Page 119 of Poisoned Pawn

He pulls me with him as he walks down a corridor and out into a bright kitchen area. It appears to be an L shape, and Rook pauses momentarily. The reason why becomes apparent when I feel the sharp point of a blade at my side just under my rib cage and he releases my shoulder to hold the back of my neck.

“Move and my knife will puncture your lung,” he warns as he leads me round the corner.

I was expecting this part to hold a dining table, which it does. But it’s not the kind of table you sit and eat at. It’s the kind of table you strap your victims to.

But that’s not what has me sucking in a sharp breath or Rook pulling up short as his grip on the back of my neck tightens.

“Hello, princess.” His words wash over me, and this time the name princess makes my heart literally skip a fucking beat.

“Carter,” Rook snarls.

“Surprised to see me, Rook?” Carter says as I finally take my eyes off him and look at who is stretched out on the table behind him.

“Not in the least. You almost had me back at that house.”

Carter moves to the side slightly, allowing us to fully see the man strapped down.

Fraser Mack.

His mouth is covered by duct tape and blood streaks one side of his face from a gaping cut to his head. He groans behind the tape, shaking his head and pulling at the cuffs holding his wrists and ankles.

“Using Erica was a good move. I’m guessing she confessed her undying love for me.” I feel Rook’s smile even though I can’t see him from this position. “I have to admit, it wasn’t hard to get her to trust me. We carry some of the same wounds. Because of the same person too.”

I watch Carter as Rook taunts him, and I see as he tries to hide the effect his words have on him. Rook sees it too, so he keeps poking at him.

“Fucking her was a struggle though. But once I had her on all fours, I just pictured Star here. Shot my fucking load like a bullet from a gun.” His lips brush against my ear. “It was easy to picture after I watched Carter fucking you that night at Illicit.”

I gasp and the movement causes the tip of his blade to dig a little deeper, and I wince as it nicks the skin.

Rook barks out a laugh as Carter’s nostrils flare, and he looks at me and shakes his head. I’m not sure if he’s saying it’s not true or he didn’t know.

“I’m glad you enjoyed the show, Rook.”

“Oh, I did. And now it’s your turn to sit back and watch me at work, Carter.”

“That your end game, Rook, huh?” Carter picks up his phone, which was sitting beside Fraser on the table, and taps out a message.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Rook asks, tensing behind me and unsure what is happening. A second later, his own phone chimes in his pocket.

“Well, this is my end game,” Carter says. “Go ahead. Take a look.”

Rook’s hand leaves my neck, but the knife remains, as he digs in his pocket for his phone. With it finally free, he jiggles it into a position that allows him to operate it one-handed, then he opens the message Carter sent.

He’s holding it to the right of me, his other hand still pressing the knife into my flesh, and a trail of something warm trickles down my side.

When the screen loads, there’s a guy with a bullet hole in the centre of his forehead. He scrolls to the next picture, and this one is of a building on fire, bodies litter the ground outside. The next one is another building but the same thing, bodies upon bodies.

“You have nothing left to barter with, no leverage, no allies and no men to back you up.”

Rook launches the phone at Carter, cursing like a sailor when he misses. But Rook does have one thing left to use against Carter.

Me.

Rook withdraws the knife for a split second, then with a flick of his wrist, he slices across my side.

It’s swift and I almost don’t feel it.

Then the burning, stinging pain finally triggers a reaction in my brain, and I let out an agonised cry. My hand automatically gravitates to the area, cradling my side as pain ricochets through my body.

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