Page 2 of Forbidden Pawn

One of their henchmen, a hulking figure with an empty gaze, is guarding the entrance. He nods, stepping aside to let me through without a word. The dimly lit hallway stretches ahead, every creak of the floorboards echoing through the emptiness.

A door at the end of the hallway swings open, revealing a room illuminated by a single hanging bulb. The room is spartan—a wooden table, a few chairs, and the three Reid brothers sitting on the other side. Their eyes, sharp and cold, fixate on me as I enter. Jack, the eldest, sits in the center, flanked by Carter and Tyler.

“Ryker,” Jack greets me, his voice a low rumble.

“Jack, Carter, Tyler,” I nod to each, keeping my tone neutral.

I take my seat across from them, the table between us feeling more like a battlefield than a meeting place.

“So, here’s the thing,” Jack says, leaning forward. “We can’t pay you. There’s just no fucking way—”

“Carter.” Jack raises this hand, and Carter presses his lips into a thin line. “He’s right, though. We can’t pay you, at least not yet. So, we see no other choice than to give you what you asked for.”

I can feel the eyes of all three of them on me, pinning me in place as they await my response — a response that fails to leave my lips. To say that I’m stunned would be an understatement. I can’t believe what I’m hearing.

“You’re willing to hand your sister to me?” I ask, concealing my surprise as well as I can. From the corner of my eye, I can see Tyler flinch, as if I’d just hit him in the face.

“We have no other choice, do we?” Jack deadpans.

“Well, I would prefer the payment we agreed upon,” I maintain.

“As we said, we don’t have it,” Carter says through gritted teeth. He doesn’t even try to hide his disdain for me.

“We always pay our debts,” Tyler adds. Unlike Carter, he’s barely looking at me as he speaks.

I maintain composure as best as I can, but I can’t stop my heart from racing as I adopt a nonchalant tone to ask: “Well, then. Where is she? Your sister, I mean. If you’re unwilling to pay, she’s mine.”

“We’re not unwilling,” Jack insists. “Just unable… for the time being.”

He nods at the henchman at the door, which causes the guy to spring into action. He slips out the door, leaving it ajar after he disappears into the dark hallway. Tense silence cloaks the room until I can hear steps approaching. The henchman returns, followed by a petite figure.

The air leaves the room, and for a moment, I’m struck silent. The girl steps in hesitantly, her eyes cast downward, avoiding mine. She’s stunning—ash blond hair cascading over her petite frame, dark green eyes peeking up occasionally from under long lashes. The girl looks so small and fragile, especially next to the large figure guarding her. She’s wearing a pair of jeans and sneakers, topped with a loose-fitting hoodie shirt in gray that looks at least one size too big on her. It’s like she’s actively trying to look as unappealing as possible. But beauty like hers is impossible to conceal.

“This is Grace,” Jack introduces her, though it’s unnecessary.

“Your pawn.” Tyler spits out the words, laced with disgust.

Grace takes a few tentative steps forward, her movements shy and quiet. She doesn’t speak, but her eyes flicker up to meet mine briefly before dropping back to the floor. She’s demure, almost servile in her demeanor, a stark contrast to her brothers’ hardened exteriors.

“She’s yours,” Jack says, sounding oddly nonchalant about this. “Until we can pay, that is.”

“And when will that be?” I ask, tearing my gaze away from the pretty girl who is trying her best to hide in the henchman’s shadow.

Carter shrugs. “We can’t say yet.”

“But it won’t be long,” Jack jumps in. “A couple of weeks, probably.”

I study him, my lips sealed and eyes narrowed as I try to make sense of his intentions. Why would they do this? I have phrased demands like this before, but I was never actually handed a pawn for exchange.

And what a pawn she is. I turn to look at her again, unable to ignore the heat, the sight of her inflames inside of me. What a delicious little lamb.

“And you’re not worried about what I might do to her?”

Tyler shifts in his seat, but Jack beckons him to stay quiet with a subtle wave of the hand.

“You won’t hurt her,” he states rather than asking me — and I notice the girl flinching behind him. “That was never part of the deal.”

“You’re right, it never was,” I say, still looking at Grace. “I won’t hurt her.”

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