Page 13 of Poisoned Pawn

Heavy footfalls thud on the dry ground as he chases after me. I’m not even halfway across the garden before he’s slamming into me. We hit the ground hard.

His whole body covers mine, muscular and heavy as he uses his weight to keep me beneath him.

“Get off me! I’ll fucking scream,” I tell him, wriggling under him to try and get free. He wrestles with my flaying arms as I try to find some purchase. Finally grasping both wrists, one in each hand, he pins them to the ground.

“Do it. I love it when you scream.”

I close my eyes at his words, shutting out the image of me screaming as he fucked me from behind, a hand wrapped in my hair while he whispered what a good fucking girl I am and how he loves to hear me scream.

Desire, hot and rampant, fires through my blood.

“Be a good girl and scream for me, Star.” His lips ghost over my ear, then he trails his nose down my neck, smelling my skin and no doubt my arousal as it pools inside my knickers.

Loud voices suddenly ring out inside the house. He raises his head, tensing for a second before leaning back in.

“I’ll see you soon.” His hot tongue licks up the side of my face, then he whispers, “Till then, be a good girl.”

No sooner have the words left his lips and he’s gone. Coldness replaces the warmth of his body over me, and I feel…empty.

“Star! Star!” Roxy’s panicked yells carry from the house, and I slowly turn over, scanning the garden for any sign of him. But he’s gone.

“I’m out here,” I call out hoarsely, the effort has my hand rubbing at my throat wherehishands were. I know without looking that he left a mark.

“Jesus fucking Christ!” Roxy exclaims as she runs toward me, Maddox and Zak behind her, splitting up to search the garden.

I get to my feet only to have them almost taken out from under me a second later when Roxy crashes into me. She squeezes me tight then runs her hands over my body checking for injuries.

“I’m fine, Roxy,” I tell her, pushing her hands off me and stepping back.

“You did not just use the fine word with me. The dead guy in your kitchen tells me you’re anything but fucking fine.”

“Because I am fine. I’m standing here breathing and talking and not bleeding out on the floor, so that means I’m fine.” I march toward the house certain that I may escape Roxy temporarily, but where one is the other won’t be far behind.

And as if on cue…

“Get me a fucking clean-up crew here now, then get me a fucking name ‘cause there’s going to be some serious fucking pain for the stupid cunt that sent a hitman after Star,” Aidan barks into his phone as I step through the back door.

CHAPTERFIVE

CARTER

After receiving the request to take out Star Kavanagh the other night, I did some digging. But I may as well have been trying to shovel shit with a bent spoon. Nobody was talking.

And so I found myself outside her fucking house like the creepy fucking stalker my reputation says I am.

And just like I feared, a second attempt on her life is about to go down. That I understand, but what I don’t fucking understand is why someone would hire two people to do the same job.

Unless there are two different people out for her blood.

Given who she is, it’s plausible to think more than one person would be looking to hit Kavanagh or the Lawlers where it hurts.

Nobody is more vulnerable than when they’ve lost something precious to them.

I watch as he accesses the back gate with ease, telling me he either knows the code or is using a scrambler and code breaker.

As soon as he disappears from sight, I move. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I sign into the security app and wait for the moment he triggers the alarm. I watch her on the screen as she realises he’s there and runs for the stairs. Her fleeing triggers my hunter instinct, an intense desire to chase her. But I shove it down. Now is not the time for my dick to be in charge.

My phone vibrates in my hand as she reaches the top of the stairs letting me know he’s inside. Then once he’s upstairs, I use the lock pick and slip inside.

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