Page 118 of Poisoned Pawn
“Thermal imaging shows at least half a dozen bodies inside the house plus Erica, who is in the back bedroom on the ground floor.”
“Hmmm.” The sound is a low grumble at the back of his throat, and I can tell he’s not buying it. Then he taps out a message on his phone and waits for a reply.
Several minutes go by before his phone pings. He reads it. Looks at me then back to the message. My palms sweat with apprehension because Rook is no fool. A man who can lay a trap this long in the making, biding his time, laying the foundations, is calculated, careful and doesn’t move without considering every scenario first. He’s a strategist.
“Light the place up, then meet me at the rectory.” He winds the window up and taps the driver’s seat indicating for him to drive.
My heart races as I realise he’s not taking the bait, if it is bait. But what if they are really in there? Oh god!
“No!” I scream, tugging the door handle and banging on the window when it doesn’t open. I spin in my seat to look out the back window as we drive away. “No,” I whisper as I watch the men creep down the road then split off to surround the house.
Rook laughs beside me while casually tapping away on his phone. “You should consider a career change. You’d make a great actress,” he sniggers, tucking his phone back into his pocket.
I launch myself across the back seat, fist aiming for his face. I almost fucking make it. My knuckles glance off his cheek as he moves at the last second, capturing my fist in his hand. He twists it’s violently, wrenching a pained cry from me.
“No, no, my special little Anastasia,” he chides, his tone vicious and full of gloating ridicule. His words freeze the breath in my lungs, and I’m thrown back to the past. He releases my fist at the same time as his hand flies out, striking my face.
I cup my cheek as I try to scramble back to the corner, but he’s not done yet. Diving for me, he knocks my hand away and grips my throat, pinning me against the window.
His grip tightens as he brings his face so close to mine our noses touch. “What’s the matter? I thought you liked itrough. Quite the change from the docile little girl my brother described you as.”
I force a swallow past his tightly curled fingers as bile burns in my throat.
“You were so eager to please according to Aaron. Do you still like to please, Anastasia?”
Fingers trail along the arch of my breast before he cups it, squeezing almost painfully. His good eye watches me and his lip curls. I struggle to pull myself from the dark memories.
“Or do you like to run?” he whispers.
Something snaps inside me at his words. Those are words reserved only for Carter, and I refuse to let this bastard take my peace from me. He will not taint what we have. I swing my fisted hand upward, making sure I hit him this time. There’s a crack of teeth knocking together as my fist connects with the underside of his chin, and his head is thrown back from the force. His hands leave me, and I shove at him, pushing him away.
The car turns a corner, and he loses his balance, falling back into the seat and banging his head against the door. I rub at my throat as I shuffle into an upright position, legs pulled up tight to my body.
He rights himself just as the car comes to a stop, and I see we are back at the old rectory. I see his intention as he moves to come for me, his face twisted with anger, but he’s stopped as his phone rings.
Tugging it from his pocket, he looks at the screen, then answers. “What?” he barks, his eyes never leaving mine. He listens for a moment, then says, “As I suspected. Get back here.” He shoves the phone back in his pocket, then climbs from the car without another word.
His silent fury sends a chill down my spine. I watch anxiously as he rounds the car. I slowly edge along the backseat as he closes in on my side. The door opens, and I wait for his next move. But he simply turns and walks toward to house.
When he reaches the front door, he opens it then turns back to me.
“I can drag you in if you’d like, but I thought you might like a final chance at free will before I strip you of it.”
I look to the driver who is still sitting behind the wheel and see he is watching me in the rearview mirror. I quickly look away not liking the gleam in his eyes.
“He’s not going to help you. I enlisted old Ed there after he was arrested for rape and murder, and I’ll warn you, it wasn’t pretty. Ed likes ‘em dead to get off. Ain’t that right, Ed?” Rook lets out a twisted chuckle.
Whatever Rook has planned, I’ll deal with it, but I’ve got no chance if I’m dead. I slide along the seat and out the door, slamming it behind me, and walking back a couple of steps as Ed turns and offers me a smile.
“Smart girl,” Rook says as I reach him on the front step.
“Fuck you, you deranged piece of shit,” I snap as I stride straight past him. I know I should have kept my mouth shut, but if the safe house was a trap and failed, then my family could be dead. That means I have nothing to lose.
But I don’t think they are dead, at least not Carter because if that were the case, Rook would have no use for me.
The house is silent when I enter, which is strange, and I wonder where everyone is. I stop in the entrance hall, looking around and down each corridor.
Rook comes up behind me, resting an arm over my shoulders like we are old friends. His fingers dig into the flesh between my neck and shoulder, squeezing the muscle there and sending a painful shock through my body.