Page 34 of Her Ruin

The lower level was equally busy. Less crowded, but the booths were full. I studied the clientele for tonight, seeing some playing cards, and some were in the middle of deals with money being exchanged and hushed conversations that shouldn’t be overheard, whispered behind hands. I spotted a familiar face—a town official, his fingers wrapped around a glass of bourbon, deep in discussion with someone I knew damn well he shouldn’t be in conversation with.

I watched with interest as the very essence of Elixir played out in front of me. Deals were being made here, and Isla Wells had just walked herself into one.

My phone vibrated, and I picked it up, seeing her name.

Your venue. Gala saved.

…payment to be made at a later date.

I grinned widely. She had taken the deal. Begrudgingly, sure, but she had taken it. And whether she liked it or not, Isla owed me.

The thought was satisfying.Verysatisfying.

I rubbed my jaw, reading her two messages again. This wasn’t just about the favor she owed me. She wasn’t just a business deal. No, this was something else entirely.

She’d spent weeks trying to outmaneuver me, my business, trying to build something that could compete with me. And failed. I’d told Rye to let her do her worst, and she had tried. Would The Grand be everything she wanted it to be? Yes, probably.

But she still had to come to me.

Her credibility was lessened. I knew how much that gala meant to her; Julian had mentioned it, never knowing what he was revealing.

I liked a challenge. Everyone who knew me knew it. Her efforts toshowme that she didn’t need me were commendable. I was content to let it go. I had meant every word I said to Rye. Isla wasn’t playing on the same field as Elixir.

But the gala? I knew precisely who Lyndsay Shaw was. I knewexactlywhat her gala being held in Elixir would mean. I glanced at the screens. Some would say I had enough. Some would say I should have let Isla have her victory.

The holdups with the suppliers? No matter what she thought, they weren’t because of me, and because of that, how quickly things changed. I’d been handed a golden opportunity, and I would have been a fool to ignore it.

I was no fool.

A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. Looking at the monitor, I saw one of my security guys outside, and I pressed the buzzer on my desk to let the door unlock.

“Jayden.” He was a hulk of a guy. I’m pretty sure his blood was pure protein shake, but he dealt with things with a careful hand and was loyal, discreet, and, most of all, trustworthy.

“Hey, you’re needed downstairs,” he said, voice even. “Rye said there’s someone who’s asking questions they shouldn’t be.”

We shared a look, and Jayden grinned.

“Rye sent for me?” I asked as I picked up my suit jacket from the back of my chair, knowing what this meant. Some idiot thinking they were owed information. “He couldn’t handle it?”

Jayden hesitated, which told me the problem wasn’t the person asking questions. “He said he thought the situation needed your lighter touch.”

Which meant Rye wanted to crack someone’s head open. I pocketed my phone, the open screen on Isla’s message. She thought she’d come in here, make her demands, and leave with no consequences. She had no idea.

“Let’s go.”

Jayden nodded and the two of us headed to the lower level. There was business to handle.

And then? Then I’d decide what exactly Isla would owe me.

I adjusted my cuffs as I made my way downstairs, my footsteps controlled. Unhurried. If you walked like you owned the place, people believed you did.

And in here, I owned everything.

The lower level of Elixir was full, and I saw Rye waiting for me near the back of the lounge. His stance was relaxed, but his expression was tight. He didn’t shift when I approached, and he didn’t glance away from the table in front of him. That told me everything I needed to know—this was the problem.

I followed his gaze and found a man sitting in a low-backed chair. Dressed in a navy suit that was trying too hard to look expensive, he looked like someone who wanted to belong here, but it was clear he didn’t understand the rules.

Amateur.

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