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Finn escorted us out of the club and held out a card with his cell number. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Here’s mine if you need something before then.”
“Sounds good,” I replied.
He looked over at Braden, and the tension between them skyrocketed. I held my breath as they sized each other up, praying that Braden wouldn’t provoke him. The last thing I needed was for Braden to get on Finn’s bad side. When you pissed off the mafia, you usually ended up dead. Just because Finn wasn’t friends with Nikolai didn’t mean he wasn’t as vindictive. And if I told Braden who Finn and Annika really were, he’d refuse to let me anywhere near them. I only agreed to work with Annika because of her situation. She wanted to learn to fight, and I knew I could help her, even though the reasoning behind it was ludicrous. What terrified me was that her first fight was in three days.
Was she ready? That depended on her opponent. She surely couldn’t go off and compete in the UFC after only one day of training. I had a lot of work to do with her.
Finn focused on Annika who still had her arm wrapped around Braden’s. “See you at the house.”
Annika nodded. “Be there soon.”
Out of all the cars in the parking lot, it wasn’t hard to pick out Finn’s. He strolled over to a shiny black Aston Martin sports car and smiled at me before getting in. Once he was gone, I marched over to Braden’s Mercedes without waiting on him or Annika. I stopped at the front passenger side door and opened it the second Braden pressed the unlock button.
“This is exciting,” Annika squealed. “You’re both going to love the charity ball.” She hopped in the back seat, still rambling on even when Braden slammed his door. “There’s going to be a seven-course meal and all the top doctors in California will be attending.” She tapped my shoulder. “So, if you ever need plastic surgery, I have the perfect doctor for you.”
“Nice to know,” I said, not caring at all.
Braden started up the car and sped out of the parking lot. Holding my purse in my lap, I could feel the bulge of the three hundred grand inside. I planned to donate it all to the children’s hospital.
The car ride was silent as Braden drove Annika and me back to my apartment. In my mind, all I could think about was how Annika held onto his arm like he was hers. I was angrier at myself than anything. Braden never turned down a beautiful woman, and I’d agreed to go to the charity ball with Finn on that assumption. In reality, he had told her no. Now I let him fall right into Annika’s hands. For his sake, I had to get him away from her. Any woman with good eyes would hit on Braden in a heartbeat. I couldn’t fault her for that; I just didn’t want him with her or anyone else.
I refused to let him get involved with the Sellinger family, even if they weren’t friends with Nikolai. Their mafia ties still connected them. Seth Michelson wasn’t an evil bastard like his brother, but he still teetered on the line between good and evil. Guess you could say he was the lesser of the two evils.
When we arrived at my apartment, I hopped out of Braden’s car, but he stayed behind the wheel. I needed to talk to him, but I couldn’t do it around Annika.
She waved at him as she got out of his car. “See ya in the morning.”
Braden met my gaze and waved back at her before he pulled out of the parking lot. It felt like there were a million unsettled things between us. I didn’t want him to think I was interested in Finn, but after tonight, how could he not think that?
Annika sighed and pulled her keys out of her purse. “All right, Reagan, I’m heading out. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She hopped in her expensive red sports car and drove off. A part of me wondered if she was going to Braden’s, but I had to force that out of my mind before it drove me crazy. I didn’t want to stress about who Braden was with or who he was screwing. The thoughts made me sick to my stomach. I couldn’t handle it anymore and didn’t know how to work through it.
Huffing, I started up the stairs with the three hundred grand in my handbag. It terrified me to have that much cash in my hand. And to think I was getting five hundred grand next week, it was all so surreal.
Once inside my apartment, I locked the door and retreated to my bedroom to change out of my dress into a T-shirt and shorts. I scrubbed the makeup off my face and wrapped my hair in a messy bun before collapsing onto my bed. My stomach clenched with impatience as I stared up at the ceiling. All I could think about was Braden.
My handbag was on my dresser and inside it was my phone. Do I want to call him? Shaking my head, I focused right back on the ceiling.I can’t.
Heart racing, I closed my eyes, wishing like hell I could get him out of my mind. I’d misjudged him tonight and made a mistake because of it. I wanted to know why he initially turned Annika down. It wasn’t until he heard I was going to the ball with Finn that he’d changed his mind.
Again, I looked over at my handbag.Dammit! I’m going to call him.
Stomach in knots, I jumped off the bed and reached in my bag for my cell. I clicked on Braden’s number and was about to hit call when someone pounded on my door. It was late and I had no clue who it was. For all I knew, it could be Nikolai and I wasn’t about to invite that disaster into my place.
Slowly, I crept down the hallway and set my phone on the couch just as another knock vibrated the floor.
“Reagan, it’s me,” Braden shouted, his voice dark and impatient.
Blowing out a relieved sigh, I hurried to the door and unlocked it. The second it opened, Braden rushed in and slammed it closed. His shirt was unbuttoned, revealing his smooth, chiseled chest. I wanted to touch him.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice just above a whisper.
Braden ran a hand through his dark hair, his eyes wild. “I need answers, Reagan. What the fuck is going on with you and the suit?” He grabbed me by the shoulders, and I sucked in a breath. The green of his eyes was darker: raw and intense. When I didn’t say anything, he stepped closer, tightening his grip on my shoulders. “You drive me crazy, Reagan. All I wanted to do was show you that I wanted you, but everything went to shit. I can’t take it anymore.”
My breaths came out in rapid pants. “What are you saying?”
His hands grasped my face, and he pushed me against the wall, his lips crushing mine. There was an urgency, a demand in the way he kissed me. It lit my entire body on fire. A moan escaped my lips, and I gave in as all the pent-up emotions I kept bottled up sprang out of me. I wanted him. Ineededhim.
I clutched his hair in my hands and held him to me, ravishing him the way he ravished me. Then, all too soon, he pulled away, leaving me breathless and wanting more.
