Page 47 of Succumbed

He glowers. “No. You heard me.”

“I expected you to play Devil’s advocate more staunchly than that, Van.”

He grunts. “Maybe you’ve rubbed off on me.”

“Me?” I chuckle. “I’d wager it’s your wife’s influence more than mine.”

A soft smile curls his lips, one I only saw when he thought or spoke of Cami. “You might be right.”

Sighing, I gather both of our glasses and sit them on the lower shelf of the bar cart. “So, I need to set a meeting with Nate.”

“Unfortunately. Don’t want a paper trail unless you’re ready for it to be public knowledge.”

“I wish I didn’t have to contingency plan for communications with my own fucking family,” I mutter, returning to the armchair.

“You deserve better,” Van snarls.

“We can agree on that.” I roll my shoulders back, physically shaking off the pall of my family. “While we’re on a related topic, things are going well for Solum.”

Van takes the topic change in stride, swallowing his ire. For now. “I’ve heard good things from Parker.”

“He and the team have done well. They’ve gone a long way to deepen trust with the partners.”

“You’ll be comfortable handing the account over after the Summit?”

“Absolutely, Parker’s earned it.”

While the statement is true, the thought of handing the account over in its entirety feels…wrong. We’re only a month in, but I can’t quite imagine my weeks without meetings with Linc, Shane, and Declan. It was more than the company on my runs, more than the sex–though that was certainly a plus. The seamlessness of how we worked together had a strong ripple effect. I’d had more proper meals in the last month than in the three months prior. I was sleeping better, and I felt more fit than I had in my twenties.

“I’m glad to hear it.” Van’s voice draws me out of my thoughts. “I think Parker’s going to build our sustainability portfolio, then strike out on his own.”

I cross my arms slowly. “Makes sense. Any idea of timeframe?”

“Three to five years.”

“Do we have a succession plan? He’ll leave big shoes to fill.”

“I’m working on it.”

“Good.” I stand, stretching my arms over my head. “On that note, I’m sure Miles is about to barge in here and send me off to my next meeting.”

Van follows and walks to the door, pausing with a hand on the doorframe. “You and Cami may have rubbed off on me, but you still don’t owe Nate shit. If you don’t want to speak to him, don’t.”

“I know. I’m sure it won’t be a highlight of my week, but I’ll sleep better knowing my integrity is intact.”

“You want company?”

My expression softens. “No, Van, but thank you. I’ve been handling Nate since we were in diapers. He doesn’t scare me.”

Van scoffs. “He shouldn’t. But if you think he’s going to get nasty without a buffer, I’ll be there.”

“Nate’s liable to be nastier if I bring you,” I chuckle. “He’s well aware of your disdain for him.”

He nods. “I’m glad. Let me know how it goes.”

“I will.”

As Van heads toward his office, I settle back in my chair. I glance at my phone and am surprised to see far more text notifications than normal.

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