Dreams Claimed (Warfield's Landing, #1) by Adeara Allyne

bet you do!”
    “Actually, there are simple things that I can do which frees them or their assistants up to do more important things. Normally, they’d have had a much longer lead time going into the presentation, but in this case, things happened fast and time is very tight. I figure the least I can do is be untrained labor.”
    Something about that last statement buzzed at Daniel, but he couldn’t put his finger on it and her next words pushed it out of his mind.
    “And poor Stevie is going through a tough time. She’s been dating a gallery owner for several years and lately things haven’t been going well. I’m hoping that she’ll wake up and smell the coffee — they never seemed like a very good fit to me, but... I haven’t been able to get her to talk.”
    “That’s a shame. Tell her I said hello.” Stevie had been a good friend and ardent supporter of his little artist and he knew how much her friendship meant to Nic. He hoped things worked out for her. “What’s been going on with your mysterious caller?” Daniel had carefully waited to ask the question. He was extremely concerned, but didn’t want to telegraph his worries to Nic.
    She shrugged. “Pretty much same old same old. I’m documenting everything and there haven’t been any more yelling calls, but it seems like they’re coming more often now. I’m staying in touch with the Alexandria cops, but there isn’t much they can do... So far they haven’t been able to trace the calls.”
    Daniel shook his head, frustrated that he was so far away. “Be careful!”
    Nic looked startled, then smiled. “Don’t worry... I’m being very careful.”
    He had to be content with that.

CHAPTER 17
A week later in New York City, NY
    D aniel sat in CeeCee’s apartment in New York and watched as she stalked back and forth ranting, her voice tight with anger.
    He figured the antique Oriental rug had seen more abuse than this in its hundred plus years, but it still got his sympathy.
    CeeCee and Luke had been his best friends. They provided the support that his family never gave him... ever since they met at boarding school in the 7th grade. They were the new kids, they hadn’t fit in, and more importantly, they hadn’t wanted to.
    It had been the three of them against the world through junior high, high school, college, and law school. He’d gone on for his MBA while the other two started their law careers, but as Luke liked to tease, they hadn’t held the MBA against him.
    “I can’t believe this. I just can’t believe this.” CeeCee’s voice was tight.
    She’d had been through a rough time recently.
    At the reading of her husband’s will, a younger woman had appeared out of nowhere, figuratively speaking. No one knew what her relationship had been with the deceased, especially his new widow. The unknown woman received a major bequest, but the bigger insult in CeeCee’s mind was that she’d also been given a seat on the board of Jamie’s Foundation. Neither he nor Luke had been able to attend the reading of the will, something which they regretted after it turned out to be such a difficult time for CeeCee.
    CeeCee had voiced her suspicions that the woman had had an affair with her husband, but Daniel preferred to reserve judgment for the moment. He hadn’t met the mysterious woman, and didn’t know anything about her, but he did know CeeCee’s husband. Jamie’d been a major asshole at times, but he’d loved CeeCee deeply.
    Right now, Daniel wasn’t quite sure what had set CeeCee off, but he figured she’d be sharing with him shortly... and in exquisite detail.
    When she spun around and put her hands on her hips, he knew he was about to find out.
    “Glenn called me. THAT WOMAN has asked for a special meeting of the Foundation.”
    Daniel put on his earnestly interested face.
    “It seems” her voice dripped with sarcasm, “that she has a PROPOSAL to make.”
    A tall, beautiful blonde, CeeCee could strike fear in men’s hearts,