Page 41 of Conquering Oz

“Then Oz should’ve put me on the list.”

“He did. Allow me to prove it.” He gestured his hand toward the building. “After you.”

He said it with so much confidence, Elodie was second-guessing herself. Why? The list had been checked multiple times, and she wasn’t on it. This would be a victory for her to prove him wrong. She started across the lot and down the line of people waiting. She was acutely aware of Nash at her back. A few feet from the entrance he passed in front of her and stopped. Both the man and woman she’d interacted with looked up and lost a little color in their faces.

Nash didn’t say a word. He held out his hand, and the woman gave him the phone. Elodie noticed her hand shaking. She swallowed the knot in her throat and watched as Nash scrolled through the list. His hand stilled, and he flipped the phone over, showing her the list.

Elodie Martin.

She snorted, shook her head, and looked over at the man and woman. Their eyes were trained on Nash. Elodie expected him to hand the phone back to the woman, but instead he tucked it in his pocket. Nash stepped in front of them but faced Elodie, and lifted his chin toward the door. As Elodie passed, she peeked over at the woman who seemed completely distraught.

Once inside, she stepped to the right, making room for a woman and man to pass. They were dressed similarly to the two manning the door.Shit!Were they being removed from their position? She turned to the door just as Nash walked in.

“The two at the door? They aren’t going to get in trouble, are they?” Elodie wasn’t concerned with the guy, Bruno, but the girl had tried to help. Now that she’d settled down, she could see this for what it was…a mistake.

Nash cocked his brow and waved her toward the long hall on the right. They walked in silence until reaching the elevator.

“Are they?”

Nash motioned for her to get in the elevator. She sighed walking side. Once the doors closed, Nash looked down at her. “No.”

She felt a wave of relief. It only lasted seconds.

“They’re being terminated.” He said.

She jerked her head and widened her eyes. “What? For a simple mistake?”

“Making mistakes isn’t in their job description.”

“Nash.” Elodie groaned, shaking her head. “Only my mother called me Elodie.”

“And Oz.” Nash smiled. “But if you have an issue with how I’ve donemyjob, perhaps you should take it up with him.”

She folded her arms and narrowed her gaze. “I will!”

Nash’s lips twitched. “I’m sure he’ll enjoy that.”

She had no idea what Nash meant, but she fully intended to tell Oz what she thought of his harsh rules.

*

Elodie had every intention of speaking up on behalf of the girl at the front door. As they rode up the elevator, she’d gotten more riled up. If she fired everyone for simple mistakes, she’d have no staff. The doors opened, and Nash gestured for her to pass. She stepped out and off to the side then followed Nash down the corridor. It was the opposite to the way she’d gone last time, and incredibly quiet past the two metal doors.

She peered around, taking it all in. It was spacious with a warm ambiance. The walls were a soft brown with art accenting the color. The lighting was dim, almost tranquil. And it was quiet. Surely with the crowd downstairs and the music blasting there’d be some type of background noise. Elodie heard nothing. She peered over at the doors lining the hallway.

“This is very interesting. I would’ve never suspected there were offices up here.”

Nash remained silent and escorted her to the door at the end of the hallway. There were several men in suits lined up against the wall. As they passed, no one made eye contact. A shiver raced up her spine, and she tried to tamper down an odd feeling. This wasn’t the first time she’d noticed all the security, but this time, it gave her pause. What exactly did a club owner need protection from? Sure, the X-Lounge was clearly successful judging by the crowd waiting to get in. But his security seemed a bit over the top.

Elodie entered the office but stilled when she glanced around the room. It was massive, decorated tastefully. It had a masculine vibe, and an expensive one too. There was a spacious seating area to the left with a bar set up ten feet away. She was so focused on the space, she hadn’t even seen Oz until she heard him speak.

“Has it been taken care of?” She shifted her gaze to the desk where Oz was looking at Nash.

“It will be, but I believe Elle has an opinion on the matter.”

Oz slowly slid his gaze over. The man was extremely intense, which should have raised a red flag or been a turnoff. It had the opposite effect on her. He stood from his desk, rounded the corner, and stopped two feet in front of her.

Oz straightened to his full height, and she craned her neck slightly.

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