by Tee, Marian
In the middle of drinking her orange juice, she ended up spewing it, but again the prince was prepared for this, turning away just the right moment.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry—-”
He waved away her offer to help, murmuring, “I’m fine. Not even a single drop’s reached me.”
“Oh. That’s great. But...” She tried to stop herself from speaking but in the end she couldn’t help it, blurting out, “Do you really find me grotesque?”
“It was a joke,” the prince sighed.
“Oh.” She looked at him doubtfully. “It didn’t sound like one. I mean, look at Jason Christakos. That’s a guy who knows how to crack jokes—-”
“Yes, well, we can’t all be like the great Jason Christakos, can we?” the prince asked testily. Those fucking Christakos twins were getting on his damn nerves.
Fawn was staring at him in bemusement. “Did I do something to make you mad?”
“No.” You did something to make me want to keep you locked under key instead. But out loud, the prince said, “You should leave now if you don’t want to be late.”
Fawn checked her watch and groaned. “Oh my God, you’re right. And I even promised to have coffee with Grant and—-” Seeing the way the prince’s green eyes narrowed, she added quickly, “It’s not just Grant and me. I promise! I’m not lying! It’s the whole council.”
The prince’s face turned even grimmer.
“What?” she asked fearfully.
“Does that mean the Merrill bitch will be present as well?”
She tried but failed to stop herself from grinning. “You really should stop calling her that.”
“Why should I when it’s the truth?” the prince dismissed with a shrug. “Will she be there?”
“Yes, but she won’t be a problem,” Fawn assured him. When the prince’s expression didn’t ease, a helpless smile curved on her lips, and she cajoled, “There’s really no need to worry, prince. Stop scowling, please.”
When it still didn’t work, she said, “Please, baby?”
The prince now looked like he was torn between strangling and fucking her, and she bit back a smile. He was so cute! But of course, after being with the prince for so many months now, she knew better than to say those words out loud.
When she stood up, the prince came to his feet as well, and Fawn hesitated before impulsively throwing her arms around him, whispering, “Thanks for always looking after me.”
“If you think that’s going to get you out of trouble, it won’t.”
She laughed against his chest, knowing by the way the prince’s arms tightened around her that he didn’t really mean it. “It’s really going to be okay, prince. Your evil plans worked perfectly. You and your friends sponsored a project for the council, you made it clear you’ll pull out support if someone messes with me, and voila.” Pulling away, she looked up at him, saying wryly, “I don’t even exist for her these days, and if she’s making a play on Grant, she isn’t doing it in front of me.”
Rising to her toes, she placed a kiss on the prince’s cheek—-
Ah.
“I’ll be okay.”
She pulled away, saying softly, “See you later.”
The prince watched her walk away.
Not once had she asked about why he wouldn’t kiss her.
And because she hadn’t, he knew they both knew that what they had wasn’t going to last forever.
And it did not.
Less than an hour had passed since Fawn left the compound when Davos made his move, sending a team of mercenaries in hopes of taking the prince by surprise and killing Beatrice Crichton before she was made to testify.
The attack was swift and well-coordinated, and it would have succeeded if not for the fact that every man working for the prince had never slacked on their training, and every one of them was also willing to die in the line of duty.
All of Davos’ men, including three former Marine snipers, were killed in action, and following it, the prince ordered Igor to double the security on Fawn and prevent her from coming back to the property.
The prince’s friends came to the compound half an hour later, converging in his study as the prince informed them of the attack and the impending change of plans resulting from it.
“Beatrice Crichton will be moved to my island as soon as my men confirm it’s safe to do so, and the rest of my staff will follow her there.” The prince looked at his friends. “You’re all in agreement with this?”
The Christakos twins nodded, and following that, so did Derek, Nathan, and Christien.
“Then that’s it. Everything else is as planned.”
Derek Christopoulos stared at him grimly. “Is it?”
The prince’s face became hard. “Everything essential, yes.”
“So enlighten us then,” Nathan Callis drawled. “What do you intend to do with Fawn Cornwall?”
“What do you fucking care?” the prince asked coldly.
Nathan’s teeth gnashed at the look on Reid’s face. “For fuck’s sake, Reid. You should know by now that there’s nothing between Fawn and me. We did that to get to you—-”
“Well, you fucking did,” the prince bit out.
“If it got to you as well as it should,” Nick countered tensely, “then we shouldn’t even be having this conversation.” Getting to his feet, he began to pace restlessly, muttering, “Don’t get me wrong, Chalkias. My brother and I owe you our lives. Our future. We’re damn grateful for what you’ve selflessly sacrificed to help us, but we don’t need your fucking help if it means sacrificing your own happiness.”
The prince looked Nick in the eye. “I’m not.”
Jason’s jaw tightened. “Bullshit.”
His shoulders moving in a dismissive shrug, the prince said easily, “You’re entitled to believe what you want to believe.”
“Just think about it,” Christien di Luca intruded calmly. “That is the only thing we are asking you to do. Think hard about what it means to have her go—-”
The prince laughed humorlessly. “That’s all I’ve been fucking thinking about from the first day I met her. From the fucking first day, I knew I would have to let her go because the alternative—-”
“There’s no guarantee with life,” Derek said quietly.
“Maybe in your lives,” the prince said under his breath, “but mine’s different from the rest of the world. I’m the Prince of Darkness, and the life I have now is what was given to me by birth as well as what I made it to be.”
His hand slashing in the air, the prince bit out, “Bribery, trafficking, kidnapping, drugs, every fucking crime exists in my world. I make no apologies for it, but I also don’t allow myself to be blinded by the consequences of my decisions.”
His fists clenching, the prince said flatly, “It doesn’t matter if Davos or any other fucking criminal gets to me. But I can’t let them get to Fawn.” The prince shot his friends a look of grim resolve. “Ever.”
Tense silence filled the room.
“Then...” Jason expelled his breath resignedly. “We can’t do anything to change your mind?”
The prince shook his head.
“You’ll really let her go just like that?” Nick demanded.
“It’s what we’ve always known would happen,” the prince answered tonelessly.
****
Monte Carlo was the theme of the event, with the university’s newly built trade hall transformed for the night into a glamorous casino. With the design team opting for a neoclassical interior, the trade hall’s cream walls were interspersed with lustrous shades of red and gold while temporary floral accents were applied to the fifty-foot ceilings.
Intricate DIY chandeliers made from recycled materials hung over every casino table, showcasing the talents of Christopoulos University’s art department. An ongoing auction would be held throughout the night of the event, with funds coming from winning bids to be donated to the council’s chosen charity.
Even though doors wer
e to officially open at six in the evening, long queues had started to form mid-afternoon, with the event garnering interest not only from students of CU and nearby universities but also crowds of local residents, all of whom had heard that every one of the BBF would be in attendance.
Entering one of the second-floor offices of the trade hall, the prince spied Fawn standing next to the windows, her reflection revealing her gawking expression as she watched the swelling crowd below them.
She had already dressed for the event, in a little black dress that Keanne had insisted on buying for her. It was pretty enough, the prince acknowledged grudgingly, but as far as he was concerned, there was too much ‘little’ and not enough ‘dress’ in the outfit. While the long sleeves and scooped neckline were modest enough, the dress’ paneled skirt also fell several inches above her knee. It left most of her legs exposed, and her sky-high heels, yet another gift from Jason’s provocative French fiancée, were no help at all, making her legs look a lot longer and slimmer.
Fawn had finally noticed his arrival, and turning around, she beamed at him, exclaiming, “You’re here!”
Walking swiftly towards her, the prince smiled down at her, murmuring with a wicked smile, “The Prince of Darkness in the flesh, and—-” He raised her hand to his lips, surprising her. “At your service.”
Turning red, she yanked her hand away, making him laugh.
“What’s gotten into you?” she half-mumbled, half-hissed.
“I’m merely practicing,” he said innocently, “for tonight’s opening waltz.”
“Yeah right.”
He offered his hand. “Shall we go down? Everyone’s waiting for us below.”
She shook her head, looking even more bewildered. “You know I can’t hold your hand. The place’s crawling with council members, have you forgotten?” When he didn’t answer, her brows furrowed, and she asked, “Is something wrong?”
Everything was wrong.
But he couldn’t make himself say it.
Looking at her, all the prince could think of was, I need more time with her.
A month, a week, a day—-
Even an eternity felt too short.
And yet, it was what life asked of him.
“Prince?” Concern underlined her soft tone.
Before the prince could answer, the door opened, Keanne poking her head inside and exclaiming, “There you are!” Pushing the door wide open, she gestured to them, saying, “We’ve been looking all over for you two. The waltz’s about to start, and we need you guys to be in position.” Winking at Fawn, she asked teasingly, “Are you excited about getting to dance with Reid?”
Fawn turned red. “Of c-course not.”
Keanne released a tinkling laugh. “C’est mignon!”
Her cheeks reddening even more at Keanne’s obvious amusement, Fawn moved away from the prince, mumbling, “I mean it. I’m not excited at all.” At the other girl’s knowing stare, Fawn couldn’t stop herself.
She started to babble.
“It’s true. I think it’s yucky—-”
The prince jerked, and Keanne gaped.
“He’s too, err, elegant, he’s probably going to be too stiff when we dance—-”
Fawn caught sight of the prince’s murderous glance.
Eep.
Shutting up, she started backing away from the prince, but when he took a threatening step towards her, she panicked and hurriedly hid herself behind a laughing Keanne. “Umm, I think I need to go look for Grant—-”
The prince growled, prompting her to babble mindlessly again.
“For work,” she stammered. “I need to talk to Grant because of work and not because, you know, he’s a real macho man—-”
The prince said coldly, “I’m going to kill you.”
“I, uh, really have to, uh, bye!”
Keanne doubled over in her laughter as she watched Fawn scurry away without looking back. As the prince stepped outside the room, Keanne remarked lightly, “Elle t’aime, oui?” She loves you, yes?
When Reid didn’t answer, she continued in a softer tone, “I know how much you’re helping us. And Jason told me what you’re willing to sacrifice, but—-” She took a deep breath. “I don’t agree with it. I’d rather Jason and I face kidnap attempts every day than—-”
“I appreciate the sentiments—-” The prince turned to Keanne, a corner of his lip turning up in a faint smile, saying very, very gently, “But it’s not your decision to make.”
Hearing it, Keanne knew there was nothing she or anyone else could say or do to change Reid’s mind.
Or at least anyone else but Fawn, Keanne thought.
And for both their sakes, she hoped, she prayed that the other girl would be able to change Reid’s mind.
****
As the prince joined the frantic rush behind the scenes, he caught a glimpse of Grant Bennett talking to Fawn, their heads bent, just before the two started to walk away.
Ah.
An ironic smile touched his lips. Why would you do something like this, Fawn? Didn’t she know that she was giving him an opportunity to dump her?
It would be so easy, the prince mused, to go there, make a scene, and tell her that he no longer wanted to be with her. Jealousy might have made him unreasonable, but it made him neither blind nor stupid. He had noticed the changes in Bennett, had known the moment the other man started seeing Fawn with eyes that loved.
He had known, but he had pretended, and he had let her and Bennett pretend, too.
Because it wasn’t love that made his world go round, the prince thought, but pretensions.
Slipping away from the organizers, the prince made a subtle motion to his security, commanding to keep everyone away as he made his way towards Bennett and Fawn. Derek Christopoulos caught sight of him, the grim look on his friend’s face telling the prince that he knew where he was going.
Are you really going to dump her here? The question blazed in Derek’s eyes.
The prince’s broad shoulders moved in a careless shrug. He would cross that bridge when he got there.
Turning around the corner, he caught sight of the two entering the room reserved for Bennett’s private use, and the prince’s steps slowed. Selfishness had won, and he gave the couple all the time in the world to air out their differences without him hearing a word.
Don’t give me a reason to make you leave, Fawn.
But as he came to stand outside the room, the thin walls weren’t enough to mask the sound of their voices. Their words reached him so easily—-
“What do you mean you’re leaving after this?” he heard Fawn whisper in a stricken tone.
“I t-tried for y-your sake,” the prince heard Grant stutter. “I k-knew I owed it to you, but I just can’t.” Grant’s voice broke. “I can’t forget what he did to me—-”
“Who?” Fawn demanded, fear over Grant evident in her tone.
“It d-doesn’t matter,” Grant muttered feverishly. “I j-just thought I should—-”
It was as if fate was mocking the prince, telling him that no matter how much he dragged his feet about this—-
He would never have an eternity with Fawn.
He would never have another month—-
Another week—-
Not even another night.
The prince leaned against the wall, his eyes closing.
I just wanted another day, God.
Just one more fucking day.
But the more he heard from Fawn and Bennett, the more he knew he wouldn’t be able to afford such selfishness.
He heard Fawn whisper, “It’s okay, Grant, it’s okay.” A soothing voice, and he could easily imagine Fawn taking the other guy in her arms, comforting the man who had once done his very best to hurt her.
Idiot.
You are the most lovable idiot in the world.
The prince heard Grant laugh bitterly. “You d-don’t even k-know what’s wrong.”
“But I know you’re hurting, and it’s enough—-
”
“Even t-though I a-almost wished you were g-gang raped,” Grant snarled, “the n-night I found out about you and Reid Chalkias?”
The prince’s fists clenched as the silence stretched painfully after Grant’s revelation.
Fawn, Fawn, Fawn.
Knowing how those words would have devastated her, the prince wanted to kick the door open and snatch her away—-
But he couldn’t.
Fate had already decreed how this night would play out, and for better or for worse—-
His role was in the darkness.
And hers was in the light, with another man.
“That’s h-how s-selfish I was.” Listening to Bennett’s broken voice, it was easy for the prince to picture the other man’s crumpled expression, but even so, he didn’t feel an ounce of pity.
Desperation lined Bennett’s voice as he continued, “M-maybe I’m s-still selfish, b-but I’m trying to change. G-God knows I’m t-trying, but I can’t do it here.”
When Fawn still didn’t say anything, the prince heard Grant beg hoarsely, “C-come with me. P-please. That man w-won’t ever l-love you. You know that. Right?”
The prince waited for Fawn to deny it.
But she didn’t.
“I l-love you, Fawn, I l-love you more than ever, and I c-can’t bear leaving you behind—-”
Yet another moment of silence, and then a muffled voice whispering, “I’m sorry, too.”
Ah.
The sound of a girl in a boy’s arms—-
Of Fawn in Bennett’s embrace—-
As it should be.
“I’m sorry, Grant. So sorry because I pretended I didn’t know how much you were suffering, but I knew.”
The prince’s lips twisted. Pretensions made the world go round.
“I knew that you were doing it for me, because I asked you to. But no more—-” Fawn’s voice became clearer and more audible, a girl leaving a boy’s arms. “If you leave me, and the prince l-leaves me because of it...it’s not your fault.”
The prince pushed himself off the wall.
“I w-wish I c-could do m-more for you,” the prince heard Grant choke out. “But I c-can’t. I’m too w-weak—-”
There were more words exchanged, but they no longer reached his ears, and they didn’t have to.