Page 78 of Gather the Storm

He held out his hand and I shook it.

“I am.”

“Piers Cantwell,” he said. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

And now I knew why his face was so familiar: this was Gray’s dad, the guy who’d bought the land from my father.

“Oh my gosh!” I was flustered now that I’d realized he was my boss. Like, my real boss. “I almost plastered you with salad.”

He chuckled. “Consider me unplastered. Are you settling in okay? Everyone making you feel welcome?”

I nodded. “Definitely. I appreciate the opportunity.”

“Your dad tells me you’re interested in design?”

“Um… yeah.” I almost had to pick my jaw up off the floor. My dad hadn’t exactly been supportive of my ambition. “Just… you know, a hobby.”

“Hobbies are great starting points for careers,” he said. “I’ll instruct Diana to have you sit in on the design meetings.”

“Wow, really?” I smiled up at him. “That’s… that’s amazing. Thank you.”

“Nurturing young talent is an important part of my job,” he said. “We have to drop the ladder behind us, not pull it up.”

Was this guy for real? No wonder Gray was so nice.

“I really appreciate that, Mr. Cantwell,” I said.

He smiled. “Please, Mr. Cantwell is my father. It’s just Piers.”

I nodded. “Piers. Well, I better get back to work. It was nice meeting you.”

I hurried back to my office, euphoria carrying me along like a magic carpet. I’d thought working at Cantwell would be boring, a necessary evil to get the renovation done, but now it was looking like it might actually be a launch pad for the career I’d always wanted.

It had been less than a week since I’d left home and already my life was seeming bigger, more full of possibilities. I was living with three smoking-hot (albeit allegedly off-limit) guys, working with a young, successful one, and had just had a major career door opened by one of the world’s most successful men, an older man who seemed way more supportive than my own father.

It was exhilarating until I remembered the details: I still had to figure out what had happened between the Beasts and Blake the night of his murder. Oh, and I had a stalker.

But why get caught up in the details?

I returned to my office and sat down at my desk. I was stirring the dressing into my salad when Gray appeared in the doorway, bracing himself on either side the way he did when he wanted to say something real quick.

“We’re going out for drinks after work,” he said. “Want to join?”

I wasn’t old enough to drink, but that wasn’t the reason I hesitated. I was thinking about Wolf and Otis back at the house.

About Jace.

Because apparently I was a masochist.

“Ah, come on!” Gray said with a grin. “You have to come. It’s team building!”

He was right. I was only here two days a week and it was important to develop good relationships with my coworkers. I wasn’t going to do that by clocking out at five and rushing home to the three guys who’d probably murdered my brother.

I smiled. “I’ll be there.”

Maybe hanging out with my office mates would help me keep things in perspective with the Beasts.

“Great!”

---