks online.” The words pour out of London’s mouth in a rush. “No one will know how to trace me here, but I had to know what I was up against.”
I press my lips together and say nothing.
“She’s gorgeous and smart, with the right kind of connections. On paper, she makes so much sense, but on the ground, too. And her family is one of the oldest families in the city—”
“I see you fell down the rabbit hole,” I grumble. “Tell me, did your research show you why the Thayers don’t have an exclusive alliance with any of the families?”
London stares at me.
“It’s because they don’t have enough clout to be important,” I tell her. “Or they didn’t, until we allied ourselves with them.”
London’s eyes move over my face. “What about your siblings? I overheard your sister the other day. She’s got a connection to one of the families, doesn’t she? You could use that.”
I release London. “What did she say?”
London frowns. “I wasn’t paying attention to the specifics—”
I growl. “Think long and hard.”
London sighs. “Why don’t you just ask her?”
I know Olivia isn’t going to bring me into the loop.
Not if she’s planning what I think she is.
I will not let her derail her life like this, not even if it means bringing an end to the war.
She’s worked too hard for too long to let things go sideways.
London’s expression softens as she reaches for me. “You should talk to her. I’m sure this whole thing can be sorted out.”
I stiffen as London takes my hand and tries to lace her fingers through mine. “Talking isn’t going to resolve anything.”
Not if Olivia has already set the wheels in motion.
Fucking hell.
How am I supposed to be everywhere at once?
I can’t keep tabs on my father, our enemies, and my siblings.
“You haven’t even tried,” London protests. “I’m sure if you hear her out, the two of you can figure out a way together.”
I yank my fingers back. “Olivia didn’t get herself out just to get sucked back in. I will not let her do this.”
“You can’t control everyone around you,” London says. “I know it comes from a good place, but people need to be able to make their own decisions.”
“Are we still talking about Olivia?”
London doesn’t say anything.
Olivia, I can deal with, but I can’t stand the look on London’s face.
It reminds me too much of the look my mother wore around my father, the kind that I later learned was one of hope, yearning, and heartbreak.
How far into my world can I drag London without shattering her?
How much of her will remain when all is said and done?
How many times will they go after her and her family before the horror of what she’s agreed to settles around her?
You can still send her away. You can still do the right thing.
But as I stand across from her, hungrily drinking her in, I know I won’t.
I’m too selfish to do the right thing and too far gone to be the man she deserves.
Several more moments pass in silence before I turn my back on London. I step behind my desk and ignore my throbbing leg. When I lower myself onto the leather chair, she crosses over to me and braces one arm on either side of the mahogany desk.
“I’m not going anywhere,” London says quietly. “You trying to push or scare me away won’t work. No one made me stay.”
I eye her. “It’s not like I’ve made it easy for you to leave, with a target on your back.”
“You’d find a way to keep me safe if I wanted to leave.”
I sigh. “I already told you that I’m not a hero, London. I am not the man who will do the right or selfless thing.”
“I don’t need you to be.”
I drum my fingers against the desk. “I have business that needs tending to. Send Katia in on your way out.”
London leans back and stares at me for a long, tense moment.
Eventually, she moves to the door and steps past Katia.
“Bring me Olivia.”
Katia nods.
When Katia returns with my irate-looking sister, I push the chair back and stand up. Then I give Katia a meaningful look, and she exits the study, letting the door click shut behind her. Olivia shoves her hair out of her eyes and scowls.
“I’m not a lap dog you can summon.”
“Whatever you’re planning, you will put an end to it.” I pause to give her a long, measured look. “I know you’re not stupid enough to think it will work.”
Olivia’s eyes flash. “I might not have climbed the ranks, but I still remember a thing or two about how this works.”
“No, you don’t. What you’re doing is going to get us all killed.”
“It won’t—”
“Back the fuck off, Olivia,” I snap. “I don’t care what the hell you think you’re doing, but I don’t need one more problem to deal with. I already have enough on my plate.”
“Did you ever think that there might be another way to do this?”
I cover the distance between us. “You will not use your history with Michael Everett to get their attention.”
Olivia’s eyes sweep over my face. “Who told you?”
“It doesn’t matter. This ends right now,” I repeat. “Do not go behind my back, Olivia.”
“Don’t try and scare me, Mason. I’m not one of your lackeys.”
“If you were, you’d be in the basement right now, begging for your life.” I ignore the pounding in my ears. “The only reason this hasn’t blown up in your face is because you’re a Payne. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that makes you invincible. Pull the fucking plug, or I’ll do it for you.”
When our father steps into the study a short while later, we’re still staring at each other. He gives Olivia a pointed look, and she stalks out with her head held high. The door barely closes before Jack advances on me, a dangerous glint in his eyes. I roll up my sleeves and look directly at him.
“Go ahead.”
Jack stops in front of me and frowns. “You’re not going to deny that you went behind my back and orchestrated a meeting when I explicitly told you not to?”
I square my shoulders. “No.”
He and I both know the truth, and I’m not going to walk back anything about my meeting with Fitzpatrick, not when it’s shed some light on a few things.
Our enemies aren’t as united as they’d like us to think.
All I have to do is strike them where it hurts the most, and the rest will fall into place.
Provided London and Olivia don’t stir shit up in the meantime. You need to make sure a close watch is being kept on those two.