Page 91 of Succumbed

My jaw drops as Linc grins, clapping in victory. Before we can celebrate, Lex continues.

“Yes, it’s wonderful news. We’ll celebrate when we have time.” She gives me a hard look. “Declan, since we’re so close to the Summit and I’m unwilling to derail my team’s entire schedule to meet your timeline, you get your wish. You have creative agency over your speech. Let’s hear it.”

Panic rises. “What, now?”

She tilts her head, sipping her wine. “Yes, now. It’s the last opportunity for me to hear it and give feedback before we fly to Paris.”

“So we’ll do it on the plane.”

“We’ll do it now, Declan. Or I won’t be on the fucking plane.” Her voice is steely.

“I don’t have my notes.”

“Just speak from the heart, right?”

I growl under my breath as she smiles at me while she throws my words back in my face. This is not how I expected tonight to go. The plan was to push her away, to frustrate her enough that she’d leave it to Linc and Shane to manage me so I got the distance I needed. Not to flounder my way through a speech I’ve avoided for weeks.

It’s not that I don’t want to go to the Summit or officially launch Solum, but I’m struggling to put words to what our technology can be. We dreamed of achieving something great for so long, but it had always been an intangible thing on the horizon. In the weeks leading up to the Summit, everything became real. And in my overwhelm and worry over Lex and Anne-Marie–who is too fucking quiet, I don’t trust it–the inspirational and strategic ideas to rouse a crowd were elusive at best.

“Or we could start with an outline,” Lex offers, her voice gentle. “Start there and work up to the full story.”

The gratitude is evident on my face. It has to be because her lips curve into the slightest smile when I look up at her.

“We’ve got this,” she says. “We, Declan. The four of us. Together, we’ve got this.”

Shane and Linc are looking at me, but I keep my attention on Lex..

“Together,” I say gruffly. I add the next word to mask the emotion welling in my throat. “Fine.”

I can almost hear Lex’s eyes roll as she sets her wine down and pulls her laptop from her bag.

“Dude,” Linc chastises before taking a long pull of his beer.

“At least it’s progress.” Shane eyes me, a mischievous glint to his expression. “Better than jealousy.”

I’m gonna fucking kill him.

Chapter 26

Shane

“Got a minute?”

Declan pauses at the top of the stairs to the basement for a long moment before he turns to me.

“Can I refuse?”

“No.” Come to Jesus time, buddy.

He rolls his eyes. “Then, sure, Shane. I’ve got a minute.”

I nod. “Great. Let’s go.”

He frowns as I walk toward the garage. “Where are we going?”

“It’s five o’clock somewhere, right?” I say over my shoulder.

“That’s what they say.” He scoffs as he trails after me. “Just the two of us?”

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