Page 14 of Her Ruin

CHAPTER5

ZAYN

The atmospherein the club tonight felt heavier than usual, thick with the weight of unspoken threats and carefully calculated risks. My corner table gave me the perfect vantage point, but there was an undeniable sense of menace prowling the shadows of the lower level of Elixir.

And it wasn’t me.

I leaned back in my chair, one leg crossed over the other, as I nursed a Scotch that served more for show than for satisfaction. The muted glow from the black chandeliers barely illuminated this corner of the room, and I considered adding soft uplighters. Though the shadows suited everyone down here just fine, my security cameras needed a bit more of the softer lighting to pick up details, which would maintain the shadows, making the clientele feel safe but keeping them inmysights a little better.

After all, this was meant to be neutral ground, where deals were made, alliances forged, and secrets kept, all under my supervision.

Across the room, at one of the larger booths, two parties faced each other. The tension between them was palpable. Even from here, I could see it was close to the breaking point. Perhaps my lighting wasn’t the problem with the atmosphere, and instead, it was these two groups making the rest of my customers uneasy.

On one side sat Patrick Delaney, the kind of businessman who thrived on walking the line between legitimate and illicit—muchlike myself. His bespoke suit was immaculate, but the restless tapping of his foot against the floor betrayed his nerves. Opposite him was Tomo Vega, whose casual attire didn’t fit my club and didn’t disguise the coiled energy of someone ready to act. Tomo’s reputation preceded him, a fact I knew Patrick knew all too well.

Both of them kept glancing my way; they knew this was my house. My rules.

I knew they were arguing over the collateral for a debt Patrick was owed. Tomo’s repayment plan had hit a snag; his business was low at the moment due to a drug bust the other week, so instead of the cash he was due, he was offering Patrick a thirty percent stake in an upcoming deal—a tidy little operation with high demand from a fluid clientele.

Rye was hovering close by, and when I saw him look my way, I smoothly rose from my chair, downed my Scotch, and crossed the room. Patrick saw me coming first and muttered to one of his guys, who slid out of the booth to make room for me.

“Gentleman,” I greeted as I took the freshly vacated space. “Are we doing okay here, or do you need to move this upstairs?” Upstairs were the private rooms; if blood were to be shed, I would prefer they did it in the confines of one of the rooms than in here where it was open with far too many witnesses.

Witnesses who would never talk to the cops, but they would judgemefor not being able to handle shit in my house.

Patrick shook his head. “All good here, Zayn,” he assured me. He turned his attention back to Tomo. “Thirty percent?” he asked him with disdain. He leaned forward, one elbow on the table. “You think that’s cute? Thirty percent of that deal isn’t close to what you owe. Fifty.”

Tomo’s jaw clenched. “That’s half my investment,” he told him tightly. “The risk of moving the product?—”

“Tomo.” My voice was a low warning; we didn’t need the details spelled out in the crowded room.

“Sorry, Zayn,” he grumbled. “That’shalf,” he stressed to Patrick.

“Fifty and an extra twenty Gs.” Patrick smiled widely. “Interest. It just bleeds you dry.”

I didn’t react, but you’d have to be blind and deaf not to hear and see the threat Delaney was posing.

“Fifty percent covers your interest,” Tomo scoffed, fury riding his tone.

“But it doesn’t cover the fact you fucked up my ride and I needed to get two new wheels.”

I coughed to cover my laugh. He was seriously charging Tomo twenty grand for sticking his knife in the Bentley’s wheels.

“Wheels don’t cost twenty grand.”

“Do we have an agreement or not?” Patrick asked, lounging back.

“Fuck you.”

This was the point where tempers flared, where lines that shouldn’t be crossed were crossed, and it was time for me to step in.

“Gentlemen.” My voice cut through the air, soft but commanding. I felt Rye move closer. Patrick turned his head to look at me, and Tomo switched his attention from him to me. “Patrick,” I said, holding his gaze. “Tomo has a point. Twenty grand for two wheels? I appreciate the time and inconvenience, but you’re a reasonable man.” I ignored Tomo’s grunt.

Patrick’s face was a mask of calm, but I saw the amusement in his eye. “Ten.”

Turning to Tomo, I watched for his tells. The guy was dangerous. He enjoyed dabbling in hisproducttoo much, which made him unpredictable. “Fifty is steep,” I agreed. “But you reneged on an agreement. That’s not part of the deal. You have a verylucrativedeal coming up, but that cash you need isn’t availablenow. It’s tocome.Interest isalwayspayable, Vega. You know this.”

I let the silence stretch for a beat before I shifted my attention back to Patrick. “Five. He didn’t hit the trim. He didn’t mark the paintwork. Meet the man halfway.”

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