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“Why are you here?” Colter asked, ignoring Jerry.
Jerry clenched his jaw and balled his fists, irritated at being ignored.
I glanced at Jerry before making eye contact with Colter again. When I did, the same electric current ran down my spine as a moment ago. It was unnerving to look into his eyes.
Jerry had been right—I had to be careful of this guy, but not for the reasons he’d stated. A man with eyes like those and a presence this powerful would get a girl like me insomuch trouble, and it was completely carnal.
“I’m here to bring coffee and take notes,” I echoed Jerry’s words.
“Really?” Colter asked with a frown. God, that only made him more handsome. “Did you replace Denise?”
“Well, no,” I said and lifted my hand to my pendant, only realizing I was doing it when I was halfway. I dropped my hand again, clutching onto my tablet and documents instead to anchor me. “I’m a researcher, normally. Just not… now. I started this because I want to make a difference, save lives. Isn’t that why any of us are in this business?”
“Who did you lose?” Colter asked.
I swallowed hard. “I beg your pardon?”
“No one talks about saving lives unless there’s a life they couldn’t save before. Jerry only ever talks about money. Isn’t that right, Jerry?” He glanced at my boss. His tone was flippant, but his eyes were hard.
“Well, without money, we can’t do things that will make a difference, so—”
Colter waved his hand, and Jerry shut his mouth. I’d never seen him back down so easily. He’d told me to fear Colter, but it looked like he was the one who feared him.
“What’s your name?” Colter asked.
“Liv.”
“Life.”
“What?” I asked with a frown.
“That’s what your name means, doesn’t it?”
I nodded slowly.
“Beautiful,” he said.
Another rush of warmth washed over me at his words.
“You don’t belong here,” he added, and those words were clipped.
My jaw dropped, his words wiping away any trace of warmth.
“Excuse me?” I asked, anger rising to the surface where I’d been flattered a moment ago.
Colter turned away from me, giving me his back. Jerry gave me a pointed look, and I bit my tongue and swallowed the slew of insults I’d wanted to throw right back at Colter. Who the hell did he think he was?
I had every right to be here. I’d worked hard to get where I was.
He knew nothing about me. I was exactly where I belonged—this was the steppingstone to the rest of my life, and I would fight tooth and nail to get what was coming to me, even if it meant sticking it out with assholes like Jerry… and Colter, clearly.
“Let’s get down to business, shall we?” Colter said and sat down. “Jerry, you know my associates, Mykel and Lazlo.” He pointed to the two men. Mykel—the guy with the beard—looked like a playboy. He had a charming smile and an easy way about him, leaning in his chair with a boyish arrogance and a permanent smirk on his face.
Lazlo, on the other hand, looked like he wanted to prove something, and like he would succeed. Despite being the shortest of the three men, his attitude was challenging, and I didn’t doubt he could back it up with action. I wasn’t sure what their roles were in the company, but they both looked like they demanded respect.
All of them had an air of importance about them, and until a moment ago, I would have said that at least Colter deserved that respect.
I’d changed my mind. He was drop-deadgorgeous, but looks didn’t mean shit if you didn’t have the common decency to back it up, and Colter was clearly an asshole right from the word ‘go.’
