The Dark Prince (The Dark Prince Trilogy #1)

by Autumn Winchester

  “You lie,” Jason said, beginning to doubt his own words. His hand clenched at his sides. That bitch didn't have the nerve. He couldn’t wait to show her just who was boss.

  Summer shrugged, not letting Jason know either way. She liked seeing him unnerved.

  “You look so much like your mother,” Jason said, hoping to buy time. He was sure that his spotters would be shooting anytime now. “And she loved to be used as much as you do.”

  “Yeah right,” Jackson coughed, knowing the man would give him crap for it. Emma hated this man to an inch of his life for many reasons.

  “You know; I was surprised to see you with Chase though. He never seemed the type to want a quiet, used up wife,” Jason went on, tilting his head to the side slightly, letting his eyes roam her up and down again. “But what surprised me more was that he has hidden you. He can’t possibly want to keep you if you are never seen.

  “But did you know he needs an heir? Every great leader for our business must have one to carry on the program. I knew you were good for nothing.”

  “He knows I do not want children, and he agrees,” Summer said, holding her head high.

  “Now!” he shouted, giving a hand signal. Jason had enough of the talk. It wasn’t doing him any good.

  What he didn’t know was that Asher already had Jason’s men taken out and the gunshot that was heard, echoing the dirty town, came from the gun that Summer held. She pulled the trigger as the man’s command frightened her. She gasped as the power of the gun and watched as Jason’s expression turned from amusement to fear and recognition as the pain registered in his stomach.

  His hands went to cover his wound, seeing the blood as it seeped from within, coating his clothes and dripping to the ground in slow motion.

  “What the Fuck! Jackson?” Jason looked at Jackson as he said the words. He thought he was just leading the girl on to get the gun from her.

  Summer dropped the gun, backing away in small steps. What have I done? She thought in panic, her eyes watering, as the man she hated with every breath she took fell to his knees, looking at her with shock. She covered her opened mouth with both hands.

  There was another shot, this one hitting Jackson in the arm as he stood watching the scene unfold. Before anyone could blink, Peter shot off a round of bullets that echoed around the block, hitting his targets straight on.

  “He can have . . . everything,” Jason panted, knowing he wouldn’t make it. “But you will still suffer.” He gulped, trying to gain strength from within as his body gave into the pain. “He doesn’t love you. No one can love you like I do. Aro will come after what is his. You are his.”

  Peter smirked as he walked over to pick the gun Summer had dropped up. "He can try," he said.

  “I beg to differ,” Chase spoke, before firing a quick shot at the man’s chest. As soon as Chase had his gun stuffed back into his belt as Peter went to Jackson. Chase ran straight to Summer, wrapping her in his arms. He could feel her shaking as sobs racked her body. He had seen her panic, but this was worse than ever before.

  That didn’t stop him from being proud of his wife. Nothing would make him prouder.

  Chapter 29

  Chase carried Summer out through the alley while Carter ran ahead to get the SUV. Chase demanded that they get the hell out of dodge before the streets were blocked off by the cops and investigators. Jason was left there where he lay, no longer breathing, nor his heart beating. That man was the last thing to be concerned about as Chase tried to calm his shocked wife.

  Peter jumped in the front passenger side of the car that skidded to a stop at the mouth of the ally, and Chase sat Summer in the backseat before quickly getting in himself.

  With screeching tires, Carter left the town behind, headed towards the house. Jackson’s gun wound was just a graze, so there was no worry for his health at the moment as he sat in the seat beside Summer. Of course, he was still pissed Carter took a shot at him. But he wisely kept his mouth shut, or Chase would finished him off.

  “Call Asher,” Chase barked out. “And my father.”

  Summer kept seeing the blood seep from the bullet wound and Jason’s surprised reaction to her. Deep down, she was glad that she got to shoot him, making the man pay for the hell he put her through.

  But on the other hand, she couldn’t believe she shot him. Shot her own father. She didn’t know what she would do when faced with the demon himself, but she never thought for once that she would pull the trigger. She may not have killed him, but she helped bring him down. Just like she had wanted to when Chase had brought it up so long ago.

  And she did it to save her husband. She knew without a shadow of doubt she would do it again. Chase was hers and she loved him more than life itself.

  Sobs racked her body silently. She didn’t know where she was; only knew that Chase held her tightly, his voice trying to break through her dulled hearing. She could only hear the thumping of his heart and the echoes of the gun shots.

  Chase barked out order after order to the two men as he tried to console his wife to the best ability he could in such tight space.

  He needed a clean-up crew to erase everything that would point him and his wife from being at that hotel. He’d leave Jason there and the few other men that were shot and killed for the FBI to have. He had to make sure that the shooting was not traced back to him or his wife.

  He didn’t pay attention to where his other men went. Normally, Chase would know exactly where everyone was, but with his wife in his arms, that matter passed over his head.

  Once home, Ivan was already there waiting, along with Kayla. They stood in the foyer, waiting to know what happened. Before any explanation was given, Kayla went into to doctor mode, telling Chase what was needed to be done for Summer as she was going into shock. Chase rushed to do as his mother commanded. His only concern was helping Summer right at the moment. She was his life. He knew he could never survive without her beside him.

  First, he started water in their bathtub, warm, but not too warm, before stripping her down. He sat her on the toilet, where she cried out in protest. He mumbled soothing words to her, ignoring the tears that continued to trail down her cheeks. He tried to keep one hand on her somehow, just to let her know that he wasn’t going anywhere. Once they were both stripped naked, Chase picked her up, then stepped into the filling bathtub and sat down, holding her close to his chest.

  “I’m here,” he mumbled. “I’ve got you, honey.” He tried his best to sooth her, letting her know that he loved her, and that they were both safe. Kayla came in, shutting the water off and injecting Summer with a shot of something to calm her.

  “Peter’s getting cleaned up, and he explained what happened,” she said soothingly, brushing some stray hairs away from Summer’s face. She flinched against the new touch, cowering against Chase’s chest.

  “Even with the Xanax that she was on wouldn’t have helped her at this point. The shot I gave her of Ativan will help. But she will sleep a lot for the rest of the day. She’ll mostly be in and out,” she went on. “And Jack is all patched up, too.”

  “Don’t worry about anything but the Princess for now,” Peter said from the bedroom, keeping away from the door. He didn’t want to anger the Prince right now. “I’ll take care of everything else. Trent showed up, with Valerie. But she’s in the holding room downstairs.”

  “Thanks, Peter,” Chase sighed out, thanking him for his unconditional help. Chase knew right then and there, Peter would stick by him through this and more, along with the family that were in his house. Kayla left the room, leaving a few cream colored towels out within reach for Chase to use. Summer calmed down majorly. She was no longer sobbing, but tears still fell from her eyes. She was on auto pilot, letting her husband take control. It was just easier for her.

  Her body was tired and weightless as Chase told her to sit up some. He got out, and wrapped a towel around his waist before beginning to wash the day away from his wife. He washed her hair, hands, and feet then th
e rest of her body. He wanted her to come down from her shock on her own as much as possible.

  He took his time, talking to her. He didn’t talk about anything to do with what happened today, but of himself and what he planned for their future. Chase was sure she wasn’t listening, but his voice alone helped to keep her calm. He told her that he wanted to make the world a better place, not just for her, but for everyone. He explained that she was the key to everything, to give him reason to finish making a path to prove he wasn’t the man everyone always made him out to be.

  Once she was clean from all the suds, Chase reached in and pulled the plug, letting the water drain. He then helped her to stand, giving her instructions that she followed with a delayed reaction, but followed nonetheless.

  Once she stepped out slowly from the tub, Chase wrapped a towel around her shoulders, her arms hung at her sides limply. He then squeezed as much water as he could from her hair before rubbing the towel through it a few times, then brushing it out and putting it into a sloppy twist. He dried her body, then wrapped a dry towel round her.

  Chase then led Summer to the bedroom where he gathered her clothes. Simple comfy clothes. Summer didn’t care. She only wanted to be in his arms where she knew she was safe. She would have even forgone clothes to be near him at the moment.

  Her eyes began to water once more as an image of Chase, a gun pointed to his head. She knew he was safe now, but her mind couldn’t focus on it.

  “Shh, honey,” Chase murmured, wrapping his arms around her. He rocked her gently, hoping the motion would calm her more.

  She nuzzled her cheek into his chest, his tiny hairs tickling her nose as she sniffled.

  “I love you, Summer,” Chase whispered after he helped her on to the bed and under the covers, making sure she was tucked in tight. She moved as close to him as possible, holding him around his torso. She wouldn’t let go anytime soon. And he was okay with that.

  “I’m so proud of you, sweetheart,” Chase told her quietly, hearing voices yelling downstairs. “I love you.” He kept repeating it, knowing it was true.

  Sometimes, Summer would whisper out a ‘love you’ back, but mostly just stayed quiet, keeping her husband attached to her. She dozed off and on, and no one came in to bother them. As the sun set, Summer would whimper in her sleep until Chase’s voice would soothe her. Every time he moved an inch, she would push herself closer.

  Chase didn’t dare leave her. Kayla slipped quietly in, setting some bottles of water and Advil close by for her son, but didn’t say anything. She had been in a similar situation before, worried the love of her life would be killed right in front of her. But she survived, and with that horrible man dead, she could breathe a lot easier.

  Chase finally fell asleep late that night, although waking up to Summer’s movements as her breathing picked up, or if she moved her leg for some reason.

  He wondered what made Summer decide to leave the hotel, and how she made it so far. Peter was to keep a close eye on her, so he’d definitely have a few words with the man in question. It was not like Peter to disobey his commands. Peter sometimes ran his own show so he really shouldn’t have been surprised.

  Chase would get the full story later, but right now, his concern was on his wife. Her tears finally dried, and she seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep. As the sun rose, Summer began to stir. She was warm and comfortable, but really needed to pee. She tried to not think about what she had seen, knowing it wouldn’t do her any good. Her eyes were sore, and she had a headache.

  She noticed that Chase was snoring slightly, the rise of his chest and beating heart almost soothed her back to sleep. But her bladder had other ideas. Slowly to not wake Chase, she made her way out of bed and untangling her legs form the covers. She remembered how he took care of her, being there and not leaving her. She remembered begging him to stay every time he moved a little.

  She was embarrassed at being so needy, but she did need him. She knew it and so did Chase; at least he was being very sweet about it. She didn't know why she needed him so badly; she had never needed anyone in the past. How did he get under her skin so fast? She would have died to protect him. She still would.

  In the bathroom, she relieved her bladder which seemed to keep going forever. She wondered when the last time she even went.

  She was okay with ignoring everything until she saw her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were tired and rimmed red from her crying. No wonder why her head hurt and eyes seemed so sore. The rest of her body was tired too. She was slow in her reactions. She’d had panic attacks, of course, but nothing like yesterday.

  She placed her hands on the sink, supporting her weight as she took in the dark circles around her eyes. Had she even slept? It sure didn’t look like it. Remembering the altercation, then the flash of blood. Jason’s sneer; Jackson helping her aim the gun. The cold metal in her hand. Instantly, she collapsed to the floor, trying to stop the fear and sobs from taking over once more. Her heart shattered.

  She must have made some sort of noise, as Chase came rushing in, naked as the day he was born, and instantly wrapped his arms around her. He hadn’t bothered to slip on pajama pants the night before, even if he could have stepped away from his wife long enough to do so.

  “It’s okay,” he said, rocking her and kissing the side of her head.

  It didn’t take long before she got her emotions under control for another moment. Would everything set her off? What happened to the strong girl that could deal with everything? She had been so strong with dealing with things in her life, and yet now, today, almost everything set her off.

  Once she was calmed down again, Chase helped her up, seeing her flushed face as she noticed that he was still naked. He gave her a lazy grin before having her sit on the bed so he could throw some clothes on. He was only out of her sight for less than a minute, and by the time he came out, Summer had her arms wrapped around her torso, trying to hold herself together. She looked at him in worry and fear, afraid he really would disappear.

  He hurried to get back to her, bringing her into a tight hug. He knew it would take her a few days to get back to her normal self. He just hoped that Summer would be okay in the end. It wasn’t the first time he had seen blood, but he was terrified and had nightmares after that first time himself. He was only thirteen when he had to kill someone for stealing merchandise as his father stood back and watched. He’d vomited right as the bullet blew a hole in the soon to be very dead man.

  After she was calmed down once again, Chase led her downstairs, keeping one arm wrapped securely around her, finding Asher and Peter attempting to make a late lunch. Clare sat at the table, laughing at the two. She was dressed in one of Asher’s shirts with her regular pj pants on underneath. She seemed to be happier than ever with her relationship that seemed to grow almost overnight.

  Summer leaned into Chase more as he held her hand. He helped her to sit next to her sister, who was quick to grab her hand to keep her still. Clare could see Summer wanted to stay as close to her husband as much as she could.

  Summer sat as Clare gave her a soft, understanding smile while Chase went to save what was left of the food being cooked, shooing the boys to go sit. Once the food was cooked, a little too much in some places, Chase sat it on the table and everyone dug in. Summer was only able to eat a few bites of her food, and only when Chase told her to. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have eaten at all. It all felt like a brick inside of her.

  “So Clare and Asher, do you two have something to tell me?” Chase asked, eyeing both of them.

  “Um . . .” Asher said with a wide fake look. “We’re dating?”

  “I see,” Chase said, leaning back in his chair, his demeanor calm. “And how long have you known my sister?”

  “You think of me like a sister?” Clare spoke up, not sure how to feel about that. It was the first time he had said anything about it.

  “In a roundabout way, yeah. You aren’t young enough to be my daughter, but I am married to Summer, and
I treat you as I would if you were my own flesh and blood,” Chase said, seeing Clare’s face break out in a grin. “So?”

  “Yes, we are,” Asher asked, grabbing Clare’s hand that was setting on the table.

  “Okay,” Chase said in thought, making the man squirm. He was sure that they had known each other before they had been in the same house. Just by doing a quick background check, he had found that Clare had lived with Asher’s mom for a time before her passing. “And what are your intentions with my sister-in-law?”

  “I’d like to marry her, but not right now. We will wait until after she finishes her schooling,” Asher stated with hope and proudness.

  “You will have to ask me for her hand then,” Chase said with a wink her way, causing Clare to laugh quietly.