Page 56 of Poisoned Pawn

“I know exactly who he is and what he does. And I understand what it must look like, but you’re wrong.”

“Not sure I’d agree with that assessment, Star. He had his fucking hands on you,” Maddox growls, but I ignore him and move my attention to Zak, staring at him and imploring him with my eyes. He knows, or at least suspects, there’s more going on here between Carter and me.

“The only fucking hands that will ever touch her again!” Carter snarls at Maddox, his body trembling with tension.

Carter’s head is pushed forward as Roxy shoves the gun harder into the back of his skull “I’ll cut your fucking hands off!”

I open my mouth to deny her promise, because it is a promise, but Zak’s voice cuts across all of us.

“That’s enough. Rox lower your gun. I think it would be best if we didn’t stand around out here much longer.”

Roxy tosses a look of sheer fury over her shoulder at Zak, then she slowly lowers her weapon, but she doesn’t put it away, neither do the guys. As soon as her gun is away from Carter, he spins around shielding me just as he did moments ago.

Roxy steps forward and punches Carter in the face, and I let out a gasp. He doesn’t even attempt to block her or hit back.

“You’re lucky it wasn’t Aidan, or he’d have shot you the moment he laid eyes on you,” Roxy says as Carter swipes a hand beneath his nose.

“And I would never have forgiven him for it or you,” I tell her, stepping round Carter, much to his displeasure. The words sting my heart and burn my throat, but I mean them even though I can see how much they hurt Roxy too.

Roxy narrows her eyes at me as Carter wraps a protective arm around my waist. It’s a bold move and one that has Maddox and Roxy both raising their guns again.

But not Zak, and I give him a nod of thanks.

I ignore them and twist in Carter’s arms, getting my first glimpse of his face. His own blood is smeared along his cheek and under his nose from where Roxy punched him and joins the spray that already dotted his face and chest from the arsehole on the floor. I lay a hand on his cheek, tracing the deep lines that surround his beautiful mouth when he smiles. A smile that has vanished and is replaced with an equally deep frown.

“I’m sorry,” I say, then gently touch my lips to his. If I thought having an audience would make him less intense and more reserved, I was wrong. He steals my breath as he takes my mouth in a savage kiss, ignoring the growls that come from beside us.

“Now you’re just asking to have a bullet put in your skull,” Zak cautions as I sense Roxy moving closer.

I break the kiss a moment later, breathless and more than a little conflicted.

“Don’t need apologies, princess, just you breathing,” Carter says, finally letting his arms fall away as Roxy practically steps between us, giving her back to Carter.

“You and me, inside now,” she demands, storming toward the front door.

My eyes flick back and forth between the three men, three very pissed off men. But three important men to me.

I make eye contact with each of them, Maddox first, his growly countenance glaringly obvious. Zak next, who I’m less concerned about, and finally Carter. His arms are folded, where I now notice the blood splatter is smeared across his skin, some in the shape of handprints, and is wearing a satisfied smirk.

He jerks his head in the direction Roxy went. “Go. I need to get rid of this tosser.”

I slowly turn and begin walking back to the house, but I can’t help glancing over my shoulder when I reach the front door. The three of them are still standing exactly where I left them, glaring at one another. It’s like a trifecta of testosterone.

The front door is open, and I see Roxy wandering around, making judgments about the man outside. It doesn’t matter what she sees inside this house, in her eyes Carter isn’t good enough for me.

With one last look at the three men, I take a deep breath and go inside, leaving the door open.

She spins around having heard me enter, and immediately strides right to me, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug. I hug her back, but while I’m happy she’s okay, I know what’s coming. This is a conversation that has been coming for years. I’ve thought about this day a lot.

“Roxy…” She releases me, stepping back and examining my face, scanning my body for any sign of injury. She begins pacing again, even chewing on her thumb nail, something I haven’t seen her do in years. “Roxy—”

“No. I’ve been going out of my damn mind, Star. Aidan is walking on a knife’s edge to destruction right now, and I wasn’t lying when I said he would have shot Carter without a second’s thought.”

“And I meant it when I said I wouldn’t ever forgive him or you.” She glares at me, my words cutting just as deep the second time. I release a heavy sigh. “Look, I get why you’re angry, but it’s…complicated.”

She huffs. “It’s not complicated. Carter Beckett is not who you think he is.”

“He’s exactly who I think he is.”

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