Page 9 of Twisted Fate

I roll my eyes. “Of course you’re rich.”

“I’m a successful businessman.” He shrugs.

My cheeks burn. “So what? You glamour people into giving you money?”

Tristan bristles. “I have earned my wealth honestly.”

I walk past him and stand against the wall, that way I can’t be surprised from behind. I prop my foot against it, trying to look casual despite my racing pulse. He eyes my shoe and his lips twist; I’ve annoyed him. I decide in a matter of seconds that I don’t care.

“Where are we?” I glance around. “Earth?”

He presses his lips together against a smile. “I live in the human world, yes. We are able to reside here because we appear the same as you or any other human.” I want to roll my eyes again. He looks far too perfect toappear the sameas anyone.

“Okay.Isthere another, like, realm or whatever?”

He nods tightly.

My brows draw closer. “And you chose this one?”

He almost smiles. “Chose is a strong word. I think that’s a story for another time.”

I wrinkle my nose, shooting him a look that lets him know there won’t be another time. “Let’s get back to me going home. Because I’d like to. Now.”

“You’re uncomfortable,” he says, watching me with a spark of curiosity in his eyes.

“I’m confused.” I don’t elaborate. I won’t give Tristan any more ammunition to use against me.

None of this makes any sense. Tristan made someone disappear with the wave of his hand. There’s a good chance if he’s not the leader of the fae as he claims to be, he’s part of the mob with a wicked budget for special effects.

“This has been inconvenient for everyone involved.” He shrugs out of his suit jacket and drapes it over a chair before rolling up the sleeves of his white dress shirt. My eyes follow the movement, and I swallow thickly.Those arms...

I shake my head. “Inconvenient?” I remark incredulously, pushing away from the wall. “You think this was just a dent in my weekend plans? You kidnapped me! And now you want me help you kidnap someone else!”

He waits until I’ve finished shouting, then says, “However this seems, you’re not the only one at a disadvantage. You were kidnapped by accident, Aurora, but now you know about us. The fae magic that clings to you isn’t letting me remove your memories. My people expect me to protect their existence—that’s what being their leader means. Having you out there is a liability. I have no desire to kill a woman over a mistake, let alone one that is part fae. Work with me on this. It will help me sell my decision to ...spare you.”

“Why do you need me for this? If you’re some powerful fae leader, don’t you have, like, an army of fae or something to go after your enemies? She’s one girl. I don’t get it.”

His jaw is clenched so tight his teeth must be screaming. “This matter isn’t one I’d like to make known on a large scale. Sending you resolves that problem.”

I lick my lips. “If it’s so serious, why are you trusting me with it?”

“You seem like a competent person, Aurora. Consider me impressed with your ability to escape Max.” He chuckles. “As for the girl in question, this is more of a preventative measure.”

My brows inch closer. “Meaning?”

“That’s not something you need to worry about.” He reaches into his pocket. “To ensure you identify the correct fae, here is a photo of Miss—”

“Fine,” I cut him off, snatching the wallet-sized photo from him without looking at it. “Let me go home, Tristan.” Maybe I should feel grateful that he doesn’t want to hurt me. No, screw that. Neither of us would be stuck in this position ifhehadn’t sent Max out to kidnap someone. I push the thought away. I can’t allow myself to consider the possibility he’s telling the truth—that fae exist.

“Very well.” He walks toward another room, but I stay put and wait for him to come back. He returns and holds out his hand. Sitting in his palm is a bracelet with a circular, dark turquoise charm set around a dainty-looking silver band crafted to look like delicate tree branches. It’s pulsing with light. It must have batteries inside. “Put this on,” he instructs.

I take it from him, slipping it onto my wrist. Only after it’s on do I consider its potential negative effects on me. My eagerness to get the hell out of here is making me reckless. I need to keep it together. Nothing happens while I stand there staring at it, so I force myself to relax. “Great. Can I go now?”

“Once you have returned home, you will keep this bracelet on no matter what. Do you understand?”

I bite back my retort. I want to take the bracelet off and throw the damn thing at his head, but instead I nod. My teeth hurt from keeping my jaw locked, and I’m pretty sure I look feral.

“Charming,” he says. “The stone will illuminate in the presence of my kind.” He reiterates, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a business card. “Here’s my cell phone number. Call me directly and try your best not to alert her.” If this is a joke, his acting is impeccable. I almost believe him. This back and forth in my head is going to give me whiplash.

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