Page 7 of Whatever It Takes

“I’m going to turn my music down,” I say before either of them can jump in. “Keep the banging to a minimum and we won’t have problems.”

“Wait, it’s my birthday.” Ana hooks her arm with Jared’s. “Do you think you could like call Loren and have him wish me ahappy birthday. Just really quick. It doesn’t even need to be FaceTime. Hearing his voice would be the literalbestbirthday present ever. I’m a huge fan.”

I glance to her boyfriend.

Jared’s gaze is pleading. Practically saying,come on, man, help me out. Like he wants me to give him points with his girl so he can get a blow job later tonight.

I do have Loren Hale’s number.

My gaze settles on Ana. “I already gave you your birthday present,” I say. “Ask your boyfriend about it.”

I shut the door on them.

Immediately, I go to my stereo, lowering the music to a tolerable level. My ears ring. My head throbs. I collapse on my mattress and stare up at a yellow stain on the ceiling. Seconds later, the EDM starts up next door again. But it’s softer and no longer vibrates my walls and desk.

Willow did the right thing—leaving.

She can’t make real connections here. Everyone eventually recognizes her as Loren Hale’s sister, and in London, she has a chance to fall under the radar.

My phone vibrates.

It’s now almost 3 a.m. Which means it’s almost 8 a.m. in London.

Excitement thrums my veins, thinking it’s her, but when I see the text, it’s worse than a balloon pop. It’s like someone shot a bullet at a blimp.

The person who texted me… It’s my boss.

Connor Cobalt:Meeting tomorrow. 11 a.m. My office.

He attached a screenshot of the drug test I took my first day on the job.

It came back positive.

Fuck.

3PRESENT DAY – September

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

GARRISON ABBEY

Age 20

He shouldn’t have given me this job. It’s what I know as I face the twenty-nine-year-old business titan. Connor Cobalt is the CEO of Cobalt Inc., a company that has a hand in just about everything you can think of. Magnets. Paints.Diamonds.The list goes on and on. One big company owning smaller subsidiaries.

So the day Connor looked at me and said he wanted me to create something for him—I should have rejected the offer. There’s no way this is going any other direction than south.Fast.

I don’t even look like I should be working here.

He fixes the cuffs to his thousand-dollar Armani suit.

I’m wearing black jeans and a hoodie. Though, he did tell me on the first day that I could wear whatever the fuck I wanted. So that’s on him.

His blue eyes collide with mine as he reaches for his coffee. Intimidating is probably too delicate a word to describe this guy. He oozesI’m fucking better than youcharisma. And don’t ask me how it’s charismatic. It should come across like he’s an asshole, but it actually doesn’t.

I don’t get it.

Supreme confidence. That has to be it.