“Pot meets kettle.”
“I’m not a client of my own club.”
“That’s right, the rules never apply to you. Either of you, do they?”
“Careful, birdie,” Matteo drew out slowly. his eyes hooded and dark.
In a casual glide, Sevastyan crossed his arms across his wide chest. Because she was a card-carrying member of the feminine sex, she couldn’t help but notice the way his shirt pulled and tightened. Not that he had to know how much he affected her.
She pulled the one Matteo gave her tighter around her middle. His scent made it hard to think but she pushed on.
“No. That’s not what I meant.” God, she needed to shut up and accept defeat. “It’s a simple note from a man interested in Indigo. Not the other way around. It’s not my place to say anything.”
“You didn’t have a problem stepping over boundaries to bring her the message.”
“As an employee who walks among the members, I see the value of a happy client. I know this gentleman, Sevastyan.”
Her using his name drew his powerful gaze to hers. She tapped the piece of paper he held between them. “Patience isn’t his strong point by far, and I know he’s a high figure for the club. I trust Indigo can handle him correctly when the time comes. I didn’t want her to be surprised if he happens upon her when she enjoys her evening break in the lounge.”
He sighed. “How thoughtful of you. And how is it you’re such a people person?”
She lifted a brow at his phrasing. She wasn’t. She just knew how to read people. For instance, he was no closer to retracting his move to fire her no matter his curiosity. The set of his jaw in a hard, stubborn line. The way he leaned the majority of his weight on his heels as if digging them in and if that didn’t tell her enough, his expression read like a newspaper with one headline: YOU’RE FIRED!
Gambling was more her father’s gift than her own, but right that second, she had everything to lose and a little ground to gain toward her goal. All in it was then.
“Before this, I’ve worked in a few other places. You pick up a few things.” She held her palms to encompass Haven. “When you deal with a lot of people the first thing a girl learns is how to read people. Then you find out how to tip the scales in your favor. Or so they say.” Every word was a lie, but she sold it with the set of her shoulders and refusal to look away from him.
He narrowed his eyes, and the sharp gaze pinned her feet to the cool wood flooring.
He nodded seriously and her hope climbed an impossible notch higher. Maybe what she had to say was enough to make him pause and reconsider.
He picked up the phone and punched the button marked security, and hell, he might as well have punched her.
He stepped in front of her and she licked her lips nervously. “You’ll accompany Matteo and Maddox to the main floor.”
Matteo took her by the arm. His hold firm but not painful.
“Damn it,” she swore under her breath.
A moment later her friend at the main entrance hulked in front of the doorway with a scowl on his face.
“Maddox.”
“Sir?” he said in a tone someone else might have used to describe paint drying. Some days she really wished detaching herself from emotion worked.
“After you handle Ms. Carmichael downstairs, see Lucian. We’ll need to discuss security measures and the men under your department.”
Her ability to stand up for herself weakened. She didn’t have the strength in her to look at Sevastyan. “I see. I understand. Maybe I don’t belong here after all. You were right.” With more pride than she felt, Rhia gave a curt nod, chin held high. “I’ll gather my things and be gone by the end of the evening. I’m sorry.”
What else could she say?
Determination and adrenaline saturated every cell in her body, the only thing that kept her from screaming in frustration or falling to the floor in a ball of defeat.
A strong hand came down on her shoulder. The move was slight, but she felt the rough pad of his finger through Matteo’s shirt all the same. “You misunderstand. Return to the main floor and finish your shift. We’ll discuss where you belong later.”
The inflection on that word gave her heart a jolt.
A sane person would run and never look back. Less than a month ago she would have laughed at anyone who said she would be standing at the Devil’s gate hoping to get in, but here she was and she knew the devil when she saw him.