Page 58 of Risk
Gage shakes his head, laughing. “Weren’t you the one who wanted to invest in Facebook?”
“Don’t talk about the book of faces in my presence,” Kerrington fake shivers. “I’m still scarred from college.”
Laughter fills the room and I’m so goddamn happy I could fly.
This deal didn’t just bring us to the next level of business, it’s opened doors and new possibilities for each of us.
And now I finally have the freedom I’ve always craved.
“Gotta go, boys.” I beeline for the exit.
“Hey wait! Where are you going?” Kerrington tosses his hands up. “We have to celebrate!”
“I’ll see you all at dinner tonight. Cancel everything for the rest of the day.”
“What about a press conference?” Gage argues. “This deal is huge for the tech world, Mason. There’s going to be publicity about it.”
“You can handle it.” I have every confidence in all three of them to say and do the right thing in front of an audience. “Besides, you’re prettier than me.”
“Mason, you’re the owner of BanditFX. We’re silent partners. We can’t just show up and start talking.”
Shit, they’re right. BanditFX is my baby, not theirs. And this deal might have been for all of us, but it’s my face, my name, my reputation that’s been in the spotlight all along. “Set it up and send me the info. I’ll be there.”
Just as I swing open the door to leave, Landon shouts, “Dinner is still at eight, right?”
“Yeah!” I yell over my shoulder.
Running out of the building, I call Leah first, but it goes straight to voicemail. I try two more times and leave messages, plus a text, and still, I get no response. I’ve just had the best news of my life and I want her to be the first person I share it with.
Sounds crazy, I know. But Leah will be thrilled for me. Not jealous or petty or threatened or snobby or basically any of the things my siblings would be. Jesus, my brother is going to have an aneurism when he finds out.
My cheeks hurt from the smile on my face. My chest is tight. It’s hard to breathe. Generational wealth is great, but there are always so many strings. I’m cutting them all, immediately. I’ve secured my future and can walk away from my family now.
It’s what I’ve always wanted. Yes, I love my family, but I don’t like them. The feeling’s mutual, trust me. Grace might be the only exception to that rule, but even she makes me question her motives half the time when she’s being sweet.
Could I have ditched the Finch family and lived on an average salary? Yes. Did I want to? Absofuckinglutely not. I like having the finer things in life. And I am willing to bust my ass to get them.
My mother can officially take my trust fund, and all her stipulations that come with it, and shove it up her ass.
It feels like it takes a hundred years to get back to the hotel. The traffic is horrendous. The lobby is crowded. The elevator moves at a glacial pace. Reaching our floor, I jog to our suite.
The place is empty.
Only the faint scent of whatever Leah sprays on herself that smells so damn good remains in an otherwise pristine hotel room.
Sitting on the edge of the made bed, I dial her number, and it goes straight to voicemail again.
Fuck.
The excitement and adrenaline drain out of me. Sitting in the silent hotel suite, I stare at myself in the mirror and for the first time in a long time, I remember how truly, utterly, and painfully alone I am.
Chapter 19
Leah
The day drags by like a snail in molasses. The dress I bought is the only thing I found worth spending money on in the ten million gazillion stores I’ve been to. I did finish my audiobook though, so that’s a win. Then my stupid phone died, and I realized I didn’t have my charger with me.
What’s worse? I couldn’t get an Uber without my phone app, so I had to go around asking people if anyone had a charger I could borrow. No luck there. Everyone I asked acted like I was a weirdo with a disease they didn’t want to catch.