Page 13 of Succumbed

He looks over his shoulder and turns, crossing his arms and slouching against the counter as he faces me. “Dec coming?”

Nodding, I slide onto one of the leather-upholstered barstools.

“He okay?”

Linc looks sideways at me, knowing Dec’s more transparent for me. He takes his role as big brother far too seriously to let Linc see all the cracks in his armor. Always has.

“No.”

“What are we going to do about that?”

I meet his gaze. “Keep going. He’s either going to get on board or walk away.”

“Dec doesn’t walk away.”

“I know.” I incline my head.

The loaded pause is broken by Dec’s heavy footfalls as he enters the room. He glances between us, a small crease forming between his brows. Yes, we’re talking about you.

“What did Athena say?”

Linc straightens, matching his brother’s tension. I push away the discomfort the strain between them causes, refusing to put words to my concerns for our dynamic. It feels fragile for the first time.

“It was a calendar invite. Dinner with Lex in two days.”

Interesting. “Just Lex?”

Linc dips his chin. “The four of us.”

Something about that phrase stirs a memory. I can picture the four of us around the table at Athena with perfect clarity; Declan across from me and Lincoln to my right, with Lex poised at the head of the room. Felt right then and feels right now.

Dec’s fists clench, and I watch as he forces them to relax. “Okay. Did you accept?”

Annoyance flares in Linc’s eyes, but he tamps it down. Atta boy. “Not yet. Wanted to make sure we were aligned.”

“Thank you.”

Linc flashes me a grateful look, then turns back to Declan. “Obviously, I think we should accept.”

Declan swallows, then nods once. “Agreed.”

Linc’s eyebrows climb as he glances at me again, seeking confirmation he heard correctly.

“Same,” I offer.

“Great.” He pulls his phone from his pocket, his thumbs flying across the keyboard. As he finishes, he meets his brother’s eyes. “Done.”

“Good. I’m going to clean up, then let’s talk strategy.” Dec glances my way. “Pizza?”

I smile and duck my head as the last of Linc’s tension leaves his body. “I’ll call it in.”

Dec grunts in thanks before turning on his heel and heading for the stairs. We watch him go, then Linc grins and reaches over for a high five. I chuckle and slap my hand against his, pulling my phone out to place our order. We were far from being back on track, but I’m counting the afternoon as a win. One step at a time.

Chapter 5

Lex

“You trust their data?”

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