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I fucking hate when Vin is right, but goddamn it, this is not about him. I’m frustrated, confused, fucking excited. Not pursuing this causes a sensation of dread to seep inside of me and I can’t allow it. But I’m not against Vin or the others. The little witch dared to cross us, fool us, steal from us.
Right now, I both want to make her pay for her deceit, and punish her for her wickedness.
Which one will I enjoy more?
ANNIKA
I’m on my third beer,and even though I know I should stop, keep a level head, I can’t help myself. I’m guided by the sound of the waterfall blending in with the music, by the smell of the trees, of the warm water where some people swim, the twinkling lights draped in the trees. I haven’t danced like this in so long. To be fair, I’veneverdanced like this, pirouetting around the trees, while others use them as their little corners, to laugh, talk, get more… intimate.
Mixed with the anxious anticipation, the atmosphere is electric.
Hanna’s a few yards away from me, lost in dance like I’ve never seen her lost before. She looks relaxed, so welcomed, considering how she’s always had to be the serious one. Always level-headed, since she’s the reason why the business worked flawlessly all these years. We’ve had breaks between jobs, but her part never truly stopped. She had to be on the ball and constantly aware of what was going on before and after a business deal. Seeing her like this, carefree, is quite a wonderful sight.
Smiling, I move with the music, turning my back on her as I take another swig of my drink. But I almost choke on it when prickles rush down my back. I whip around to the sight of none other than Finnigan Hennessey startling Hanna as he wraps his arms around her and pulls her back to his front.
They got our message.
A smile creeps on her lips, but it falls before it settles, her eyes widening instead as she looks past me.
This is it. This is the moment.
The prickles have found their way back up my spine, converging on the nape of my neck, wrapping around my throat like ribbons. They tighten, seeping down my chest, over my breasts… down over my abdomen. Right where an arm suddenly circles me, holding me in place as another comes around my arm and chest.
It’s… different.
Hanna attempts to step my way, eyes wide with concern, but Finnigan keeps her in place.
I swallow an invisible lump lodged in my throat and reluctantly look up behind me. The eyes that stare down into mine freeze me in place—Carter Pierce, one of Ronan’s partners.
But the prickles that mark my skin aren’t for him. They’re still here… like the predator still lurks.
Carter turns me around, sliding his hand on my lower back, the other gripping my free hand.
“Don’t spill, please.” He signals to the cup I’m holding.
His politeness is sincere, but chilling.
He leads me into a slow dance around the trees, taking control with such security. Not once have we caught our feet on a branch or a root, yet his eyes have never left mine.
“You got the message,” I dare say, but speaking to him gives me the impression that I should ask for permission first.
“Wedid, yes. It wasn’t meant for all of us, though.”
His palm on my lower back presses just a bit harder, but he doesn’t pull me closer. He keeps this interaction strangely appropriate.
“Did you all come?” I finally ask in a shaky voice.
He nods. “I found you first.”
There it is, a grin pulling at his lips and, my God, I want to scream and run. I’m suddenly a fucking rabbit circled by a wolf pack foaming at the mouth, only it’s just one of them. Only Carter.
“Please, I…”
“Don’t beg. Just dance.”
I don’t even want to protest. I can’t explain it. His will is somehow my command and self-preservation tells me I have to follow.
Hanna’s back in my line of sight as Carter spins us around gently. That expression still haunts her features and Finnigan notices. He pulls her, slightly forcefully, into a dance, but once he leans over, whispering something into her ear, she calms, giving me a reassuring smile that makes me slightly confused. But it works, it calms me too.
