The Dark Prince (The Dark Prince Trilogy #1) (10 page)

“That is true. Summer doesn’t seem to be the type to want much,” Kayla mused. “Not sure how Zinna will take it.”

“Zinna will understand more than anyone else, I’m sure,” Chase said with a fond smile for the girl he saved. “But please, nothing fancy tomorrow. It’ll be hard enough introducing them to everyone at the same time. You can have a reception in a few weeks after I take care some business around town.” He paused, thinking for a moment. “Mom, who will be working tomorrow?”

“Emma and Maria I believe. I’ll have to double check,” Kayla answered with a knowing look. “Are you sure about bringing them tomorrow? We can wait to properly meet your wife till next week.”

“I’m sure mom,” Chase said. “Next Saturday I have a meeting I have to attend. She can’t be kept in a house for the rest of her life.” Plus, he wanted to give Summer the gift that only he would be able to. She needed it more than anyone he knew.

Shortly after, Chase parted ways with his parents. He didn’t want to stay too long, worried about Summer and Clare at his house alone. He was sure neither of them would try to run, but he wanted to be safe. He had someone watching the house for him and no one called so he gathered they hadn’t left, or tried to leave.

If they had, he would have found both of them, bringing them back to his house. Chase wasn’t sure what he’d do after that, though. His parent’s house was closer to town than his own. His father liked being close by in case of things going wrong, while Chase preferred to stand back, but having everything under strict control. Chase was more laid back, simpler.

The ringing of his cell phone drew his attention from the road for a second. Of course, looking at the caller ID, he saw it was Sebastian calling. He had been calling every few days, trying to keep on Chase’s good side. It only served to aggravate him more than anything else.

“What can I do for you, Sebastian,” Chase answered after a sigh. He really wasn’t in the mood to deal with him.

“I heard the news,” he stated, keeping his voice in false calmness. Chase could hear the underlying thrill. “Congratulations are in order.”

“Thank you,” Chase said, knowing that there was more to this phone call than that. And of course, his father probably told everyone about him finding his Princess. At least it would be easier to not have to explain to everyone he saw now.

“I was going to bring someone to your attention, but I see I’m too late,” he went on, almost sadly. “Too bad. I guess I may keep her. She really is . . . how do I say it . . . princess material.”

“Thank you for your concern, Sebastian, but I am good with who I met,” Chase said. “Now, I have things to do.” With that, he hung up. Chase knew he was lying. Sebastian may know of many women but that didn’t mean he was ever going to pass those onto Chase. Being ten years older than the Prince, it was amazing to think of Sebastian thinking he could order the Prince around at times.

Chase also knew that he would be getting hell for hanging up like that, but he really wasn’t in the mood to deal with the known-it-all attitude that Sebastian often had.

Pulling into the drive, Chase nodded towards the guard he had set up watching the house. He parked in the garage, as he had taken one of his other cars this time. Walking into the house, his phone rang again. He kicked the door shut as he dug his phone out once again as he heard a pan drop in the kitchen. He had forgotten to be quiet, and he said a ‘sorry’ before quickly answering his phone.

“What?” he growled, seeing an unknown number flash across the front. It was normal to use burner phones in his line of work so he didn’t think anything of it.

“Hey boss, we have a problem,” Trent spoke quietly, but urgently. “The cats got in, and I don’t know how to get them to leave. My dogs ran off again.”

“Alright. Give me twenty minutes. Call dad if need be,” Chase sighed, entering the kitchen and seeing a frightened Summer standing at the stove, the pan still at her feet. Her hair was in soft waves, one side pinned back from her face slightly, and she wore a pair of jeans and a tank top with a long sleeved shirt that had a lower neckline. Her new necklace laid at the base of her neck, he was glad to see she was still wearing it.

“The cats seem to be parked outside waiting for something,” Trent said.

“Okay. I’ll be there as soon as i can,” Chase said, hanging up the phone. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Hi, Chase,” Clare said, taking a load of laundry to the washer to start. She wore an oversized shirt with leggings, her hair pulled back in a low bun.

“Would you be okay for about an hour or so by yourself, Clare?” Chase asked, his eyes never leaving Summer’s.

“Sure,” She shrugged, stuffing the pile of clothes into the washer, her voice slightly muffled from another room.

“Summer, please go get shoes on. I have somewhere I needed to be ten minutes ago,” Chase said gently, but in a commanding way.

Cats was a code word that they used when some of Meads’ guys were around, and what better time than now to show that he was married. Most of the guys that Jason had wouldn’t know who Summer was, so she wouldn’t be in any danger, at least he hoped not. They just like to watch the places that Chase had, and sometimes caused business to drop because of their stance on how they went about it.

Sometimes, they used it as a scare tactic, but Chase wasn’t worried this time. It had been quieter than normal, though. Summer, looking frightened, did as she was told, grabbing a pair of flip flops that she had used for the small wedding, slipping them on. She also slipped on a long jacket that reached just below her butt to help ward off the chill in the fall air.

It was a warmer day than it had been a week ago, but still cool enough to need more layers than she currently had on.

She had no idea what was going on, and wasn’t sure she wanted to know. This was the first time she had ever gone out of a house for anything other than going back to the compound. He wasn’t taking her back there, was he? Summer silently followed Chase to the black R8 Spyder Convertible. Even though he was in a hurry, he opened her door, making sure she was in before shutting it and jogging to his side.

Once the garage door was opened, he backed out, peeling his tires. Summer held on to the side of the seat in a death grip. Her blue eyes were wide, not sure what was going on. She knew that Chase had planned to go to his parents’ house shortly after lunch, and had been gone for about two hours before returning, scaring the shit out of her. And she wasn’t the type to swear, but his entrance was so unexpected.

Clare was working on the laundry, washing the bed linens, hoping to rid the couples’ room of the stale sex smell, knowing it would be better for both of them to start anew. Clare knew who Chase was and how he would be taking over the Marcel family soon enough. She'd made sure to let Summer know what the man was capable of, because that way they both knew what to expect. It was easier.

Summer had been going to make some cookies, finding a pre-packaged case in the freezer. She didn’t know what to do with herself, she just wanted to keep busy as Chase had purposely not given her a list of things to do while he was gone. Chase was giving the girls options. He didn’t expect them to just sit around, as it wasn’t in their nature, but he had hoped that they would take time for themselves even if every single chore wasn't done on time; he wanted them to feel like this was their home.

He kept calling Summer, Princess and she didn’t know why. She couldn’t wrap her head around the thought of being married to a Prince. She didn’t live in a fairy tale.

Did his parents demand that he give her back to where he had found her? Kayla had seemed nice, but did her husband have more say over what he did or how Chase acted? Were the promises that Chase made, to keep her safe, giving her everything she possibly wanted, all a lie?

Chapter 10

Chase pushed his black car as fast as he possibly could. He knew he was scaring Summer, and being in a hurry, he didn’t have time to really calm her fears. He wouldn’t wreck, but of course she didn’t know that. He loved fast cars, the faster the better. Summer would just have to get used to it.

Her heart pounded in her chest, almost enough to take off faster than the car. Her palms were sweaty as she held on to her seat as tight as she possibly could. Surely, her sweaty hands would leave some sort of mark on the seats. Her heart beat in fear. Fear of where they were going. Fear of what was happening.

“Trent is having some trouble and I have to step in,” Chase said to her, glancing in the side mirror seeing his black security SUV close behind him, keeping up with his speed with no problem. And he thought he was a speed demon.

“It happens every few weeks, but it’s normally nothing serious. No one shoots up the shop, mostly because it’s in the middle of downtown, and cops patrol by often enough.” Plus, he’d return the favor to one of the Meads places just as easily. He’d love to do just that if Chase knew he could get away with it.

Summer didn’t know how to react to this man. She couldn’t forget that Mr. Marcel was a dangerous and lethal man, even though she was slowly beginning to feel comfortable in his home. That didn’t mean that she had to agree with him, or even like him for that matter. There was barely a chance in Hell that she’d ever like him as it was. How could she like a man that bought her? And married her, without her consent?

If only she was stronger, she’d fight. Fight against this hold he had on her. Maybe even run the first chance she could get. But if she did, Summer knew he’d track her down. His green eyes said he would. There was no hope for being normal. She wasn’t even sure what normal was anymore.

Summer didn’t want to admit it either, but Chase was growing on her. His presence was soothing, and she was just now beginning to view him as a nice person. So different from any guy she had known before.

“Since you are my wife, you will be required to attend certain outings with me, but you will always be safe. I have someone following me almost all the time to keep me, and you in turn, safe. There is a SUV behind us, which contains Carter and Jerry, my most trusted men,” Chase said, hoping that by him talking about it would calm Summer down. He kept his voice calm and soothing, even though he was in a hurry to get to Trent’s shop. He had a lot of practice to not let his emotions seep into his voice or posture.

He could see that she was on the brink of a panic attack, and didn’t have the time right that minute to deal with one. He knew that Trent’s shop would be safe, for the most part. No guns would be drawn, no fists would be thrown. Between Trent and Chase, they had a strict no violence policy on all the properties they owned and ran.

“I will have to attend meetings and events in other states, just to keep appearances up, and most of the time you will be joining me. Clare is welcome to come also, depending on what the meetings will be about,” Chase went on, shifting gears. He loved the feel of the powerful car. It almost felt like the movement moved through his body as it ran smoothly over the road. “Sometimes, there will be dress codes and I will be more than happy to supply you with what you need to wear.”

Slowly, Summer began to relax, realizing that she wasn’t being taken back to the compound. Actually, she was happy to hear that that wasn’t the case. She happened to glance out the window into the mirror, seeing that there was a black SUV following them not far behind. She would have panicked again if it wasn’t for the fact that it was part of Chase’s detail. He was the Mafia Prince, so protection made sense.

“Now, when we get to Trent’s shop you are to wait until I help you out. It’s always better to be too safe than not safe enough. I will take you into his office so I can talk to him. Keep your eyes opened, take everything in, be aware your surroundings,” Chase stated, wanting her to know what to look for.

So far, she did seem to be more observant than others around him but to keep her safe, she needed to know what to look for and where.

“The men that have to be dealt with don't know who you are yet to me,” Chase went on as he reached the town limits. He was tempted to reach over and grab her hand but was unable to do so for the pure reason he was driving a stick shift. He knew for a fact that Jason had no idea who he had married, but after today, he would without a doubt.

Summer’s thoughts slowly calmed, and as they entered more into the city, Chase’s speed decreased. Not by much, but enough to make Summer not have a death grip on the leather seat. She wondered what types of businesses Chase owned and had control of, but she wasn’t willing to ask. She knew nothing about the man other than the little bit Clare had taken the time to find out and tell her. She didn’t want to ask questions, and worried that Clare would push too many buttons in doing so.

~oOo~

“Why can’t I live with mommy?” an eight-year-old Summer asked her father who sat at the table glued with his phone at his ear. He shot a fiery glare her way, causing her to cower in fear. She had lived here for a few years, only seeing her mother a couple times every month, and there was always a strange man watching their every move. She didn’t understand any of it.

Her hair was down in soft waves, as Joy, the man’s wife, had let her take a bath that day. Baths were far and in between most of the time in this place.

“I’ll call you back in five,” he said roughly before hanging his phone up, setting it on the table. “What have I said about talking?”

“To not to,” Summer answered in a small voice, tears already gathering in her eyes. She ducked her head, knowing she, yet again, broke the man’s rule. She kept her eyes glued to the floor. Her heart quickly beat in her chest as her fought back against her own emotions. Why couldn’t he just be nicer?

She wanted her mommy. Not this man that never wanted her. He made her do the chores while the two boys got to have fun. It wasn’t fair. She was tempted to stomp her foot, but knew not to push this man farther than she had already.

Joy, the boys’ mom, was nice and sweet, but she wasn’t at home. Alex had a doctor’s appointment for school, and she was left here with this man. Her chores were done, and Jackson wasn’t here to keep her out of trouble. So she thought that maybe she could ask a simple question, one that hadn’t been answered all the time she had been stuck here.

“Correct. And what would happen if you interrupted me, again?” Jason asked, his eyes tight with fury. His voice was hard, a sharp edge to it.

“Please, no!” Summer cried, backing away as she hadn’t yet sat down. Summer knew she wasn’t allowed to sit at the same table at this man.

She didn’t want to be locked away with no food again. Last time, she was locked in the dark bedroom with no water or food for days, and then when she finally was able to be out, she was forced to clean not just that room, but the entire house because of the smell she made. It wasn’t her fault there was no bathroom in there!

“It’s too late, now,” Jason hissed, quickly standing and taking hold of her arm too tight. Her screams were never answered as her father dragged her to her Hell. “You will learn to not speak unless spoken to. Next time I’ll cut your tongue out.”

His grip left lasting bruises all around her tiny arm. He was not as merciful as he had been last time. This time, he used the rope that was connected to the brick wall, tying Summer up like she was a stray cow. Her pleas were not heard in his ears.

Before leaving her there to rot, Jason gave her a lust filled gaze, when she turned eighteen all bets were off, he thought before shutting the door, leaving Summer in pitch black.

  ~oOo~

Chase came to a hard stop in front of a house like structure, but Summer could see the open garage space behind the house. The outside of the house was a nice beige color, while what she gathered was the shop area, was painted a light gray color. Chase glanced around, seeing what needed to be done in case there was, in fact, gun fire.

“There are two cars across the street, no plates. There is another black car down the street, one driver. And then the other way is another car but with two people inside,” Chase stated. “I’m positive there are more, but we don’t want to be obvious in looking around.”

It drew more attention if Chase turned in his seat to check around him; that was why he was taught at such an early age to pay attention to every detail, know what was normal and what wasn’t. It didn’t matter if it was just a trash can out of place, or even a tree. If it wasn’t normal, that meant that what he was walking into could be the last thing he ever did.

Chase unbuckled and got of the car, closing the door gently behind him. He then walked around the car, taking everything in. He saw the figures across the street in their cars fidget, but turned his attention to his passenger, ignoring the watchful eyes for the moment. Once he opened her door, he held out his hand, waiting for Summer to take it. He kept his face calm, not letting any emotion leak through.

Normally, when he was called to Trent’s Shop, Chase would have a hard look, a no nonsense type of stance, but he didn’t want to make Summer more fearful than she already was. That would surely make her run for the hills. She had been through enough stress and worry already.

Summer slowly took his hand, letting Chase help her out of the car. She slowly stood, not sure how to feel. His body language was on alert, but his stance was calming. His hand was much bigger than her own, but for some reason she felt like he viewed her as a person. She’d never felt like she was seen as such before.

He gave Summer a small smile of approval, shutting her door before wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. It told everyone watching that she was taken; that she was his.

“You’re doing good,” Chase whispered, opening the front door making the bell on the door ding alerting Trent that someone had entered. He led them both into the much warmer air. The day was much warmer than expected, so like Chase’s house, the heat was turned down, but that didn’t stop the inside of the building to be warm. The inside smelled like oil but was clean. A few cushioned red and blue chairs sat around the room, a large TV on mute was mounted on the wall next to the door.

"Bout time,” Trent hollered at Chase, causing Summer to jump as she didn’t expect him to raise his voice.

“I made it here in record time,” Chase said, pulling away from Summer, but took hold of her hand. Since he had touched her he didn’t want to let her go. Touching her was addicting even though it was just a simple touch.

“Yeah, well, still too long,” Trent mumbled as Valerie came from the kitchen area with drinks for everyone. “Thank you Val.”

Valerie gave him a tight lipped smile before turning to a chair behind a huge desk where a number of computer screens sat. She had a pissed off look on her face, but otherwise kept to herself.

Chase gave Trent a questioning look, as it was well known that Valerie didn’t work here, nor did she stay quiet. Actually, he couldn’t recall seeing Valerie here at all in the many times he’d been here through the years.

“Part of her punishment for the way she acted. She has to work here for a full week, and only allowed to talk to customers, or when given permission,” Trent said, his voice monotone. “The other part, is well, a lot worse than working for me.” It was Summer’s turn to have a questioning look as her eyes went from one to the other, not sure what Trent was saying.

She didn't think that sort of punishment would be enough, but Summer had no say over that. She didn’t even have a say over her own life as it was.

“Trent is a Dom; he likes to have control in the bedroom and rarely demands it outside of his home. But Valerie was not polite to you and chose to give us both drugs without asking me, at least, if it was okay,” Chase explained. “Trent doesn’t hit or abuse her in any way. She enjoys the bedroom activities quite a bit. But in a dom/sub relationship, she knows to ask permission to do something like that, no matter if we are in the same sort of relationship or not. Hence why she was punished in a way that only Trent saw fit.”

Summer nodded, a red blush spreading across her face at the realizations came to her about what he meant. She’d seen handlers demand that for slaves before. The entire idea was bizarre to her.