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I rolled my eyes and headed toward the stairs, only to see several waiters picking up remnants of a discarded tray and a woman marching down the hall.Just notmywoman.
Your woman?
That thought gave me some pause as I looked for Gwen.The other woman turned slightly before heading into the ballroom, and from the profile, she resembled Gwen, but she was definitely not her.She was shorter.
"Fuck."I turned back to my brother."What were you saying about Becker?"
"We’re at his table.We need to get in front of him.It looks like he wants to make a deal with Bronson Jacobson."
I ground my teeth.Fucking Bronson Jacobson had been a thorn in my goddamn side for years.The fucker was my constant shadow.He'd gone to Harvard with me for grad school.And then we'd both interned at Google where I’d gotten to see his supposed work firsthand.
Typical nepo baby tech bro.He was lazy, shady, and cut corners.But his parents had a fuck-ton of money, so he always seemed to land on his feet.And while I generally didn't pay him too much attention, he saw himself as my perpetual competition.So when he found out Pendragon was going after new technologies, specifically, our artificial intelligence applications, his company started doing the same.
"What does Bronson want Becks for?"
"Like us, he wants that algorithm.The software that the facial recognition is built on is what he's after.While we want to use it in building better modeling for prosthetic integration, he wants to use it for commerce and likely military applications since he got that NSA contract last year."
I muttered a soft, "Fuck," under my breath.
"Yeah, so let's fucking get in front of Becker right now and change the narrative.Oh, and please put on the face."
I followed my brother back down the other hallway toward the ballroom, where I apparently had to put “the face” back on.Whatever the fuck that meant.I knew how to play the game.I'd been playing it my whole life.I learned from the manipulative master himself.“Don’t get your hopes up.If rumors are right, he’s not selling unless the sales comes with marriage to one of his daughters.”
“Which makes me worry about what the daughters look like.But it might be a win-win.”
“Nobody forces my hand, ever.”
I hadn't realized I was searching for the woman from the balcony when we walked in until I saw a flash of white as everyone was milling about.She was near the stage, talking to someone.Oh yes, Dr.Riza Hamann.She was one of the experts who had done the introduction at the beginning of the benefit.Talking about the research, the good work that they were doing and had done over many years.Excellent.Riza could tell me who she was.
She flashed a smile at the doctor, and my gut tightened.Jesus Christ.She had a smile like that?Not that she’d used it on me.No.I'd gotten her brandishing a champagne bottle.And what was with the goddamn glitter?I glanced down at my suit, and I could still see a couple of patches of it as it clung to me.I knew better than to touch it though.Because that was the way with glitter.My goddaughter, Emery, loved this stuff.Every time I left Gavin's fucking house, I was covered in it.It stuck in your hair, on your fucking skin, in your orbit until it saw fit to leave.
Micah glanced at me."Mate, brush off the glitter, would you?"
"There she is.That one there."But as I pointed, someone stepped in the line of sight as Micah tried to see.
"Who the hell are you talking about?"
She had shifted out of sight again."Never mind.Where's Becker?"
"There he is."
James Becker walked with the assumed power of a man in control of his life.However, I knew that he was bleeding money and needed an infusion.Or better yet, he needed to sell off his research and development arm.He couldn't sustain it.They were a small tech company.There were some things they did well, but they'd been over-extending themselves for years.I knew even an influx of cash might not save them, but selling off their R&D arm would.My brother and I walked toward him, and many of the guests parted, knowing exactly who I was and to give me a wide birth.
There was a woman with him, and her eyes went wide when she saw me.She was about his age.Maybe a little younger.Tawny skin, hair piled in an updo.She tapped her husband on the arm, and he turned and gave my brother a knowing smile.
"Micah Price.I have to say, you are persistent."
My brother flashed a grin that was so easy for him to find and access."James Becker, you are a difficult man to get a meeting with.You know my brother, Atticus."
I reached out and shook his hand.Becker's brow lifted for a moment."Atticus Price.Interesting seeing you at the benefit.You don't usually do these charity gigs."
"When my brother told me that it was difficult to get a meeting with you, I figured, what better way to have a casual conversation."
Becker nodded."There was a time, Price, when I came to you.Or have you forgotten?"
Ah, so this was personal."I was aware.However, at the time my father was in control of the company.He no longer is.I am, and I’d appreciate a moment of your time."
I wasn't used to asking for anything.But I had to stop him from going to Jacobson, whatever that took.Even if it means marriage?I had to let him know that I wasn't fucking around and it was in his best interest to give me what I wanted.
