Emma is not a line item on a ledger. Boardroom tactics are useless here.
I crashed her work event straight from the airport, expecting her to fall into my arms because I decided to grace her with my presence. Instead, she looked at me like a disruption she had to manage.
Part of me wants to go back, carry her out of that hall, remind her I'm not a man to be brushed off. But she deserves better than my arrogance. She deserved a text. A call. Some small sign that I hadn't vanished after she let me see the cracks in her foundation.
What was I supposed to say?Hello, Emma. I had my pet hacker look into your life and found a ghost that connects our families in ways you can’t imagine.
I spent the week battling jet lag and hostile boards on the other side of the world, trying to process what Maddox pulled.The pieces don't fit. There are questions I can't ask my father without tipping my hand, and I have no proof yet.
Getting close to her might be the most selfish thing I’ve ever done.
I stand in the center of the conference hall, watching her walk away. That navy skirt hugs her hips in a way that makes my throat tight.
My phone vibrates.
Logan:Beach House. Now.
I take one last look at the spot where Emma disappeared into the crowd, then head for the exit.
The ride to Logan’s place should clear the static in my head. I swing my leg over the Yamaha R7, the familiar weight a comfort. She’s more than a bike. She’s the only thing that calms my mind.
Halfway down the coast, something shifts.
The vibration through my thighs turns jagged. Discord in a machine that usually sings. The throttle response goes sluggish, then snaps forward with sudden, violent sensitivity. I ease off, test the brakes. They grab with a harsh, metallic bite before releasing with a sickening delay.
I pull onto the shoulder, kill the engine. My fingers search the underbelly. No leaks. No obvious damage. Could be the electronics, a glitch in the mapping. Or I've pushed her too hard lately.
I make a mental note to have Rex’s crew tear her down tomorrow.
I merge back into traffic and ride slower than I have in years. The lack of speed feels like a tether. I don't like being tethered.
Logan's beach house used to make me feel like we'd arrived. Three guys who met in school, building something real while our families told us we couldn't. Now the ocean view just reminds me how much ground we've lost.
Two years ago, ELK's portfolio was triple what it is today. Then Victor completed the Hammond Industries mega-merger, swallowed ninety percent of the region's energy providers, and systematically starved every independent competitor. Including us. We pivoted to renewables, fought for every contract he didn't want, somehow kept the lights on. But the cushion is gone. One bad quarter, one major client lost, and we're vulnerable in ways we haven't been since the beginning.
I sprawl on Logan's leather sofa, whiskey warming my chest. The ocean is a steady rhythm outside the glass. Ethan is on the floor, hammering out push-ups like he's trying to exorcise something.
“Are you done showing off?” I nudge him with the toe of my boot.
“Not even close,” he grunts.
Logan's behind the bar, pouring a heavy measure. He shakes his head, long hair falling over his face. He keeps it long to hide the birthmark on his temple, that dark stain he thinks is a weakness. To the world, he's the confident playboy. Tonight, the facade is thin.
“He's in a mood,” Logan says, sliding onto a barstool.
“Clara?” I ask.
Ethan's silence is an admission.
“This shit never ends well,” I mutter, taking the glass Logan slides toward me.
“What about you?” Logan asks. “How was the audience with King Victor?”
“Same old venom.” I take a long pull, letting the burn settle. “He's blocking our Silverpoint bid. Pulled strings with the city council to delay our proposal for review while Hammond Industries swoops in with a counter-pitch.”
“Can he do that?”
“He can do whatever he wants. He's Victor Hammond.” I set the glass down hard. “Doesn't matter that our proposal is better for the city. That we actually care about sustainable growth. He wants to win because I'm the one he wants to see lose.”
