Page 117 of Succumbed

Their answering grins and laughter fill me with an overwhelming sensation of warmth and joy. My smile wide, I turn to Nate as the guys leave the stage. They’d be heading out to our meeting place near the press room before they host a Q&A session on the secondary stage.

Nate reaches out and grips my arm as I go to move past him. “Lex, I…what do I fucking do with this?”

“I tried to warn you.” I keep my voice low, aware of the crowd settling in preparation for the next presentation. “Nate, I don’t care if P&L becomes the best VC in the country. If you and Reginald make fifty times the fortune I do, it won’t bother me. But that product is dangerous.”

I clutch his wrist, squeezing to make my point. “You build schools with that and you’re taking responsibility for the people who use them every day. One heat wave, one high wind warning, and you could find blood on your hands. It could happen in two years or not for twenty–”

“It doesn’t matter,” he insists. “I know it doesn’t matter. The outcome is the same.”

Nodding, I search his gaze. “No payout is worth someone’s life, Nate. Would Reginald agree?”

He steps back, his hand sliding slowly off my arm. Resting my hand on his shoulder briefly, I sigh.

“Good luck, brother. Do me a favor?”

Dazed, he blinks. “Uh, sure. Yeah. What is it?”

Gripping him firmly, I look him square in the eye. “Do the right thing. Whatever it takes, no matter how hard Reginald pushes you to take the easy way out. Even though it’ll be hell…do the right thing.”

“I will.” His jaw clenches as he swallows, eyes fierce. “Lex, I promise you I will.”

Outside the press room, three gorgeous men wait. As one, they turn to watch me approach. They look so happy, so full of joy. I can’t help but smile in response, laughing as Linc rushes forward to sweep me into his arms.

“We did it!” He swings me up and in a circle, releasing me with a soft sigh. “Lex, thank you. I can’t fucking believe it.”

“I can,” I tease, smoothing the rumpled shoulders of his navy suit coat.

“How’d we look?” Linc couldn’t have reminded me more of an eager lap dog if he tried.

“Competent.”

Linc grunts at my teasing, rolling his eyes. Shane laughs, the sound so free and unrestrained it dazzles me. Ever the gentleman, he reaches out and squeezes my hand, though his eyes rake over me with blazing want.

“Linc’s right,” he says softly. “Thank you.”

“That was all you, gentlemen,” I insist.

Turning to Declan, I step into his personal space under the guise of straightening his lapels and tie.

“You were magnificent, Mr. Wilde,” I murmur, looking up at him through my lashes. “How did it feel?”

He rests a hand on my hip, the other tucked into his pocket. “Unbelievable. I can’t…I don’t have the words–”

“I’m proud of you, Declan.”

He stills, his fingers flexing against me as he searches my eyes.

“You’ve overcome so much, worked so hard.” I step back, heart aching at the loss of his touch, but needing to include all of them. “I’m so incredibly proud of each of you. What you’ve accomplished…it’s astonishing. I feel fortunate to simply witness your rise.”

“You need to stop talking,” Linc chokes. “I don’t think it’s in the PR strategy for me to bawl my eyes out in front of the press.”

Laughing, I hug Linc tightly. Truth be told, tears are threatening for me, too.

“Go on.” I lightly push on Linc’s shoulders, pointing him to the press room. “Go bask in their attention.”

“All downhill from here, huh?” Linc grins.

Chuckling, I shake my head. “Oh, sweet summer child. This was the easy part. We get home and the real work begins.”

---