The Pawn (Shattered Series Book 1)

The Pawn (Shattered Series Book 1) by Chloe D. Ashton

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Authors: Chloe D. Ashton
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entered.
                         Taking a shaky breath, he looked around.
                         Quiet and dark, the beachside mansion showed no signs of the life except for the huge grandfather clock sitting in the entryway, and its pendulum ticked off each second with a steady swinging rhythm. Again, the satisfaction filled him as his gaze swept over the living space. A lot of blood, sweat and tears had gotten him where he was today.
                         Like a grand show, at the main level, the winding stairwell opened up the splendor of the mansion. Suppressing a yawn, Jarrod took the stairs two at a time. Upon reaching the second level, he stopped dead in his tracks. In the shadows, Rosa, the caretaker stood at the bedroom at the far end of the corridor, and a bizarre look played across her face. Strangely, she had an ear pressed to the bedroom door.
                         “Rosa, what in the hell are you doing?” he frowned, halting in his tracks. “Shouldn’t you be in bed?”
                          Startled, Rosa whirled around, and then, she scurried to him hastily. “Jarrod! I wasn’t expecting you until later this morning.”
                          “I can see that,” Jarrod noted, lifting a brow. “For heaven’s sake, Rosa, it’s 1:30 in the morning. Why are you standing outside Ms. Lange’s door at this hour?”
                         “N-nothing,” she stammered, swallowing hard, and couldn’t hide her uneasiness. “I was just making sure that she was resting well, and she hasn’t been.” A pitying look crossed the woman’s face. “For hours, she’s been sobbing, and it pains me to see anyone suffering that way. She keeps pleading for someone to help her. I think she’s having nightmares about her accident. I’ve been standing here, listening, not knowing what to do.” Then, she wrung her hands together. “And poor Meggie, she’s been restless with a fever. But, thankfully, it’s broken, and it hasn’t been long since she’s been abed. Finally, she’s getting some rest.”
                        “You’re exhausted. And you , need to get some rest,” Jarrod stated firmly, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Thank you for taking care of things and helping Meghan get settled in. As always, you’re being a tremendous help to us, Rosa, and I just want you to know how appreciated you are.” He gave a rare smile. “I’m going to be staying for awhile, and I’ll be here to help take care of things, and that also includes Ms. Lange’s care.” After giving her a side hug, he gave her a gentle nudge towards the stairwell. “Now, go and get some rest.”
                         “Thank you, Jarrod. I sure could use it,” Rosa smiled tiredly. “Goodnight.”
                         “Goodnight,” he muttered as she passed him, and a short moment later, he heard her bedroom door as it shut.
                         Sighing, he blew a tired breath.
                         With Meghan here, how would he manage the situation? Or was it even right that she was even close to it?
                         In the darkness, he didn’t realize what an impressive figure he made. Standing at six feet, solidly built, of Italian descent, his handsome features were dangerously arresting. In deep waves, his dark hair fell along his face, complete with a chiseled jaw bone, straight nose, and naturally tanned skin. Yet, his dark green orbs were the most striking, and tiny flints of gold seemed to sparkle within them.
                        Starting, realizing that he was just standing there, he moved away from the stairs and walked along the corridor. At each end of the hallway, a bedroom stood, one a large guest suite, and the other, a large

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