Chapter 25 The Glue
THE GLUE
EMMA
A coffee cup lands on my desk. Caramel macchiato. My favorite.
“Thought you could use this.” Logan drops into the chair across from me, stretches his legs out like he owns the place. His smile is easy, but the eyes are sharp, scanning my face.
“How did you know my order?”
“Kai.” He shrugs like it's nothing. Like his best friend didn't memorize my coffee preferences and pass them along.
“Is it that obvious I need caffeine reinforcements?” I pull the cup toward me, trying to keep it light. My hands betray me, trembling against the cardboard sleeve. Every time the elevator dings, my heart jumps. I can still feel James's fingers on my arm.
Logan's eyes catch the tremor. “Kai wanted to make sure you're settled.” He says it casually, but I understand. The coffee order, Logan showing up, Kai is building a wall around me.
The hug he gave me this morning when he dropped me off, the promise to pick me up later. He's not leaving anything to chance.
I should feel smothered. Instead, I feel grateful.
I take a sip. The caramel is warm and sweet. For a moment, the knot in my chest loosens.
“Your ex sounds like a real piece of work,” Logan says. “He's not getting near you again.”
I look up, surprised by the edge in his voice. “What's your story with guys like him?”
Logan glances toward the glass walls of the office.
“Scholarship kid at a preppy boarding school. I was the charity case in a sea of trust-fund legacies.” He shrugs, but there's old weight behind it.
“Spent four years learning how to handle people who think they're better than everyone else.
They're all the same once you stop being scared of them.”
“Is that how you and Kai became close? Because he was one of those legacies?”
He laughs, genuine this time. “Kai didn't care about my bank account. He was too busy fighting his own battles. His family, the expectations, all of it.” He shakes his head. “We became a team of two against the world. Still are.”
“You don't get enough credit,” I say. “Everyone associates ELK with Kai. He's the face. But I can see your fingerprints on the acquisitions, the strategy.”
Something flickers across Logan's face, jaw tightening almost imperceptibly. When he looks back, the smile is in place, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes.
“That's because Kai thrives on closing deals. He loves the mental high of winning. Me? I'd rather keep things running behind the scenes.” He tilts his head. “Don't let him fool you, though. He's not just a pretty face.”
“I'll give you that.” I take another sip of coffee. “What about Ethan?”
“Ethan's the wild card. Brilliant with analytics, but he doesn't believe in staying inside the lines. Kai and I keep things grounded. Ethan's always thinking five moves ahead, which is either genius or chaos depending on the day.”
“So you're the glue, Kai's the face, and Ethan's the rebel genius?”
“Something like that.” He tilts his head, studying me. “You know, this is the longest conversation I've ever had with one of Kai's girlfriends.”
“I'm not his girlfriend.”
Logan snorts. “Yeah, sure. Keep telling yourself that.”
I open my mouth to argue, then close it. He's not wrong, exactly. I just don't know what we are.
“ELK wouldn't run without you,” I say instead. “I mean it.”
He's quiet for a beat too long. Fingers tap once against his knee. “Thanks, Sinclair.” His voice is lighter, but something underneath it isn't.
Movement catches my eye. Vanessa, one of Miles's loyal followers, walks past my desk. Her smirk is automatic, habitual. She's so used to the sport of belittling me that the words are out before her brain catches up.
“One wasn't enough for you?”
The silence stretches. Vanessa's smile freezes as she registers Logan. Not just another spectator. A high-level client with the power to terminate her boss's most important account.
Logan turns his head slowly. Doesn't say anything. Just looks at her.
The color drains from Vanessa's face. Mouth opens, closes. “I was just—it was a joke—“
“Find better jokes.”
He holds her gaze until she breaks. Heels click a frantic retreat toward the breakroom.
I stare at my coffee lid. Cheeks on fire. I feel exposed, like everyone in the office just watched me get defended by someone else. Again.
“So... gossip?” Logan's tone is light, but he's probing.
“Nothing worth mentioning.” I reach for my mouse, waking up my monitor.
He hums. Doesn't push. “Well, I should get back. Let me know if you need me to charm anyone into approving one of your ideas.”
“Don't tempt me.”
He stands, shoots me a wink. “Happy to help, Sin.”
After he leaves, I sit very still. Then I reach under my desk and pull the lever on my chair, yanking the seat around until I'm facing the entrance. I shift my second monitor a few inches left, creating a gap that gives me a clear line of sight to the elevator and the main doors.
I can't sit with my back to the room anymore.
Every time the heavy doors swing open, my heart stutters. I try to focus on the ELK storyboards, but my eyes keep darting to the gap between monitors.
Waiting for the wrong person to walk through.