Chapter 21 Jace
JACE
The marble floors of the room echoed with each of my measured steps. Another acquisition, another company to turn around. This was what I did best.
“This acquisition has to go flawlessly.” Marcus ran a hand through his salt-and-pepper-tinted hair, his usual composed demeanor fractured. In all our years of friendship, I’d never seen him this rattled.
“The paperwork’s signed,” I said, adjusting my cuff links. Why wasn’t he as relieved as I was that the guy had signed that missing page an hour ago? “What’s got you looking like you just shot espresso straight into your veins?”
“You heard what he said when he signed. He’ll be watching.
Closely. We already have enough pressure from our investors and the board.
We convinced them the leverage was worth it, but they backed it on the condition everything runs smoothly.
” Marcus pulled me aside, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper. “And with that morality clause—”
I clenched my jaw. “Which has been in other contracts.”
“Not like this one.” He glanced around the empty hallway. “The seller’s out for blood, Jace. They’re looking for any excuse to blow this deal up. So is the board for that matter; they didn’t want this one.”
“We’ve taken on low-profit projections before.”
“If anything happens …” He swallowed hard. “The board will replace you. The company you built from nothing will be gone.”
The past clawed at the edges of my mind, but I shoved it back down.
A petite brunette from HR appeared. “Mr. Lockwood? They’re ready for you.”
I squeezed Marcus’s shoulder. “We’ll finish this later.”
As I strode toward the stage, my head of HR buzzed in my ear like an anxious bee.
“They’re nervous, Mr. Lockwood. And some are angry.”
“Once they research my company, they’ll realize we save jobs.”
“Right, well, the current sellers haven’t exactly painted you as their savior.”
“Fantastic.” I straightened my tie. “Because that’s exactly what I need. All these people preprogrammed to hate me.”
“Just … reassure them. And don’t give them a reason to dislike you more. We need them to be on your side. We want no complications. No problems.”
“Understood.”
I walked onto the stage, projecting the confidence of someone born to lead.
Until one set of eyes stopped me cold. What in the holy hell?
Scarlett. The woman who’d spent the weekend driving me absolutely wild, who’d blindfolded me and made me beg, whose taste still lingered on my tongue, was staring back at me. Her shocked expression mirroring my own.