“I’ll check right now,” Martin said.
Angelica watched the butler knock on a door down the hallway and then open it. She heard mumbling, and then the butler was back.
“He has time for you, sir.”
“Thank you.” Trent turned and hugged her. “Go find your sisters, peanut. I’ll take care of this.”
Angelica nodded. “Thank you.”
“Love you, peanut.”
“I love you, too.” She watched him walk into Alastair’s office and the door close behind him.
“Miss, the girls are in the solarium at the moment waiting for you. Do you know the way?”
“Yes, I do. Thank you. I’ll go find them now.” She walked that way even though she wished she would have been allowed into the meeting, but she’d find out what was said later.
Chapter Two
Duncan looked out the window toward the women sitting at a white metal table with chairs surrounded by tropical plants and flowers. They were all very beautiful, but his gaze kept going to Angelica. The youngest sister. His attraction for her had grown over the past weeks, but he was still fighting it, and he knew why.
The last woman he dated, Debra, had deceived him, and it was taking a while to get over it. It wasn’t that he’d loved her, but when he found out she was having an affair on the side and with a man he knew was a common criminal, it made him alter his beliefs in women. When the truth about his aunt Freya, someone he’d always known as a sweet, caring woman, came out, it had destroyed something fundamental in him.
How could a woman hide the fact she was a serial killer for decades? It boggled his mind.
He felt someone slap his shoulder.
“Hey, man, how are you?” Blake asked.
“Good,” he said and turned back to watch the girls.
“Man, I know you. Why are you fighting your attraction to her so much?”
Duncan looked at his brother. “Doesn’t it bother you about what happened with Freya?”
“Fuck yes, it bothers me. What does that have to do with Angelica?” Blake asked.
“I’ve been deceived by so many women lately, women I trusted, and I don’t know if I want to try again right now.”
“I understand, but not all women are like Freya and that bitch Debra. My wife is one of the sweetest people I know, and look at Beth. You can’t get sweeter than that.”
Duncan nodded. “I know. It helps to be around real women.”
“Don’t let those women take away the best thing that will ever come your way.”
“Just because Hope is like that doesn’t mean Angelica will be.”
Blake slapped his shoulder. “Brother, they are all so alike. Yes, they all have different personalities, but they are fundamentally the same.”
Duncan thought the same thing but didn’t say anything.
“Come on. Dinner’s about ready. I’m going to go get the girls.”
Duncan nodded and headed toward the dining room. He poured himself a scotch and sat down. He stiffened when the women walked in, and Angelica was laughing at something Hope was telling her. Fuck, she was so damn beautiful, and he wanted his hands on her so damn bad.
Graham pulled out the seat to the right of him. “Here you go, Angelica.”
“Thank you.”