Page 6 of The Fae Menagerie
I didn't like the sound of that. Reminding someone of his ex, especially one who wanted to "take care" of him, didn't flatter me at all.
"He summoned me to kill you."
Parker laughed harder. "He's not the first. It's my dad's version of tough love. He's said he would promote anyone who can get me out of his way."
"Your father wants you dead?"
Parker shrugged. "Only when marriage won't work. Like Bret, they start off wanting to date me, but they lose interest and try to kill me instead." He brought both hands to his mouth as he looked around my enclosure. "Fuck!" His throat bobbed when he swallowed. "My dad will think I'm dead if I'm gone too long. And Bret's a fucking idiot. My business proposal with the gaming app people will fall through if I'm not there."
"Gaming app?"
"My dad owns a string of casinos in the Midwest. We got in right when they started to legalize riverboat gambling, and now we own a few racetracks and sports betting facilities. Dad wants to expand into hotels, Vegas, you name it. He tried to marry me to the heiress of one of the most popular franchises in the US. I declined. Now, he wants me to make a lucrative marriage deal, as good or better than the one I lost, or earn my keep. I've been working on this app deal for ages. It would be global, all markets, all sports." He shook his head. "It's probably for the best. Giving Americans the ability to bet on big game hunters in the Serengeti would probably result in a few species' extinctions."
I missed most of that, still hung up on two words. "You declined?"
"I suppose we have that in common," he said. "Why didn't you marry your prince?"
"I didn't want to be tied down."
Parker laughed. "I did. I still do. Just not to a woman who cares more about the little dog in her purse than she does about people."
"You want to be tied down?" I couldn't resist the suggestive movement of my eyebrows. "I've got some rope around here somewhere."
"Not a chance." He crossed his arms over his chest and leveled me with a frown. "I got the message loud and clear. You're not looking for a relationship."
He leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees and scrubbed his face with his hands. "I'm not some prize to be won and then tossed aside."
Normally, I would have railed against his claim, trying to change his mind, but something stopped me. Maybe it was the agreement I'd made to take care of him. Maybe I was just tired. Either way, I'd brought Parker back with me for nothing.
Chapter
Three
PARKER
The gorgeous faewith sea-green eyes, frosty blue hair, and gossamer wings, or maybe he was the largest dragonfly I'd ever seen, pretzeled his arms above his washboard abs and leaned back against the ugly couch. It was the most uncomfortable piece of furniture I'd ever lounged on, which fit, I supposed. That other guy, Aidan, had called this place a prison. Fae prison.
I'd noticed the giant glass outer walls, and I'd tried to keep my eyes glued to the inside decor to avoid a panic attack. Finally, I dared to look out at the empty bench outside the enclosure. I could have sworn someone had been seated there when I'd first looked.
The beauty of the park helped to calm my racing heart. I wanted to sit beneath the tree branches waving in the wind, to feel the breeze on my face. Instead, we were trapped inside.
I followed the glass wall to the sky above. There was no reflective glass over the top. The chandelier in the middle of the room seemed to hang from nothing. Despite the lack of ceiling, which gave me uncomfortable fish tank vibes, the surrounding air was as cool and dry as my office building had been.
I still didn't understand why I was here. "Bret summoned you to kill me. Why am I still alive?"
"First, that's not how summoning works with the fae. I don't obey humans, especially not dodgy ones who refuse to pay tribute."
"The coin." I glanced down at the couch. "Is it here somewhere?"
"If it were, Aidan would have found it." Doyle sighed and returned to my original question. "Second, I need to get out of here, and you saw how Aidan looks at me. He'll never love me. I needed fresh blood." His head and shoulders drooped into an excessive pout, along with the jut of his bottom lip. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this. If I'd known you were already damaged goods, I wouldn't have brought you."
"Damaged goods!" I leaped off the couch and began pacing the length of a rug that spanned the room. "You don't even know me!"
"I know you'll never fall in love with me." He pulled his knees up and placed his long, delicate feet on the couch. He had nice feet, though the claws at the ends of his toes looked as deadly as his talon-like fingernails. "We're both stuck here until I find some sucker who will."
I wondered if I should feel flattered or appalled because he didn't consider me a sucker. "Is that how you see your love interests? Suckers?"
"You're the one into gambling," he said. "You tell me."
