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“Hey, are you okay?” Emmy asked, as I stared off toward the bookshelves, stirring the potion mindlessly. “You can be done with the nose hairs now.”
I dropped the spoon like it was on fire.
“By the way, this also came for you.” Emmy handed over a thick envelope. “It was less persistent than the summons, so I forgot it on the counter until now. I’ll fire up Netflix while you pour yourself another glass of wine, you lush.”
I was too focused on the envelope on the counter to chuckle at Emmy’s joke. It was true, my wine had mostly disappeared as I’d been reminiscing about my mother. But the sight of the envelope on the counter pulled me out of the happy fog that’d wrapped itself around me.
A cold shiver went down my spine as I slit the envelope open. As I read the words on the page, it felt like someone was squeezing an icy hand around my very heart.
I dropped my wine glass, heard Emmy’s shout of, “Hovera” that caused my glass to freeze in mid-air, just seconds away from shattering. Then I felt Emmy’s presence as she came to my side and read the words on the page.
“Oh, honey,” Emmy said, wrapping her arm around my shoulder.
And then her spell broke, and the wine glass shattered into a million pieces.
Chapter 4
Dominic
“Do I really have to do this?”
I glanced over at Nicola Vixen who’d actually shown up in person for tonight. She was my plus one for the event. Not for romantic reasons, but because she’d elbowed herself in as my date by filling out my summons and adding her name before I could tell her no.
Even though I was the boss and signed her checks, Vix ran the show around here for all intents and purposes. I ran my mouth to her from time to time, but she knew how to handle me better than I could handle myself. I’d be lost without her.
“You look ravishing, darling,” Vix said in an exaggeratedly posh accent, grabbing the lapels of my suit jacket and straightening them. “Of course you have to go tonight. The chances of your name being called as a candidate for the wildcard selection are extraordinarily high.”
I groaned. “Don’t tell me that.”
“Why do you think I’m coming with you?” Vix winked, bumped a slender hip against me. “You need your best in security when you’re nominated as the newest candidate to fill the empty seat in The Circle.”
“You’re just coming because that ‘hot witch’ you hooked up with in Tuscany is going to be at the after-party.”
“So sue me.” Vix batted her eyelashes at me.
Vix looked stunning tonight in a white gown that fit her slender body like a glove. There was just the slightest glimmer of sparkle to it, and a deep V-neck showed off impressive cleavage meant to distract. Nicola Vixen wasn’t above using her feminine charms to her advantage.
Fortunately, things between us had always been strictly platonic. Vix fluttered around, brushing imaginary lint off the suit she’d custom ordered for me. It wasn’t just any day that a new member of The Circle would be selected. It wasn’t just any day that people suspected my name might be among the few called.
Most people would be thrilled. Me? Not so much.
“Get Kellan on the phone,” I said. “I want to know what he’s figured out.”
Vix hit dial with her talon-like nails that were edged in diamonds today. When I said it looked like she could kill someone with her bare hands, I meant it. Those things were downright deadly.
“Kellan,” Vix announced over speakerphone. “I’m here with our glorious leader.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Hello, Dominic,” Kellan said. “What can I do for you?”
“How’s the deal coming on the sale of the building?”
“Running into a bit of a snag.” My lawyer, one of the highest paid lawyers in the world, gave an embarrassed cough. “Sebastian isn’t cooperating.”
“Make him cooperate. How much money is he asking for?”
“Your brother sent a letter saying he’d relinquish his half of the shares to you for seven billion dollars, but I think he was just being a twat. That’s completely unreasonable.”
