The Dark Prince (The Dark Prince Trilogy #1) (15 page)

He set up a meeting with his cousin that week, more out of business than anything. They were meeting at a restaurant down town. Trent sat at the dark covered booth, looking over the menu. Smartly, he left his pouting wife at home, as he knew Chase was not happy with her at the moment and neither was he. Chase walked in late, like normal.

“You’re late,” Trent said, not looking up at the man who had a hard, tired look on his face.

“Whatever,” Chase grumbled. He didn’t want another lecture on his time. “You wanted to meet?” he slid into his chair, but didn’t touch the menu.

“Yes. To talk about my wife,” Trent said, setting the menu down. His own eyes were filled with despair. Chase didn’t say a thing, waiting. His eyes were lit with fire at the mention of her. He saw a few deposits into her bank account, ones that Trent surely didn’t know about. It shot up red flags instantly.

“I have no idea what has gotten into her,” Trent said, letting his head fall into his hands. “She had everything she ever wanted. She blew it, Chase. I don’t know what is going on, but she won’t tell me. She’d always tell me everything.”

“Someone talked to her,” Chase stated, his voice monotone. “Just not sure who, and I can’t pin it on anyone in particular.” His voice was low, but demanded his cousin’s respect. “So what is going on?”

“I don’t know!” Trent said loudly, causing some of the other customers to look their way. “I make sure she has everything she ever could want. Yes, sometimes she’d push her limits, needed a firmer hand. And I took control in those instances without any lasting problem. But this? This has gone too far. When I asked what her deal is, she keeps bringing up how Summer is using you. And I know that girl wouldn’t do that. You would know that, right?”

“My Summer would do no such thing. Not with the way she had lived her life. She . . .,” Chase said, his voice dropping lower in pain. “I met Summer when I was ten years old; she was only a little thing, about five years old or so. She was so little, so scared. I promised her, Trent. I promised her I’d protect her when I was old enough to do so. And I won’t back out of that promise. Besides she wouldn't have known I was going to choose her.” She was the most innocent person ever.

He paused, thinking hard. He mirrored Trent’s position. Head in his hands, elbows on the table. Looking up, he spoke, “I have thought about that – would she try to take me down, if she got the chance? It’s not in her blood. Summer is a sweetheart. Never asks for anything. Hasn’t even tried to get into anything on my computer that I have left out a number of times to see.”

Chase didn’t add on that he purposely left things opened and out in the open just to see what Summer, and even Clare, would do when he wasn’t at home. Neither of the girls even dared to touch a single thing, let alone touch the doors that led outside.

“I believe you,” Trent said tiredly. “I looked into Valerie’s accounts. Did you know she has one she hid from me? All these years I never knew about it till the other day.”

“Yes, but just found out a few weeks ago. I didn’t want to bring it up in case it was nothing,” Chase said. “She had a deposit this morning for three thousand dollars, and from someone that isn’t traceable.”

“Shit!” Trent said, banging his fist on the table, causing the plates to clatter. “Now I wish I had paddled her ass harder. Maybe even used that stupid cane. Heaven knows she gets off on more pain than I’m ever willing to give.”

“It still could be nothing, but I’m keeping an eye on her. I have someone following her. I can’t put my life, or Summer’s, in danger,” Chase said.

He didn’t think Valerie was capable of doing anything, but he wasn’t going to chance it. Chase knew that Jason was a man of many talents, many deadly talents. It could all be explainable, but Chase couldn’t get into that man’s accounts, or files for his life. The only thing he could do was wait. He detested waiting.

“How’s Summer?” Trent asked once he calmed down somewhat, although his face was still lined with worry.

“Not well. She hasn’t been eating much, or sleeping,” Chase sighed, tired. He sat up straighter, folding his hands in his lap. Just the thought of her made him want to run to her, hold her and tell the poor girl how sorry he was. Sorry for everything. “I really should talk to her. It’s been three weeks, and I may be avoiding her.” He couldn’t help but grimace at the end, hating himself a little bit more.

“No wonder she’s not well,” Trent laughed. “Go home, Chase. Get some sleep. If I find anything out from anyone, I’ll be sure to let you know. I’ve taken all of Valerie’s privileges away. She’s not going anywhere by herself for a long while. At least until I figure out what to do about it. I can’t have a snobby wife, nor a wife that isn’t on the same side as me.”

Trent would just kill his wife, get it over and done with. But he didn’t want to deal with her father afterwards. He was worse than Valerie half the time.

Chase did just as Trent had suggested. He drove home in a tired daze late that night. By the time he made it home, it was after one in the morning, the house completely dark except for a flicker from the TV in the living room through the window. Chase was quiet on his way in, shutting and setting the alarm again. In socked feet, he walked to the living room, seeing Summer fast asleep on the couch, dressed in one of his shirts that was way too big on her small frame. Her hands were under her cheek; eyes red rimmed and tear tracks down her cheeks. Her brown hair was spread out behind her, almost like she had tossed and turned a few times as she tried to get comfortable on the couch.

Chase’s heart gave a sharp pang at how lost his wife looked. How much of a fuck-up was he for leaving her alone with her thoughts, her nightmares, for almost a month. He bent down and gently picked her sleeping body up and headed upstairs.

Chapter 14

Summer had tossed and turned, once again. But this time, she gave up completely on the idea of sleep and took her time going to the living room. She turned the TV onto the ABC Family channel before laying down on the couch, using the couch arm and her hands as a pillow. She was exhausted, but sleep didn’t come easy for her. This week was the worst so far in this house. And it wasn’t because of being hit or denied food. It was all because of the stress that she wasn’t used to.

She missed Chase, and wasn’t sure why she should. She hardly knew him, hardly even trusted the man even if her life depended on it. And in reality, it did. Chase held her life in his hands. He was the one that got to choose if she lived or died. And she knew without a doubt that he’d easily take her life if he so desired. She had hardly seen him, let alone hear him when he was, in fact, at home.

He seemed to come home late at night, then leaving before the sun ever rose. That was if he did actually make it home at all. He never stayed home long when he did show up, and didn’t say anything to either of the girls. But on top of him not being home, she worried about her husband's welfare constantly. And that not something she ever had done before.

Clare had found a note in the kitchen from Chase earlier today, saying he had gotten the tuition paid in full for her to start to her chosen schooling. She was excited, and had everything set up within an hour to begin.

Summer had it narrowed down to two, but that was as far as she made it. She didn’t know which one, and wasn’t willing to leave them on Chase’s desk, let alone leave him a note to ask his opinion. Although that is what she wanted. She wanted his input.

She wondered if Chase was unhappy with his choice to marry her and was now regretting it. It was the only thing she could think of to blame his actions on. Why else would he be ignoring her and Clare on purpose?

Or was it because Chase wanted Clare instead of her? Oh, God, she hoped not. She didn’t want to subject her sister to that kind of like.

Jason always,
always
, found Summer, no matter where she was. He’d be sure to do something in a matter of days to get Chase to take her back to where he found her, or kill her. Summer would prefer to die. She wouldn’t be able to take any more abuse than she already had. She knew her father was out there, searching for her. It may take a little bit of time, but seeing him near Trent’s auto shop chilled her to the bone, and that wasn’t hard these days. She seems to always be cold inside and out. It didn’t help with the nightmares she had nightly, either.

Then the words that Valerie had said came back to her. Summer didn’t know what to think after so much time had passed, and didn’t want to dwell on it either. It was in the past, and there was nothing she could do about it now. But she wouldn’t willingly spend time with Valerie. She’d rather be scrubbing a floor somewhere than ever be in the same room as that woman again.

Kayla had commented that she needed to eat more, but Summer had begun to be nauseated a lot and she blamed it on her nerves. There had been times before that she was nervous or scared so much that it made her physically sick, so now she thought it was no different.

Summer didn't know why Chase had chosen her to begin with. He wasn’t even at the house to see her, so why would eating be worth the time? Chase obviously didn’t want anything to do with her now.

Summer tried to keep her past behind her, but it was so hard to do that when it kept jumping in front of her. Memories of Emma kept jumping out of the blue.

She couldn’t remember when the times had been, but she was younger, and her mother certainly cared deeply for the little girl.

Summer knew she needed to see her again to make sure that that woman was her mom, but she didn't want to get her hopes up. Summer knew that Chase had told her Emma was her mother, but it was still so easy to doubt words that were spoken to her, no matter what they were or who they came from.

On the nights that Summer woke up in tears, she wished for warm, safe arms to comfort her; sooth her fears and worries. But there was never anyone to do that. Clare would be fast asleep, and most nights, Summer would lay there, waiting for morning. But other times, she’d walk the house, making sure everything was in order. She’d pass Chase’s empty room and wish he were there. She craved his presence, not sure how to keep herself together.

She’d find herself standing in the doorway, arms wrapped around her midsection to hold herself together. Summer refused to enter that room unless it was to gather his bedding to wash or to put away his laundry. Summer had no idea why she was so drawn to him. Had it something to do with their one night of passion? Or was there something more between them? Maybe Summer’s heart knew that the man wouldn’t dare hurt her on purpose.

When there was nothing to do, and while Clare did some schooling, Summer would search for information on Chase, entering his name into the Google search engine from the laptop that had come in the mail via FedEx. But nothing would come up that she didn’t already know. He was well known all around the states for his good deeds, helping the poor and making things run smoothly. He had donated great amounts of money to many different causes. Cancer, foster families, homeless shelters, and everything in between.

He was perfect in almost every way. There was a great possibility that if Summer wasn’t forced to have this type of life, Chase would have been the man of her dreams. Good looks and a nice personality. He was . . . . a Prince. A mafia prince, but a prince all the same.

He had money, of course, and was well known. There were fan groups for just him, and even a group of wanna-be girlfriends. Just because she didn’t have a social media account didn’t stop her from finding out how popular he really was. People were funny. Summer didn’t see why someone would want a man that would be taking over the killing and other things that mobs did. But that side of him was unknown to the world. Only his family knew of that, apparently. Summer was amazed by how many people only knew of his good side.

She didn’t realize she was crying until a tear landed on her hand that lay beneath her head. These were tears of tiredness, tears of loneliness. Sure, she was taken well care of, but she had no one to talk to. Not that she really talked, but Summer just missed Chase. She missed her mother. She wanted to be normal, she was just so tired of fighting for something that may never be.

Summer eventually fell asleep on the couch, dried tears on her face. She was cold, but too lazy to get up and either search for a blanket or go back to bed. She thought she was starting to feel like she could call this place home, but with Chase gone, it was just another house. Just another job. Not quite a Hell, since she was better off here, but a hell all the same.

She was sound asleep as Chase gently picked her up and carried her to bed, although her hands wrapped around his neck, seeking his warmth, his safety that he emitted. Summer a snuggled into his chest, thinking it was all a dream. It had to be, as Chase hadn’t been seen in the house for an entire three and a half weeks. Let alone touched her. He had barely touched her as it was already. Not much more than a hand touch or a short hug since their wedding night.

Chase gently laid her on his bed, covering her with the comforter. There was no way he was going to let his wife, who he would be sure to not neglect again, sleep on the couch. He’d sleep there if she demanded it. Summer was sure to be mad at him for the way he had acted the past few weeks.

Heck, he was mad at himself. He had no idea what sort of damage he caused his wife in the last few weeks as he purposely ignored her. He had a lot to make up for his attitude. But he had feelings towards her that he never wanted, never expected. He just couldn’t explain what he was feeling, and that was why he stayed away.

“Stay,” Summer mumbled out as Chase slowly unhooked her hands from around his neck.

“I’ll be right back, Princess,” Chase whispered out, her hands falling away from him easily with his whispered promise. After a quick hot shower, he crawled into bed, making sure he didn’t touch her before falling into a deep sleep on the very edge. He would keep his distance; it was after all the least he could do.

~oOo~

Summer awoke, much later, and warmer, than when she had fallen asleep. She could feel a blanket covering her body. She was laying on a bed, the softness too comfortable to move. Finally opening her eyes, she was met with the wide green eyes of Chase, who was lying next to her on the bed, just watching his wife. His head was propped up by in his left hand. His face broke out in a worried, but happy smile before he spoke, “Good Morning.”

Summer blinked her eyes. Once. Twice.
How had she got here?
She thought, confused as to why Chase was staring at her, let alone laying propped up by his hand next to her. Well, more like in front of her. She hadn’t heard him come home, and guessing from how bright the room was, it was already mid-morning. Summer didn’t remember coming to bed, either.

“You seem confused,” Chase stated, his green eyes bright as he looked his wife over. She had lost what little bit of weight that she had gained before he ran off and acted like an asshole. He would need to make sure to do a better job at being a husband from now on.

“I came home, finding you fast asleep on the couch. I couldn’t leave you there, so I brought you to bed.” She blinked again. Why would he bring her to bed? He had wanted nothing to do with her for weeks, so why now?

Deciding to not dwell on the fact that she was still confused, Summer slowly turned over and pushed herself up and out of bed. She was still in the same clothes as she had put on before going to bed in the room Clare had been sleeping in, so that was a relief. Summer then made her way to the bathroom that was in the hallway. She didn’t feel comfortable using the one in Chase’s room. She didn’t feel comfortable in his room, period.

Summer missed the look of concern cover Chase’s face as she turned away from him, not saying anything. He knew he screwed up, and wasn’t sure how much damage he inflicted on her already frightened stature. Actually, she felt more comfortable in his bed, but only with Chase right next to her. He just made her feel safe, and safety was not something she was used to.

Of course, her stomach was queasy once more, but luckily, she was able to keep it under control. Her legs felt shaky as Summer walked to the bathroom at a fast pace. Closing the door, she relieved her bladder, waiting for what felt like hours to empty it out. Then, she brushed her teeth, brushed her hair, and splashed cold water on her face. She felt clammy, knowing that a panic attack was sure to come that day.

After so many years of dealing with them, Summer knew what days would be more likely to contain her annoying attacks, and today was as good as any. Just with Chase’s presence back in the house alone was a key to an attack. She never wanted one to happen, but Summer at least knew to try to stay away from him, and Clare, as much as she possibly could so she didn’t have a full blown out panic attack. At least she could hope.

Making her way downstairs, she gave a small wave towards Clare who was in the spare room, now a student office. Clare loved the idea of finishing school, and so far had no issues with learning the subjects that were outlined for the first semester.

Summer froze when she came to the kitchen, seeing Chase at the table. She wanted to flee, hiding in the smallest corner she could find, which happened to be in the attic. She knew that he wouldn’t hurt her, but she
had
gotten used to him not being here, and just finally got her thoughts around him and her feelings, but maybe she hadn’t. By pushing those confusing thoughts to the back of her head, it didn’t really help her in the long run.

“Hello, Summer,” Chase said, then took a sip of his coffee. He waited, knowing that his wife was having a difficult time grasping the idea that he was back. He didn’t expect anything less from her.

“I am sorry for being well . . . . absent for a few weeks.” His voice was calm, collected. He kept it quiet as not to frighten her. Chase wasn’t sure how much she could take, as she was pale and looked like she had lost more weight than he had originally thought at first, over the last month. Summer tried to ignore him, and ignore the smell of coffee. For some reason, the simple smell she had loved was giving her a headache. She blamed it on the worry and fear of this man returning so suddenly, just like how he had left.

“Please, join me?” Chase asked, motioning to the empty chair across from him. “It looks as though you haven’t eaten much the last few weeks.”