Princess of Darkness (The Dark Prince #3)

by Autumn Winchester

  Her blood pressure was good and other than measuring small, everything looked to be right on track.

  Since Summer was now entering the third trimester, she’d be going in every two weeks until she reached thirty weeks, then it’d be every week. The OBGYN didn’t foresee anything wrong, but with her being so small, she just wanted to keep a little closer eye on the baby.

  The baby shower had been a hit and was only a small family thing. Mostly.

  A few people that Kayla knew were invited but didn’t stay long, thankfully. Both Clare and Summer asked, several times in fact, that the shower was kept small. Neither wanted to be around a bunch of people they didn’t know and have one baby passed around like a toy.

  Somehow, Zinna and Kayla were able to reign it in. They were even able to keep it from Ivan's parents, and Summer wasn’t willing to find out how they did that. They would surely know soon enough. But she certainly could do without having to see them again anytime soon.

  Between everyone, Summer and Clare both got more items than they knew what to do with. There was a Moses basket with a stand and light green material covering the inside. There was a brown and white swing, for both mothers, and more clothing than either one of them knew what to do with.

  Summer liked the pregnancy diary that Emma had found, knowing it was something that would be used. Unlike the clothes, a mother wouldn’t outgrow her experiences. It was covered in pink and purple colors, and filled with questions that she could answer whenever she wanted.

  ~oOo~

  Summer was now thirty-one weeks, and she had the house to herself, something that didn't happen very often. She was sitting on the couch with her iPad. She missed a lot of things, and trying to catch up on spending time with so many at once made other things take a back burner.

  With Chase at a meeting for Marcel Industries, as he was trying to finish getting some permits to start building an apartment complex for abused women and children, Summer was just now getting time to play around with some picture edits once again.

  Sophie laid on the floor, as close to the couch as possible while Summer had her iPod Bluetooth in with the surround sound speaker. Clare and Asher were out shopping for new clothes for themselves, and Clare was tired of wearing post pregnancy clothes and wanted out of the house for more than just doctor appointments.

  It was so strange to be home by herself, quiet, too. Summer had gotten used to the house so full, it was such a rarity, but she was going to certainly enjoy her time while it lasted.

  Clare had taken a few pregnancy photos of Summer, some with Chase the week before, and Summer couldn’t wait to start playing around with them. She wanted to fill the house full of all her pictures, and maybe even start her own photography business, as she could do that while taking care of her child that would be born in just a few weeks.

  Summer wouldn’t be doing it for the money, but because she liked to do it. There were so many options, so many different designs.

  The day before, Summer snapped a picture of Emma and Sebastian, sitting, but not touching, on the couch. She couldn’t help but smile, remembering the sly looks they kept giving each other. They were both trying to move on from the past, and it was clear to just about anyone other than Emma that they still loved each other. Sebastian was letting her make the choices on moving further than just friends. And it was a slow process.

  Fayth had taken the job offer at the daycare center and was renting a loft apartment that was close to where she worked. She made sure to call and text Summer a few times a day.

  Everything seemed to be going well for everyone, surprisingly. It seemed like it was too easy after everything they had fought so hard to overcome.

  Summer had just tapped on a picture that she felt like working on when the front door opened. Knowing that it should have been locked, she quickly got up, not making a sound. She made her way to the entertainment center, reaching up for the handheld gun that was kept there, hidden but easy for her to reach.

  Hearing footsteps nearing, she whirled around, finger off the trigger, gun pointed at whoever entered without permission. Summer’s eyes widened when she saw who it was, but she didn’t lower the gun. Sebastian taught to always keep the weapon up and pointed if someone entered a house without asking, no matter if it was family or foe.

  There stood one man that she hadn’t yet really talked to. It wasn’t because she felt like hiding, but there was just this lingering feeling that he didn’t like her. And it was a mutual feeling.

  Although he was dressed in a way that she wasn’t used to seeing from him, she kept the gun steady, a look of unpleasant thrill on her face. He wore dark blue jeans and a black cotton shirt. His hair was just as it always was, combed to perfection.

  “I’m not here to frighten you,” Ivan spoke quietly, holding up his empty hands. “I’m unarmed.”

  Summer only blinked, not sure if she trusted him enough to lower the gun.

  “I just want to talk,” he said, seeing that she had no intentions of lowering the weapon. He knew she could shoot and wisely knew not to move closer to her. “I promise. I’ll stay on this side of the room if it makes you feel better.”

  No, that really wouldn’t, but Summer slowly lowered the weapon to her side. He could have hurt her before, and surely could have gotten into the house without her even knowing. Sophie didn’t even bark at him. Some guard-dog you are, Summer thought.

  “Please,” Ivan said, still holding his hands up in surrender.

  “Does Chase know you’re here?” Summer asked, still not moving.

  “I’m sure he will soon enough,” he said.

  “What do you want?” Summer asked.

  “Just to talk, that’s all,” he answered calmly. “Kayla’s been after me to talk to you, and I thought it’d be better to do that alone.” Chase and Clare had both been constantly around Summer if someone else wasn’t for the past few weeks, giving Ivan no chance to talk to her. Not that he was trying very hard to get her alone, either.

  Summer wasn’t sure what he wanted and wasn’t even sure that she wanted to know. “Fine,” she muttered, taking a seat back on the couch where she had been moments ago. She held onto the gun, which he noticed. He was pleased that she could defend herself.

  “Sebastian told me what he taught you,” he said, slowly taking a seat in the chair he was closest to, knowing to not test the boundaries she had put in place already.

  “Everyone knows all that by know,” Summer said, knowing that was true. Sebastian tended to brag to everyone that Summer was stronger than anyone could give her the credit for. At least he didn’t tell everyone that she killed John. He meant well, wanting to get people to know that the Princess was just as strong at the Prince when it came to the family.

  “Yes,” Ivan said, looking at his clasped hands in his lap before meeting her eyes again. “But he told me how you took John out. I have to say I am impressed. I never thought you could have that type of . . . that in you.”

  “When you want to get back to family back home, anyone can find that strength,” Summer said, not missing a beat.

  “I still didn’t think you had it in you,” Ivan mused. He breathed out of his nose in a huff before going on. “Just knowing where you came from, and how small, weak, you were, I never could see you becoming who you are now.

  “A little blue eyed girl with innocent eyes that drew everyone in. You were so adorable,” he gave her a small smile. “I feel horrible that I couldn’t do more than I did. I should have said screw it all, and just took you in, killing Jason and John right on the spot. I wasn’t the one that could. I knew they wanted a reason for a war, and I wasn’t going to give them one.

  “Kayla was so mad at me, still is I’m sure,” he gave out a small sigh. “But I just couldn’t do it. I . . . I was leaving your life to the fate of someone else’s hands. I didn’t want your blood, or my sons, on my hands.

  “So I didn’t do anything, really. Not until Sebastian mentioned it, then I did. There was a r
eason why I had him as my closest guard. He knew things that I overlooked, even after being trained since I was born to look at every little thing.

  “He said I needed to do something before Chase did because knowing my son, he’d have done anything he could to get you back. He was taken with you from the first moment he saw you,” he paused, his eyes not leaving hers for anything. “I would probably have been too.”

  He looked at Summer, seeing that she was slowly relaxing as he spoke. She took in every word he spoke, swirling it around in her head and letting it sink in.

  He knew for a fact that if he had laid his eyes on her, even once, he would have done something. Anything. He purposely didn’t check on her in person for that very reason. He saw pictures, of course, just because of Sebastian. That man adored her as much as his own son, if not more.

  “I want to say I am sorry I didn’t do more,” he said after a few minutes, giving her a sad smile. “Now, I really wish I had. You have come so far, Summer Grace. From the frightened girl that tried to kill herself, to saving my son, and then saving the entire family.

  “I know that John would have killed us all, one by one, just because he could. He didn’t need any more motive. He’d have started with you, just because he could, knowing it could cause the rest of us to try to stop him. He’d pick us off when we least expected it.

  “But you killed him,” Ivan spoke fondly. He never thought she could as she was. She really was meant to be born into this life she was living. “And that is hard to do for anyone.”

  “Not hard to do when you know what will happen if you don’t do it,” Summer said, her voice strong. There was no doubt that she’d do it all over again if she needed to.

  “True,” he said, giving her another proud and sad smile all in one. “I wasn’t sure you would be the wife my son would need to keep his place in our lineage. At first, I was positive that you’d do something to turn things in your favor. I was positive that you knew you had that power, but you didn’t, did you?”

  “Not at all,” Summer said with a shake of her head. “I would have stayed hidden. Heck, I’d have done anything to make sure that Chase was safe. Even if I didn’t love him, I’d still have been who I needed to be in time, I’m sure.”

  “You would have,” Ivan said. “You always would have, no matter if you were treated like a slave, or as a family member all these years. I just didn’t think you’d be . . . this,” he waved his hand towards her.

  “It was Sebastian and Gabriel that got me to where I am now,” Summer said. “And Chase. I know I wouldn’t have been able to be who I am now if he didn’t love me. I would have taken his offer to disappear, not caring what happened with my life if he didn’t love me.”

  “I don’t doubt that one bit,” he said. “My son worships you. He’d move Hell to make sure you were safe. As I should have done from the start.”

  “It is the past,” Summer said with a shrug. “It happened. It’s over. Now, it’s time to move on. Make this world a better place one step at a time. It may not be perfect, but what Chase wants to accomplish will be taught to this little one,” she placed her empty hand over her stomach. “And any other children that we may have later on.”

  Summer knew that for a fact. Their children would be raised without any of those expectations. If they didn’t want to kill, they wouldn’t be forced to. They would know what Chase was doing to change things, not only here but all over the country.

  “He picked the perfect wife,” Ivan mused, leaning back in his seat as he heard the garage door open. His son did pick the best girl to change the world with.

  “Don’t doubt your son, sir,” Summer said, standing to put the gun back away in its spot. Chase would think the worst if he saw her with it. She may respect the Don, but that didn’t mean she was all friendly now with him, if ever. She understood his place in all this, though.

  “Of course not. Chase is now the Don, as I have retired. He can handle it all on his own with the men he has. And with you by his side,” Ivan said, seeing the surprise written all over her face.

  Chase had walked in and stood back, eyes bouncing from his wife to his father, not sure what to do. He did catch his father’s last words. Words that were meant to be heard.

  Things were as they were meant to be from the start, even though that meant going down a different path.

  Chapter 42

  The hospital room was filled with balloons, a mix of yellows, pinks, blues and greens. Summer was sound asleep in the hospital bed, a tie blanket that Fayth had brought by just an hour before, lay across her instead of the hospital issued blankets. Her hair was braided into a French twist, thanks to Clare, and the sweat had been washed away.

  Who would have thought that such a tiny girl like Chase’s wife could push out such a cute little baby, who was blinking slowly up at him from his arms. He was instantly in love from the first moment he heard the baby cry. And what a strong cry it was.

  Summer had given birth six hours ago, and it certainly had taken its toll on her. She was tired but had done wonderfully. Even unmediated. That was because she was dilated too far by the time she made it in into the hospital just five hours ago.

  Stubborn wife, Chase thought with a smile. If it hadn’t had been for Kayla agreeing with him, the baby would have been born at home, or even in the car on the way in.

  Summer had been sick for most of the day, complaining of back pain for a good portion of it. She demanded she was fine, that it would pass. It had only got worse as time went on.

  By noon, Chase demanded that she needed to be seen by the doctor, and Clare even agreed. Of course, Kayla knew right away what was going on, and told them to go to the hospital, and she’d take care of the rest.

  After a quick check in, and after a nurse had checked her to see how far she was dilated, Summer had felt the most powerful urge to push, and there was no way she could hold it in. The OBGYN had entered into the temporary room that was used for only monitoring right as the baby’s head pushed through the barrier.

  She had been surprised but didn’t show it as Summer took a tight grip on Chase’s hand, grunting out as another contraction wracked her abdomen. It only took a few more pushes before the baby was completely out, leaving Summer feeling empty and tired.

  Panting, she laid back on the bed, not sure how that happened so quickly. She was almost in a daze from it all.

  There was movement and activity as the baby was carted out to be examined, and then Summer was moved to a room and hooked up to IV’s and blood pressure cuffs.

  Chase was there the entire time, making sure she was okay, even as the doctor said everything was okay, fast. But okay.

  Now, after so many people had to stop by and see the baby, Summer was even more tired. She had puked most of the morning, and that alone had worn her out. Having such a fast labor, although nice, was just as tiring. Certainly, any mother would agree on that part.

  So Chase sat in the wooden rocking chair, the TV on low in the background as the sun set, casting shadows out in the vineyard the room looked over. He held the baby cradled in his arm, bundled up in a footprint blanket and crocheted hat.

  Jeremiah Sebastian Marcel was born at one past one that afternoon. He weighed in at five pounds even, and eighteen inches long. Even with Summer still so small at thirty-five weeks pregnant, he was in perfect health. Skinny as heck, but so were both of the parents when they had been born.

  Jeremiah was not a quiet baby when he cried. He wanted the world to know when he was hungry, waking up both Heaven and Hell at the same time.

  There was a light knock on the door before Sebastian peeked his head in.

  Chase nodded, letting him know it was okay. He had been out of town, making sure everything was okay at the house in Colorado. He was getting ready to sell it, not needing it for anything else. If he so happened to need another house in that part of the state, he’d just buy another one.

  “How is she?” he whispered out after closing the door behind h
im with a soft click. He didn’t want to wake her.

  “Healthy, but tired,” Chase answered. “We have to stay until tomorrow afternoon, so mom is busy cleaning our room up.” She was washing the bedding, knowing it would make Summer feel more comfortable to not worry about a sweat covered bed when she was released.

  “Heard she was sick for most of the day,” Sebastian muttered out, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Guess it had to happen since she hardly had any morning sickness.”

  “Do you want to hold him?” Chase asked out.

  Sebastian quickly shook his head, a look of almost fear in his eyes. That look caused Chase to laugh lightly, which in turn scared the baby, causing him to let out a high-pitched cry.

  “Hungry again?” Summer muttered out, shifting on the bed as she blinked her eyes opened. But once they landed on Sebastian, she gave him a bright smile.