by Vivian Wood
“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.
Chapter Eight
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 was 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.
“I don’t know that I can do this,” I confessed. I was about to ask for the driver to keep going when Roman took my face into the palms of his hands.
Staring into my eyes, he said softly, “You can. I will be with you every step of the way. No one is going to hurt you or even come near you. I won’t allow anything to happen. I give you my word on that.”
I nodded, but my heart beat so hard in my chest, I worried that Roman would practically have to carry me inside due to me fainting.
“Once we’re inside the restaurant, the media won’t be allowed to follow. But be aware that there will be several people using their phones to capture our every move. Some will be media professionals acting as patrons, and others will be diners who will upload the video or sell it the minute they can. Don’t let your guard down. Just look at me. Tune everyone else out,” he continued with his firm guidance.
I nodded and swallowed hard. Roman reached out for my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. I took a deep breath and said, “I’m ready.”
The car door opened.
My left hand extended.
I clung to Roman as if my life depended on it.
I smiled.
But nothing could have prepared me for the colossal tidal wave that crashed down upon me. The deafening sound of clicking cameras had my head spinning. The shouts from the photographers were so plentiful that I wouldn’t have been able to answer one question even if I hadn’t been instructed to remain silent. If I hadn’t been guided by Roman’s hand wrapped securely around me, I don’t think I would have made it to the entrance of the restaurant. The flashing lights were blinding, and I struggled to keep my eyes open against the brightness.
“Is that an engagement ring?”
“Are you two engaged?”
“Who is the mystery woman?”
“Prince Roman, are you finally settling down?”
“Will there be a royal wedding sometime soon?”
“What does King Cassian say about the future princess?”
Roman tightened his hold around my lower ribcage and leaned his lips down to my ear. I thought I heard him whisper, “Almost there. You’re doing great. You’re a natural.”
Natural? Never. Never could I ever get used to this madness. But as I glanced up to look upon Roman’s flawless face, and his fake but perfect smile, I knew this was a madness I was willing to live for him. He was my Prince Charming in this dark lunacy, and I would wear my tiara proudly.
We were ushered to a table toward the rear of the room. I could feel the eyes of the diners searing into my exposed flesh. I knew every single inch of me was being judged. Why was I the lucky one chosen to marry a prince? Why did he choose me out of all the women he could choose in the world? What did I have that they didn’t?
Hell if I knew the answer to those
questions.
Roman pulled my chair out for me and kissed me lightly on the cheek before I sat. He then took his seat and for the first time since exiting the car, I took a deep breath and smiled. A real smile.
“That was pure insanity,” I said. “Is this really your life?” I tried to keep my voice down, but luckily the diners had gone back to their own conversations, so there was a nice safe hum to the room and my voice wouldn’t be heard by anyone other than Roman.
He returned the smile. “I know this is hard to believe, but you get used to it.”
“I can’t see that happening.”
“You will. It sucks, and it definitely changes how I have to live my life, but there are perks as well.”
“You get to live like a king,” I said as I reached for the glass of water in front of me to help soothe the lump that had remained there since the media circus.
“Yes, I get to live like a king.”
“All of this makes me miss Costa Rica. It was quiet there. Relaxing.”
The waiter came to our table and Roman quickly ordered us a bottle of wine, some appetizers and even our dinner. He rambled everything off so quickly that I wasn’t even aware of what I was going to eat. For a split second, the feminist in me got fired up, but the romantic part of me soothed the flames. Roman could be an arrogant prick at times, but the man was a gentleman through and through. Etiquette and manners ran through his veins and had been inbred in his core. The man knew how to treat a lady.
Once the waiter left with our order, he said, “I promise we will vacation in Costa Rica so you won’t miss it for long. It may be shocking to believe this since I’ve traveled most of the world, but I have actually never been there before.” He paused for a moment as his gaze bore into mine. “Why did you go?”
I shrugged. “I had heard it was beautiful and it seemed wild and free. It was a place unlike anywhere my parents took me on holiday. No way would my mother step foot anywhere in South America, so it was the perfect place for me.”
“To rebel,” Roman said.
“To figure out who I was as a person,” I corrected. “It may have seemed like rebellion, but it was a necessity. I felt like the world I was living in was swallowing me whole. Everything was so planned and choreographed. My entire life and future was mapped out for me.”
“To marry me.”
I shook my head and paused as the waiter came to our table and opened our wine. I held my words as Roman tasted the small sample poured into his glass and nodded his approval. When the waiter left, I said, “Why I left had nothing to do with you. I wasn’t running away from you or from marrying you.”
“It felt like it,” Roman confessed.
“I loved you,” I said softly. “So much so, that it scared me. I could see how the women flocked around you. I knew that everyone would have done anything to be your bride. I also knew I was chosen, but not chosen by you. Deep down, I believed that you wouldn’t marry me unless you had to. It was your royal duty.” I took a sip of my wine and took a moment to enjoy the rich flavors dancing along my tongue. “I suppose that I believed at the time that if I sort of vanished, you would figure out a way to marry someone you chose and live your life.” I took another sip, buying time to admit another truth that I wasn’t sure I wanted to share. “Plus, I knew it was unrealistic for us to both marry after only having had sex with each other. At least for you.” When Roman opened his mouth to speak, I cut him off by raising my hand and saying, “Which is completely normal. I couldn’t expect you to never be curious or have desires for other women. You needed that, and frankly so did I. But there was no way my heart would be able to sit back and watch that happen. I didn’t want to see you lie and cheat. It would have destroyed me. So, I left so we could grow up and live life. So we could both experience other things and other people.”
“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.”