“There’s a catch?”
“You might say that,” he intones. “Since you weren’t the only one qualified for a Dream Starter, you’re not getting the full amount you requested.”
I open my mouth to tell him if that’s the case, then there’s no sense in talking any further because I can’t come up with the rest. He must sense my intent as he holds up a hand to silence me.
“We can only offer you one hundred thousand in grant money, but I will personally loan you the other seventy-five at a fair interest rate. I’ll be a silent partner, but I’ll have a direct hand in mentoring you on the business side.”
I ignore the silent partner/mentoring part for now. “I have no collateral to give you.”
“You do, actually,” he replies with an opportunistic smirk.
“Aha,” I exclaim, pointing an accusing finger. “I knew this was too good to be true. I know you’re up to something and let me just say I want no part of it. You ruined my life last night—”
“I enlightened you to the truth that you weren’t crazy,” he growls as he leans threateningly across the desk, stopping my tirade dead in my tracks. His eyes seem to be glowing—surely a trick of the light—but I’m bothered by it all the same. My mouth snaps closed, but I refuse to shrink back from him. Instead, I sit up straighter and lift my chin. For a moment, I think I see respect in his eyes, but it’s fleeting and perhaps I only imagined it.
Settling back in his chair, his voice is calm once again when he says, “You are right… I want something personal from you as collateral, and I’m not talking about taking a second mortgage on your house.”
“Like what?” I ask suspiciously.
“I want to figure you out.”
Simple words, but they don’t make a lick of sense to me.
“You wanted nothing to do with me or my abilities last night,” I point out, cringing when I can’t wipe the hurt out of my voice.
“Upon further reflection, I think you might have a gift that could be important to others. I’d like to figure out why you have it and help you develop it.”
“Important to others how?” I take a sip of coffee, but it barely makes it past the knot in my throat. He’s throwing a lot at me between the money and now my ability to see strange creatures.
“I keep track of the fae and daemons in this city,” Carrick says, examining a nonexistent piece of lint on his cuff. When his eyes meet mine, he says, “You can help me do that.”
“Why do you do that?” I ask.
“Because some are dangerous,” he explains. “Some need help. I make it my business to know why they’re here and make sure they pose no risk.”
I roll my eyes. “What… are you now like the protector of the city? And you want me to help?”
“Hardly,” he scoffs, and in that one word, it’s obvious Carrick Byrne doesn’t do anything for the greater good. He only operates in his best interest, so identifying fae and daemons must benefit him in some way.
While he’s offering me the dream chance of buying One Bean, every one of my gut warning signs are ballistically going off, telling me it’s a very bad idea to get involved with him.
Carrick offers no other explanation. He’s currently leaving the ball in my court whether to accept what appears to be a two-fold type of deal. Money for me to buy One Bean, meaning I’ll be indebted to him on a business level, and some sort of personal relationship that will revolve around figuring out my abilities.
I switch tracks, going back to his investment offer. “I’m not sure I like the idea of you mentoring me. Surely there’s someone else at Olympic Dreams—”
“It’s not negotiable, Miss Porter. You want my money, then I will be a silent investor, but I won’t be all that silent. I will be involved in making sure you know what you’re doing.”
I knew he’d say that, but in the off chance there was wiggle room, I had to explore it. That’s not my biggest concern.
Admittedly, what I want more than anything is more knowledge. I need to learn more about my abilities, especially since it validates I’m not crazy like everyone thought. I’d be foolish not to accept his offer to learn more and to help hone my skills to identify fae and daemons.
But… he’s holding something back. I think he knows more about me than he’s letting on, and he’s never going to divulge it. Therefore, the only way I know how to get to the absolute truth about why I am the way I am is to stick as close to him as possible and learn it for myself.
I want to make sure I’m clear on what he’ll do for me. “And you’ll help me learn more about my abilities? Teach me? Help me figure out what I am?”