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The man in question looks up and sees us looking at him, then gives Annika a big white smile as though seeing an old friend. He excuses himself from the group he’s talking to and crosses the room to where we are stood. Flanked by two other men, he walks slowly but with purpose and the closer he gets the more sinister his smile becomes. Stopping just in front of Annika, his henchmen stay slightly behind him, leering at her. My hackles rise, my nose for danger twitching, and I stand straight at Annika’s shoulder, none of the men paying me any notice.

“Annika,” Volkov greets. “How wonderful to see you, and may I say how delectable you’re looking this evening?” His accent only hints at his Russian roots. We were all briefed when Grigoriy Volkov came to the city following his brother’s death over a decade ago. The southeast based police departments haveentire taskforces dedicated to stopping the Kukris and they are not very successful, most likely because Grigoriy is controlling the taskforces.

“You may not,” Annika snaps. “What are you doing here?”

Volkov straightens and looks around the room with a false sincerity on his face. “Because the foundation is a cause close to my heart.” He places a giant tattooed hand over his chest.

“Since when?” Annika growls.

“Since I donated fifty grand yesterday.” He narrows his brows at Annika as though he doesn’t understand her hostility.

I’m stood so close to her, my chest presses to her back, I can feel the tension she’s holding and the slight tremble. Annika is scared. Annika Wolfe, the woman who has shown nothing but bored contempt in the time that I’ve known her is now shaking in the presence of this man and it has me on high alert. “Why would you do that? What’s you game?”

He fiddles with his cufflink and looks around the room again. “Listen, I think we need to clear the air a little. A certain someone came to my office yesterday, bloodied and missing a couple appendages.” He looks back to Annika and smiles. “Consider my donation an apology for the breach of boundary lines.”

“And you wanted to explain that by breaching boundary lines and coming here tonight?” She sneers.

He places a hand on her upper arm, and I feel her flinch, and going by the sick smile he gives, so does he. My hand wraps around his wrist on instinct, a simmering rage turning in my stomach. “Hands off,” I growl.

He looks at my hand on his wrist while his stays on Annika’s bare arm and smiles. “You don’t have to be afraid of me,” he tells her.

“I’m not afraid of you,” she spits. “Take your goddamn hands off of me.”

He releases her arm, and I can feel the slight relief in the relaxation of her muscles, but it doesn’t last long as he just takes his hand up and trails the back of one knuckle over her cheek while leaning into her. “You really are lovely, Annika. My brother missed out on such a pretty pet.”

I step around her, putting myself between them, hearing her breath heaving behind me and it makes me feral. I want to rip this guy’s hand from his body for touching her. I could say it’s because I don’t like bullies and he is a fucking bully, but if I’m honest, it’s her, I don’t want her like this. Volkov’s men both step forward but he holds is hand up halting them, smiling at me with sinister dark blue eyes. He chuckles, standing straight and running a hand over his slicked back dark hair.

“Goodnight, Annika. I hope to see you again.” Before she can respond, he walks away with his goons following after.

Once they are out of sight, I turn to Annika, she’s sipping—or gulping— her drink. “Are you okay?” I go for a comforting touch but my hand lands on the same spot Volkov had in his grip, her eyes snap to where we’re touching, and I pull back.

“I’m fine, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Annika—”

“I said I’m fine.” She slams her drink down on the bar and walks into the throng of people, leaving me to follow dutifully, frustrated, and on alert.

Annika spends about an hour small talking with different people and looking highly out of her comfort zone. I don’t know if that’s just her general aversion to people or the encounter with the Kukri leader. She manages a total of three tight smiles in the whole sixty minutes and the rest of the time she looks about ready to murder someone. I keep my eyes peeled for Volkov and his men, but I only see his goons. The man himself seems to have left. The Kukris stay to the side of the room, standing togetherin their matching black suits and watch Annika closely. I glare at them, but it only makes them smile sadistically.

When the time comes, everyone sits for a delicious meal. I mean, I know I’m working and meant to be concentrating, but this food wasnice. Annika barely touches her meal, eating mostly the salads and vegetables.

“You vegetarian?” I ask around a mouthful of beef.

She grimaces at the food rolling around in my mouth. “No, but Iamparticular about what I put into my body.” I can’t help my smirk and she rolls her eyes. “Don’t be disgusting.”

“I didn’t say anything.” I stuff my mouth again.

Dessert is berries with meringue and cream, and I clean my plate. But Annika doesn’t have any of hers, so I finish that off, too, not giving two shits about the disapproving look she gives me. People are desperate to talk to her. Speaking over each other just to get a word in. She nods and responds but doesn’t try to initiate any conversation herself.

The two Kukris are at a table across the room, their eyes firmly on Annika and she shoots daggers at them each time her eyes catch on them, but they aren’t deterred at all. There are speeches from different people but I’m not listening, instead watching the idiots staring at her. My arm drapes over the back of her chair and I’m not entirely sure why, it’s not like they’re a physical threat from all the way over there but my protective instincts make me want to wrap her up and keep them as far away as possible.

After dinner, the band starts up and couples start dancing. It’s getting late and I can’t imagine Annika wants a spin on the dance floor so I’m thinking of asking her when she wants to leave but she’s glaring across the room. I watch as the Kukris disappear through a set of double doors and swear under my breath when Annika follows them.

11

ANNIKA

Ican hear Harvey following me, the double doors I bashed open creak loudly as he slinks through.