Page 16 of Poisoned Pawn

I shower, I eat and I scour the dark web for any information about Star and Lev. I make a call to my friend Koda, the same one who set up the news site I use for my jobs, asking him to work his magic and see what he can find, then I catch the last part of the news reporting the death of Mr Perry Graham. The newsreader is outside his office as she explains how Mr Graham was murdered in his home Saturday night, but I lose interest in her report the second a brunette appears on the screen behind her.

“Well fuck me!”

Star stands with a suit bag slung over her arm as she talks to an officer at the entrance of the building. She isn’t alone, which I’m only half pleased about, as a guy in a sharp suit stands just behind her.

I quickly pull up the info from the client last night, and there in black and fucking white, had I been paying attention, is the name of her workplace.

Star is Perry Graham’s PA, or she was until I slit his throat.

CHAPTERSIX

STAR

Aidan spins round as I enter the kitchen, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a wild look on his face.

“What the fuck happened?”

“A guy broke into my house and tried to kill me. I think that about sums it up,” I snark, stepping over the dead body and trying to avoid the river of blood soaking into the wood floor.

He rolls his eyes. “Someone’s been spending too much time with Parker,” he snaps. “You do this?” he asks pointing to the bloody mess on the floor.

I hesitate a moment, taking in the scene. Roxy and the guys step in, and before I can answer, Zak says, “If you did that, a round of fucking applause, Star.” His words sound like a compliment, but they are far from it.

While I’m not as soft as I look and have had some training in self-defence with all the men standing in this room, and even Roxy, we all know I didn’t do that.

“I don’t see anyone else here, do you?” I say waving an arm around to demonstrate my point. “Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to go shower. The whole Carrie look really isn’t for me.” I stride from the room before any of them can say another word.

I stop at the bottom of the stairs as Roxy speaks.

“You think she did this?”

“No. But not because she’s not capable. Whoever did this is left-handed, and unless I’m mistaken, Star is right-handed,” Zak says.

I don’t know why I even bothered to lie. Even without Zak’s call, they only have to check the CCTV footage to see it wasn’t me.

I have no idea what I’m supposed to tell them when they find out. It’s not like I know anything about the guy except that he’s savage, his dick is pierced and he fucks like a wild dog.

And he calls you good girl.

I shake of the thought and strip down, leaving my bloodied clothes in a heap on the floor in my en suite. They’ll need burning.

Stepping in, I turn the shower on hot needing to burn away the feel of the guy’s blood on my skin. Unfortunately, it doesn’t erase the images in my mind or the feel ofhishands on my body or the smell ofhim, a faint coppery scent, which has nothing to do with the blood all over me, laced with something altogether too alluring that seems to have become permanently etched into my skin and nose.

When I step out of the en suite, Roxy is waiting for me.

“Better?” She gets to her feet, a clear bin bag clutched in her hands.

“Yes.” I watch as she loads my blood-soaked clothes into the bag and knots the end. “I know you have questions, but—”

“Oh I have plenty of questions. Let’s start with something simple.” She walks to the bedroom door and hands the bag to Maddox, who I hadn’t noticed till now. He gives me a nod before striding off down the corridor as Roxy closes the door.

I slip on some pjs then find my hairbrush and begin running it through my wet hair.

“Who is he?” Roxy asks taking a seat back on my bed and crossing her feet at the ankles.

“The dead guy? Haven’t the foggiest clue. Never seen him before.”

“That is not who I meant,” she says tilting her head. “Star, a guy tried to kill you.” Her tone gentles a little, and I stop brushing and look at her.

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