Chapter Twenty-One
London
“You’re sure you can trust her?”
With a sigh, I walk over to Mason and reach for his hand. He stirs when I squeeze.
Mason’s eyebrows draw together. “Who?”
I clear my throat and lower my voice. “Jennifer.”
Mason’s fingers flex, and he pulls me closer. “We’ve known each other most of our lives. She has no reason to lie to me.”
“Unless she’s been turned, too. She has nothing to gain by telling you, and a hell of a lot to lose.”
Jennifer Harrison doesn’t owe him anything, least of all the truth, when her family stands to gain so much.
With everyone circling like vultures, it’s only a matter of time before they rebuild on the ashes of the Payne empire.
I wonder how long they’ve been waiting to strike.
It doesn’t matter, does it? It’s not going to change anything for you. It just makes them more dangerous.
Not knowing who to trust is terrifying because one wrong move, and Mason could condemn us and anyone else still loyal to him.
“Look, I agree it doesn’t make sense, but I think she’s telling the truth,” Mason insists. “I’ll look into it.”
I swallow. “Won’t that make things worse? What if someone finds out she told you?”
Mason pries his fingers away, one by one. “Carlisle is loyal to me. So is Katia.”
Two people against a swarm of vultures isn’t enough. We both know that, but I can’t be the one to say it.
“What about Olivia?”
“She wouldn’t betray me,” Mason says. “My father, on the other hand, there’s no telling which way he’ll lean…”
I frown. “Is Oliver so far gone that you can’t talk to him? You said that out of all of you, he was most like your mother. How sure are you that he’s the one who’s leading the charge?”
I still can’t wrap my mind around it.
Oliver’s little brother had seemed harmless enough, and my chest aches at the thought of what Mason has had to carry.
Will anything be left of the Empire when the siblings rip each other apart in a bid for power?
One brother Mason can handle but two?
Jesus.
Mason shakes his head. “Sure enough. Even if Oliver wanted to spare us, our enemies won’t agree with him. Oliver is new to this world, but I’m sure he’s been told that leaving me alive is a risk, and if he finds out about the baby…”
My hand instinctively moves to my stomach. “I won’t let him hurt this baby.”
Mason’s expression hardens. “I’ll rip him apart with my bare fucking hands before I let him lay a finger on you.”
“What are we going to do in the meantime?”
“We are not going to do anything. I will take care of this. I didn’t tell you about Oliver for a reason. It’s too risky. You can’t be seen anywhere near this.”
“But—”
“No,” Mason says with a little more force than necessary. “I mean it, London. Do not get involved.”
“What if we run?” I ask.
“It might already be too late for that.” Mason moves to the door and wrenches it open. “You need to act as normally as possible. Don’t talk to anyone about this, not even Olivia or Katia.”
Katia is waiting on the other side of the door when I step out a moment later, and my heart skips a beat.
“What do you want, Blondie?”
I curl my hands into fists. “I want to see Noah.”
Katia raises an eyebrow. “Feeling nostalgic?”
“Maybe.”
“Suit yourself.” Katia shrugs and sets off down the hall.
I pull the door shut behind me and hurry after her.
A cold breeze wafts through the house as I wrap my arms around myself and shiver.
Katia leads me down the dimly lit stairs to the other side of the house, where a man with a buzzcut and bulging arms stands guard outside the basement door.
He and Katia exchange a glance before he unlocks the door.
Katia steps through, and I follow her down the stairs, the damp smell hitting me first and making me gag. Once I reach the bottom, my eyes widen as I notice the single light bulb and the lone figure hunched over in the chair.
“Noah,” I whisper as Katia’s hand pulls me back. “What happened? Shouldn’t he see a doctor?”
His head jerks up, and relief courses through me when I realize it isn’t Noah.
“Not the brother you were hoping for?”
I shake Katia’s hand off my arm and frown. “Where’s Noah?”
Ryder squints at me through his good eye and sits up straighter. “I thought you and your psychotic boyfriend didn’t keep secrets.”
“Where’s Noah?”
Ryder shrugs, and a flicker of pain moves across his face. “Hell if I know. They separated us a week ago, or was it more? I have no idea. Time moves differently down here.”
I swing my gaze back to look at Katia. “What is he talking about?”
“You’ll have to ask Mason.”
“I’m asking you.”
I look back at Ryder. “What did you do?”
“What makes you think it wasn’t Noah?”
“Because you’re the one who decided to write a story despite the danger you knew it would put you both in,” I reply. “You can’t honestly think you’re blameless in all of this.”
Ryder studies me intently. “The longer you spend with him, the more you’re going to sound like him.”
“Fuck you.”
Ryder chuckles. “Hit a nerve, did I?”
I cross over to him before Katia can stop me. “You don’t know the first thing about me or Mason. You don’t even know a damn thing about your brother, so keep your observations to yourself.”
“You’re the one who came down here to talk to me, London.”
I reel back. “I was looking for Noah. I wanted to…”
Ryder licks his dry, chapped lips. “You wanted to what? I doubt you wanted to apologize because my brother is fucked up enough to have already forgiven you. So, I’m guessing you wanted something from him. Advice, maybe?”
“What do you care?”
“I don’t.” Ryder shrugs. “But I’m bored, so I might as well pass the time.”
“I’m not here for your amusement.”
“But you’re here all the same.”
I wander back to the stairs and sit down. I’m not even sure why I’m there.
I’ve only come down here twice since Noah was brought in, and both times, I could barely look him in the eye.
Noah doesn’t owe me anything, least of all his time and sympathy.
Still, after years of running to him for advice and compassion, it’s become almost second nature to me.
I hadn’t thought this through, and I hate Ryder for making me realize it.
You’re just frustrated because you can’t talk to anyone about this.
“You and I aren’t that different, you know.”
I blink, and Ryder’s face swims into focus. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Ryder clears his throat. “We both got dragged into this by other people. Noah told me that you were doing this because of your dad. Something about a debt needing to be paid.”
Damn it, Noah. Why couldn’t you keep that to yourself? Did you have to confide in your blabbermouth brother?
“I fail to see how that makes us alike.”
“I got screwed over,” Ryder says. “They’ve been taking turns trying to break me. I don’t know how much longer I can hold out.”
I shrink back from his words. “Just give them what they want, and he’ll let you go.”
“Come on. I know you’re not that stupid. We both know what happens once he has what he wants. Nobody likes loose ends, and I’m as loose as they come. Who’s to say I won’t try to write another story if he lets me go?”
“I’m sure they’ll figure out a way to keep you quiet.”
Ryder blinks, and a flicker of something moves across his face. “This only ends one way. I just hope Noah and my father find enough of me to be buried.”
“Mason won’t kill you.”
“I’d ask you to vouch for me, but I’m not sure what good it’ll do,” Ryder continues. “Judging by the look on your face, I doubt you’re much better off than I am, and he’ll get tired of you, too. You might have a different set of chains on now, but it won’t be long until you become a problem.”
“Shut the fuck up.”
“You could help me get out. I’m sure Noah could convince my father to pull a few strings to keep you safe. It’s better than the alternative. You’re a walking liability here, so this would be better. All you have to do—”
I’m across the room before he finishes talking.
I give him a violent shake. “You really need to learn how to read the room.”
Ryder draws his lips back and smiles at me. “Got your attention, didn’t it?”
I give him another shake and think past the roaring in my ears. “And what makes you think that’s a good thing?”
“I know desperation when I see it.”
“Like I said, you don’t know a damn thing.”
Without waiting for a reply, I storm past Katia and up the stairs.
Mason is waiting for me in the room when I get back, and I pause in the doorway, drinking him in. Then I slam the door shut, cross over to him, and pull him in for a kiss.
Mason’s hands move from his side, and suddenly he’s drawing back, his eyes stormy. “What are you doing?”
“We both need this.” I reach for him, but he leans back again. “Why are you stopping me?”
Mason shakes his head. “Not like this.”
“So, it’s okay for you to use sex whenever you want, and I can’t?”
“You’re not wired the way I am, London. The only reason you want me right now is because you’re afraid.”
“So?”
“I am not going to do this.” Mason’s frustration is evident. “We need to talk about the baby.”
Ice settles in my veins. “No.”
“You don’t even know what I’m going to say.”
“You’re going to tell me that because of what Jennifer said I need to give them up until everything blows over,” I say.
“I don’t want this either, but with everything we’ve learned lately…we don’t have a choice—”
“Like hell we don’t,” I interrupt. “You’ve had one foot out the door ever since you found out, so don’t pretend like you aren’t thrilled to have one less problem to worry about.”
“Don’t pretend you give a fuck about how I feel,” Mason glowers. “You should’ve told me when you had the chance. We could’ve prepared for this.”
“And that’s what it’ll always come back to, isn’t it? You’re never going to stop bringing it up. I already told you that I did what I thought was right to protect my baby—”
“Our baby,” Mason hisses. “You’re not the only one who gets to be upset about this. For weeks, you looked me in the eye, slept in the same bed, and fucked me while keeping a secret. You don’t get the moral high ground here, London.”
“Well, if I’m so fucking awful, why don’t you just send me away?”