by Alta Hensley
“What’s this about?” Kenneth asked. Leave it to the man to be direct and straight to the point. He was not one for sugar coating anything or easing into a conversation.
“I’m not sure if you all know this, but I’m getting married.”
“What the fuck?” Harley Crow said wide-eyed. Seeing him so surprised, made me smile. It took a lot to rattle the cages of the killer assassin whom all feared. “I didn’t even know you were hooking up with someone.”
“It’s complicated,” I began. “It’s an arranged marriage that has been planned since I was a child.”
“That shit still exists?” Harley asked.
I nodded.
“Do you need our help getting out of it?” Victor Drayton asked. “I know you are royalty, but I’m sure we can step in and figure this out.”
“I want the marriage.” When I saw all the men’s mouths drop, I added, “I know this sounds crazy, but it is how my family does things. It’s our royal way. But besides that, this chick is everything I could want… or have ever wanted. I have known her my entire life, and I knew this day would come. I know I’m going to sound like some sappy shithead, but I’ve been looking forward to the day that we would both be ready.”
“And you are ready?” Victor asked with skepticism in his eyes. I expected that from Victor. He would never make such an impulsive decision and most likely thought I had lost my fucking mind.
“All right,” Kenneth said. “So why are we all here? Going to ask us to be your groomsmen or something?”
“No wedding plans yet,” I said with a smirk. “That will be its own meeting. But I wanted to tell you all in person that I will be leaving for a little bit. Cheri—my fiancée—and I will be going away.”
I swallowed hard and tried to avoid eye contact with my business partner Alec Sheldon who hadn’t said a word since sitting at the table. I knew what I had to say next would cause the man to explode with rage if I didn’t handle this delicately.
“Cheri. Was that the girl with the wild blonde hair who stormed in here last night?” Lennon asked.
“Her attitude matches her wild appearance,” I said with a Cheshire grin I couldn’t contain.
“Fuck man,” Harley said. “Someone looks whipped.”
I was about to tell Harley that he was one to talk since his balls were under a vise grip with his true love, but I knew better. Whipped by a chick or not, Harley was still not a man to challenge or piss off.
“Where are you going?” Matthew asked, getting back on topic and keeping the business moving forward as only Matthew could do with such ease.
I glanced at Alec, drumming up a way to say what I needed to say but knew there was no easy way. “The initiation.”
Alec’s eyes grew wide and he slammed his hands on the table. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“What’s the initiation?” Kenneth asked.
“Tell me this is a joke,” Alec demanded. “You aren’t that stupid.”
I bit back my anger caused by the insult and allowed the man to rage. I understood why. Out of all people, Alec had every excuse for his outburst.
“Can someone please fill us in here?” Kenneth looked at Alec and then at me. “What the fuck are you guys talking about?”
“Roman is getting back in bed with The Iron Colt Brotherhood!” Alec said, sending daggers my way with his eyes. “Do you want the girl to die? Because she will.”
I took a deep breath. “She’s not going to die. I won’t allow it. Cheri is strong and really smart. She has had to follow so many rules and follow proper etiquette her entire life. She can survive the initiation. Especially when it’s explained why to her.”
“I don’t understand why you would willingly walk into their grips again,” Matthew said, clearly on Alec’s side. I wouldn’t blame each man for thinking the same way as Alec. But it was different for me. I was of royal blood. Rules were not the same. My rules go back centuries. Old, old blood and even older customs.
“I can’t be the first royal to not do the initiation. I know that is hard for you to understand,” I said, looking directly at Alec. “And I know exactly what The Iron Colt Brotherhood is capable of, but whether I like it or not, my bloodline makes up the society. Just as yours does, Alec.” I took another deep breath. “I can’t ignore it. I can’t walk away. I sure as fuck can’t say no to them and what they require. I’m a fucking prince drowning in tradition, in customs. It’s my life and always will be. So yeah, am I thrilled to put Cheri in the hands of the brotherhood? No. But she knows who they are. She knows what they expect. They are her customs and traditions as well.”
“It’s suicide,” Alec said much calmer than before. “And murder if you put her in that situation.”
“I can handle this. She can handle this.” I looked at all the men who had worry washed over each of their faces. “This is my world, gentlemen. I can handle myself in it.” I stood up from the table and straightened my suit jacket. “I’m not sure how long I will be gone. It could be a few weeks or a few months. If you need me in case of an emergency, you can reach me via Silas. He will be the only one aware of our whereabouts.”
“And the man who will tell us where your bodies are buried,” Alec mumbled.
I already knew I wouldn’t be able to convince Alec that participating in any Iron Colt Brotherhood ritual would be a wise decision. But regardless, it was what I had to do. What Cheri had to do. It was our royal duty regardless of the risk.
“Be careful, man. If you need us…” Harley said.
“Silas knows to contact you all if things get fucked,” I said more at Harley than the rest of the men. I knew if anyone could get me out of a death sentence, it would be him.
“Can someone still explain what the initiation is exactly? What are the details?” Kenneth asked.
“I’ll let Alec fill you all in,” I said as I walked toward the door. “I need to go pick up Cheri.”
I left the room without giving them a chance to say or ask anything else. Unless you walked in my shoes, and lived my life, it would be impossible to understand. Ancient rituals were part of my heritage. I wouldn’t be able to escape if I wanted to. But that was if I wanted to… which I didn’t. It was time for the initiation to begin. It would be the first step in making Cheri my wife.
Cheri
* * *
I didn’t have keys on me to my mother’s home, but I was pretty sure she had staff still present. If Roman was supplementing her income—or lack of it—then I couldn’t possibly imagine her not having a full staff to oversee the house. My father had loved New Orleans when he was still alive. It was French enough for him, had European history present that he appreciated, but possessed an American flair that he had simply loved. Prince Roman’s family had believed the same which is why Roman and I had grown up together. We traveled around the world together, but New Orleans had always been home and where we had spent the majority of our time.
Our estate was obviously much smaller than the one Roman’s family owned, but it still was grand in every way. After my father’s death, some had expected my mother and me to downsize, but my mother believed doing so was for commoners—and we were far from commoners in her eyes. My mother was meant to be the princess… not me.
I was happy to see lights on in the house when I pulled up in the circular driveway. After paying the driver, I hopped out with nothing more than my purse. My assumption was that Silas already had my luggage delivered to the house since that man took care of every single detail both big and small.
Before I could knock on the door to have someone allow me in, the door opened and a familiar face stood on the other side.
“Hello, Smith,” I said, hoping I had his name right. My mother had hired him shortly before I left, so I didn’t have a chance to get to know him. She wasn’t one for keeping the help for long. Her demands were hard to fulfill.
“Hello, Miss. Mr. Roope told me to expect your arrival.” He stepped back to allow me to enter the house. “I
have your old room prepared for you, and your luggage has been brought up and waiting. I did not take the liberty to unpack unless you would like me to.” His words came out very cold and matter-of-fact, which in all honesty, was not unexpected from a man I barely knew. It wasn’t like he was going to hug me and welcome me home.
“I can do it. Thank you,” I said as I walked into the main room, taking in the familiar setting. My mother was not one for changing décor. She spent a lot of money to obtain the furniture, vases, artwork and every decorative item and took pride in each one. I didn’t expect to find anything out of place, and it actually gave me a sense of comfort, and a sense of home regardless of how cold and sterile that home was. I learned at a very young age not to touch or move anything in the house. Every single item had a place, and it was never to be disturbed unless it was being dusted—which was something only the help did
“Don’t touch the figurines,” my mother had said. “Look with your eyes; not with your hands.”
I turned to find Smith already gone, to do what exactly, I had no idea. Especially with my mother out of town. Taking one last look at a room I had spent very little time in while growing up here and inhaling deeply, I walked toward the massive staircase leading to my room. At least in my own room, I could touch things.
I had a date with the Prince Roman tonight. Cameras, important people, crowds, and all eyes would be on me. I hated the very thought of it, but also knew it was my reality. I guess I should try to look dignified and not like the hobo washed up on the shores of Mexico like many people of my past no doubt expected me to appear.
Just as I took the first step, the front door opened with the energy of a tornado entering the house.
“Cherise! My Cherise,” my mother said as she rushed to me, kissing me on both sides of the face. “When I heard that Silas was going to bring you back from… from—”
“Costa Rica,” I answered for her.
“Yes, Costa Rica. I cut my trip short and chartered the first jet home.” She pulled back to look at me from head to toe. “You’ve managed to not gain weight eating all that Mexican food down there. Good. Good.”
I struggled not to roll my eyes, and didn’t even bother trying to correct her in her assumptions. I had learned a long time ago that efforts to change my mother in her actions or beliefs were futile.
A man in a sharp suit walked in behind her, carrying luggage which I knew was only the beginning. I could bet serious money there were more pieces in the town car parked out front.
“You can leave the suitcases there,” she directed without even looking at the man. “I will have someone take care of those.”
Again, I struggled to not roll my eyes. God forbid my mother actually unpacked her own suitcases or even bothered to wheel a small one into the house. My father had spoiled her, and from what I could guess, her father did as well. My mother didn’t know anything but rich and famous. Unlike me, she never had a desire to walk away from it, even for a short time, to breathe and live a normal life. My mother didn’t know what normal was. Nor did she care. Those beliefs were those belonging to commoners… and yes, yes… we were not commoners.
“So?” she asked. “Is it finally happening?”
I nodded as I held up my finger showing off the engagement ring.
She instantly took my hand and examined the ring. “Well, it is certainly pretty. Classy and elegant. I know young women these days prefer the vintage look, though I do wish the diamond was bigger. Something a little flashier since you are going to be a princess after all. But no worries in that regard. You can always upgrade as an anniversary gift.”
“I like the ring, Mother.”
“Oh yes, I imagine you do.” She took hold of my arm and led me to the room I was just in. This really must be a special occasion because she actually had us sitting down on the couch that was once owned by Louis XIV or something like that. “When did he propose?”
“Today.”
Though my mother was asking me the questions a mother would ask her daughter about an engagement, there was not the kind of excitement you would expect between us. I suppose it was because this engagement was expected.
“And the wedding? Has a date been set yet?”
“No.”
“Good. We need plenty of time. There are going to be a lot of details to arrange. We will have to work closely with the royal family. I do hope they let us hire the wedding coordinator because I know the perfect person. And as for the wedding dress, I already have the designer in mind.”
“Mother,” I said calmly, as I struggled to not snap at her. “Roman and I have to still be engaged for a little while. I need some time to accept and try to enjoy this step. I think planning the wedding before we have even publically announced that we are getting married is a little fast. Please, can we slow down?”
“I know you think you have all the time in the world, but a wedding takes time. We have to get started right away.” Yes, this was my mother. Nothing you could say or do would change her mind. She was always right.
Sighing, I stood. “I need to get ready for my date with Roman.”
Her eyes lit up. “Oh this is exciting. By tomorrow morning, the entire world will know that you will soon be Princess Cherise Cassian.”
Princess.
Yes, I would soon be a princess.
8
Roman
Cheri was always stunning in appearance, but tonight even more so. She had a natural beauty that I loved. It was so unlike most women I had been around or saw today. Her wavy hair flowed without restrictions most of the time, but tonight, she had it pulled back in an elegant twist with some wayward waves framing her face. Her bright blue eyes were highlighted with makeup which, even though I loved her au naturel, sparkled mesmerizingly in the light of the foyer of her mother’s house. Cheri wasn’t pretentious which was another thing I loved about her. Her attire was always simple and inexpensive. The girl hated to waste money. But tonight, I could tell she had made an effort to fit in with the royal image with the black dress and black pumps she wore. Classy, elegant, but still so genuine and pure.
“You are absolute perfection,” I said as I leaned in to gently kiss her lips. “When the cameras get a hold of you tonight, every man in the world will envy me.”
She rolled her eyes and sighed deeply. “I wish there was a way to avoid the paparazzi. I’m not sure I’m ready for this.”
“I try to avoid them normally and have gotten pretty good at it. I only use them when I need to. Like tonight. We need the media to get wind that I am engaged. They will spot that ring a mile away, pictures will be snapped, and we will be on the cover of everything tomorrow. Silas is already leaking where we will be tonight. It’s controlled chaos, I suppose.”
“Sounds lovely.” Her sarcasm wasn’t lost on me.
“And short-lived. After tonight, we will get a break from the flashing lights.”
“Oh really?” she said with a raised eyebrow and a tiny step back—leaving the smell of her perfume behind. “You have this all planned out, do you?”
“I do.”
“So how exactly do you plan to get us away from all the media? I think the minute they know we are engaged, there will be no escaping them. They’ll be camped outside in the front yard.”
“We’ll be going away for a period of time,” I said as if it were a fact and not asking if she wanted to or not.
“Where?”
“I’ll explain over dinner,” I said, ushering her toward the door.
Cheri
* * *
Roman had always been a bossy son of a bitch—part of his makeup as being born into royalty—but age seemed to morph his bossiness to dominance. Sexy as fuck dominance.
The drive to St. Charles Street didn’t take long, and we had sat in silence the entire way. Roman was in the middle of texting, and from the look on his face, it seemed important enough for me to not bother him or give him a hard time for using his phone in my presence. Prince Roman wa
s no longer the child I remembered. He was now a businessman, and obviously a powerful man. I was going to have to get used to that fact, and that his work would have to play a part in our new daily lives. I also didn’t mind the silence. It gave me time to really process everything that was about to happen in my life. I had just agreed to marry a man I had loved my entire life. But he was no ordinary man, and did not lead the life of a normal man. My entire world was about to become organized chaos.
A deep groan erupted from the depths of my chest as we pulled up in front of the restaurant. There were at least twenty or so photographers standing ready with cameras in hand. The flashing had already begun as if they could sense the black town car belonged to us—though I was pretty sure Silas had already tipped them off that we would be arriving and at what time.
“The driver is going to open our door, and security will be waiting to guide us in. I will step out first and reach for your hand. Reach for me with your left hand. We want the first thing they take a photo of to be the diamond ring. As soon as they see it, which will be immediately, they will start asking questions. Don’t answer them. It will be hard to see with all the flashes, so just smile and stare ahead. I will guide you inside and security will be on both sides of us so no one can get too close. Remember, don’t answer any questions or say anything at all. Just walk as if you can’t hear them or see them. Don’t look at them. Just straight ahead or at me,” Roman instructed when the car came to a stop.
I was grateful for the tinted windows to allow me a minute to gather my courage. I had had my picture taken in the past whenever I was in the presence of the royal family, but it had been a long time ago. Plus, this time would be different. All eyes would be on me.
