Pretend Princess With Benefits: A Royal Fake Marriage Romance

by Lara Swann

  Whatever the consequences.

  The realistic part of me knows it’s only a matter of time before I do face those consequences - being happy doesn’t mean the world is suddenly a good place - but until that comes, I’m going to make the most of every last second here.

  These moments are worth whatever Sullivan does to me afterward, and as long as I’m still breathing, I’m going to fight to be with her.

  Yeah, as long as you’re still breathing…

  Someone pounds at the door and I look up, startled, shifting instantly to alertness as I come around from behind the counter.

  I only shrugged on pants to come downstairs, but my gun is ever at my side, and my hand hovers over it as I move slowly towards the door - the loud pounding starting up again.

  Kevin should have warned me if someone was approaching. What the hell is going on?

  Then I catch a glimpse of who’s at the door from the camera panel beside it, and freeze again.

  Okay…bad news.

  I open it anyway, my hand still on my gun, and look up at the two massive enforcers Sullivan likes to keep around with him.

  “Caleb.” Sam’s deep voice rumbles out of his chest, and I meet his eyes evenly.

  “Have you found something?” I ask, even though I know - just know - this isn’t about the fucker threatening Alana.

  “Sullivan wants to talk to you.” He says instead, and gestures towards the long black sedan car parked outside.

  A quick scan with my eyes shows Kevin watching nearby, and Usher - Sam’s backup - eyeing me suspiciously. His gun is actually in his hand, which tells me my chances of getting out of this are slim to none.

  That’s fine. I was never going to try and avoid this anyway.

  I can’t help glancing back towards the stairs though - towards Alana and where she’s waiting in the bedroom. Did she hear the banging on the door?

  We’ll face him together.

  I know what she’d intended, but it was never going to happen. This is between Sullivan and I, and it was always going to be.

  So I nod to Sam, and follow his lead - moving between them down towards the car.

  How the hell did Sullivan find out?

  It’s probably not important, but I still want to know. I find out a moment later.

  Usher nods at Kevin as he passes. “Sullivan says thanks - and that he’ll have someone over for additional security in a few hours.”

  Kevin nods back and I feel my blood start to boil. What had the fucker been doing to work that out? I mean, we haven’t exactly been discreet, maybe we were too loud? But…still…I feel uneasy about it.

  And about leaving him here alone with Alana.

  But a glance at Sam tells me I’m not going to be able to object, so I grit my teeth and slip into the car.

  I wanted to at least be able to stick around long enough to make sure she’s protected, damn it.

  “Caleb.” My father’s voice cuts off that thought, and I look over at him on the seat next to me, while Sam and Usher climb into the front and start the car.

  I have a moment of sentimentality - I haven’t seen him for over a month - and then I’m over it. “Dad.”

  He looks at me for a moment, clearly expecting me to say more, but I don’t.

  “Please tell me that dumbass was wrong.” He finally grinds out, eyes flashing at me.

  I could play coy - draw this out, ask what he’s talking about. But I know. And I’m not going to deny it.

  So I just shake my head, leaning back in the comfortable leather seats and wondering what on earth to tell my father about any of this.

  “For fuck’s sake, Caleb!” His limited control shatters, and the words explode out of him. “What the fuck did you think you were playing at? Even I can’t protect you from this one. Sullivan’s daughter?! My god…”

  I blink, momentarily confused as I look over at him. And then I realize - he just thinks this is another one of my stunts, my irreverence and bad behavior. Testing boundaries and seeing what I can get away with.

  Fuck, I never deluded myself that I’d get away with this…

  So I tell him, because he’s my father, and because I plan to tell anyone who’ll listen. However stupid I know he’ll find it - Gerard Stone isn’t exactly the settling down kind.

  “It’s not like that - it’s not just…fucking. I love her, Dad. I don’t expect—I know what it means. What he’ll do. But that’s okay.” I give him a crooked smile, “It was worth it.”

  He stares at me. Actually stares.

  I meet his eyes evenly. I’m not afraid. Or at least, not much.

  Pain and death aren’t exactly appealing, but I accepted this a while ago.

  One shot to convince Sullivan to let me go back to her - to let us have a life together. It’s worth the risk of losing everything - if I can’t be with her, I don’t want any other kind of life anyway.

  “You fucking idiot.” He finally says. “If you ever want to make it out of this, don’t say any of that to Sullivan. And the moment she mentions it…fuck, you’re screwed.”

  I shake my head. “That’s exactly what I’m going to say to Sullivan. I’m going to tell him I want to be with her - and I’ll deal with whatever answer he gives.”

  His disbelief is like a living thing between us, the way he’s staring at me setting me on edge.

  “It’s been less than two months since I saw you. Less than two months. And this is what happens?!” His voice is scathing. “A little time in college and suddenly you’re acting like one of those stupid kids—”

  “Maybe those stupid kids have got it right.” I fire back, getting angry myself now.

  I don’t know what I expected from him - not really to support me, not with this. But we’ve always had a good relationship - the only real one in my life until Alana came along - and it hurts to see it blow up like this.

  “And have you - for one small moment - considered what she’s going to do when she finds out? About you. About the mob, and…everything else. She’ll ditch you faster than you can blink.” He says, derision lacing his tone. “Or were you going to conceal it forever?”

  Oh.

  That comment snaps the anger out of me, and my eyes slip away from his for a long moment, before I force them back.

  “She already knows.” I say quietly.

  If I’d thought he couldn’t be any more shocked, I was wrong. I can almost feel the stunned stillness descent on him, letting the background noise of traffic and the stop-start of the car back into my awareness.

  “You told her?” It’s the barest hint of sound - and not even accusatory.

  “Yes.” I say simply.

  I’m not going to hold back anymore. I’m done with the lies and everything else. Either we find a way forwards or…not.

  He doesn’t say anything for the rest of the journey, and I stop trying to work out what he’s thinking. My father is Sullivan’s man through and through, and I feel momentarily bad for putting him in this position, and openly admitting betraying the man he owes everything to.

  But then my attention returns to that man - to Sullivan - and whatever is on the other end of this journey.

  We head into the center of town, and I belatedly realize Sullivan must be working here instead of in Baltimore - probably to deal with the shooter on campus.

  When we pull up in front of a large building, complete with double glass doors and a sweeping entranceway, my father doesn’t join me as I’m accompanied up the wide stairs. He doesn’t say anything to me, either, and I wonder if this is the last time I’ll see him.

  Maybe he’s thinking the same thing.

  That makes the anticipation buzzing within me worse somehow, but I try to calm my nerves.

  Sullivan isn’t a good man to face at the best of times.

  Sam takes my gun - somewhat belatedly it seems to me. I would’ve removed it before I entered the car, but maybe my status in the mob counts for something.

  How close you can get to the bos
s carrying a gun. New way of measuring it, that’s for sure.

  Then he pushes the door open and I straighten my spine, walking in.

  I catch a glimpse of the papers and photos littering the large table in the middle of the room before I see Sullivan standing behind them.

  When I do see him, I almost do a double-take. The strong, awe-inspiring man I remember seems shrunken and worn - his face haggard, with large circles under his eyes.

  The moment he sees me, some element of the commanding presence returns, but something in me twists at seeing him in such a bad way.

  Fuck. You’re not the only one all this has been getting to.

  “Caleb.” He starts, his tone measured, while I’m still trying to work out what the hell I want to say.

  I’ve had the whole car journey, days of thinking about it, I’ve known this was coming and now…I’ve got nothing.

  A familiar tingle of fear dances down my spine, and I’m momentarily surprised - I thought I was beyond that.

  He walks over to me as I wait, my eyes on his. I should probably say something, but I’m pretty sure the moment I do everything is going to come out, and I can’t do that right now.

  There’s a long pause as he just looks me over, and then he takes a deep breath, almost as if he’s trying to convince himself of something.

  “I’ve heard…some pretty damning rumors lately.” His eyes are on me, as sharp as ever, and I almost can’t believe I thought he looked tired. “You did a good job for me at the college - you got her out. And I can see how people might get confused…”

  I blink, surprised at the direction he’s taking this.

  “So,” He gives me a searing glance, “Tell me you’re not sleeping with my daughter, and I’ll put an end to the rumors.”

  I stare at him for a moment. I’m not sure whether he knows and is trying to give me an out - I somehow can’t believe that - or whether he truly doesn’t believe it. Either way, I wasn’t expecting that kind of trust - and it makes me feel even worse for what I’m about to say.

  I take a deep breath, and then slowly shake my head, trying to show him how desperately I mean this.

  “I love Alana, Sullivan. I’m sorry, it’s fucked up and shouldn’t have happened, but it has and—and I want it. I want to spend my life with her.”

  Whatever remains of it.

  I see a momentary flash of shock in his eyes, quickly covered up, and then his expression closes off.

  “You want what?!” The anger is expected, but it still reverberates through me.

  “I want to love her, to take care of her, to protect—” I try, but he cuts me off immediately.

  “You presumptuous little bastard.” He practically snarls it, “You think my daughter is going to want to spend her life with a killer for hire? My Alana? What the fuck have you done?!”

  I swallow. “I’m leaving the mob, Sullivan. Whatever happens, I can’t do this anymore—”

  “And you think that’d make everything okay? That she’d never find out—” His fists are pumping hard at his sides, eyes wild, breathing hard enough that he can’t continue.

  Everything in me twists at what I know I have to say, and I close my eyes just briefly first.

  “She knows. I told her.” I force myself to look back at him, to watch what it does to him. I broke his trust, it feels perversely right to have to deal with knowing what that means. “Everything. I couldn’t lie to her any—”

  “You did what?!” His voice is cold and hard, and the pure murderous rage on his face has chills running down my spine. I’ve never seen him like this before.

  “I’m sorry, but—”

  I barely see the flash of his fist before it lands - despite with all my skill and training, I couldn’t have caught it even if I’d wanted to.

  He connects with my cheek and sparks flash behind my eyes. I catch my balance, try to speak again, and then the next one wipes me out - pain explodes through my head, and everything goes dark.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Alana

  The door to the sitting room opens as I’m pacing up and down, one hand pressed to my stomach.

  The nausea hasn’t quite subsided, but I’m preoccupied with wondering where the hell Caleb has got to. He didn’t tell me he was going out, and he’s been pretty damn insistent on staying by my side the whole time.

  I look up, expecting Caleb - and then stop in a hurry when faced with the stranger in front of me. It takes me a moment to remember that someone out there is trying to kill me, and then fear slides slowly down my spine.

  “Alana?” He asks, and I wish I could read his dark eyes better.

  “Yes.” I say slowly, wondering if I’m supposed to be giving even that much information.

  “I’m Kevin. Did Caleb mention me?” He says, and I instantly feel better.

  He knows Caleb.

  “No - do you know where he is?” I ask. Maybe now I’ll get some answers.

  He frowns at that, then shrugs. “He went to see S—someone. But we need to get out of here now, I’m going to take you somewhere safer, okay?”

  “He went to see my father?” I ask, picking up on the way Kevin corrected himself and guessing.

  Why the fuck would he do that? Without me?

  Kevin recoils at that. “He told you?”

  Oh shit. I forgot I wasn’t supposed to act like I knew this stuff.

  Well, fuck it, if Caleb is talking to my father, they’ll all know that soon enough anyway.

  “Yes. Are you going to tell me what’s going on? When is he coming back?” I ask.

  Kevin is still staring at me.

  “And even after you knew, you—” He cuts himself short, but unease pricks me again.

  “I, what?” I narrow my eyes at him.

  Just who is this random stranger? One of my father’s men, I guess. But I don’t like the way he’s looking at me. Not at all.

  “Nevermind.” He finally says, “We need to get out of here - we don’t have time for this.”

  “Why?” I ask again, “What’s going on?”

  “Fuck it, you ask a lot of questions, don’t you?” He mutters, obviously irritated. “Just come with me.”

  I get irritated just as quickly, my hand pressing harder against my stomach as the agitation makes my nausea flare again.

  “I’m not going anywhere until Caleb gets back.” I insist.

  Kevin grinds his teeth together. “This place isn’t safe anymore. He’ll be pissed if he has to come back and get you from someplace risky.”

  I hesitate. That’s certainly true.

  “Okay, but let me speak to him first.” I try to compromise. I’m not leaving here with a man I’ve never met before without reassurance of some kind.

  “I can’t do that.” Kevin’s tone turns darker and he shakes his head. “If you really do know about all this, just what do you think is going to happen when he sees your father, huh?”

  My blood chills and I step back a pace.

  He’ll kill me.

  The words reverberate in my head, casual and emotionless.

  “He wouldn’t…” I still can’t quite believe it. Not that my father would do that.

  And not to the man I love…the one who kept me safe…

  Kevin gives a condescending laugh. “You really have no clue, do you?”

  It’s the same vibe I picked up from Caleb a couple of times - stupid, naive girl, doesn’t have a clue about how the underworld works. Only this time, it feels far worse.

  I clench my fists and stare him down. “Then let me talk to my father first. I’m not going anywhere with you until I’ve spoken to someone.”

  Not to mention, the need to speak to him is practically setting my body on fire. To get there first, before…anything happens. Do something to stop what Caleb and Kevin think is so obvious.

  Caleb…what the fuck did you think you were doing?

  “Why the hell did he leave like that?” I say it out loud, angry and annoyed - and beyond th
at, scared.

  Scared that he’s left and is never going to get the chance to come back.

  “I’ve had enough of this. Were you this fucking difficult with him, too?” Anything pleasant slips from Kevin’s tone, and I bristle immediately. “Or did he just use…other incentives…to make you compliant, hmm?”

  His eyes skim over my body and I fight the immediate urge to cover myself - even over the perfectly respectable clothes I’m wearing. I shudder at the look there - and then anger flares again.

  “How dare you?!” I grind out, “If my father knew—”

  “Yes, yes, your father. Just come with me - now. Or we do this the hard way.”

  His hand shifts to the gun at his side, and I suddenly freeze, really looking at him again.

  I step back instinctively, wary in a way I wasn’t before. “You’re not my father’s man, are you?”

  His eyes darken as they meet mine, and then he does shift the gun out of its holster, and I swallow hard.

  “Sorry, princess, no luck this time. And if you say another fucking word without getting your ass over here, I’ll leave you bleeding out on the floor.” The threat is sinister, no pretense at anything else now, and I actually believe him.

  I swallow back the objections I want to voice, even as my mind races to try and form some kind of plan - to work something out.

  But the sour rush of fear makes it impossible to think, and I can’t see a way to avoid any of it.

  So I take a small step forward.

  And pray that Caleb comes for me.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Caleb

  I drift back into consciousness slowly, grunting instinctively at the pain and tugging against my bonds.

  It takes me a few moments to remember what the fuck is going on - but when I do, I stop struggling and sink back against the chair I’m tied to.

  A quick glance around the abandoned warehouse tells me the thugs working on me have left - for now - and gives me a chance to make a quick assessment of the damage.