Page 73 of Prince of Pain

“Aren’t you a little too busy for that right now?”

“I’m never too busy to be your mom,” she said firmly, getting to her feet. “Keep the noise down tonight. Girls tend to go missing when they scream the house down all night and keep people awake.”

“Newsflash, we all know it was Beckett who made them vanish, and she doesn’t live here anymore.”

“Where do you think she got that from?” Mom deadpanned, moving towards the door and glancing back at the last minute. “Don’t let her demons drown you too. Not when you finally drowned your own.”

I didn’t want to tell her mine were fighting back, so I just nodded. “I promise.”

I pulled up at Channing’s at lunchtime, finding Mason sitting outside by the pool alone.

“Hey. Where’s Temp?”

Her car was still here, so I knew she was too.

“Probably inside somewhere.”

“Why are you out here?”

He snorted, glancing up at me. “Chan is being a dick. Told me to stay away from Temp so he could have her last night. Asshole.”

“Didn’t think he wanted her anymore?” I replied dryly, earning a look of agreement.

“I know. I think he only let her stay last night to punish me or something. Him and Wolfe had a good night, apparently. Bastards kept me awake for hours.”

I chuckled, giving him a playful shove. “It’s okay, I’ll let you rub balls with me any day, man. I’ve got you. I’m not possessive, I’ll share.”

He laughed, his entire body language relaxing. “Thanks. I think we’re a good team.”

“Tempest agrees,” I grinned, motioning for him to follow me into the house, continuing to talk as we walked. “So, why’s he punishing you?”

“The guys hate how attached to her I am. She’ll never be with me, I know that, but I want to help her. She’s not just someone I fuck,” he replied honestly, staring at the ground. “What about you? You obviously like her or you wouldn’t keep saving her.”

I didn’t like people all up in my business, but Mason wasn’t like my family. He didn’t see me as a recovering addict that fucked up my life, he just saw me as Ryder, the guy he liked to drink with and sometimes shared a girl with.

“I care about her. I’m not trying to fix her, she has to get sober on her own, but I don’t want her thinking she’s alone. I can’t be with her, I don’t do relationships and neither does she, but everyone needs someone who understands them. I know the demons she battles because I battle them too.”

“Convince her to be with me then,” he suggested, and I gave him an amused smirk.

“Why do you even want to date her, dude? She’d eat you alive.”

“I think I’d be good for her. I’d let her fuck Chan and Wolfe whenever she needed more, I care about her, and I have money for the things she likes,” he pointed out, making me snort.

“Not even I have enough money for her spending habits. You’d literally be setting yourself up for misery. Sure, it would be good for a while, but eventually, you won’t be enough. She always wants more and she doesn’t care who she hurts to get what she wants. Girls like that? They destroy good men. You’re a good guy, Mase, but that won’t be enough to keep her happy.”

He was quiet as we walked inside, Tempest’s moans filling the house from somewhere.

I glanced at Mason and he sighed, taking the lead as we walked along the hallway to Channing’s room, opening the door to find her bent over the bed with Channing plowing her from behind. Her wrists were tied behind her back, her ass bright pink from a spanking.

Channing was either punishing her or rewarding her, it was basically the same thing.

Wolfe sat in the corner, his eyebrow lifting as he noticed us. “Morning.”

Channing glanced over, smirking as he kept fucking Tempest. “We’ve got an audience, babe. You want to put on a show for them?” She tried to look over but couldn’t at the angle she was currently in, wriggling her butt to encourage him. “Typical slut, wanting everyone to see you getting railed and stuffed with cum.”

“Channing—”

He smacked her ass hard, making her squeal. “You get what you’re given.”

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