Page 3 of Poisoned Pawn

I look her up and down with a small smile playing on my lips then step forward to move past her. Only she’s not done and snatches hold of my elbow as I try to pass.

“I said, watch it, bitch.”

I open my mouth to respond but am stopped as a large guy, at least six foot even with his head bowed, wearing the hood of his jumper over his head, barrels into her.

She screeches, spinning around and slapping at him as he mumbles a slurred apology.

Her cursing and yelling draws the attention of several others around us, including a guy a little deeper in the crowd, who shouts out and quickly pushes his way toward us.

The guy who knocked into her is standing between us with his back to me, but he tilts his head and says, “Get the fuck outta here!”

His voice sounds familiar, like the way he holds himself, but it’s the gruff command that really catches my attention. Arousal flutters ready to fly, but its wings are clipped before it can take flight when the new guy breaks into the circle now formed around us and pulls the girl who crashed into me away.

Facing off with the guy in front of me, who now stands a little taller, he says, “You fuckin’ touch my girl?”

My saviour’s head turns slightly, showing me his shadowed profile, but I still can’t make out his features.

“Go,” he says again, and while the command is the same, the words sound forced like he’s gritting his teeth. A hand on my arm startles me, and I turn to see Toni.

“Hey, what the fuck happened?”

“Er… Let’s go. I don’t want to stick around and find out.” My eyes go back to the two men, who have both stepped forward and closed the gap between them.

I pull on Toni’s arm, turning around just as the sound of flesh hitting flesh greets my ears and shouts and hollers drown out any further sounds. We disappear into the crowd, most of which are oblivious to what’s going on behind us.

I catch a glimpse of one of the security guys holding a hand to his earpiece before hurrying off into the melee.

Toni and I fall out the front doors holding onto one another and laughing as I finish explaining what happened. I ignore the tiny voice telling me something was off with the guy who stepped in and is now fighting the girl’s dickhead boyfriend.

“Watch it, bitch,” I say mimicking the girl as the front doors open and a large group of girls and guys exit. Toni tugs on my arm, pulling me from their path as the group head this way. I smile and mutter a sorry as I step out of the way of a small brunette girl sporting a white bodycon dress. She smiles back before continuing her conversation with her friend and leaving me to wonder if she’s wearing any underwear with a dress that white.

“Do you—” My words are cut short as a whoosh of air whizzes past my head and a scream rents the air.

I know that sound.

There’s only one thing that flies so fast and creates that whooshing sound.

I’ve felt it before.

A bullet.

My head spins round, my eyes looking to where the brunette girl was just standing. Only she’s no longer standing, and her friend is cupping her mouth and screaming at the top of her lungs as she looks down at her friend and the small hole in the centre of her forehead, a trickle of blood oozing from it and trailing down her cheek.

“Holy fucking shit!” Toni exclaims beside me, but her words are like a shot of adrenaline to the heart. Before she can say or do anything else, I’ve grabbed her and shoved her to the ground.

“Get down. Everyone get down,” I shout and watch as everyone around us either runs or drops to the ground.

I cover Toni’s body with my own while looking around. Something flashes in the light across the street, but it’s gone before I can make it out.

There’s a wail of a siren in the distance but the screaming continues. I raise my head enough to see the dead girl and beside her on her knees is her friend. She’s screaming the girls name and stroking her face.

“Help me. Somebody help me. Hannah…oh my god…Hannah, wake up. Please wake up. Help is coming.”

I look away unable to watch anymore knowing her friend is beyond any help. I check Toni is okay and then dig around for my phone as the sirens grow closer.

Scrolling my recent calls list, I hit call on a number I know will answer and be here in a second.

CHAPTERTWO

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