Headhunter (With Me in Seattle Mafia #2) - Kristen Proby Page 0,66

Nadia all over again.”

“I guess you’re allowed to be sappy on your wedding day. Go find your bride and dance inappropriately for a while.”

“My pleasure.”

Carmine saunters across the room, his eyes set on Nadia. She’s a beautiful bride, and her eyes light up when she turns to see Carmine approaching.

They’re both a couple of saps.

I guess I would be, too. I turn to look at Annika once more and sigh. She’s as stunning as ever, with her long, blond hair falling around her in loose curls. Her makeup is flawless and more glammed-up for the occasion. The dress she’s in showcases every curve to perfection, and my fingers ache with my desire to touch her.

Hell, it’s not just my fingers that ache.

But I’ve gotten good at admiring her from afar. Keeping my distance.

Giving her space.

But my patience is running thin.

Her piece-of-shit husband has been dead for months. Nothing’s standing in our way now.

Nothing except her stubbornness.

I set my empty glass on a tray and walk to where Annika is sitting, alone. She’s holding an envelope, and I watch as she tears it open, quickly pages through the contents, and then runs a shaking hand through that silky hair.

I’m not at all ashamed that I look over her shoulder.

I almost wish I hadn’t.

The image in her hands has my blood running cold.

“What the fuck is that?”

She jumps, puts the photo face-down on the table, and turns to me. “Oh, you startled me. It’s nothing.”

“I’ll put up with a lot of things from you, Annika, but lying isn’t one of them.” I lean down, leveling my gaze with hers. “What is that?”

She swallows hard, glances down, and shoves everything back into the envelope. “Not now. Not here. It’s Nadia’s special day, and I won’t ruin it with this. Especially not with this.”

She turns embarrassed eyes up to me.

“Annika.”

“Let’s dance.” She shoves the envelope into a bag under the table, takes my hand, and tries to pull me onto the dance floor.

But I outweigh her by at least a hundred pounds and stand my ground.

She looks up at me, sighs, then retrieves the envelope and leads me out of my grandmother’s ballroom and to a nearby empty room.

“I don’t want this to go anywhere but this room for today,” she says, her voice strong, her tone saying it isn’t open for discussion. “It’s my best friend—my cousin’s special day. Got it?”

I can’t promise her that. But I nod. “I’ll do everything I can not to ruin the day.”

She blows out a breath and pulls a note out of the envelope, passing it to me.

If you do not meet our demands, we will send these to the press. Your family will be ruined. You will be ruined.

We will be in touch.

I scowl and look up at Annika. “Who the fuck sent this?”

“You know as much as I do.” She shifts her feet.

“Show me the rest.”

“No.” She shakes her head quickly. “These are private photos, and I don’t want you to see them. It’s humiliating. You saw the last one.”

What I thought I saw was Annika, naked, spread-eagle and tied to a bed with a group of men standing around her.

And by the look on her face, I’d say my memory isn’t wrong.

I want to fucking kill someone.

I was her first. I knew everything about her, once upon a time.

Is this who she is now?

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

No. By the look on her face, I’d say that’s not who she is. I have so many fucking questions.

“Here you are,” Nadia says as she walks into the room, a bright smile on her face. “I thought I saw you leave. We’re about to cut the cake.”

The new bride stops talking and glances back and forth between us.

“What’s wrong? Are you arguing again?”

“No.” Annika pastes on a smile. “Of course, not. We were just talking.”

“She needs to know.”

The color leaves Annika’s face, and Nadia turns to me, all badass now. “What the fuck is going on?”

Carmine walks in behind her and cocks a brow.

I pass them the note as Annika curses and paces away to look out the window.

“Who is this from?” Nadia asks, but Annika doesn’t turn back from the window.

“We don’t know,” I reply softly. “There are photos, as well.”

“Let me see,” Nadia demands.

“No,” Annika says, shaking her head. “Let’s just forget this and go back to the party. We’re ruining your day.”

“Someone is threatening you,” Carmine says, his voice much gentler than the look in his eyes. “Let us have the