Page 1 of Glamour & Gumballs

one

ERIN

I didn’t bother saying goodbye to my old guard as I followed my new one out of the fifth-floor apartment I’d been forced to live in for the last four years.

We weren’t friends.

Never would be.

And considering my new guard was the grumpy fae I’d seen on the first two episodes of the game show, Survival of the Mated, I was aware that my life was about to become hell.

I’d tried to ditch my guard twice in the week since I got the letter declaring I would have to play, but no dice. He was faster than me.

My new guard, Rhett, was even bigger than my last. He was at least 6’4”, with light brown skin, and loose dark curls that looked like they’d missed the last few haircuts. The messiness was kind of sexy, but I wasn’t about to mention that.

When we reached the armored vehicle that would be driving me to the airport, I slammed the door shut behind me.

He blinked at me, pausing for a moment outside the vehicle. He recovered quickly though, taking his seat in the front.

I didn’t say a word as he pulled out of the parking garage.

He kept glancing back at me in the mirror, though.

As he pulled out onto the road, he cleared his throat and said, “Buckle up, Erin.”

“Nah. If we crash, I’m hoping it’ll kill me before I have to mate with some bastard.”

He blinked at me again, through the mirror.

Someone behind us honked.

He turned onto the road just long enough to pull off to the side, so he wasn’t blocking anyone else. “Buckle up,” he repeated.

“No.”

“We’re not moving until you’re buckled.”

“Thank fuck for that. Do you have a knife?”

“A knife?”

“So I can cut the seatbelts, and we can stay here forever.”

He blinked yet again.

I draped my legs over the seat, pressing my back to the car’s uncomfortable door.

“Is there a reason in particular that you want to stay here?” he finally asked.

“I think avoiding being forced to wear a bikini on television while a bunch of assholes compete to win me like a prize is reason enough,” I said pleasantly.

“Ah.”

“Mmhm.”

A few minutes of silence went by.

I didn’t budge, though my back was starting to hurt.

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