Page 15 of Cruelly Fated
He leaned closer, strong whiff of alcohol assaulting my nose. “You know how many of my girls tried to leave this district? To chase some fantasy life?” His voice dropped to a near-whisper. “None of them made it. Remember Jada? Could’ve been a star. They fished her body out of the East River a month ago.”
He straightened, tugging his sleeves into perfect symmetry, cuff links gleaming like sleek miniature daggers.
“We low fae don’t belong in high society, Allie. But maybe you still need to learn that lesson,” he said before stalking away.
I pulled up behind a police cruiser parked in front of the house and felt my pulse spike. Déjà vu slammed hard. Here we were, at the exact time after my shift ended, only five nights later.
Marley’s profile from inside his vehicle caught in my headlights as he turned toward the door, stepping out the moment I did.
My legs wobbled. “Is it Grandpa? Is he okay?”
“Pete is fine. I was in the area finishing my shift and thought I’d check in on you. Is that okay?”
“Oh.” My voice came out airy. “Yeah. I’m fine.” A lie.
He removed his hat and ruffled the flat spot in his hair, the corners of his lips tugging downward.
I mimicked his worried expression. “What is it?”
“This may be out of line, and you can tell me so if it is…” He hesitated. “But what were you doing talking to Kyon Voltaire at the prison? My buddy works there. He saw you at the fence.”
“Who?” Voltaire…the name bounced around in my brain, sounding familiar. I’d heard it before.
“Did you speak to anyone yesterday…other than Pete?”
“Well… I… There was this inmate, a dragon shifter…” I swallowed. “I asked him to watch out for Grandpa. That’s all,” I said.
He tsked, taking a step back and running a hand through his hair again. “Allie.”
“Did I break the law?” My voice cracked. “Have you seen Pete? His face was bruised. His lip—busted open. Someone beat the hell out of him, and no one cares.”
Marley closed in, hands gently landing on my shoulders. “Shh. Not so loud. You’ll wake your neighbors.” He dropped his hands, his expression clouding.
“I didn’t know,” he said. “I’ve wondered why the judge sent him there instead of the county lockup. That kind of placement…doesn’t make sense.”
I swallowed. “Have you found anything?”
“Not yet. But if I do, you’ll be the first to know.” He paused. “Did Voltaire agree to help?”
“We made a temporary deal. A week.”
He absorbed the news with a nod. “You’re an adult. I know you’d do anything for Pete. I won’t ask what you offered in return. But promise me you’ll be careful.”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek. His warning sent a chill spiraling down my spine. Why was he so concerned? Kyon hadn’t threatened me. If anything…he’d responded. To my touch. To my gaze. And yes, I’d flirted—maybe more than flirted—but I’d done what I needed to. He was a caged beast, and I was the girl giving him attention. I had no doubt he’d never go for me if he had a crowd to pick from, and I had no intention of pursuing anything with the sexy, towering dragon.
I didn’t hate flirting with him. He didn’t repulse me. It was a pure exchange—my time for Grandpa’s protection. I saw no harm in it. Still…Marley’s unease made my skin crawl.
“Why are you so worried? Who is Kyon Voltaire?” I asked.
He scoffed. “Of course, she wouldn’t know…” he said to himself.
“Officer?” Now I had to know.
“I suppose you at least heard what people labeled the three kings of Avari—the billionaires who own mostof the city?”
I gulped, clenching my hands. No sane fae would ever want to cross the kings.
He leveled me with a stern stare. “Alaris Voltaire is the dragon king. And Kyon…is his firstborn son.”
