Page 124 of Poisoned Pawn

I’m not surprised Lev is dead. Pavel would have had no choice once the full extent of his son’s betrayal was revealed.

“And Fraser?” I ask not taking my eyes off Star as she frowns in her sleep.

“Oh, I have a couple of guys keeping him company for you.” Aidan leans back in his seat.

“Thanks.”

A nurse comes in to check on Star, and our conversation ends until she disappears again, obviously satisfied with her sats.

“I’m sorry about Lennox,” Aidan says once we are alone again.

“Are you?” I rebuke, finally looking him in the eye. “Or are you hoping it will be to your advantage?”

He tilts his head at me. “A little cynical, but not entirely wrong, I’ll give you that.”

“I’m not going to even bother asking how you know what his death means. So, let’s just leave the rest of this conversation until later.”

There’s a moment of silence between us, then he climbs to his feet, unnaturally silent, and leaves.

I lean forward, resting my elbows on the edge of the bed and scrub my hands down my face. Aidan’s words have reminded me that I have responsibilities that will need my attention soon. My best guest at how he discovered I’m now in charge of the Shadow Guard would be Frankie. Or maybe Sloane. Her and Lennox seemed a little more than friends, something Frankie certainly picked up on. And given she’s his wife, that’s got to have been a fun conversation.

The bed sheets rustle, and I look up to find Star staring at me.

“Princess… Fuck!” I push to my feet and cup her face, kissing her head, her cheeks and then gently placing my lips to hers.

“Princess, really? That’s how you greet me after I nearly died,” she sasses with a half a smile and her hand coming up to grip my wrist.

“Do not fucking joke, Star. I nearly lost everything,” I growl against her lips before pulling back to look into her eyes. “Don’t think I’m not pissed at you for that stunt you pulled. It was stupid,” I state, my voice firm.

“Maybe but he’s dead right?” she asks, trailing her fingers through the thick scruff on my face.

“He is. It’s over.” I hold her gaze, and I don’t know what she reads there, but her eyes soften.

“And Lennox?” I shake my head. “I’m sorry.” She adjusts her position as I release her face causing her to suck a sharp breath in through her teeth.

“Me too,” I say truthfully. Despite our rocky relationship since I left the Shadow Guard, Lennox has always been there for me. The deal Lennox and I made if anything should happen to him was signed before I left, but any doubt as to whether it still stood has been confirmed by Aidan.

Star frowns. “Oh god Toni,” she exclaims. “You have to find her,” she demands, attempting to push herself up in the bed with a cry as the movement causes her pain.

“Hey, hey. Calm down. Explain.”

“Rook said that her dad had an accident. And he had a guy watching her.” She pauses looking confused. “He talked to someone on the phone. He was angry about the warehouse—his warehouse he said. And the guns were meant to be for him. But…Rook told him the girl would be taken care of. You have to find her, Carter. She’s in danger.”

“Okay, calm down,” I tell her, the machine beeps rapidly as her heart rate rises. “I’ll see what I can find out and put a watch on her, but you need to concentrate on you. I can’t fucking lose you, Star.”

“I’m not going anywhere. I promise,” she tells me, and I lean forward, kissing her again.

A nurse enters, and I kiss Star again before reluctantly going in search of Roxanne to let her know she’s awake and to find out what I can about Toni.

I find her with Maddox and Zak at the small coffee shop just down from the ward.

I hold my hand up as she spots me, worry creasing her brow. “She’s awake. The nurse is with her,” I say, watching as her fear is breathed away with a deep exhale.

“You talk to Aidan,” she asks, wistfully looking down the corridor.

“I did. Go, Roxanne,” I tell her knowing she’s desperate to check on her sister.

She hurries off leaving me with Maddox and Zak. My phone pings in my pocket, and I pull it free to see a message from Koda.

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