Page 13 of Kisses at the Crossroads

“True. Don’t worry too much. Just eat for now. Eat and bask in the sun.” Ava turns her face to the light. There are a few clouds, but otherwise it’s a blue sky morning. Perfect, if only I weren’t bound to the roof with an iron chain and my wings weren’t pressed against me in the binder.

“I brought blankets incase you want to lie out.”

“I think I’d like that.” I shove the last strawberry in my mouth.

Thank goodness there isn’t too much wind on the roof. We get the blankets laid out quickly. I reach for her hand and she lets me have it.

“You’re very sweet, you know that, Trick?”

“That’s not what Drake says.”

“Drake is a fool that doesn’t know what he has in you. Or maybe he does.” She squeezes my hand. “Don’t let him turn you bitter. Not ever. You’re going to get away from him and when you do…” She goes so quiet, I have to wonder if she lost her train of thought. When I look at her, tears trail down the side of her face.

“I can’t leave without you, Ava. I won’t.”

“That’s sweet to say, but?—”

“No buts. If I’m free, so are you. We’ll get out of this together.”

Another squeeze and we’re silent in our own thoughts. My own head runs so fast I almost miss the crunch of gravel beneath us. I already know from past experience that my iron chain is too short to let me to the edge, so I hold my breath as Pike’s voice lifts on the wind when he tells Harold, the doorman, he’s here to see Drake.

Ava grins and whispers, “told you so.”

Maybe, just maybe, Pike can be trusted.

Chapter 8

Pike

The place smells like strong cleaner when Frankie and I enter. She’s on guard more than usual and I have to wonder if it’s because of last night.

Drake’s dressed in a suit as he greets me with a handshake. Frankie growls, and Drake pulls his hand back.

“She doesn’t like me,” Drake laughs.

“No. But that doesn’t matter. Let’s get down to business.” It actually matters a great deal what Frankie does or doesn’t like, but I’ve explained her role in all this and she’s agreeable to be a part of the plan.

“Of course, follow me.” Drake leads me down a hallway to an office suite and has me sit in the leather chair across from his desk. The place is immaculate, not what I expected from Drake. The decorations are tasteful flower bouquet paintings and complementary wallpaper. Not something I would have picked, but lovely all the same. Frankie sits at my feet, relaxed to the untrained eye, yet alert.

I hand Drake my financials, which makes his eyes widen. They’re fake, but he doesn’t need to know that, not yet anyway. “I’d like to invest in making Flutter more profitable. You have a decent start, but it’s all the same people every night as far as I can tell. How are you marketing to others?”

Drake frowns as he sets the papers back on his desk. He steeples his fingers and leans forward. “I haven’t. Flutter has been profitable for the five years it’s been open. I never saw fit to expand the audience.”

“So you’re leaving money on the table.”

“Trick has been a good draw. Everyone wants to see a Fae glow. Fae are so rare in the human realm.”

“They are, but so are other shifter types. And the succubus you have, she’s amazing.”

“No one is here to see her.”

“Are you sure? Have you tried selling a sex demon’s lust experience? It’s intoxicating.” I know that just from playing with a few incubi in my lifetime.

Drake thinks for a moment. “I’ll consider it.”

“Get the succubus on the phone.”

“What?” Drake squawks.

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