Page 6 of Her Ruin

As I shook his hand, I tried not to flinch as his smooth,hugehand swallowed mine in a firm grip. “Nice to meet you.”

“I’ve heard about you.” Rye spoke with casual confidence. It didn’t stop my eyebrows from rising into my hairline at his declaration. “The event company you work for has a solid reputation.” He half turned as he looked at our surroundings. “As you can see, Elixir will lend itself well to many different types of events.” He gave me another smile. “In fact, our first six months are booked already.”

“That’s positive,” I said, forcing myself to smile back. Six months? The event for the client who dumped me this morning was in two weeks. “What are your opening days?”

“Every day and night.”

“You’re open seven days a week and are fully booked for six months before you’ve officially opened?”Had I heard that right?

Rye gave me a smug smirk. “Elixir is going to be the most popular venue in Gracemont.”

“Sounds like you already are,” I muttered as I looked around again. “Is it private events only?”

“No, Thursday, Friday and Saturday will be open to the public.”

Frowning, I turned back to him, the question on my tongue, but he was already pointing to the booths on the upper levels.

“We can still cater to private parties.”

“I see.” My mind went to dark places even though I knew I should be a better person, and I shook my head slightly to chase the negative thoughts away.

“Tour?”

“Sure.” I followed him around the perimeter, noting there were more booths than I initially thought. The stairs to the booths were concealed behind a false wall, and it would be easy for VIPs to enter and exit without the general public seeing them.

The booths were even more luxurious than downstairs. Plush deep leather chairs and sofas. Stocked shiny marble and glass bars. Some had pool tables, some had arcade-style games, and some had both. More than one had a pole in the middle of the dance floors. Yes, they had their own dance floors situated right at the glass partitions that looked down over the main dance floor below.

It all reeked of prestige and wealth. I already had a list of clients who would demand to be here. The lighting was perfect for creating an intimate atmosphere, and the layout was designed for exclusive events—high-profile ones because this was a place for the city’s elite, not your average partygoer.

“What’s the best way to check availability? I’m sure I will have clients who want to host events here.”

“Directly through me,” Rye said, and I noted the slight clip to his tone. “The only way Elixir willhostevents is through me and our in-house event team.”

“So…no outsider event planners? Like me? Or my firm?”

He confirmed with a nod.

“Then why let me see all of this?” I asked as we made our way down the stairs to the main floor.

“You have a list of clients who want to be here,” he said with a wide smile, but now there was a gleam in his eye that, together with the smile, reeked of smugness. “I’ll happily take that list off your hands.”

My laughter was loud in the quietness of the club, the acoustics of the place making it seem as hollow and disbelieving as it was. “You wantmeto hand overmyclient list toyou? Are you crazy?”

“No. I’m a businessman.”

With a wide smile that matched his earlier one, I shook my head. “No. You’re an idiot.”

I turned away from Rye, and that was when I saw him.

Zayn McCabe.

He appeared as if he owned the place—well, if the rumors were true, hedid. His tall frame filled the doorway. He wore a deep-gray suit, and I hated that I noticed how well it fit him. His eyes swept over me with a knowing, slightly condescending look that made me want to take a step back and punch him at the same time.

“Isla?” His voice was low, smooth, and far too familiar for my liking. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

I resisted the urge to turn away as he walked towards me. “I could say the same about you.”

Steel-gray eyes mocked me as the top left corner of his mouth tugged slightly upwards. “It’s my club,” he replied, reminding me I had walked into his personal lair. “Has Rye given you the tour?”

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