Chapter 10
Chase pushed his black car as fast as he possibly could. He knew he was scaring Summer, and being in a hurry, he didn’t have time to really calm her fears. He wouldn’t wreck, but of course she didn’t know that. He loved fast cars, the faster the better. Summer would just have to get used to it.
Her heart pounded in her chest, almost enough to take off faster than the car. Her palms were sweaty as she held on to her seat as tight as she possibly could. Surely, her sweaty hands would leave some sort of mark on the seats. Her heart beat in fear. Fear of where they were going. Fear of what was happening.
“Trent is having some trouble and I have to step in,” Chase said to her, glancing in the side mirror seeing his black security SUV close behind him, keeping up with his speed with no problem. And he thought he was a speed demon.
“It happens every few weeks, but it’s normally nothing serious. No one shoots up the shop, mostly because it’s in the middle of downtown, and cops patrol by often enough.” Plus, he’d return the favor to one of the Meads places just as easily. He’d love to do just that if Chase knew he could get away with it.
Summer didn’t know how to react to this man. She couldn’t forget that Mr. Marcel was a dangerous and lethal man, even though she was slowly beginning to feel comfortable in his home. That didn’t mean that she had to agree with him, or even like him for that matter. There was barely a chance in Hell that she’d ever like him as it was. How could she like a man that bought her? And married her, without her consent?
If only she was stronger, she’d fight. Fight against this hold he had on her. Maybe even run the first chance she could get. But if she did, Summer knew he’d track her down. His green eyes said he would. There was no hope for being normal. She wasn’t even sure what normal was anymore.
Summer didn’t want to admit it either, but Chase was growing on her. His presence was soothing, and she was just now beginning to view him as a nice person. So different from any guy she had known before.
“Since you are my wife, you will be required to attend certain outings with me, but you will always be safe. I have someone following me almost all the time to keep me, and you in turn, safe. There is a SUV behind us, which contains Carter and Jerry, my most trusted men,” Chase said, hoping that by him talking about it would calm Summer down. He kept his voice calm and soothing, even though he was in a hurry to get to Trent’s shop. He had a lot of practice to not let his emotions seep into his voice or posture.
He could see that she was on the brink of a panic attack, and didn’t have the time right that minute to deal with one. He knew that Trent’s shop would be safe, for the most part. No guns would be drawn, no fists would be thrown. Between Trent and Chase, they had a strict no violence policy on all the properties they owned and ran.
“I will have to attend meetings and events in other states, just to keep appearances up, and most of the time you will be joining me. Clare is welcome to come also, depending on what the meetings will be about,” Chase went on, shifting gears. He loved the feel of the powerful car. It almost felt like the movement moved through his body as it ran smoothly over the road. “Sometimes, there will be dress codes and I will be more than happy to supply you with what you need to wear.”
Slowly, Summer began to relax, realizing that she wasn’t being taken back to the compound. Actually, she was happy to hear that that wasn’t the case. She happened to glance out the window into the mirror, seeing that there was a black SUV following them not far behind. She would have panicked again if it wasn’t for the fact that it was part of Chase’s detail. He was the Mafia Prince, so protection made sense.
“Now, when we get to Trent’s shop you are to wait until I help you out. It’s always better to be too safe than not safe enough. I will take you into his office so I can talk to him. Keep your eyes opened, take everything in, be aware your surroundings,” Chase stated, wanting her to know what to look for.
So far, she did seem to be more observant than others around him but to keep her safe, she needed to know what to look for and where.
“The men that have to be dealt with don't know who you are yet to me,” Chase went on as he reached the town limits. He was tempted to reach over and grab her hand but was unable to do so for the pure reason he was driving a stick shift. He knew for a fact that Jason had no idea who he had married, but after today, he would without a doubt.
Summer’s thoughts slowly calmed, and as they entered more into the city, Chase’s speed decreased. Not by much, but enough to make Summer not have a death grip on the leather seat. She wondered what types of businesses Chase owned and had control of, but she wasn’t willing to ask. She knew nothing about the man other than the little bit Clare had taken the time to find out and tell her. She didn’t want to ask questions, and worried that Clare would push too many buttons in doing so.
~oOo~
“Why can’t I live with mommy?” an eight-year-old Summer asked her father who sat at the table glued with his phone at his ear. He shot a fiery glare her way, causing her to cower in fear. She had lived here for a few years, only seeing her mother a couple times every month, and there was always a strange man watching their every move. She didn’t understand any of it.
Her hair was down in soft waves, as Joy, the man’s wife, had let her take a bath that day. Baths were far and in between most of the time in this place.
“I’ll call you back in five,” he said roughly before hanging his phone up, setting it on the table. “What have I said about talking?”
“To not to,” Summer answered in a small voice, tears already gathering in her eyes. She ducked her head, knowing she, yet again, broke the man’s rule. She kept her eyes glued to the floor. Her heart quickly beat in her chest as her fought back against her own emotions. Why couldn’t he just be nicer?
She wanted her mommy. Not this man that never wanted her. He made her do the chores while the two boys got to have fun. It wasn’t fair. She was tempted to stomp her foot, but knew not to push this man farther than she had already.
Joy, the boys’ mom, was nice and sweet, but she wasn’t at home. Alex had a doctor’s appointment for school, and she was left here with this man. Her chores were done, and Jackson wasn’t here to keep her out of trouble. So she thought that maybe she could ask a simple question, one that hadn’t been answered all the time she had been stuck here.
“Correct. And what would happen if you interrupted me, again?” Jason asked, his eyes tight with fury. His voice was hard, a sharp edge to it.
“Please, no!” Summer cried, backing away as she hadn’t yet sat down. Summer knew she wasn’t allowed to sit at the same table at this man.
She didn’t want to be locked away with no food again. Last time, she was locked in the dark bedroom with no water or food for days, and then when she finally was able to be out, she was forced to clean not just that room, but the entire house because of the smell she made. It wasn’t her fault there was no bathroom in there!
“It’s too late, now,” Jason hissed, quickly standing and taking hold of her arm too tight. Her screams were never answered as her father dragged her to her Hell. “You will learn to not speak unless spoken to. Next time I’ll cut your tongue out.”
His grip left lasting bruises all around her tiny arm. He was not as merciful as he had been last time. This time, he used the rope that was connected to the brick wall, tying Summer up like she was a stray cow. Her pleas were not heard in his ears.
Before leaving her there to rot, Jason gave her a lust filled gaze, when she turned eighteen all bets were off, he thought before shutting the door, leaving Summer in pitch black.
~oOo~
Chase came to a hard stop in front of a house like structure, but Summer could see the open garage space behind the house. The outside of the house was a nice beige color, while what she gathered was the shop area, was painted a light gray color. Chase glanced around, seeing what needed to be done in case there was, in fact, gun fire.
“There are two cars across the street, no plates. There is another black car down the street, one driver. And then the other way is another car but with two people inside,” Chase stated. “I’m positive there are more, but we don’t want to be obvious in looking around.”
It drew more attention if Chase turned in his seat to check around him; that was why he was taught at such an early age to pay attention to every detail, know what was normal and what wasn’t. It didn’t matter if it was just a trash can out of place, or even a tree. If it wasn’t normal, that meant that what he was walking into could be the last thing he ever did.
Chase unbuckled and got of the car, closing the door gently behind him. He then walked around the car, taking everything in. He saw the figures across the street in their cars fidget, but turned his attention to his passenger, ignoring the watchful eyes for the moment. Once he opened her door, he held out his hand, waiting for Summer to take it. He kept his face calm, not letting any emotion leak through.
Normally, when he was called to Trent’s Shop, Chase would have a hard look, a no nonsense type of stance, but he didn’t want to make Summer more fearful than she already was. That would surely make her run for the hills. She had been through enough stress and worry already.
Summer slowly took his hand, letting Chase help her out of the car. She slowly stood, not sure how to feel. His body language was on alert, but his stance was calming. His hand was much bigger than her own, but for some reason she felt like he viewed her as a person. She’d never felt like she was seen as such before.
He gave Summer a small smile of approval, shutting her door before wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. It told everyone watching that she was taken; that she was his.
“You’re doing good,” Chase whispered, opening the front door making the bell on the door ding alerting Trent that someone had entered. He led them both into the much warmer air. The day was much warmer than expected, so like Chase’s house, the heat was turned down, but that didn’t stop the inside of the building to be warm. The inside smelled like oil but was clean. A few cushioned red and blue chairs sat around the room, a large TV on mute was mounted on the wall next to the door.
"Bout time,” Trent hollered at Chase, causing Summer to jump as she didn’t expect him to raise his voice.
“I made it here in record time,” Chase said, pulling away from Summer, but took hold of her hand. Since he had touched her he didn’t want to let her go. Touching her was addicting even though it was just a simple touch.
“Yeah, well, still too long,” Trent mumbled as Valerie came from the kitchen area with drinks for everyone. “Thank you Val.”
Valerie gave him a tight lipped smile before turning to a chair behind a huge desk where a number of computer screens sat. She had a pissed off look on her face, but otherwise kept to herself.
Chase gave Trent a questioning look, as it was well known that Valerie didn’t work here, nor did she stay quiet. Actually, he couldn’t recall seeing Valerie here at all in the many times he’d been here through the years.
“Part of her punishment for the way she acted. She has to work here for a full week, and only allowed to talk to customers, or when given permission,” Trent said, his voice monotone. “The other part, is well, a lot worse than working for me.” It was Summer’s turn to have a questioning look as her eyes went from one to the other, not sure what Trent was saying.
She didn't think that sort of punishment would be enough, but Summer had no say over that. She didn’t even have a say over her own life as it was.
“Trent is a Dom; he likes to have control in the bedroom and rarely demands it outside of his home. But Valerie was not polite to you and chose to give us both drugs without asking me, at least, if it was okay,” Chase explained. “Trent doesn’t hit or abuse her in any way. She enjoys the bedroom activities quite a bit. But in a dom/sub relationship, she knows to ask permission to do something like that, no matter if we are in the same sort of relationship or not. Hence why she was punished in a way that only Trent saw fit.”
Summer nodded, a red blush spreading across her face at the realizations came to her about what he meant. She’d seen handlers demand that for slaves before. The entire idea was bizarre to her.
Her insides twisted at the idea of having more than a friendly relationship with Chase, but there was no way she would be able to be tied up while having sex. The entire idea was appalling. She’d been there before, but wisely didn’t comment on either fact.
“I won’t do that to you,” Chase whispered, reading her emotions way too well. “Unless you ask for it, and even then, I don’t think I could.” Summer let out a breath. So far, Chase had kept to his word. And hopefully he would continue to do so.
“Now,” Chase said, meeting Trent’s eyes. “What exactly is the issue?”
“Jason. At least five of his guys are parked around close by, and he was even here for a few minutes talking to one of them across the street,” Trent answered. “I didn’t get the words they exchanged on camera, but I did get some feed.”
He then led Chase, and in turn Summer since he still had a hold of her hand, behind the counter. Without words, Valerie brought up the camera feed. Chase saw Jason, knowing exactly who he was easily. He was unmistakable. Light brown hair with a few gray hairs randomly throughout, tanned skin like he spent his entire life outside, when in fact he was never out in the sunlight. He did have a few more wrinkles that Summer couldn’t recall, but that came with age, she assumed.
Summer’s eyes widened at seeing her father. Just because her father wasn’t in the same room physically as she was now didn’t stop the cold fear that ran down her spine. She could still feel his hands on her as he hit and punched her as a child, even choking her at one point. She could still hear his threats clear as day even after all this time.
Of course, Chase noticed, and brought Summer to his lap, letting her sit there as her eyes were glued to the monitor.
“I’m not sure what he’s up to,” Trent said, running a hand through his hair. “But I want them gone.”
“I know, Trent,” Chase sighed, picking up the desk phone to make a call. He knew numbers by memory, dialing a few of his guys.
“Carter, have Jerry and Bobby take out the cars down the street, leave the two that are directly across from us, but bring the cats in,” Chase said before hanging up. His voice was cold, detached. He knew that his men would do what was told of them without questions. If they didn’t, Chase would easily kill them and hire new men.
Within minutes, Trent had the video feed emailed to a number of people, as Carter had two people he pushed into the building by gun point. The two men had their hands zip tied behind their backs with a look of fear and acceptance on their faces.
Trent, Valerie, and Chase were used to the image, but Summer froze, trying to not let any sound out. She hated guns, as she had been threatened with one enough times to know that in the wrong hands, she could easily be dead. Her father was one of those men that threatened to end her life. And he had threatened it enough. But yet, she had lived somehow. But God, sometimes she wished she hadn’t.
Carter was a few inches shorter than Trent, but just as well built. He wore all black clothes that were more like business attire, but made to move easily. His footsteps were light compared to his bulky gruff look. Black hair, deep knowing eyes, and clean shaven. Unlike Chase and Trent, his skin was naturally tanned. Chase and Trent had lighter skin, but also they were born in the U.S. and not half Jamaican as Carter was.
“In the back,” Trent said with a nod in that direction, before closing the door and locking it, flipping the open sign to ‘closed'. He needed to make sure no one would stop by that wasn’t welcome at a time like this. It hadn’t happened yet, and the Marcel men didn’t need it to now.
Chase stood, setting Summer on her feet before whispering in her ear, “Follow Valerie. She’ll take you to a hidden safe room that was created for something like this. One of us will
come to get you when it’s clear.” He just hoped that Valerie would behave herself. Chase wouldn’t put anything past the bratty woman, even if his life depended on her alone.
Summer nodded on auto pilot. She had no idea what would happen. She was torn from wanting to flee, to doing what was asked of her. She’d much rather just flee.
In the end, when Valerie stood, Summer followed behind her into a secret door, which locked automatically behind them. The door was placed behind a bookshelf filled with books about automobile repair. The room had a small bed, a TV, a small desk, and a snack/drink machine. A door which lead to a restroom stood open to the side. It was simple, but safe. No windows and seemed to be sound proof. And most likely fire proof too.
“We will be safe here. No one can get in that is not allowed,” Valerie said, taking a seat on the bed and turning the TV on. “Chase likes to have safe rooms in cases like this. I have only seen him deal with business a time or two, and I’ve known him for years. The same for Trent. I do my best to stay out the way.” Her voice was cold as she talked about the happenings, almost like she wished she didn’t have to know about it.
The Dark Prince (The Dark Prince Trilogy #1) Page 11