Resisting Mr. Kane (London Mister #2)(38)
Seriously?
Lisa looks up, startled. “Mr. Kane.”
The same emotions flit across their faces like dominos-apprehension, fear, excitement. A chance to impress the CEO first-hand.
He takes the only available seat beside me. So close, too close.
I stare straight ahead at Adi and try to steady my breathing.
Adi folds his laptop shut, sitting up straight. “What a surprise and an honour. So you are leading this case, sir?”
Please say no.
My heart plummets. It’s too much of a coincidence yet would the CEO of Madison really go out of his way to handpick trainees?
I was nervous walking into this room, I’m so anxious to make a good impression at Madison and not look stupid at one of the world’s most elite companies. Now this added into the mix? I’m going to need a pacemaker to survive this assignment.
Tristan lets out a low chuckle. “Everyone seems shocked by this fact.” He leans back in his chair, the only person relaxed in the room. “It’s an interesting case that’s got the media attention.”
I smell his aftershave, the same aftershave he wore in Greece. It hits my nose, and the memories flood back; we’re in the restaurant, walking on the beach holding hands, in the bed with him between my legs. How many nights have I wanted that man musk as a candle in the bath whilst I’m pleasuring myself Down Under?
“Mr. Kane, have you met everyone?” Adi asks.
Blood rushes in my ears as he looks right at me.
“I have.” Tristan scans the room. “You’ll be my starting team for the case.” He checks his watch. “I have ten minutes. You’ve been granted permission to the case files on the system. There are fifteen charges filed against Maria Garcia. I expect you to be familiar with all of them by Wednesday. Last week, Colombia made an extradition request to the UK. The Secretary of State has already sent the case to the courts so an arrest will likely be issued imminently for Maria. Also on the system are the notes collated regarding Maria’s appeal for asylum, which has been declined.”
He launches into our strategy and approach in such a fast-paced delivery I struggle to keep up. It’s just another day in the office for him; for me it’s the highlight of my short career.
Such a waste. I could learn so much from this experience. His name is one of the most recognised and respected lawyers globally. Getting this opportunity, even just to shadow on one of his cases, isn’t something that comes up often in a lawyer’s career. Even if it is via suspicious circumstances.
Instead, I’m a quivering wreck.
The team leans in on high alert as he discusses the approach they will take and their roles.
One thing I know now for sure. Every person in this company is crushing on Tristan Kane.
Including me.
***
Tristan ordered two cars for four of us to travel to where Maria is staying, just off Kensington. To my relief, I was told to travel with Adi, although annoyingly I felt a pathetic pang of jealousy when he insisted Lisa travel with him.
I use the car journey to scrutinise the case's contents one last time. Last night, I stayed late in the office to review each detail of all fifteen charges against Maria Garcia.
We pull up outside a four-storey white stucco villa in Holland Park, an affluent part of London filled with embassies and old money. It’s beside the Uzbekistan Embassy and almost the same size. Adi said Maria was living here alone. She must be the richest asylum seeker in the country.
Outside there are three burly security men. We show our passports to gain entry onto the grounds.
As adrenaline surges through my system, I forget about the tall, muscular figure in the perfectly fitted suit leading the way in front of me. Cases like these are the reason I wanted to become a lawyer. A case interesting enough to consume your every thought. I don't want my thoughts consumed with regulatory body act number 42 and trading act 1977.
We are led by one of the security men up the wide steps and into the hallway, which has high ceilings and walls adorned with paintings and art installations.
“Apparently it used to be an embassy,” Adi whispers. “The entire street is embassies or former embassies.”
Maria is waiting for us in a lavish library, the perfect space for entertaining if she were allowed to have guests other than lawyers. I recognise her immediately, although she’s gaunt now compared to the glitzy media pictures. The story of the handsome hotelier and his young model wife. It was a fairy tale in Colombia for many years until it turned into a horror story.
My heels catch in the frays of the impractically thick carpet, and I trip into the room, cursing.
“Careful,” Adi mutters, narrowing his eyes.
“Maria?” Tristan asks with a professional smile.
She glides forward offering her own dazzling smile and takes his hand, shaking it how I imagine royalty would. To my surprise, she’s just as impeccably dressed as the media presents her. I was expecting someone about to get arrested to be in lounge wear with no make-up.
Her eyes flash with interest, as every woman’s eyes do when they meet Tristan Kane.
I stand behind the others as Maria offers us seats. I know my place, my lack of experience automatically ranks me as the inferior in the room and I should do as I’m told.
Adi beckons to a chair beside him, and I take it.
It's easy to see why Maria Garcia would capture the interest of one of the richest men in South America. Before she killed him, that is. A natural brunette, her flawless features and icy blue eyes make her look almost doll-like. Her long legs stretch out under the coffee table, and I wonder how she manages to maintain her hair at salon quality while hiding out. She's exquisite, and it doesn't go unnoticed by the males in the room.