I rake a nervous hand through my hair and eye the others in the room before turning back to Treena.
“Vanessa Burrell is here and wants to meet with you,” shewhispers, sliding her gaze to the side as though someone might be listening.
“Where?” The lump swells in my throat, and I try to clear it away.
“Conference room, down the hall.”
I blow out a heavy breath, hoping to catch a glimpse of my favorite blonde wallflower before leaving the ballroom. I search the black linen-topped tables with guests gathered around them, hoping to find her stunning face, but they’re all covered in shadows. Mainly thanks to the dim lighting filling the enormous ballroom my sister picked out for her auction venue.
I’ve got to hand it to Julianna, her work is impressive. But right now, I’m cursing her for choosing the lowest lighting possible, making it difficult to find who I’m looking for.
Her. The one I search for in every room I enter.
Seeing her will settle my nerves. At least I hope it will. Every other time, my heart gets this jolt of electricity that shoots straight for my dick, begging to know what it feel like to sink between her luscious thighs.
Fuck. Focus, Holt.
Disappointment eats away at me when I can’t find her, but I keep my cool.
“Let’s go,” I mutter, following Treena out of the ballroom and down the hall.
Stuffing my hands into my pockets, I steel myself for this conversation, knowing it won’t be easy. Piano music plays quietly in the distance, melding with the sharp echoes of heels clicking against the marble tile of the Omni Plaza Hotel. We walk down to the opposite end of the hallway before Treena stops in front of an indiscriminate door and holds it open for me. I give her a curt nod and enter the tiny room.
Carpeted and covered in bland, off-white paintmeans there’s nothing special about this room. It’s as if the auction is a million miles away in a completely different world.
Keeping my hands stuffed into my pockets, I stop just inside the door and square my shoulders.
My lawyer, Vanessa Burrell, is standing near the back corner of the room, with a black briefcase resting at her side. But it’s the flash of bright blue sequins that has me shifting my attention. My sister Julianna is standing beside her.
“Mr. Capuleti. Thank you for meeting me on such short notice.” Vanessa holds her hand out for me.
I accept her gesture but don’t take my eyes off my sister. “No problem,” I mutter quickly, then to Julianna ask, “What are you doing here?”
Julianna arches one of her eyebrows and purses her lips. Her brown hair is pulled back tightly, revealing her sharp, venomous stare. “I was greeting the auction attendees when I saw Vanessa. Anytime she’s involved, I know shit is going down. If you thought I wasn’t going to follow her and see why, you’re crazy.”
“You told Julianna what’s going on?” I shift my focus to Vanessa.
“No.” Vanessa clears her throat. “She hasn’t stopped asking what’s going on, though. She insisted on attending this meeting.”
“Of course she did.”
Julianna plants her hands on her hips and sticks out her chin. “When I’m on a mission, I don’t give up easily.”
“We know.” I run my hand down the front of my face while still standing by the door, not wanting to drag out this meeting longer than it needs to be. Treena hasn’t moved from her spot near the propped open door, either.
“Anyway.” I wave my hand in alet’s get this goingmotion.
“Right.” Vanessa nods once, then gestures toward the black bag in her hand. “I went over the lawsuit you were given.”
Julianna’s jaw drops immediately, and her once narrowed eyes widen in horror. I ignore her.
“And?”
“It’s legit.”
“Fuck.” I hiss, raising both my arms in the air to rake my fingers through my hair as my stomach sinks to a pit I didn’t even know existed. I’m going to be fucking sick.
“I did what you asked. I tracked down the law firm representing the plaintiff, and they have a proper, valid complaint,” Vanessa continues. “I tried to see if they were willing to discuss this outside of court, and they refused. The lawsuit will move forward.”
