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“Ithink I like this one better,” Reagan claimed as she stabbed her chopstick into the last Somerset roll on my plate.
Pursing my lips, I glared at her while she moaned in delight. Most people couldn’t tell we were sisters, especially since she had blonde hair and blue eyes like our father. My hair was dark, but I did try to lighten it up a bit with the caramel highlights.
It was a tense night but being around Reagan helped, even if she did like to steal my food. We’d picked up several sushi rolls for dinner, and the Somerset roll was my favorite. If Reagan wasn’t physically stronger than me, I would’ve fought her for it. When she opened her eyes, they widened when she noticed me staring.
“What? Do I have something on my face?” she asked, wiping her hand over her mouth. She looked like a little kid in her doughnut pajamas with her hair in Princess Leia buns. I had to give her props for wanting to cheer me up.
There were only two pieces left of the Mr. Flowers roll on the dinner tray, so I snatched them up and put them on my plate. “Yeah, you were about to have my fist on your face. I was going to eat that piece of sushi you stole off my plate.”
Reagan winked. “I got to it first.”
I shoved one of the rolls in my mouth. “It’s a good thing I love you.” She reached over as if she was about to take the last roll, and I held up my chopstick, daring her. “Go ahead. I’ll stab you right through the hand,” I joked playfully.
We both laughed, and she held up her hands in defeat. “Okay, okay. You can have it.”
“Thank you,” I said, opening my mouth wide. I moaned while eating the salmon-filled goodness, just like she did with the last Somerset roll.
Once done, Reagan took our plates and came back with two glasses of Chardonnay. “What do you say? Another episode of Bridgerton?”
I took my glass from her. “Of course.” I’d already watched all the episodes twice now; it was my favorite show.
She sat down and grabbed the remote off the coffee table. I waited for her to hit play, but she instead she lowered it and turned to me. “Okay, I can’t take it anymore. I’ve been waiting for you to bring up Carter, and you haven’t. What’s been going on this week, sis? I’m tired of being patient.” I’d intentionally avoided the subject, not just with her but with all the guys; it wasn’t easy to do. “The truth,” Reagan demanded.
Swallowing hard, I wrapped my arms around my stomach; it’d been in knots all week. “Carter’s exhausted,” I confessed, hearing my own weariness in my voice. “He’s bruised all over his body, and I think he has a broken rib.” I threw my arms in the air. “Hell, he’s barely spoken to me. The last full conversation we had was five days ago.”
Her gaze drilled into mine. “We have to tell the guys.”
I’d promised Carter I wouldn’t say anything to our friends, but I teetered closer to that edge as the days went on. “Not yet,” I stressed. “Things are so confusing right now.”
Reagan placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. “I know, but ….”
My phone rang, and I gasped, grabbing it up quickly from the coffee table. When I turned it over to see who it was, I felt an insurmountable bubble of rage blossom in my chest.
Reagan sucked in a breath when she saw Nikolai’s name. “Oh, dear God. Not good.”
I accepted the call. “What the hell do you want, Nikolai?” I snapped.
Nikolai’s smooth laugh only irritated me more. “Only to hear your voice. I’m sending you a video. I think you might want to see what your boy’s been up to. You know where to find me if you need me.” The connection ended, and it felt like a brick had dropped through my core. I held my breath as I waited for the video to upload.
Reagan scooted next to me with her chin rested on my shoulder. “What are you waiting on?” I could hear the hesitance in her voice.
“A video,” I muttered, my throat thick. “I don’t think I want to see it.” Yet, I couldn’t look away from my screen. What was I going to see? What if it was Carter with other women? I’d lose my shit along with all the food in my stomach.
The ping came in just a few moments later, and the video appeared. All I had to do was press it. Finger hovering over the play button, my chest tightened so hard I could barely breathe.
“I’m scared.”
Reagan wrapped her arm through mine. “So am I, but I’m here with you.”
Taking a deep calming breath, I pressed on the video. The lighting was sultry and dark, and all I could see was red. The walls, carpet, chairs, everything was crimson-colored; it was like a human version of a fiery hell, only it was high-class. I had no clue where that place was. Smoke filled the air as the men enjoyed their cigars, and the women looked pristine in their fancy gowns and glittering jewelry.
“And you dated this Nikolai’s brother?” Reagan asked. “What were you thinking?”
I paused the video. “Seth isn’t like Nikolai. He was nice and treated me with respect. I don’t know how the hell they’re brothers.” Seth was a gentleman and very mature, almost regal even though he wasn’t much older than me. I enjoyed spending time with him, but our schedules became too demanding.
“Did you know his family was part of the mafia?” she wondered.
