Page 107 of Sacrifice the Knight (Checkmate 6)

“Hey, Cap?” Soph stands by the door we exited through and grins. Making our way back in that direction, I study her with a frown because Soph rarely grins like that. Then to Mac, who totally checks out her tight jeans. I slam my elbow into his ribs, taking satisfaction in the way he chokes and shoots a fiery glare in my direction.

“Stop looking. You get caught, you have BishopandSoph herself coming after you with the hellfire. You don’t want those eyes on your back.”

“She’s just a cute ballerina,” he murmurs. “She’s not a threat to me.”

“Mmhm.” We stop by thecute ballerina. “What’s up?”

“Ya know that problem we had, with those people we don’t like?” Her eyes flicker to Mac, then back to mine. “You know that project you had me working on…”

When I say nothing, she nods toward Mac. “I’m trying to be discreet.”

When I still say nothing, she throws her hands up. “Fine! Ireland and Aristov! Jesus. Why do you make me spell shit out? I’m trying to save the kid from the details.”

“I’m okay with details.” Mac’s arrogance slides over his features. He broadens his chest, bunches his fists, and lets his dimples flash when she studies him with her dark eyes. “I know shit. I don’t need to be shielded.”

“Really?” Thecute ballerinalifts a brow. “Really, toddler? You’re okay with all the details?”

He scoffs. “Details of what? Your next ballet recital? I think I can handle it.”

“Oh, sure. Okay.” She pushes his face back when he tries to lean in and catch sight of the screen in her hand. “Aristov thought today was a good day to visit the prison gym. An unnamed inmate was in there at the same time. Aristov was bludgeoned to death with a free weight. The left side of his face is missing; his left eyeball was collected and placed in a jar by forensic investigators, and only eight of his fingers were recovered on scene.” This time, Soph grabs the back of Mac’s neck, but she pushes him down to a crouch and his head between his knees. “Ireland committed suicide in the hours since. I guess he was devastated about the news of his buddy’s gruesome death.”

Screw Mac and his pale face. I’m almost tempted to drop to my ass, too. “Aristov is… bludgeoned? And Ireland… Really?”

She smirks and holds Mac down. He no doubt hears the buzzing in his ears. Just like I do. The tunnel vision. Just like me. The dry mouth. Just like me. “The official report says suicide. Though facts skew a little to the left, if you ask me. I think maybe someone else set that noose and helped him step into it, but what do I know? I’m just a dumb ballerina with a recital to get to.”

“You took care of it?” I stumble forward and drop the gun on the silver table by the wall. “Jesus, you took care of it. This is real?”

“Mmhm.” Soph spreads her feet apart when Mac hurls onto the dirt and gravel in front of his head. He sways in place, and if it wasn’t for Soph’s hand, he’d be sprawled out on the ground. “He’s gone; they’re gone, and you will never receive a phone call from them again.”

“Just like that?” I turn back and meet her eyes. “Just like that, you end them? There would be no Checkmate meeting to discuss?”

“There was a meeting,” she answers arrogantly. “Aristov mentioned Jess. You know Kane wasn’t letting that go. We met; he passed down his order; I agreed with it; now it’s done.”

“Fuck.” Mac turns his head and looks at me through glassy eyes. “You people are straight up fuckin’ crazy.”

“Told you I was trying to spare you the details, toddler. Now you know you’re not playing with posers. What do you think of that kid Benny? He steal your girl? Because his bad attitude annoys me, and maybe I could help us both out.”

“Go fish.” He plops to his butt away from the spew, but his shoes end up sitting in the chunks. “Fuck.”

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