Spiked Roses: The Complete Top Shelf Series

by Alta Hensley

  “I allowed you to leave for the same reasons,” Roman admitted. “Trust me, it took all my might to not hop on a plane and chase you down. I knew I could have demanded your return and most likely had gotten my way, but I knew you needed time to… spread your wings, I guess the saying is.” He took a long drink of his wine and then leaned back in his chair with a devilish smirk. “But I knew it was just a matter of time until you would be mine again.”

  Chapter Nine

  Roman

  “You are so fucking sexy sitting there eating that steak,” I said low enough that only Cheri could hear me. I was a man known for saying exactly what I thought which could be a bad thing in life at times, but I didn’t care. I held very little back.

  Her eyes lifted from her plate and connected with mine as a tinge of pink colored the tops of her cheeks. “You’ve had too much wine,” she countered back without any hesitation. Another thing I loved about her—her sharp wit and venom-laced tongue.

  “I’m serious,” I continued. “I’ve never sat across from a sexier woman.”

  “Is that so? Are you going to ask me to spread my legs again so you can stare at my pussy?”

  God the woman had an ability to always make me smile like some weak-kneed schoolboy whether I wanted to or not. “Maybe. If it means we get to fuck again like last time.” My cock twitched at the thought of being buried inside of her again.

  “I think we should wait until our wedding night for that to happen again,” she said as she batted her eyelashes and tilted her head in feigned innocence. “I need to be the pure and innocent princess the world expects. What would the royal family think if they knew I was not a virgin?” She was trying not to laugh, but I could see the humor in her bright eyes.

  “Oh fuck that. Fuck that!” I chuckled. It felt good to be able to sit across from this woman I have loved my entire life and share a meal with her, bantering back and forth. It was easy, comfortable, yet she managed to keep my blood racing through my veins at high speed. I truly could see myself spending the rest of my life with her if she would be able to immerse herself into my world. But my world was unlike any other, and though she thought she knew all that it entailed, and though she had a very small sliver of a taste tonight, she truly had no idea of what was still to come. I feared she wouldn’t want to, or be able to do what would be required next.

  Next.

  What came next would be far more than most women could handle.

  Would my dark connections swallow up our budding romance before it even had a chance to bloom?

  “What just crossed your mind?” she asked, lowering her wine to the table with a look of concern on her face. “Everything about your eyes and face seemed to darken just then.” She put a smile on her face. “I was kidding about waiting until marriage.”

  I took a deep breath and darted my eyes around the room to make sure no one had seen the change in my expression that I hadn’t been aware of. “Sorry, it had nothing to do with what you said. I was just allowing the next topic I have to discuss with you creep in before I was ready to.”

  “What topic?” she asked.

  I didn’t want to ruin our wonderful night by discussing this matter, but I also knew there was no choice. It wasn’t fair for Cheri to get any further along in this engagement process and then throw this at her. She needed to know right off the bat what she was getting into and what would be expected.

  “You have spent your entire life being groomed to be a princess,” I began.

  She groaned and rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it.”

  “But you were groomed for the young, innocent, and naïve parts you were privy to.”

  “Okay,” she said with a furrowed brow. “What are you getting at?”

  “I’m a powerful man who associates with other powerful people.”

  “So, you are saying that our dinner parties aren’t going to be the norm. I get it.”

  I shook my head slowly and poured more wine into our glasses. She was going to need it after I got done telling her what I needed to say. “You don’t get it. Power does not come with clean hands. Wealth comes with new rules. A darker law is formed among those who rule over their own empire. Secrets make up the backbone of the society in which I walk. Secrets that have to be protected at all costs.”

  “Roman, you aren’t making any sense.”

  “Like you, I’ve been groomed my entire life to someday be a king. Though it’s unlikely due to my older brother getting that crown, I was still prepared in all ways for that day to come. I have spent my entire life surrounded by powerful men and women who can be crafty, ruthless, heartless, and cruel at times if they have to. Wealth and power often forces one’s hand.” I needed to get to the point. I realized my trying to sugarcoat this was only confusing Cheri. “I am part of a secret society called The Iron Colt Brotherhood. I was born into it. It’s a society that is made up of old money, new money, royal money, stolen money, and blood money. Unlike some members, I didn’t get to choose to be part of it, but regardless, I am. Once you are a member, you are always a member. There’s no leaving it.”

  She nodded. “I’ve heard of this group. I don’t know anything about it really, but I do remember my father being afraid of them. I know he did things in regard to his business and money to appease them.”

  Her information surprised me. I hadn’t expected to hear she was already aware of the society much less that she knew enough to understand that they were to be feared.

  “Then you know that they’re not to be crossed.”

  She shrugged. “I suppose so. But I don’t understand why we’re having this conversation. Are you in trouble with them or something?”

  “No. In fact, what I’m about to ask of you is to prevent future issues with the brotherhood. And the reason I’m sweating my fucking balls off right now as I try to explain this, is that I don’t want to scare you off.”

  “If the army of photographers didn’t scare me off, I seriously doubt some ancient society can,” she said with a warm smile that I desperately needed to see at that moment. “Do we have to ask their permission to get married or something?”

  “Yes,” I said flatly. “In a way. Everything about the brotherhood is surrounded by secrecy. Therefore, when I go to a meeting, gathering, event, and so forth, it is forbidden to discuss it with anyone who isn’t a member. Business deals conducted among the brotherhood are to be treated as highly classified. Nothing can be discussed outside the walls of the society… even with your spouse. Doing so could mean extreme consequences that could even lead to death for both the member and the spouse. By simply being married to me, you’re at risk. I would have to hide a lot from you, even lie and betray in order to protect you.”

  Cheri’s eyes narrowed, and just as she was about to no doubt snap at me for something in the lines of her not accepting lies and betrayals, the waiter approached the table to ask us if we wanted any dessert. She declined, as did I, since clearly our minds were focused on something far more important.

  When the waiter left, I said, “Which is something I don’t want to do with you. I don’t want to lie or keep you in the dark about anything. I want an open partnership, and frankly will want you by my side at any dinner, event, or fucked up gathering of the rich and powerful. You aren’t a delicate snowflake, and, therefore, I don’t want you treated as such.”

  “Do you want me to become a member? Is that it?”

  I shook my head. “I wish it were that simple. Because the society is so archaic with very old school beliefs, no woman can truly be a member. But women can marry into the brotherhood if they’re willing to be initiated. They have to earn their way in.”

  “Initiated? What does that mean? Like a college hazing?”

  “Far from it,” I said. “The initiation is unlike anything you could possibly imagine. It’s not easy, it will demand things from you that only the strong can survive, and it will change your life forever.”

  “And you want me to do this initiation?�
��

  I nodded. “I do. It’s the only way to keep you safe, to keep our future family safe, and to appease the brotherhood. I keep myself cloaked in the shadows of The Iron Colt Brotherhood normally. I don’t stand out, or attend many functions unless I absolutely have to. Unfortunately, getting married to you places both of us front and center for a short time. If we play by their rules, do exactly as they ask, earn their trust, I know that we can then go back into the shadows and not be involved.”

  “So what do I have to do?” she asked, not seeming afraid at all. I didn’t know if I should be proud of her bravery or angry at her foolishness.

  “Submission. Full surrender to The Iron Colt Brotherhood.”

  “What the fuck does that mean?” she asked, her bravado morphing into a mix of curiosity and distaste.

  “If you agree to the initiation, you’ll be picked up by an unknown member tomorrow and brought to a secret location. You’ll be expected to show that you are willing to give your body and soul to the society. You will be expected to earn their trust by showing them you can do whatever they ask no matter what it is. They will make you show your true submissive self and abandon the woman you once were. Their intent will be to break you in order to allow you to rebuild as an honorary member of the society. They’ll expect to see sacrifice, shame, humility, and complete abandon to all you once believed sacred. The initiation is about releasing every shield and boundary you once had.”

  I was practically reciting the words of the brotherhood word for fucking word, and I hated doing it. I was not a man to be told what to do, but I also wasn’t going to put my future bride at risk.

  I watched Cheri as she processed my words. I supposed it was a good sign that she didn’t just jump out of her seat and storm out of the restaurant. I couldn’t possibly imagine what was going through her mind.

  “What do you mean by give my body? Will I be expected to have sex with them? Is this some sort of gang bang or something?” she asked.

  “Fuck that. No way. I would never allow something like that to happen to you. You are mine, and mine only. Though, I have seen initiations where the participant isn’t allowed to choose her partners. My royal blood and lineage gives me some power to make some demands. The only person you will be fucking is me.”

  “I’m not following you at all. Are you saying I have to fuck you to be initiated? Can’t you inform them that little deed has already occurred?” Her wicked smile was endearing. Even as we discussed some corrupt and immoral shit, she was able to keep a sense of humor.

  “You will be going through much more than just fucking. It’s not that simple. It will push you further than you have ever been pushed. You think you know kink… after the initiation, you will see how pure your thoughts and actions were in comparison.”

  “So sex? The initiation is about sex?”

  “Yes, and no. You’ll be expected to go through days of sexual submission… but to me. And The Iron Colt Brotherhood will be observing to make sure it is done to their standards. They will be watching to see if you truly are prepared to enter this dark and twisted world.” I took a deep breath to make sure that my next words came out calm and collected. “And, Cheri… I will understand if you say no. I understand if you don’t want to go down this dark path. But I hope you do. It will all be worth it in the end. You will be my equal rather than a woman blinded to the shadows around her.”

  “If I fuck you, and become your what… slave?”

  “Maybe. If the brotherhood feels it so. But most likely you will be expected to have me dominate every inch of your body.” I took a sip of wine and then gave a tentative smile. “I do feel that I can make this entire process enjoyable for you.”

  Her eyes widened. “So BDSM stuff? This sounds… crazy.”

  “I know how it sounds. But this is my world. It’s not all galas, gowns and tiaras. My world is black, leather, chains, and danger. You need to know what you are getting yourself into if you truly want to be my bride.”

  She sat there staring at me. Her emotionless face made it impossible to read her. I couldn’t tell if she was angry, offended, curious, or considering it all.

  “The question is,” I said, “do you still want to marry me? Even if it means you going through this initiation to make that happen?”

  The long pause had my heart beating so hard that I actually wondered if the room of diners could hear it. I wanted her desperately to say yes, but I also knew that the information I had just given her and the proposal of what would come next was enough to scare her right back to Costa Rica.

  “Yes, I want to marry you,” she said softly. “But if I do this, will I be safe?”

  I didn’t want to lie to her. I knew that the answer she wanted to hear was me to say of course she would be. But that was not the truth.

  “You’ll be safe as long as you do as you are told. There is no backing down or changing your mind once you start. They’ll kill you before they let you go. But if you do everything asked of you, and you allow me to lead us toward the light, we will get out of the darkness. But you will have to have complete trust in me. I’ll get us through this as hard as it may be to believe it at times. I’m not going to lie to you and say this will be easy. I also wouldn’t ask you to do this if I didn’t think you were strong enough. Very few spouses can do what I’m asking of you. But I know you, Cheri. I know you wouldn’t want the same life most women in my circle live. You aren’t the type of woman who can simply sit on a board for some charity, attend fancy parties and smile. You’ll want more. You’ll want all of me and all of my life. You won’t want secrets. You don’t want to be the woman who has to be sent away when important business decisions are discussed.”

  “That’s true,” she said. “I know that’s the life my mother led, and I don’t want that. She played dumb and just acted like she knew nothing. I’m assuming my father was a member of The Iron Colt Brotherhood since I had heard them mentioned when I maybe shouldn’t have. I had heard stories, saw some at parties with their hired guards, and even at dinner at my house. Though my mother never acted like she knew a thing. My father protected her, and now I know why. But look where that put her. She’s weak, penniless, and delusional that all will be fine and someone will take care of her. I promised myself I never would be like her in that regard. I won’t be a weak, helpless and kept woman no matter if I marry a prince or not. So, if doing this initiation means I can marry you but still retain my strength and not just be arm candy to a prince, then yes, I want to go through with this. No matter how scary and daunting this sounds.”

  A sense of relief and fear attacked me at once. I would do everything within my power to keep her safe, but I also knew how the brotherhood operated.

  “They will kill you, Cherise, if you agree to this and then get cold feet. Once you open this door, there is no turning back. They will consider it an act of betrayal.”

  She nodded slowly. “But they won’t kill me or hurt me as long as I act submissive and do as I am told. I can do this… if it means I can marry you but not eventually lose myself in the royal life… it will be worth it.”

  “But I really want you to understand. It will be sexual. It will be depraved in more ways than you can imagine. It will also tap into your most forbidden and taboo desires. You will feel pleasure and pain, fear and ecstasy all bundled together. Your mind will scream that everything happening to you is wrong, but your body will overrule by knowing it’s right. I will be there. I will guide you, but this journey is yours.”

  She nodded again. “So what happens next? When does this initiation happen?”

  “You’ll be picked up tomorrow by someone who works for the brotherhood. I’m not sure when, or where, but it will happen. We are going to tell everyone that you and I are on an engagement trip. I have no idea how long we’ll be away for this initiation, so we will not give a date of our return. The media, our families and friends, will all just assume we are on a romantic trip.”

  “And when will I see you?�
� she asked.

  “I’ll be there. I don’t know all the details either. I don’t know everything that will happen, or what will be asked of you. But I assure you, that I will be there.”

  “Okay. I’ll do it.”

  “Cheri…” I began. “You need to take this seriously. The men in charge of the initiation can be cruel and without mercy. I will do everything within my power to protect you, but I can’t if you get mouthy, fight back, or try to run. The minute I tell The Iron Colt Brotherhood that you have accepted to be initiated, you will have to completely comply.”

  “I understand that,” she said softly. “I knew that marrying you would come with some hidden ties. I knew this.”

  “I also need to warn you,” I said in an even tone. “I am not going to be the Prince Roman you grew up with when we are among the brotherhood. You will see the devil inside me emerge. I need you to be prepared.”