Page 97 of Poisoned Pawn

“Can you blame her?” I say, watching as they disappear round a corner. “I’d be pissed too. In fact, I am. What the hell happened?”

“I don’t know all the details, but Maddox said a Shadow turned on them during their meeting with Lennox. He got hit, but if the shouting I heard in the background is anything to go by, I’m sure he’ll live.”

After spending a few more minutes discussing Erica and what happened at the meet with Lennox, I decide to go and find Erica, Jess and Jamie to say goodbye.

I find Jamie and the other nurse helping Erica get settled into her new room. It’s set up like a hospital room, but much more homely and less clinical.

“Hey, we need to get going. Everything okay?” I ask, stepping into the room.

The nurse is busy hanging Erica’s clothes in the wardrobe while Jamie checks off all Erica’s medications.

Erica watches me as I walk around the room, looking out the window and the lovely view over the river.

“It’s nice here,” I say, turning back to the room just as the nurse unpacks a small chess board with wooden pieces. A chill runs across my skin as she places a black rook in the corner of the board.

“You play chess?” I ask, attempting to keep my tone casual. I look over my shoulder to Erica when she doesn’t answer straight away.

“Yeah, it’s one of the things Gage does with me. He beats me every time,” she says with a smile.

That chill I felt earlier evolves into cold, hard dread, and I race from the room.

CHAPTERTHIRTY

CARTER

“Son of a fucking bitch!” Lennox hollers as the bullet pierces his shoulder. The force and his attempt to move out of the line of fire has the chair tipped backwards, dumping him on the floor. I leap from my seat, dropping down behind the side of the chair as both Shadows begin showering us in a rain of bullets.

Glass shatters from the picture frames on the wall behind us as I see every Shadow outside the office turn this way at the sound of gunfire. Several of them raise their weapons ready to fire, but the tinted glass makes it impossible to see inside the office from out there. Not that it would make an ounce of fucking difference since the glass is bullet proof.

Maddox is behind his chair and Lennox is now on his knees fighting to pull his gun free. The door to the office flies open, but the Shadow closest to me, turns and puts a bullet in the head of whoever opened it.

Ducking down to peek round the side, I take my chance and fire at the legs of the Shadow in my sight. The bullet hits him in the kneecap shattering it in a shower blood and bone as his leg buckles from beneath him. He doesn’t hit the floor like I’d hoped. Shadows are trained to fight to the death—even fucking rogue ones. But it’s enough to give me a few seconds to poke my head over the top of the chair and see what the fuck is happening.

The shorter of the two Shadow’s is in the doorway, ducking in and out as he takes shots at the Shadows out in the main room.

Bullets whizz through the air as Lennox calls to me.

“I want that cunt alive, Carter!”

“Course you fucking do,” I mutter with an eye roll. Although, I’m inclined to agree because these two cocksuckers are going to spill their guts before they take their last breath.

Fabric rips with a dull thump when a bullet hits a little too fucking close to my head as I try to position myself for a less deadly shot of the guy at the door.

I see Lennox rise, aiming his gun and I do the same, ready to finish this. Lennox hits the other knee of the guy I kneecapped, and this time he hits the fucking deck. I take my shot, aiming for this cock’s left arse cheek, only when it hits, so does another bullet. This one hits him right in the head, blowing a hole through his skull.

“God fucking dammit!” I curse, stepping out from behind the chair and firing off another round into the gun hand of the Shadow with both knees blown out as he raises it to fire at me.

The place falls silent except for the heavy breathing of the guy on the floor as he cradles his shot hand to his body. His knees are fucked, and if he had the remotest chance of surviving, then he’ll never walk again. But he doesn’t need to worry about his legs where he’s going.

Several Shadows from the main room fill the doorway, looking on at the carnage.

“Who the fuck fired that last bullet?” I bark, pointing to the dead Shadow behind me. A guy who looks around late-twenties steps forward, raising his chin at me and full of pride.

“I did,” he states confidently.

“You did, huh? Nice shot,” I tell him and watch as my praise lights him up. When he’s almost glowing with it, I piss all over it. “You’re a fucking idiot. I should put a matching bullet in your fucking head.”

That pride he was wearing is now shrouded in anger.

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