Page 66 of The Acquisition

I put my finger against her lips to stop her. "We deserve to be happy too."

The organizer of the event took the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. Dinner is being served." The same message was repeated in several other languages prompting the attendees to return to their tables.

Joseph led his daughter across the room and pulled out her chair. Matilda's eyes caught mine and a devious smirk curled the corners of her mouth. My hands tightened into fists in my lap. This was going to be a long dinner.

Joe and I engaged in the obligatory small talk once the waiter came around and took drink orders. We discussed business, talked about Beckett and his growing family, and I promised to pass along his greetings to Fitz the next time I saw him.

Unfortunately, he was soon pulled into a long conversation with an Irish shipbuilder about the cost of steel. That left Matilda to her own devices, never a good scenario.

"You'll never guess who I ran into earlier," she announced, waiting for me to take the bait.

When I didn't respond she continued. "Amelia St. Clair. Can you believe how small our world is? Weren't you engaged to her at one time?"

Next to me I heard Jana inhale sharply. I could see a myriad of emotions swirling in her eyes. Anger, sadness, and worst of all, resignation.

I reached out to take her hand under the table, but she pulled hers away before I could lace her fingers with mine. Under her breath she hissed, "You were engaged?"

I inhaled, knowing how I handled this would set the tone for the rest of the trip, perhaps even my marriage. "Yes. It was very short lived and years ago."

"How many?"

"Six." I had just turned thirty-two, and I knew I couldn't wait my entire life for the woman who had gotten away. The fantasy of finding Jenny again wasn't enough to keep me warm at night. I wanted a family and I thought at the time what I'd found with Amelia would be enough.

But when it came time to start planning the wedding, I just couldn't do it. The memory of my weeks with Jenny wouldn't let me go. I wished I'd tried harder to find her. If I had, Jenny would still be gone, but Evie wouldn't have had to deal with the death of her grandmother alone.

Matilda perked up and waved at someone across the room. She lowered her arm, and that evil smile graced her mouth again. "I told her to drop by. I hope you don't mind."

Hans leaned forward and glared at her. "Colt told me you were a nasty piece of work, but I don't think I grasped the full scope until just now."

Her mouth opened and closed. Hans made a tsk sound and shook his head at her. "Are you at a loss for words? You were spewing plenty before."

I suppressed a laugh. Hans was growing on me.

He turned to me. "Your ex-fiancée, is she like this one?" he asked jamming his thumb toward Matilda.

How did I answer this question without pissing off my wife? "It's been years, man."

Hans leaned closer to me so we could have some privacy from the rest of our stablemates, especially Jana. "I can run interference, but I'm not offering myself up as a sacrificial lamb if she's like the Wicked Bitch of the West over there."

"Amelia is a good person. Our breakup wasn't her fault. It was all me. I'm sure she's over it now, but I'm afraid I crushed her at the time."

"Well, here she comes. You should introduce me. Maybe we can still salvage some of the evening," he replied, straightening his jacket.

I glanced at Jana out of the corner of my eye. "I don't think that's possible anymore."

* * *

Matilda rose from her seat and air kissed Amelia. "So lovely to see you," Matilda cooed.

Amelia rolled her eyes. "I saw you a few minutes ago."

She turned to me, and a sad smile graced her face. "Hi, Colt. It's been a long time."

I nodded. After six years I didn't expect to ever run into her again. She wasn't into the social circuit, but I guessed with her being a contract lawyer for many of the men in this room it was inevitable this would have happened.

Amelia turned to Jana and then stared at me for an introduction. "Amelia St. Clair, this is my wife, Jana."

"It's nice to meet you," Jana spoke for the first time since we all sat down.

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