Page 77 of Poisoned Pawn

I push to my feet, meaning to gain some distance, but Carter’s hand on my wrist stops me. It’s a mirror of his move in the bedroom earlier, but I shove the image away because this is nowhere close to that. The moment he lays a hand on me, Aidan shoots to his feet too and pulls his gun, pointing it at Carter.

I spin to face Aidan. “No. Put it down.”

I might be mad at Carter but that’s for me to deal with. If Aidan is shocked at my reaction, he doesn’t show it. He also doesn’t lower his gun, but I ignore him and turn back to Carter semi confident that he won’t just shoot him now.

“Explain right fucking now, Carter,” I demand while trying to ignore the movement of his fingers as they stroke the inside of my wrist.

“I was hired to take out Perry by Lev Orlov. I didn’t know he was your boss until after that night at your house.”

“Then why the fuck haven’t you said anything until now?” I demand, sensing everyone watching us, judging Carter’s every move and every word.

“Because until you told me about the money laundering, I didn’t think they were connected.”

“But you do now?” Zak asks.

“Not for certain, no,” Carter answers but keeps his eyes on me. They are always on me. He tugs on my wrist, forcing me to step forward. The move blocks Aidan’s aim. No doubt a calculated one on Carter’s part. “When I spoke to Lev last, he told me to ‘give up the girl’. If that doesn’t at least point suspicion his way, then I don’t know what does.”

“Aidan, has Pavel given you anything?” Roxy asks.

“Aside from a fucking headache, no. But this is a good opportunity to press the bastard.”

I’m half listening to the conversation going on around me, but most of my focus is on Carter. His hand is still tightly wrapped around my wrist, and he knows as well as I do without it keeping me here, I’d have run. And we both know where that leads.

“Sit. Now is not the time, princess,” he whispers, dragging my chair back with his foot.

“Fuck you!” I mouth back to him, but I sit. I feel a pair of eyes, other than Carter’s, burning into me and look to see Zak watching us. My cheeks heat at the thought he knows what that was about, and I quickly look away. But Carter isn’t done toying with me. He places my hand down on his thigh, resting his own over the top.

“I have a better idea. Let me talk to Lev first. Pavel won’t give you anything anyway,” Carter says.

“Maybe. But we’ll see. I want you to set up a meeting with Lennox Fortune,” Aidan says.

I feel Carter tense beneath me. “I’ll talk to Len—”

“No, Carter. I want to talk to him.”

“He’ll never agree.”

“Then I guess that means you better not tell him I’m coming.”

A moment of silent question passes between them, then Carter finally agrees. He squeezes my hand before lifting it and placing it back in my lap. Then he gets to his feet and mutters something about checking the perimeter and stalks off down the hall to the back door.

I think about going after him, but Aidan ensures that doesn’t happen.

“His real name is Jack Carter. According to his records, he died when he was sixteen along with his mother and sister.”

“And?” I ask, turning to Aidan.

I know what he’s doing. He thinks if he can tell me all of Carter’s secrets or find something shocking enough, I’ll walk away. But he’s wrong.

“Star, this man—”

“Is dangerous, keeps secrets, kills people? No different to you then.” Just like with Roxy in Wales, my words sting—him and me.

His eyes narrow and his jaw ticks as he stares at me. His argument is dead in the water. There’s a deep chuckle from the left, and I look over to see Frankie leaning against the kitchen island facing us all with his arms folded. His laughter might have indicated he finds something amusing but his piercing eyes and hard stare say otherwise.

“Oh, sorry. Don’t mind me.” He pushes upright as though to walk away then changes his mind. “On second thoughts, while you sit there on your throne of sanctimony, why don’t you have a little think about who’s kept Star alive up until now. I never pegged you as shortsighted, Kavanagh.” Then he carries on his path down the hall. Aidan is still standing, pointing his gun after Frankie as he disappears inside the room he and Carter went into earlier.

“You going soft in your old age,” Zak teases Aidan as he shoves his gun back inside his suit jacket.

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