Page 4 of Succumbed

Linc

“You need to check your attitude, Dec.”

My brother, Declan, continues to stare out the windshield of his Tesla Model S, refusing to turn my way.

“Linc’s right,” Shane adds, his deep voice quiet and commanding. The rock of our family, we can always count on him to smooth things over and keep the peace.

My older brother ignores us. For all of Shane’s talents as our fixer, even he couldn’t rival Dec’s stubbornness. Dec had gotten it in his head to resist outsiders at all costs, and it wasn’t going to be easy to convince him otherwise.

I watch the tension filling his shoulders and straining the muscles in his neck as frustration wells, hot and prickly. I huff a sigh and flop back in my seat. Shane stares out the front passenger window, the only sign of his annoyance the light tap of his fingertips against the door.

“And you call us childish,” I mutter. It’s passive-aggressive and I’ll hear about it from Declan later, but his only response is a clenched jaw.

“We discussed this,” Shane rumbles. “We see it through. All of us.”

I send a pointed look at my brother to drive our friend’s point home, but Dec doesn’t turn to see it. Asshole. Even though we’d all made mistakes in the last few years, Dec insisted on bearing the lion’s share of the guilt. If things had gone according to plan, we would’ve launched a revolutionary product last year, instead of floundering to pick up the pieces after being betrayed.

Wincing internally as my thoughts stray to Anne-Marie, I give up on Dec. He’ll either step up once we get to Athena Ventures for our pitch meeting, or he won’t. Either way, I know Shane and I will make the most of the opportunity.

We’d visited the Athena offices before. I was shocked we’d secured a second meeting, given the way our first (and last) encounter ended. But when the 15-minute calendar appointment came through, I didn’t question it.

As the top venture capital firm in the Bay, Athena can afford to be demanding. Startups they invest in have revolutionized entire industries. Athena has a reputation for being tough but fair, with a portfolio a mile deep. And we deserve to be part of it, damnit.

Three years ago, getting on Athena’s roster was our main goal. I can still remember the disbelieving grin on Dec’s face when he walked into the lab to tell us we’d booked a meeting with Athena’s executive team. Shane had laughed in surprise as I jumped and hollered. We’d been so sure it meant a turning point for us, for the dream we’d started building as four young grad students. Maybe we can salvage it now.

We pull into a parking space and Dec exits without a word, the sound of his door slamming bringing my thoughts back to the present.

“Fuck’s sake,” I scoff as Shane and I follow after him.

“We’ll be fine,” Shane mutters, straightening the cuffs of his button-down as he rounds the back of the car.

Why he insists on hiding all that ink under business attire, I’ll never know. Our friend was a juxtaposition in the flesh–quiet and unassuming in a crowd, but the most dominant motherfucker I’d ever met behind closed doors. He also wore business casual like a second skin most days, while I felt like an asshole imposter in my button down and slacks. Can’t wait to get back in my basketball shorts.

I give Shane a nod and try to channel his endless calm, resisting the urge to reach for the ball cap I’m not wearing. We have a lot riding on the next thirty minutes, and I suspect Dec is too in his head to rally. His pride can't handle that we're walking back into Athena with our tails between our legs. But it's his damn dream we're chasing, and I refuse to watch it fail when we have a chance to turn everything around–even if that chance is slim to none.

“Welcome to Athena Ventures,” a perky blonde at the front desk greets us as we enter the lobby. “Do you have an appointment?”

Dec remains silent, arms crossed as he gazes impassively at her. I step forward, a smile on my lips.

“We do. With Ms. Livingston.”

Her eyes shift from Dec’s stormy countenance to my friendly one. “Lovely! I’ll let her office know you’re here. What’s the name?”

“Wilde. Lincoln Wilde.”

“Alright, Mr. Wilde. Take a seat and someone will be with you shortly.”

“Thank you.”

I turn to find Dec standing by the plush chairs in the waiting area, arms still crossed. Shane folds himself into a chair facing the office, his watchful gaze tracking the few people we can see.

“This is a waste of time,” Dec mutters, sharp green eyes meeting mine as I draw close.

“We don’t know that,” I retort, raising my eyebrows in a silent warning to be nice for fuck’s sake.

He looks away with a scoff as I fight the urge to knock some sense into him. He might be the older one, but he’s acting like a toddler.

“Mr. Wilde,” a haughty voice calls.