Free Breathless by Emily Snow, Heidi McLaughlin, Aleatha Romig, Tijan, Jessica Wood, Ilsa Madden-Mills, Skyla Madi, J.S. Cooper, Crystal Spears, K.A. Robinson, Kahlen Aymes, Sarah Dosher

then get the hell out of there.
    The moment I got the call from the company’s corporate headquarters offering me a job, I turned in my notice at the agency I’d been working at and set up my life in L.A. so quickly, my head was still reeling from the whirlwind apartment search and ensuing move.
    I thought I was ready.
    Except now, I got the impression Pen was having second thoughts. Why else would she have surprised me by showing up at my door first thing this morning? Las Vegas wasn’t exactly a hop and a skip away.
    “Pen,” I spoke up, my voice barely audible, “I understand if you can’t help me.” She had already done so much for me I couldn’t imagine asking for more. Scooting forward on the couch, I covered her fingers with mine and gave them a firm squeeze. “I know how angry Linc will be if he finds out you’re hacking again.”
    At the mention of her older brother, she jerked out of my grip and narrowed her slate blue eyes. “Don’t even go there, Gem. The only way he’ll find out anything is if you tell him. And if you do, I’ll hurt you.” But she bit the corner of her lip teasingly. “Besides, I’m like Lisbeth Salander and Neal Caffrey mixed up in one big-boobed package. I’m not worried at all—at least not about myself.”
    My eyebrow jerked up in confusion. “Neal Caffrey and Lisbeth Salander?” I purposely ignored her concern for me. Combined with my own doubts, they were probably enough to do me in.
    “They’re—” Tilting her head to the side, she changed her direction and said, “You know what? They don’t matter right now.” She hooked her hand around my slim upper arm and drew us both to our full height, mine just a couple inches shy of her five-foot-six. It was a lame running joke between us that she was always two ahead of me—two months older, two cup sizes bigger, and two inches taller.
    “What matters is that you need to get through E & T’s security, then march your ass to HR and pick up your badge—”
    Every muscle in my body tensed as she essentially gave me a rundown of the message I’d received from the human resources director. “You hacked my email,” I groaned, palming the bridge of my nose for a few seconds. “Dammit, Pen, really?”
    She stepped backwards, her thin silver bangles clanging together as she threw up her hands defensively. “Calm your tits, woman! I just logged into the Lizzie email. I mean, I set it up, remember?” At the shallow jerk of my head, she said, “Look, I’m just staying in the loop ... if you still want to go through with it, of course.”
    “I’m not backing down.” Darting past her, I strode around the couch and across my open living room to the front door; my nude Michael Kors pumps a heavy drum on the laminate planks. Time was not on my side this morning, and arguing wouldn’t help.
    Pausing at the table in the foyer, I glanced up at the framed mirror hanging directly in front of me. I caught Pen’s reflection—her arms crossed stubbornly over her chest and her Jolie-esque lips worked together in a frown—and I plastered on a self-assured smile.
    “Whenever you ask me if I’m still going through with working at E & T to get closer to Margaret, you know I’m going to counter with this: I have to get into that company. I haven’t gotten anything done since I received that call, and I won’t accomplish much else until I get this out of my system.”
    Her mouth parted in response, but I powered on. “I know the risk I’m taking. But I just need to know if there’s any truth to—” I gripped the table in support, the blunt angles digging into my palms. “My dad left me nothing. It hurt like hell then, but I brushed it off because I was a child. Now, I want to know why. It’s not about the money. I just need to know if something changed.”
    “Just wanted to make sure.” Resigned, she snatched the remote from the ottoman and threw herself on the couch, her mid-back length hair hanging over the armrest.