Seeking Justice (2 page)

Chapter Two

T
he taxi pulls to the curb in front of an imposing three-story, limestone residence. A freaking
huge
stately home. The pictures Valerie showed me of the Justice House were a poor representation of this elegant building. With its old world charm, it looks as if it might have been transported from some European country. I pay the driver and step out onto the sidewalk, looking up and down the street. The neighborhood is a mix of old mansions and high-rise apartments. This is some serious real estate. Surely this isn’t right. Before shutting the door, I lean down looking back into the taxi.

“Are you sure this is the address I gave you, the right street?”

“Yes miss. North State Parkway.”

Damn.

I close the cab door and turn back to the imposing house. A wrought iron fence that is probably eight feet high encloses the large corner double lot that the estate occupies. I press the intercom located by the gate. I hear a click and then raise the latch that lets only one side of the double iron gates open and I slip through before latching it back. I take a deep breath and look up. This is an incredible home. Well, actually—sex club. I don’t think anyone is using it as a home. I look around again, wondering how many of the neighbors are aware of the kinky sexcapades that happen here. I feel a little uneasy thinking about how my boss has involved me in this crap. And not for the first time I wonder what exactly does go on in a place such as this. I snort. A place such as this!

My eyes take in the magnificent building. It’s a beauty with its Palladian and stained glass windows. Wide steps fan out from the large, imposing double front doors, and it’s these steps I ascend to the top. A large brass plaque states that this is
The
House of Justice
. I roll my eyes. There’s a smaller plaque that says,
Ring Bell
, which I do, and I wait.

After several minutes, I’m considering if I should ring the bell again when the door opens. A young woman steps forward, smiling pleasantly. She’s very pretty. I guess a few years older than me and dressed smartly in a black pantsuit with a pristine white blouse. Her short blonde corkscrew curls are held back on either side of her head with clips, and her hazel eyes are bright and friendly as she holds her hand out to me.

“Caitlyn?”

“Yes.”

“Hi! I’m Holly Phillips,” Her soft drawl is appealing and her handshake firm. I immediately like her.

“I’m so sorry to leave you standing out here.” She holds the door wide, motioning for me to enter. “I was all the way at the back of the house with a delivery.” She turns and strides across the large entrance hall, her heels clicking on the highly polished wood floor. “I’m not sure where Liam is, probably upstairs, and heaven forbid that he would tear himself away from his video game. One of these days, I’m going to blow that Xbox up, and then we’ll have three grown men crying in their beers!” She laughs as if that is a pleasant thought. “If you’ll follow me we’ll go back to where we can sit and visit.”

I follow slowly as I gaze around the impressive entrance hall that opens up into a rotunda. Looking up, I see railing that goes around each of the upper levels. My gaze then continues up to the stained glass dome.
Damn
. The halls crowning glory though is its massive staircase with intricate wood carvings that leads up to the next level.

Taking in the décor as I follow Holly, we travel deeper into the interior of the grand old home. I find it rich and over the top extravagant. Deep-jeweled colors used throughout are visually appealing and the original woodwork gleams with a beautifully aged patina.

We come to the area where the restaurant is located, and the décor is no different here.There is an abundance of dark wood, rich wall tapestries, and floor to ceiling windows that look out onto the immaculate grounds of the estate. A large crystal chandelier, hangs from the ceiling in the middle of the room, with additional crystal sconces placed at intervals along the walls of the dining room. To the right of the doorway, is the bar area, sectioned off from the dining room by the positioning of four large wooden pillars. It gives the illusion of the bar being its own room but still part of the dining area. Catty corner of the bar is an area with comfortable looking chairs positioned near a large fireplace and a lovely baby grand piano.

There are two men sitting at the bar talking to who I assume is the bartender since he’s behind the counter. He looks up, and I return his smile.

There are no diners in the dining room at this time of day. The tables have already been set up for the evening meal with long white tablecloths, sparkling crystal, gleaming silverware, and what I am sure is fine china. There are candles everywhere waiting to be lit, and I can imagine the effect when the lights are low with dozens of candles giving off their romantic ambiance. It is a beautiful room.

I look around as I follow Holly to a cleared table, noticing three men at a table farther back near the windows. Holly sits and motions for me to do the same.

“Would you like something to drink?” she asks politely.

“No, thank you.”

I sit facing the men at the back table, and I look up to notice that they have stopped their conversation and are looking our way. My gaze meets the most incredible blue eyes, and at that moment, my world flips topsy-turvy. I think I forget to breathe as his intense, clear blue gaze holds mine captive. He is unbelievably attractive, model-gorgeous even. His dark hair, cut short and left a little longer on top, looks as if he just runs his fingers through it to style. I have the immediate thought that I’d like to run my fingers through his hair, my fingernails against his scalp. Light stubble covers his jawline, and I wonder if it’s soft. It looks soft. How would it feel against my neck, my…

Someone needs to flip the switch to my brain back on as I hear Holly say my name. I can tell when I reluctantly pull my gaze to hers that she has said my name more than once.

“Are you okay?” Her voice sounds more amused than concerned.

I glance back to the far table and I’m aware that two of the men stand to leave, but I only have eyes for the guy that remains seated, still looking intently at me. He speaks to the other two, but his gaze never leaves mine.

“Caitlyn.” Holly reaches over to touch my arm, and I start guiltily. I’ve been caught staring at the pretty for too long.

“I’m sorry! Sorry.” I feel myself blush. Holly’s expression is now amused. She scoots her chair over a little, effectively blocking a clear view of the far table, and I dare not look past her. I need to pull myself together before I royally screw this interview up.

“You can call me, Cait.” I clear my throat. “I go by Cait.”

“Okay, Cait, tell me a little about you.” Holly looks up from her iPad, her expression friendly and sincere, my indiscretion forgiven.

I can’t help myself. I glance over Holly’s shoulder taking a quick peek at the exceedingly handsome man who seems very interested in our conversation. My eyes collide with his bright blue orbs.
He is freaking gorgeous!
I tear my gaze away and take a deep breath, mentally shaking myself.

“Well… I grew up an only child in a suburb outside of St. Louis. I attended college—Washington University—decided I needed something more than how my life seemed planned out for me and… here I am. I discovered with my last position that I enjoy working in the restaurant and hotel industry, so I’m planning to start restaurant management classes in the fall.”

“Well, this would be a good experience for you.” Holly gives me an encouraging smile.

“Yes it would,” I murmur, noticing over Holly’s shoulder that the blue-eyed charmer has a slight smile on his lips. I wonder what he finds amusing.

“I contacted your previous employer, and he had nothing but good things to say about you.” I smile, amazed once again at Valerie’s far reach. “How did you like working for Peter Yarsdale?”

Oh no!
How well does she know the guy? Not that it matters, I’m sure my cover is secure.

“I enjoyed working with Peter very much. I learned a lot in my time at The Carriage House.”

“The Carriage House is a wonderful restaurant,” Holly replies.

“Yes, it is.”

Holly has several more questions to ask, and I do my best, but it is disconcerting, feeling the eyes of the man on me. He seems to be listening to everything we say, and my gaze frequently strays in his direction. At one point, Holly has to repeat the question and then she looks over her shoulder, back at Mr. Beautiful.

I’m able to control myself for a bit, but then my gaze slides over Holly’s shoulder and flicks right back when I see that he is still watching me. What the hell is his problem?

“The position of hostess is a little different here at the Justice.” Holly pulls my attention back. “You would be expected to be more of a Concierge assisting our members. Your various duties would involve taking reservations, overseeing the restaurant and entry into the nightclub. You would also make certain that our members receive the best dining experience The Justice has to offer. Any request from a member, you would address directly or relay the request to the appropriate department.”

“What type of request might that be?” I hope I sound curious and not suspicious. I need to make sure that their idea of hostess duties are the same as mine.

“It could be anything from acquiring theater tickets to making hotel reservations for an out of town member.”

Okay, I can do that sort of thing.

“You will rotate shifts with Tansy.”

I like the way she says, you will.

Holy crap! Has he moved his chair?

He
has
moved his chair, giving us a clear view of each other once again. He’s still staring, and for some unfathomable reason, as I look into those intense blue eyes, I feel myself blush.

“The day shift covers breakfast and lunch, although breakfast is room service only.”

Room service?

Holly continues, unaware of the guy’s chair games. “The evening shift covers dinner and the nightclub. You and Tansy will work closely together, and with a bit of luck, you’ll provide for most of our members needs before they have to ask.” She looks up at this point to witness my flushed face.

With a heavy sigh, she turns in her chair. “Dude! Do you mind? We’re trying to do an interview here.”

Blue eyes raises his hand and makes a gesture for her to continue, his eyes still locked on mine.

Holly turns around with a sigh. “I’m sorry. I’ve known him forever, and sometimes I forget the effect he has on women.”

I glance quickly at him. He takes a sip of his drink, holding my gaze over the rim of the glass. I want to ask how she avoids drooling all over him, but maybe she has her own drool-worthy hunk at home since she wears a set of wedding rings.

“Would you like to trade places with me?”

Riiight. I’m so aware of this guy, I’m not sure that would even help.

When he suddenly stands, my eyes follow him up. He’s tall and broad-shouldered but lean. His t-shirt fits close, outlining an awe worthy chest with pecs defined against the thin material. His arms are nicely muscled, his stomach flat, and his snug jeans hint at muscular legs. When he’s abreast of our table, I look up into sharp blue eyes. He breaks eye contact to look at Holly, and I catch his slight headshake.

What?
What’s he shaking his head for?

As he passes our table, I catch a whiff of his masculine scent, and my stomach muscles clench. I watch him walk away; the fit of his jeans snugs his ass just right. He looks like something you’d want to lick and savor on all day.

What the hell is wrong with me?
I mentally shake myself. I don’t usually have thoughts like this, but this guy is causing a reaction in me that’s definitely out of character.

“Cait.” I turn my attention back to Holly. “I need to step away for just a moment. Do you mind?”

“No, it’s fine.” I watch as she follows in the direction of the blue-eyed Adonis. Holy crap! Who is that guy? A member? My tummy feels funny at that thought. Surely he’s not a member since Holly called him
Dude
. I read up a little the night before about sex clubs, and if he is a member he probably has sex with any number of women every day. Kinky sex. Someone who looks like him…

The clicking of Holly’s heels announces her return, and she’s not alone. They stop at the bar where she and Mr. Good-looking exchange words, and then she’s headed my way with an annoyed expression on her face.

“Sorry about that, Cait.”

“No problem,” I answer, looking back toward the bar. I gasp softly when my eyes connect with vivid blue.
Damn.

“Cait, I really don’t want to interview anyone else, I think you’re perfect, and I’d like to offer you the hostess position.”

Wow.
Could it really be that easy?

“Thank you, Holly. I would love to work here.”
I hope my nose doesn’t grow.

“Perfect.” She opens a file that has been lying on the table and pulls out a sheaf of papers. “First off, you will need to sign a nondisclosure agreement.”

Son-of-a-bitch!
I hope she doesn’t notice my dismay as I quickly compose myself. Is this something Valerie has considered? Does an NDA hold up in court if you’re an investigator on a story? Will the NDA apply to Liam Justice or just members?

“I hope that’s not a problem?” Holly asks, watching me closely.

“Not at all,” I respond. “But I am a little surprised. Why would a hostess need to sign a nondisclosure agreement?” Of course, I know why, I just want to hear what she has to say.

“We have members whose privacy is extremely important to them, so our top priority is to protect that privacy. After you sign, I will go into more detail.” She gives me a steady look. “At that point, you may choose to reconsider the job offer.”

I raise my eyebrows. I wonder how many have “reconsidered” after discovering what type of establishment the Justice House really is.

“Fair enough.”

“Good. So we’ll move on to Lara Bruen’s office, and let her notarize your signature.”

Holly shuffles the papers back into the file, and as we walk across the room, I glance at the bar to see that another guy has joined blue eyes. They both watch our progress as we leave the beautiful dining room.