“I’m not your babysitter,” he growled. “It’s not my responsibility to teach you the proper way to communicate.”
“And I’m not saying it is. We’re to be partners. If you’ll remind me that I’m not as great as the name I bear has taught me, then I’ll remind you not to be an asshole.” She glanced at him, a tiny smile on her face.
“Maybe I like being an asshole.” Radley crossed his arm, his expression sour.
“Oh, of that I have no doubt. But let’s just get the car picked out, move on, and try not to kill each other. Sound like a plan?”
Radley pursed his lips before slowly nodding. “You sure you want my input in the vehicle?”
“You’re my partner. Of course, I do.”
But thirty minutes later, standing in front of the large tank-like truck, Cricket was no longer sure.
“It’ll crush any car that gets in its way,” Radley said, excitement clear in his voice as he climbed up to peer in the window. The machine was massive, and while Cricket could agree it was intimidating, it wasn’t what she had in mind.
“I can see you like this one,” she murmured slowly, chewing on her words. “And it’s certainly impressive.”
Radley stepped down and put his hands on his hips. “But?”
“But it’s too heavy for the Games.”
“Bullshit. It’ll run over all the competition.”
“Not if it can’t catch them. This thing is massive. It might as well be a tank.” She glanced at Gio. “How much does it weigh?”
“It’s about six tons, ma’am.”
“Six tons,” she breathed. “Radley, there’s no way we could win in that as is, let alone once the modifications are added.”
Frowning, Radley stared between Cricket and the large truck better fit for war than the Games. “I suppose you’re right.”
Cricket blinked. “I am?”
“No point in having a vehicle that can crush the others if it can’t catch them. What other options do we have?”
Radley looked at her, waiting for her answer, but it still took her a few seconds to realize he was genuinely asking for her opinion and which car she thought was better. Her eyes drifted over to the car she’d been staring at the entire time they’d walked into the dealership, but she hadn’t wanted to be so predictable. Radley followed her gaze and sighed.
“You know, I knew before we walked in here that you’d like that one. I can’t say I’m a fan of the color, but Ferrari’s are known for their speed.”
Gio, seeing their interest in a car easily over half a million dollars, gestured grandly to the bright pink car. “She’s beautiful, no? Brand new. The SF90 Stradale comes stock with nearly eight-hundred horsepower. She’s got twin turbos and three electric motors if you’re into that kind of thing. If you’re racing her in the Games, gas is always better. However, combining the gas engine and the electric motors, this baby can run with nine hundred and eighty-six horsepower. There’s not much you’d have to add to make her faster, though I understand you’ll be adding your own species modifications.”
Radley frowned. “Can we change the color?” Cricket glanced at him with a grin, and he sighed. “Pink it is then. I can’t say the car doesn’t sound impressive. I’m almost afraid to ask the price tag.”
“She can be yours for only six hundred thousand,” Gio said proudly.
“Does she have all the reinforcements?” Cricket asked.
“She does. Stronger quarter panels, bulletproof glass that’ll hold up to most charms though we can only do so much, nearly unbendable steel frame. If you wreck her, your chances of starting her again and continuing the race are high.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Radley interrupted. “Did you say this car is six hundred thousand dollars?”
Gio tugged nervously at his collar. “She’s a Ferrari. This kind of power comes with a hefty price tag.”
Cricket opened the small bag at her hip and dug a card out before passing it to Gio. “We’ll take it.”
“Six hundred thousand dollars,” Radley repeated, staring at the car in disgust. “Do you know how much good that kind of money can do in the Clan?”
Gio took the card and disappeared to run it, giving them their privacy. Cricket stepped closer to the wolf, drawing his eyes.
“What can that money do for the Clan?”
Radley blinked. “New houses so families wouldn’t have to live in tight quarters, food to feed everyone for a year, repairs on all the older buildings, repairs on the vehicles that have broken down—”
“Okay,” Cricket said.
Frowning, Radley shifted. “Okay, what?”
“I’ll match the donation for the Clan with whatever it costs to finish the car.”
If Cricket hadn’t been trying her best not to be insulting, she would have laughed at the way the wolf’s eyes bugged out of his head.
“What would I owe you for that?” he rasped, suspicious, but despite that, she knew if she asked for something, he’d give it to her for his Clan. Radley Whiteclaw was the kind of man who protected those he cared for, no matter what it cost him.
“Nothing,” she replied. “I already offered a donation as payment for you racing with me. I’m simply upholding my word.”
“Fae don’t just give things away,” he argued. “They don’t do that.”
She shrugged. “This one does.”
“No, you’re all the same. I’ve seen how you people work.”
Sighing, she glanced up at him through her lashes. “Maybe, for once, I’d like the money I spend to be used for good rather than a way to uphold the Snapdragon name. Not everything I do has to have an ulterior motive. Sometimes, I just want to be nice.”
She could see him physically fight the urge to tell her to shove the charity up her ass, but Radley was a smart man. No matter the perceived blow to his pride, he wouldn’t deny that kind of money for his people. Still, Cricket didn’t want him to feel as if it’s charity.
“Of course, I expect us to win, too. I’ll pay the money into your accounts immediately upon knowing the final number, but if we don’t win, I expect you to dress like a chicken and dance the macarena at the pub.”
He blinked, opened his mouth and closed it before opening it again. She’d taken away the feeling of charity by turning it into a bet. “And if we win, does that mean I get to choose what you do?”
“Sure,” she shrugged. “But you don’t have to decide now. The only stipulation is it can’t cause harm to myself or other people and it can’t be televised, for either party. Do we have a deal?”
The smile that dragged at Radley’s lips made him ten times more attractive than he’d been gruff. It was as if he became another person, and she knew, if they won and he picked what she did, it would likely be one of the most embarrassing moments of her life, but it was worth it. If she won, she’d have her freedom. There was nothing else so important.
“Deal,” he said, and offered his hand to shake on it.
When Cricket slid her hand into his and felt the roughness of his fingers against the softness of her own, she nearly shivered. What would it feel like to have those fingers sliding over her skin?
Shaking that thought away, she released his hand quickly, turning toward Gio as he returned with her card.
“She’s all set. I’ll have the car shipped to the Dyers Mechanic Shop by tomorrow. Good luck in the Games, Lady Snapdragon.”
Cricket blinked at the name before wincing. “If it’s not too much to ask, I ask you for your discrepancy if anyone should ask.”
“Of course,” Gio replied seriously. “You were never here. I understand the need for privacy, and I pride myself on doing everything in my power for my customers. I look forward to watching you win.” He winked before gesturing to one of the men who worked in his dealership. “I’ve already talked to the shop manager at the mechanic shop. Leo, he said his name was. If you have any questions, you can give him a call, but I understand he already has all the information?”
“He does. I’ll have Radley add his own specifications to it but otherwise, we’re all set. Thank you, Gio, for your generosity.” Cricket reached down and stroked her hand down the fender of the Ferrari. It really was a beautiful machine.
“Now what?” Radley asked, crossing his arms.
She smiled. “Now, we take that private jet to my home in Manhattan.”
He rolled his eyes. “Of course we do.”