Dacia couldn’t get the ridiculous grin off her face. Preston really felt something for her. He defended her when she had given him no reason to trust her motives. Everything he said that morning was finally sinking in. Hell, everything he’d been saying for weeks.
She slipped her purse into the drawer, and sat down at the desk in her elegant real-estate office. With one thing on her mind, she drew an image on the clear black surface with a single finger. A shimmering outline of Preston’s profile emerged.
“Would you get that absurd love-sick look off your face, you silly child.” Beyond the usual cutting words, his tone was cold.
Her heart thudded to a stop for a moment before her eyes narrowed, cutting up to him. She found a sneer on his face.
For a single second she was back in that cold room where she finally realized she was nothing but a tool for her father.
His smile was cruel as he walked toward her. “You want to make me happy don’t you?”
Her stomach twisted at the horrible images filling her head. She kept silent praying she was wrong.
“Don’t worry. It’s not me you’ll have to please.” He held out a parchment paper with ashen ink, and radiating earth magic. As he whispered the words, she backed away.
A swirling black vortex opened up and Gebiet walked through in his human form. His skin was black as ebony, his eyes solid onyx. Her blood chilled when her back hit the bars, and Remus flicked his hand, sending wind to slam the door shut.
Her father spoke first. “She’s yours, and you’re mine as soon as you sign the contract, breaking your bond to King Henroyld.”
Gebiet moved across the room, excitement on his face. No mystery, she’d once seen his sadistic play in the very same dungeon.
Dacia tore her eyes from Gebiet to glare at her father. “Never. You can go to the abyss. I’ll never help you again.” With that she dispersed before Remus could stop her departure. She’d avoided her father ever since. Luckily, Gebiet wasn’t an immediate concern. He couldn’t cross to Earth without being summoned.
Rage boiled through her. “I’m not helping you,” she warned. After years of being let down, shoved to the side, and then he was willing to trade her to a dragon to gain an ally, she was done with her father. He only came to her when he needed something—when she could help him in some way. No more taking advantage of me.
“Not asking for help.” His voice was ragged, his hair shaved to a short buzz, but the most noticeable change in his appearance was the deep-red melted scar in the shape of a hand around Daddy’s throat.
Curiosity getting the better of her, she asked, “What exactly happened to you?”
An evil smile lifted the corners of his lips. “Your lover’s father tried to keep me away from my intended bride.”
Blinking, she frowned. She knew next to nothing about Preston’s personal life because she’d been trying to push him away, not let him in. One thing her father had learned about her—she couldn’t resist gossip.
She sneered, “My lover’s father? And who might that be?”
“You mean your mage/fae hybrid bastard of a fuckbuddy didn’t mention his father is the same man keeping me from the woman I will claim?”
Dacia stopped, her head tilted as she stared, considering the pieces of the puzzle. She knew Remus was wanted for abusing women, and for plotting against Isadora. Preston’s father was a fire fae. Remus believed Isadora was his property.
Her mouth fell open.
Toryn Flame is Preston’s father? Shit… but Preston said his father doesn’t know. Then why does mine?
“Nothing to say? You don’t feel betrayed? Preston is only using you, Dacia. Don’t be stupid. The mage will throw you away the second he has what he needs for his case. You’re nothing but a pawn.”
Anger washed out the shock. “And what do you actually know about the mage?”
“His whole world will come crashing down as soon as the Silver Council realizes he’s half-fae. They will throw him away like he’ll throw you away when you’re no longer useful.”
For once, she didn’t believe a word he said. She’d learned that even though he couldn’t technically lie, his version of reality was skewed, riddled with misinformation he honestly believed. He painted everyone’s motives in the same shades as his own, but she’d recently learned some people would rather help others than themselves.
Regardless, arguing with her father never got her anywhere. She wished she’d thought to ward her office against him, but she hadn’t realized he knew where she worked. This was the first time he’d shown up.
Thankfully, he didn’t seem to understand what Preston was really doing. For weeks, he’d had ample opportunity to ask about Remus. They only had one conversation about her father, in which she admitted to not knowing anything useful. Remus hadn’t come up since.
Daddy’s desperate.
Preston isn’t pushing me for answers.
Maybe it’s my turn to show Preston I trust him. Even help.
A smirk formed on her lips as she made her decision. Trying for a patient tone, she pretended concern, “What is it you want?”
His calculating smile chilled her. “Do what you’re doing. Don’t tell loverboy anything, but watch, and if he gets too close to me, you can decide what to do. He’ll leave you the second his case is over. So think about that fact before you decide.” With that cryptic direction, he disappeared, leaving her alone.
Dacia sat quietly, contemplating what to do. There was one thing she knew about her father. He always assumed everyone would see things his way, no matter how rarely that happened.
Preston believes me.
He was begging me to trust him.
I do trust him.
She pulled her phone out of her purse and stared at it, trying to decide her next course of action.
* * * *
Robert turned in his seat to face Preston. “What do you think happened?”
“I told you. Remus drugged me. You heard Isadora. She says she felt him. I believe her because I sensed him too.” He punched the gas as he pulled onto I-90. Driving often helped him sort his thoughts. “Look, I’ll let you zap me up to this place on Whidbey Island, but first I want you to help me find my memories from last night.”
“Are they necessary right now?” Robert asked.
“Yes. They are.” He took a deep breath and swallowed hard. “You might find more than you expected about me, but it needs to come out and I can’t speak the words.”
“Why not?”
He glanced over and met Robert’s eyes. “A spell. When have I ever kept anything important from you?”
“Never.” Robert sat back, considering. “Should I go digging for the information?”
“Shouldn’t need to. Pretty sure I thought it a few times last night.”
“Will this change anything?” The question was much too serious.
“Fucking hope not.” He took a slow breath, and his voice dropped an octave. “I don’t think so, Robert, but I can’t swear to that.” When he looked over, Robert was staring, clearly running through scenarios in his head. The man was smart.
“Don’t worry, old friend,” Preston told him. “You love Liz regardless of her mixed parentage.”
Robert’s mouth dropped open. “You mean Toryn being your doppelganger isn’t merely a coincidence?”
“Bingo.” He looked back at the road with a sigh. “He has no clue I’m his son. Mom wanted to keep it that way.” A sad laugh escaped. “She claimed it was so I could carry on my family’s legacy of being Silver Council Enforcers.”
Shaking his head, Robert smiled. “Doesn’t matter who your parents are. You saw how my brother turned out. What he was capable of. I can’t blame our blood for that.”
“This is different.”
“Not really. Maybe to the powers that be, but your secret is safe with me.”
He drew an easier breath. “Yeah, well I’m going to need another favor after my memories are restored. Hell might have frozen over.” He let out a strained laugh.
Robert’s brow arched. “A trip to see your mother?”
“I need answers. She’s the only one who has them, and maybe if I have someone of authority with me, she’ll be more forthcoming.”
“Preston, anything you need from me, you have. You’ve been there for me through the worst of times. Least I can do is help you now.”
“Thank you, truly. Your support means the world to me.”
* * * *
With her mind made up, Dacia called Preston. It only rang once. “Hey, Dacia,” he answered in a sexy rumble.
The things that man did to her the night before scrolled through her mind in a rush, leaving her achy and wet. She swallowed down her lust and jumped right to the reason she called. “Would you like help finding my father?”
“I’m not involving you in my case, Dacia. I appreciate the offer, but I’m more interested in earning your trust, than using you against your own blood.”
She couldn’t contain her smile. That was exactly why she wanted to assist him. “I do trust you. Now, I want to prove it. The things he’s done… I can’t let that happen to anyone else. You’re going to put him away. Please, let me help.”
He didn’t answer right away. After a moment of silence, he finally cleared his throat. “Dacia, I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, so please listen first.”
“Spit it out,” she snapped.
“I don’t want to put you on his shit list. Your assistance will do exactly that. You can’t possibly understand the list of crimes he’s wanted for. Even if he’s never abused you like he’s done to others, I don’t want you in that position. The thought of anything happening to you tears me to shreds.”
Her tone turned cold. “Does this have anything to do with the fact your father has every reason to kill mine?”
Preston gasped. “How do you know who my father is?”
“Douche-bag daddy told me. He showed up at my office—told me Toryn’s your father.”
He let out a bitter laugh. “I did mention he was fire fae.”
“I want to help,” she stated plainly.
“Dacia—” There was real fear in his voice.
Robert interrupted, “Let me talk to her.”
Preston let out a sigh. “Robert wants to talk to you. You know, my superior.”
She snarled, “Fine.”
Robert was all business as he explained, “Dacia, as much as Preston and I would appreciate your cooperation, I can’t allow you to get involved, other than to answer questions. Neither of us want you in harm’s way.”
Bullshit. She dialed back her temper and asked, “Shouldn’t that be my decision?”
“Unfortunately, it’s not. You’re not trained, and your father will resort to truly brutal methods to gain compliance, even from his own blood relations.”
“You allowed me to be part of the hunt for the Dales. I could come in handy again.”
Robert didn’t budge. “That was a special case. They were coming to attack the town regardless of what we did. Weighing the risks, bringing in anyone who could prove helpful was the right move. This time it’s one man with a very twisted moral compass.”
“Which is why I want to help.”
“And exactly why you would be at extra risk. Please, Dacia, consider this from my point of view. If anything happens to you, it puts my closest friend in jeopardy. He’s already explained his feelings for you. Do you want him in further danger?”
Put that way, he had a point. Her fight was dying, but she didn’t give up. “I can help.”
“If we find ourselves in a situation you can help with, we will call you. Until then, there’s not much you can do.”
“Can I talk to Preston?”
“I won’t allow him to bring you in on our case. This is my call, not his,” Robert explained with authority.
She sighed. “I get it. I still want to talk to him.”
“I’m sorry, Dacia.” Preston sounded torn, but Robert conveniently took the blame with excellent points she couldn’t counter.
Smoothing her hand down her hair, she told him, “If I can think of any way to help, I will. Regardless of what he says.”
“Don’t put yourself at risk. Please.” There was more than concern in his tone. Real emotion that twisted her stomach into knots. They obviously shared a bond, and something real was growing between them. She wasn’t sure she could trust her heart, or his.
She wanted to cry out, but instead only said, “He’s my father. I’m already at risk.”
He changed the subject, but she heard the hope, “Can I still call you later?”
“Yes. Please do.” Her heart raced at the idea of being in his arms again. “I believe you, Preston. And I want to explore us.”
“Tonight then. I can’t guarantee I’ll be available. I may be stuck working, but I need to hear your voice again.”
“Tonight.”