Page 57 of Risk
The wave of exhales and sagging shoulders makes me feel even worse.
I haven’t told them that the deal is practically done. That the paperwork was drawn and most of it is already signed. And I won’t say a fucking word until all parties complete the last documents and I have copies of everything in my possession. Disappointment hurts when things fall through at the last minute. That level of letdown is nothing compared to what we have riding on this deal.
If all goes well, I’ll be a very rich man. And so will my three best friends, who took a chance and trusted me to make some bold expansions with my company, using their money to do it.
Gage, Kerrington, and Landon took every dime they had and let me work magic with it. They’re tight lipped, trustworthy, and terrified that this big risk will cost us everything. I refuse to let that happen. BanditFX might be my company, but it wasn’t built without the support of these three men sitting with me right now.
My cell goes off again.
I don’t even want to look. If it’s Leah, I’ll crack. If it’s Nicole again, I’ll explode. And if it’s my pain in the ass mother or sister, I’m going to toss my phone into on-coming traffic. Very few people have my personal cell number, so the list of possibilities is short.
“Answer it,” Kerrington demands.
Sweat blooms down my back as I pull my cell out and stare at the screen. It’s a New York area code.
But it’s not my mother’s number.
It’s…
I answer fast and keep my head down. “Mason Finch.” I stare at the table because I can’t meet the eyes of my colleagues until I know for sure that we’re golden.
“Mason, it’s Harris.” Loud music plays in the background, making him hard to hear. “The documents are all signed. My secretary should have emailed everything to you.” More loud noises and people laughing and screaming fill my ears as Harris yells, “Anyway, everything’s in order. It’s been a pleasure doing business with you.”
He hangs up.
Holding my breath, I pull up my email and open the documents, just to be sure. It’s all there. Everything we’ve negotiated. Everything we’ve hoped for.
I look up and the first set of eyes I see are Landon’s. “We got it.” I look at Kerrington next. “It’s done.” I beam a big cheesy smile at Gage. “He’s signed everything.”
The four of us let out with a chorus of yells and howls—just like we used to after every success we celebrated together in college.
“Holy fucking shit, man. I can’t believe we did it!” Gage falls into his chair and buries his face in his hands. “We’re rich.”
“Filthy rich,” Kerrington laughs. “Jesus, I feel like I’m floating. Are my feet touching the ground?”
“I can’t hear you, my ears are ringing,” Landon drops into his chair. “I think I’m going to pass out.”
A billion dollars will do that to a person.
Kerrington marches over to the sideboard, where glasses and a pitcher of water sit. “Why can’t this be vodka? We can’t toast with water.”
“I think if I drink alcohol right now, I’ll throw it up.” Gage pales. “I have no clue how to handle this level of success.”
“We should buy a boat,” Ker says.
“Fuck that.” Landon grins. “We should buy a whole ass island.”
“I can’t feel my face.” Gage slaps his cheeks. “Being rich is making me numb.”
I grip his shoulders and squeeze. “Get used to it, man. Because this is just the beginning.” Splitting a billion-dollar payout is only the start for us. My first taste of blood turned me into an animal desperate for more of it. Now my three friends are experiencing the same thing.
“Thank you,” Kerrington says from across the table. “Fuck, Mason. Thank you.”
“I’m the one who’s grateful here. If you guys hadn’t trusted me with your money, I wouldn’t have had the resources to pull any of this off.”
“Who would have thought BanditFX would go from a simple cyber company to…”
“A multifaceted tech empire that’s about to give Google a run for its money? Me. It was me.” Landon puffs up with pride. “Totally me.”