Page 46 of Forbidden Pawn

Matteo smirks as he takes a step forward.

“You’ve been played, Ryker Morris,” he says smoothly. “These gentlemen were kind enough to deliver you right into my arms, thinking it might save them from paying what they owe.”

“What?” I bark out, disbelief rushing through me.

I stare at Jack and Tyler. They both have guilt written all over their faces, and Tyler can barely meet my eyes, while Jack stands frozen like a pillar of salt.

My mind races. I knew something felt off, but this—this was a setup from the start. And I walked right into it, dragging Grace along with me.

I glance at her and realize that she’s just as shocked as I am. It looks like she wasn’t in on this either. Her eyes are wide and her face pale, as if she’d seen a ghost. She clearly didn’t see this coming. Fuck.

Without thinking, I shove her behind me, my arm instinctively shielding her from whatever will happen next.

“Aw, look at that,” Matteo chuckles. “Trying to protect your little pawn, are you? Well, don’t try too hard, because she’s the reason we’re here.”

A murmur ripples through the room, and I notice Jack and Tyler exchanging confused glances. It’s obvious that this comes as a surprise to them as well, which means that this situation just turned even more sour than it was before.

Tyler is the first to speak, his voice tense. “What are you saying?”

“That’s not what we agreed upon,” Jack chimes in, his expression twisted.

Matteo laughs, and it’s a sound that chills the room.

“Damn straight. I don’t think anyone’s getting what they hoped for today,” he says, still laughing darkly. “Except for us.”

He sends a quick nod toward his associates, and chaos erupts. Guns are drawn in a flash, and I barely have time to process the shift before bullets start flying around us. I push Grace tothe floor, shielding her from the sudden onslaught. My heart is pounding in my chest as the sound of gunfire fills the room. I get off a shot and bring one of Matteo’s men to the floor before I dive to the ground next to Grace.

“Stay down!” I shout at her, my voice fortified by the adrenaline pumping through me. The heat from the barrel sears my hands, but I can’t let go of my gun. My eyes dart to her, huddled on the floor, and all I care about is making sure she stays safe. I tighten my grip on her wrist, feeling the cold metal of her bracelet.

The world slows for a second as our eyes lock. The chaos around us fades, but only for a heartbeat. There’s so much I don’t understand about her—so much I haven’t figured out—but right now, all that matters is keeping her safe.

Gunfire cracks through the air again, and I spin to see the Reid brothers. Jack hit another of Matteo’s men, his expression grim, teeth bared as he reloads. Tyler’s crouched behind a corner, exchanging fire with one of Matteo’s henchmen, his eyes wide with fear. Unlike Jack, he doesn’t look like he has a lot of experience with these types of situations.

Another bullet whizzes past my head, too close for comfort. I turn, gun raised, ready to take out the next threat, but I’m too slow. Something heavy slams against the back of my skull as I turn around, and the force knocks me forward, my knees hitting the ground hard. Pain radiates through my head, sharp and blinding. My vision tilts, the room spinning violently as I try to regain my bearings. I hear Grace call my name,but her voice is muffled and sounds like it’s coming from miles away.

I try to stand, try to grab my gun, but my hand slips, and my body feels like dead weight. I can’t protect her like this. The thought stings more than the pain in my head.

Darkness creeps in, pulling me under, and no matter how hard I fight it, I can’t stop the world from turning black around me.

Chapter 37

Ryker

My head is throbbing when I open my eyes again, a dull ache pulsing at my temples. I blink a few times, trying to remember what happened. The first thing I notice is Jack and Tyler next to me. Jack’s pacing up and down, and Tyler sits slumped in a chair, both of them looking worse for wear.

I try to sit up, but pain shoots through my shoulder. A graze wound, I suspect. It would hurt a lot more if I had actually been shot. My head’s pounding like I was hit by a train and the world is spinning as I sit up, but otherwise I seem to be unharmed.

“Where is Grace?” I ask, my voice rough, panic rising as I look around the unfamiliar room. She’s not here, it’s just the three of us. And we’re not at the lake anymore. I’m lying on a cot, surrounded by wooden walls and dusty furniture, with a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling. We seem to be in a rundown log cabin.

“One of our safe houses,” Jack explains when he catches my puzzled gaze.

“Where is she?” I ask again. “Where’s your sister?”

Jack stops pacing and looks at me, his expression tight.

“We’re safe here,” he says, completely ignoring my question.

“I didn’t ask about me,” I snap. “Where’s Grace?”

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