Sinners' Playground (The Harlequin Crew #1) - Caroline Peckham Page 0,90

ass from what was going to happen next.

“She’s y-yours,” he stammered. “I get that now. I won’t go anywhere near her again.”

“No,” I said, reaching out and calmly taking hold of his throat. “You won’t.”

I cracked his head back against the mirror before throwing him to the floor. He screamed like an infant as I started kicking him, my mind going to the darkest, most twisted place it held as I kicked and stamped and made this asshole hurt for daring to even think about touching my girl.

Footsteps pounded into the room and Chase appeared, his eyebrows arching for a second as he took in the guy I was beating the living shit out of. Then he continued walking over to a urinal, whistling as he relieved himself and I reached down to grip Carter’s hair in my fist, pointing a finger in his face.

“This is your one and only warning, do you understand me?” I growled.

“Y-yes,” he sobbed and I released him, my upper lip peeling back as I headed outside and Chase appeared a second later, his shoulder brushing mine as we walked back down the beach together.

“Look, if she means that much to you, I won’t say another word. I just care about you, brother. I remember how fucked up we all were after she left last time. I just…don’t want that shit to play on repeat. I’ve lived it once. We won’t survive it again.”

I looked to him, finding a frown etched into his forehead. I wasn’t stupid enough not to realise JJ, Chase and even fucking Maverick had loved Rogue once. But I didn’t know exactly how deeply that love had run. We’d never spoken about it. All I knew was that we’d all fought over her enough times to make it clear she was under all of our skin. But it was obvious Chase had moved on and JJ wouldn’t step on my toes when it came to her. He didn’t do relationships anyway. For him, it was all about sex. But he wouldn’t cross any lines with Rogue now I’d claimed her. That didn’t mean her return wasn’t a headfuck for both of them though.

“I know the risks,” I told him.

“You’re always trying to convince me not to take risks, asshole.” Chase smirked at me, toying with one of the leather bands on his wrists.

“Yeah well, when it comes to her, I have no fucking boundaries,” I said with a shrug. “I’ll do anything for her. And anything to keep her.”

“I’m guessing that’s why you just laid out hippy McGee back there?” he asked.

I blew out an amused breath and he raised his eyebrows knowingly.

“Come surf with me, headcase,” he asked, grinning at me like a fucking idiot, but I shook my head.

“I’m gonna go and…not be an asshole to Rogue,” I said and he laughed, throwing his damn head back.

“Good luck with that.” He jogged over to JJ who’d attracted a little group of fan girls and I made a direct path towards Rogue.

She was lying on her back with JJ’s sunglasses on, her dog curled up in the shade of her gym bag which she’d propped up with some old cola bottles.

Yeah…no.

I headed past her and her apparent new friends to where a couple were sitting under a large parasol. I ducked under it, plucking it out of the ground and the girl yelped in surprise, clinging to her boyfriend as I walked away from them.

“That’s Fox Harlequin,” the guy gasped as I headed back to Rogue and planted it in the ground, meaning her and the mutt were shaded properly.

“Who the fuck is sun-blocking me?” she asked without opening her eyes beneath the glasses and I snatched one of her friend’s towels, laying it down beside her and dropping onto it.

She finally opened her eyes and huffed out a breath. “Come to badger me, Badger?”

I tried not to let that petty little nickname annoy me, but it did. “I came to talk.”

“Great, could you do it somewhere else though, you’re kinda killing my vibe.”

“Rogue,” I warned.

“Badger,” she sighed, pushing JJ’s glasses onto her head. “Why don’t you go surfing with your bros or something?”

“So you can run off again?” I arched a brow and she stared me down for half a second, all poker face before she cracked a smirk.

“You think you know me so well, don’t you, asshole?”

“I do know you so well,” I said simply.

“You don’t know this new version of me. She plays dirty. You won’t like