“You came back?” The woman Tristan made disappear—Skylar—steps into the elevator and presses the button for another floor. Today her knee-high dress is bright red, matching the stain on her lips.
I open my mouth to answer as I survey her from head to toe. She’s very much not dead. A dead body couldn’t pull off heels like that. “I had to,” I whisper.
Her laugh is a tinkling sound, like raindrops on a window. “What for? To make sure it was real?”
I shake my head. “To make sure he doesn’t hurt my best friend.” Even though she tried to make a meal out of me, she was scared, cornered. Maybe she hadn’t fed in a long time. There are so many possibilities. She wouldn’t hurt me on purpose.
Skylar flicks her tongue over her lower lip. “Ah, you figured out who he was looking for.”
My jaw clenches. “He sent me to look for her.”
“And you found her. Obviously.”
I nod.
“She’s your best friend, huh?” Her lips curl. “You didn’t know your best friend was fae?” she taunts.
I hold back a scowl. “I didn’t know the fae existed until a few days ago, so no, I didn’t know my best friend was one. How many of you are there?”
Skylar shrugs, and even that looks graceful. “Close to ten percent of the population. Ever since our world was destroyed, we’ve been here.” The elevator stops, and Skylar steps toward the door as it opens. “Coming back here was stupid. He let you go once. I don’t see him doing it again.”
I stuff my trembling hands into my pockets. “She’s my best friend.”
Skylar sighs, as if my decision to put myself in danger irritates her. “Humans,” she mutters before the door shuts, and I’m alone.
I tap my hands against my thighs, thinking over what Skylar said about their world being destroyed. Now I understand Tristan’s less than pleasant response when it came up the day we met.
My heart hammers in my chest, and my nerves sing with coiled energy as the elevator reaches the penthouse level. I’m ready for a fight if it means getting Allison back. I step off the elevator and through the small foyer to his door and bang my fist against it several times. As I’m getting ready to kick the damn thing in, it opens to reveal an annoyed looking Tristan.
My eyes widen a fraction as I take in Tristan’s casual attire. In a meeting, my ass. “Where the hell is she?” I growl, pushing my way inside.
He glances between the empty hallway and where I’m standing inside his suite. “Lovely afternoon, isn’t it?” He offers an amused expression and then closes the door as if he’s confronted by angry business majors every day.
“Cut the bullshit. Where is Allison?”
“You mean the young woman who almost killed you?”
My eyes narrow. “She didn’t almost kill me. She stopped.” I cross my arms over my chest and refuse to back down.
“Thanks to me.”
I let out a shaky breath and rake my fingers through my hair. “She stopped,” I repeat to myself. “Now tell me where she is.”
“She’s here. Awaiting my orders.”
“What the hell does that mean?” I bark.
Tristan pushes away from the door and closes the distance between us in a few strides. “Fae laws are much like your own. Actions have consequences, and Allison must accept the punishment for her misconduct.”
“What misconduct?”
He says nothing.
“What did she do?” I say louder. His silence makes it apparent that he isn’t going to tell me why she’s being kept here or what she did. I lift my gaze until our eyes meet. There’s a moment of silence before I say, “please don’t hurt her.”
“I’ll treat the situation as I see fit.” His voice is firm and unforgiving.
“What—?”
“It’s time for you to leave.” Tristan dismisses me with a wave of his hand.
“You think I’m going to leave without Allison? You lost our deal. I found her first.”
“Then you lost her when she almost killed you.” Tristan glances toward the door as Max walks into the suite. My entire body stiffens as his eyes focus on me. A potent mixture of fear and disgust go to war inside of me.
“Back for more fun, blondie?” he taunts. “Let me show you to my room. I promise I’ll be gentle.”
I recoil, revulsion twisting my expression.
“Miss Marshall was on her way out,” Tristan interrupts smoothly.
“You’re letting the human go? Again?” Max questions. “She could open her mouth and put us all in danger. Wipe her memory. We’ve got the girl we were after.”
I look between them and take a couple of steps back, my heart rate kicking up as they turn to watch me.
“I’m handling it,” Tristan says in a firm tone, flicking his eyes over to me. Evidently he isn’t going to tell Max he tried and couldn’t wipe my memories.
“Fine,” Max mutters, his teeth flashing in a snarl when he glances at me.
“Obviously I can’t tell people the truth, so what do you want me to say? You don’t think people will wonder where Allison is? She has friends and a boyfriend. People will question her whereabouts.”
Tristan sighs. “She will return to her life soon enough.”
I try not to let my relief show on my face. At least he said he’ll let her go. “When is ‘soon enough’? After you’re done with her? Because she answers to you?” I say in a tight voice.
“Yes. Just as you do. That’s how this works.”
“I do not answer to you,” I snap.
Max whistles and leans against the wall.
Tristan appears in front of me faster than my eyes can register the movement. “I saved your life. Twice.”
“My life was in danger twice because of you!” I wait for him to respond with some high-handed remark, but he stands there with a stoic expression. I notice Max leaving the room out of the corner of my eye before my gaze focuses on the fae in front of me.
“How unusual,” he says thoughtfully, licking his bottom lip.
“What?”
“You’re so responsive. It’s refreshing. Most people I encounter have a healthy fear of me or a high level of respect. It’s clear you have neither.”
I stifle my laugh and arch a brow instead. “You want me to fear you? Too bad. I don’t. As for the respect? That’s earned. You don’t magically get it because you’re some supernatural leader.”
“How do you think I became a leader?” he challenges.
“I’m guessing some seriously dodgy politics.”
His laugh is a deep, rich sound that makes him seem dangerously human.
“I’m not going to stand here and pretend I understand anything about your world, Tristan, but I will say this: Allison is twenty years old. Fae or not, she’s young. Whatever she did, allow her a chance to make up for it, and she will.”
He regards me with an odd, almost confused look. “I don’t understand.”
I nod. “That’s two of us.”
“You’re so protective of someone who—”
“Could have killed me. I get it. But she didn’t, and she’s my best friend. I’d do anything for her. She’s probably scared out of her damn mind right now. All I’m asking is that you consider that when you deal with her.”
He tips his head back slightly. “What makes you think that matters to me?”