Page 124 of His Fury

“Why are you only telling me now?”

Isla flushed once more, her eyes flicking to Rye before they dropped to study the ground. “I got distracted.”

Rye’s snort was loud. I shot him a glare, and he didn’t flinch.

“Can you describe him?” I asked her carefully.

“I can do better,” she said with a sly smile. “I got his picture off the security cameras this morning. It’s on my phone.”

I smiled at her, and she grinned. “Okay.” I turned to Rye. “Your turn.”

His lips twitched, but he didn’t hesitate. “The call came from a burner. It’s exactly as she said.” He didn’t care. We had just informed her that we had tapped her phone line. “He said Thursday.”

“For the drop or the hand-off?”

Rye shrugged. “Nothing specific.” He ran a hand through his hair. “If it’s Thursday, I’m double-booked.”

“What?”

“Elixir’s booked on Thursday.Fully.” His look said it all.

I tipped my head back and stared at the ceiling. “What time does the event start?”

“First one is at twelve. Out of there by six, then there’s a twenty-first party, where they’ve brought in their own DJ. They booked the entire club for the whole night. The only thing I couldn’t give them was four booths. They’re already booked. Regulars.”

His eyes flicked to Isla, and I knew there was more. “Just tell me.”

Rye chuckled softly and shook his head. “Same hands, different gloves? The area is locked down. Town inspection flagged the permits...again. Someone tipped them off and inspectors are crawling over everything. I can’t be in both places at once—not with the events happening downstairs.”

“Then we use another site,” I said.

Rye shook his head. “No time to move it, not with the volume. And I have to be visible for the twenty-first party. Ialready pushed it back an hour—clients were twitchy. They need to see at least one of us, not just staff.”

My mind worked quickly. Multiple pieces moving at once. This wasn’t just about logistics. It was about perception.

It was about who was watching, what they were seeing, and how many angles we could cover at once without tripping over our own shadows.

From beside me, Isla pulled out of my hold. “I could do it.”

Both of us turned to look at her. She stood straight, her chin lifted like she wasn’t volunteering to step into something unknown.

“I’m experienced. This is my job, after all.” She spoke quickly. “I don’t need to know whatever the other thing is, but I can handle a twenty-first. It frees Rye from the club and lets him be where you need him to be.”

My jaw flexed. “No.”

“Why not?” Her voice didn’t waver.

“You don’t work for Elixir. You’re not?—”

“I’m the only one whocan. I know your systems,andI know your standards. I just need a brief from Rye, and then I’ll be good to go. And…you’re running out of options.”

Rye ran his tongue over his lower lip before he spoke, grudgingly. “She’s not wrong.”

“She’s not involved,” I snapped.

“She’salreadyinvolved,” he shot back. “You know that better than anyone.”

Isla met my gaze. Calm. Composed. Brave. “This is what teamwork means,” she said softly. “They’re testing you, us,” she glanced at Rye. “Allof us. The only way we beat them is to show them us working together. I can be here on the club floor. There isn’t a twenty-one-year-old diva who hasn’t had a tantrum that’s beaten me yet,” she added with a light laugh. “Rye does what you need him to do, and that leaves you to… Actually, I don’t think I need to know that part. I can do this.”

---