Page 36 of Her Ruin

His chair scraped back as he tried to move away, but Jayden moved forward, resting a heavy hand on Navy Suit’s shoulder.

“I think we’re past the part where you run,” Jayden said. His tone was friendly, but his intentions were not.

Navy Suit’s breathing was coming faster now. Panic was seeping in. Finally.

I let the moment stretch, let the weight of the situation settle in. I picked a nonexistent piece of lint off my cuff.

“Who sent you?” I asked him when I made eye contact again.

His eyes darted around the room, looking for an escape that didn’t exist. He knew lying wouldn’t save him.

“Mercutio.”

Jayden looked at me, his eyes widening slightly, and Angelo laughed. Of course.

Mercutio was a low-level nuisance, a man who liked to believe he had power but didn’t understand how the real game was played. He used to be a regular in my clubs in Chicago until I denied him entry. I got fed up with picking his blood and teeth out of my carpets when his negotiations with his counterparts went sideways.

Now, it seemed he was sending green idiots to Elixir to make his trouble for him.

I rolled my shoulders, letting the frustration slide away. Mercutio wasn’t my problem—not yet. But I would need to remind him exactly what happened when he tried to mess with my business.

I lifted my gaze from Navy Suit to Jayden. “He’s done here.”

Jayden nodded, gripping the man’s shoulder tighter before hauling him to his feet. “Time to go, buddy.”

“Wait—” He tried to twist out of Jayden’s grip, which I could have told him was futile. “I wasn’t even talking to you?—”

Jayden didn’t let him finish. He dragged him towards the exit, ignoring the stares of the customers watching. I stepped into Angelo’s line of sight, and he was looking at me with amusement.

“You spoil all the fun.” He tsked slightly.

“I’m trying to keep blood off the newly polished floor,” I told him amicably. He smiled as he took a drink. “Mercutio knows better than this,” I mused. “This was sloppy.”

Angelo grunted, swirling his drink. “He was always sloppy.”

I nodded thoughtfully. “Is it time to remind him why that’s a problem?”

Angelo lifted his glass in a silent toast. “It is.”

I ran my tongue over my teeth. “Not here, though.”

“You need to send your own reminder,” Angelo cautioned. “He insults you with this as much as me.”

I nodded, my attention turning towards the bar, already shifting gears, meeting the curious stare of the town official who had watched it all.

“He does,” I murmured. Rye came to stand beside me, smoothly slipping into conversation with Angelo.

Much like Isla, Mercutio was about to learn what happened when you played where you didn’t belong.

CHAPTER11

ISLA

I wasn’t rattled.

Iwasn’t.

I’d been telling myself that over and over as I paced my apartment, my wine untouched on the counter, my phone clutched too tightly in my hand.

---