Finn leaned in and pressed their lips together."Then let's go home so you can put all your load inside of me," he said softly so only Prince could hear.
Prince didn’t say another word.He pulled Finn out of the room, and instead of going home, he rented a room where he spent the entire night making sure Finn knew exactly how neglected he had been feeling.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Finn sat with Bevin to his left, and across from them was Audry Calloway, a mid-level associate at Webb Capital, a firm quietly teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.Finn had not wanted anything to do with the company, but Bevin had convinced him there was an opportunity here, not just to invest but to absorb Webb Capital entirely and bring it under the S&T umbrella before it collapsed completely.
He was already regretting agreeing to the meeting.
Two things were bothering him before Audry had even finished his opening remarks.The first was the absence of any senior management.Although Finn and Bevin were still considered young in the eyes of the investment world, they had built something worth respecting in a very short time.
Bevin made a point of never flaunting his family name, which was difficult, but he was always upfront with investors that S&T was his own venture and not an extension of the Sullivan empire.Finn appreciated that, and he had seen the expressions of surprise on executives' faces when they realized it.And yet Webb Capital had sent an associate to represent them.No partner, no executive, no one with actual decision-making authority.It was either an oversight or a deliberate slight, and Finn suspected it was the latter.
The second thing was Audry himself, who, despite representing a company that needed them far more than they needed him, sat across the table telling them exactly what he expected S&T to do once the investment was made.Not asking.Not proposing.Telling.
Finn kept his expression neutral and let Audry talk, his pen resting untouched on top of his closed portfolio.Beside him, Bevin had not moved since sitting down, his fingers loosely laced on the table, watching Audry with the patient expression of someone waiting for a punchline.
"We feel S&T must absorb any losses on underperforming investments.We know you're new in the game, so it would be better for S&T to rebrand under Webb Capital.Our company has been around longer," he finished with a shrug.
When Audry finished speaking, Finn and Bevin glanced at each other.No words passed between them.They nodded, adjusted their suit jackets, stepped away from the table, and headed for the door.They were stopped before their hands could touch the handle.
"Hey, where are you two going?I'm not done speaking," Audry said.
Bevin turned and spoke before Finn could."We were under the impression you were."
"Fucking hell, this is what we get for dealing with young people," he said in annoyance."I don't get paid enough for this shit."
Finn moved to turn around and give the man a piece of his mind, but Bevin put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
"You're right, we're young," Bevin said in a tone so icy it could cut steel."We came here in good faith thinking your company was serious about us investing, and yet your higher-ups sent a bootlicking asswipe with a list of ridiculous demands."Bevin tsked."Send this message to your higher-ups.You need us.We don't need you.Tell them when they are ready to talk seriously to give us a call.Maybe then they won't waste our time again."
Bevin squeezed his shoulder, signaling Finn it was time to leave.This time, no one stopped them.
"I'm sorry," Bevin said once they were in the car on the way back to the office.
"What are you apologizing for?"Finn asked.
"I convinced you to meet them, and they pulled this bullshit."Bevin sighed, sitting back in his seat.
"It's not your fault.The higher-ups are idiots, Bev.But Audry is right about one thing: Webb Capital has been around a long time and would not be in this situation if the new CEO had not made stupid investments, not to mention the embezzlement charges against three of their top executives.You saw a chance to turn a company's fortunes around, and that is why I agreed to meet."
"Yeah, despite everything, the company still has potential.Well, their loss if they don't reach out to us."
"Exactly."Finn relaxed in his seat, and a smile graced his face."You were pretty badass in there."
Bevin grinned and glanced at him quickly before looking back at the road."Really?I impressed you, right?"
"Just a little."Finn chuckled, then reached over and ruffled Bevin's hair gently."You're growing up, son."
"Thanks, Mom."
They laughed at their silliness and moved on to other topics for the remainder of the drive.
Prince openedthe door to his home and smiled for two reasons.The first was Gray, who greeted him the moment he set his case down, rubbing sweetly against his leg and meowing before walking away to get into whatever trouble Prince would inevitably discover later.
In the past months, the kitten had grown from shy and withdrawn into something decidedly more mischievous, especially when he and Finn were too busy to pay him proper attention.He was particularly troublesome when Bevin visited, making his jealousy abundantly clear that Finn was his person.
The second reason was the delicious scent drifting from the kitchen.It had been a while since Finn had been home early enough to cook dinner for both of them, and Prince had missed it more than he expected.Walking into the kitchen, he sidled up to Finn, who was standing at the counter with his back turned.
