Page 55 of Poisoned Pawn

The dickhead drops to his knees, blood spilling between his fingers and staining his white t-shirt crimson. I lean down, his eyes barely focusing on me.

“Should have fucking shot me first time, motherfucker.” I raise my leg and plant my foot in the centre of his chest, giving him a shove. He falls to the ground, his legs bent up beneath him.

“Jesus Christ,” she mutters beside me.

I crouch, wiping my blade on his t-shirt, then close it and tuck it back in my pocket before searching him. I take his wallet and phone and find a set of keys too, which means he has a car somewhere close by. I use his finger to open his phone, adjusting the settings so I can continue to have access after I’ve disposed of his body. Then I pocket them and stand, turning to Star.

She’s standing there, gun hanging from one hand and eyes on the guy whose throat I just cut open. Not the first time she’s seen me do this, and I doubt it will be the fucking last.

I step in front of her blocking her view and raise a hand to her face.

“Hey, you okay?” She startles at my voice and touch, and when her eyes finally find mine, her pupils are blown and heavy with tears. I take the gun from her and tuck it into the back of my joggers. “Hey,” I say again only to be cut off as she clasps my face and kisses me.

I let her have what she needs, banding my arms around her and squeezing her to my chest. I guess I needed it too. I loosen my hold and roam my hands over her body, checking she’s not injured before coming back to rest on her hips.

Breaking the kiss, she shoves at me, breaking my hold on her and slapping her hand down on my chest.

“You could have fucking died! He could have shot you! You could have died!” Her voice rises with each statement, and her eyes fill with fire.

I snatch her wrists as she continues to rain blows down on my chest.

“Hey, stop. Stop! I didn’t fucking die.Youdidn’t fucking die. Never fucking happening, Star,” I tell her, pulling her to me and trapping her hands between us. Her chest heaves with emotion against my own.

“You can’t say that. You could havedied!” she implores, anger rising in her words.

“I don’t give a fuck about me, Star!” I snap back, my own anger coming out that she’s more concerned about me than herself.

“I fucking do, Carter!” she yells, her face twisting with fury. “I—” She snaps her mouth shut.

“You what?” I ask, sliding a hand up her back, twisting it into her hair and forcing her head back, displaying her neck to me. “You what, Star?” I ask again, then lower my head, trailing kisses up the slender column of her neck.

“I’m…I…oh god.” Her words trail off turning into a breathy moan. “I can’t think with your mouth on me,” she pants out as my other hand leaves her hip, cupping her tit and tweaking and tugging the nipple into a hard, tight bud, begging to be sucked and bitten.

I really want to hear what she was going to say, but I want to fuck her more. I want to— A snap comes from behind me a second before the muzzle of a gun meets the back of my head.

“Get your fucking hands off her before I blow your fucking brains out!”

Star gasps, tensing in my arms as someone removes the gun from the back of my trousers, and I release the hold on Star’s hair, her head snapping up and eyes locking on the person holding a gun to my head.

“Rox… Oh fuck!”

CHAPTERTWENTY

STAR

“Rox… Oh fuck!” Carter still has his head slightly bowed from kissing my neck, but he at least has dropped his hand from my breast. “Put the gun down, Rox,” I tell her as I take in Maddox and Zak either side of her both wearing deep frowns and their own weapons out.

“Not a goddamn fucking chance. Let her go and step the fuck away.”

I feel Carter’s arms begin to loosen, and a little bit of panic sets in that as soon as he moves away from me, Rox will shoot him.

“No!” I state firmly, able to lower my hands from between our bodies now and snatch hold of his wrists, stopping him from letting me go completely.

“What are doing, princess?” he whispers, looking up at me with a warning in his tone.

“Saving your arse.” Meeting Roxy’s eyes over Carter’s shoulder, I say, “He’s not a threat, and I need you to not fucking shoot him. Do you hear me, Roxy?”

Roxy’s eyes widen, but she doesn’t lower her weapon. “Star, I don’t think you understand who he is,” she says carefully, and I can tell she isn’t sure how to handle this situation.