When we got to our wing of the house, I sat down on the couch and stared into the fire that the servants had started, knowing I hated the chill in the castle at night. I smiled sweetly at my head servant as she asked me if I needed anything else. I shook my head and listened as she stepped from the room and the doors shut behind her. Milos approached the fireplace and leaned up against it, his arm at the top and his head facing the flames. He breathed in deeply and let it out, obviously mulling everything over in his mind.
“We should get some sleep,” he said, not looking at me. “It’s been a long night, a long plane ride, and we need to rest, especially you.”
Milos turned to me and smiled as he reached his hand out for me. I didn’t want to go to sleep. I wasn’t tired in the least, but I wasn’t about to argue with Milos. He had enough on his plate at the moment. I stood and kissed him on the cheek before retreating to the bathroom to change into my nightgown and brush my teeth.
I looked at my face in the mirror, remembering the nights in spandex gold jumpsuits and six-inch heels. It felt like it was a lifetime ago, yet it was still something that had to be drudged up again. My life was completely different now, and I couldn’t understand how someone could be as vile and despicable as Reg, especially since if he knew we were married, he must have known we were expecting a child. What kind of man bribes a pregnant woman? Reg Evers was an asshole and has always been one, so I don’t know why I can’t wrap my head around all of this.
I took in a deep breath and made my way back to the room where Milos was already in bed and waiting for me. He pulled the covers up over me, and I struggled to get comfortable. It was already difficult to find comfort with a basketball attached to my stomach, but on top of it, I had the stress of everything running through my mind. I turned from side to side, trying to find a comfortable position, but it seemed that no matter how I laid my body on the bed, I would still feel that aching in my chest, and an uncomfortable feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. Finally, as I turned away from Milos for the hundredth time, he grabbed onto me and pulled me in close to his body. He wrapped his arms tightly around me and laid his chin next to my ear.
“Shh, my love,” he whispered. “I promise that I will forever protect you, even from this idiot.”
“I know,” I said, losing control of my emotions and bursting into tears. “I’m so sorry for this entire thing. It is such a mess. You are a prince. You were groomed, taught, and brought up with an impeccable pedigree, and here I am, trashing your name. I’m the daughter of a single drunk mother, and I made a living taking my clothes off for other men. It's disgusting, and I feel sick to my stomach over it.”
I sniffled and wiped the tears pooling on the pillow beneath me. Milos shifted and turned me onto my back, looking down at my face. He moved the hair from my eyes and wiped his fingers across my wet cheeks. He leaned forward and kissed my lips softly, a tired look in his eyes.
“Did you forget that none of that matters?” he asked. “Did you forget that you are the love of my life? I see you only as this perfect creature that I am more than lucky to have as my wife. Besides, if it weren’t for you working for that scum bag, we never would have met. So, in some ways, your past is what brought you here to this moment. Try not to beat yourself up. I have screwed up so much in the past, this is barely a speed bump.”
“I guess I should be glad there are no pictures of me on the front of the paper yet,” I said, sniffling.
“Yeah, although maybe if there are, gold spandex jumpsuits will come back in style,” Milos joked.
I laughed through the tears and smacked him on the arm. He laid back down on the pillow and brought me in close again. I could feel his love wrapped around me, and suddenly, the exhaustion of everything hit me like a ton of bricks. Curled up in our warm, safe bed, I began to fall asleep, traveling through into the dream world.
I found myself floating downward through the air, as if I were as light as a feather. When my feet touched down, I looked at the sand and surf surrounding me. I was no longer in the castle, but back at the beach. I could only see a few feet in every direction. The rest was pitch black. I looked down at my body and realized I was no longer pregnant. Instead, I was holding my child in my arms.
I pulled the blanket back and stared at the baby’s perfect little face. A feeling of warmth washed through me. However, before I could say a word, cold water rushed over my ankles, and the darkness began to close in around us. From the edges of the encroaching blackness, I could hear a deep, menacing laugh. I pulled the baby close to my chest, frantically looking around.
“Who’s there?” I screamed. “Leave us alone!”
Everywhere I turned, it was nothing but darkness, and I couldn’t figure out where I was going. The voice started growing louder and louder. I climbed up the beach and ran through the woods. The sounds of screeching monkeys and laughter filled my ears. I stopped, sensing something getting close, and I squinted into the distance. Moving quickly toward us was a large mouth, laughing loudly and opening wide. I screamed and shot forward into the woods.
I could feel the wet leaves under my bare feet and the breathing of the baby against my chest. As I stepped into the clearing, I froze, looking out over a giant cliff, plunging into the darkness below. I turned around and watched in horror as the mouth spread over us and slammed shut.
I sat up in the bed, grabbing my chest where the baby had been, and I looked around in panic. My head was covered in sweat, and Milos ran his hand over my back. My vision cleared, and the fear clouding my brain receded. I looked down at my belly and sighed in relief. It had been a horrible nightmare, and I knew exactly who was to blame. Tears filled my eyes, and I put my face in my hands, no longer able to control any emotions. I sobbed uncontrollably. Milos scooted up behind me, put his arms around my chest, and kissed the back of my neck.
“It’s all right,” he whispered soothingly. “It was just a nightmare. Take a deep breath. I’m right her with you.”
I breathed in through my nose and out my mouth, trying to settle the uncomfortable feeling in my chest. It had all seemed so real, and I’d felt so helpless. I couldn’t protect myself, I couldn’t protect my child, and I was left, standing on a cliff with a choice of either jumping or facing the demon chasing me. In the end, I let the mouth engulf us both, lost in the darkness that followed.
There was no doubt in my mind it represented my uncertain future. Do I let Reg engulf me with his bribery and continue with these terrible snow ball of lies, or do I jump into the darkness, hoping for a soft landing below? One thing was for sure. I never wanted to feel that helplessness again, not for me or my child.
I gathered my emotions and leaned back into Milos’s arms, feeling his comfort wrapped around us both. The baby kicked hard in my stomach, and I rubbed my belly, knowing it too could feel my despair. I felt terrible about all of this, every part of it, but even worse, I no longer felt like I was in control of the situation.
I felt like everything was spiraling out of control, just like in my dream, where I was running blindly through the woods, everything frightening, and no knowledge of where to go from there. However, unlike my dream, I knew that I did not have to face the darkness alone. Milos was there to stay, there to do whatever he could to help us get through this, and no matter what happened, we would have each other in the end.
I turned my head and let Milos wipe the tears from my face. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against my forehead. I closed my eyes, taking in his scent, his strength, and his comfort. Reg Evers had picked on the wrong family, and I wasn’t going to sit by and let him take advantage of me all over again.
Chapter 26: Milos
I sat in my chair by the window, staring down over the gardens. It was now raining here, too, and the weather matched my mood. I hadn’t slept very much, since Adriana was having a hard time getting settled. Then, without warning, she woke from a nightmare that had completely shaken her world upside down. She didn’t explain the dream to me,
but I could tell that this Reg controversy had really gotten into her head.
I felt helpless, and I needed to step up and stand up to this tyrant. No one was going to come into my Kingdom and bully me and my family around without some severe repercussions. The first thing I needed to do, though, was find out what exactly he was looking for. I swiveled my chair around and faced Brat, who was standing, waiting for me to tell him what came next.
“Can you get word to Mr. Evers?”
“I can,” Brat said carefully. “What would you like me to tell him?”
“Tell him to meet me at that small pub in the capital in an hour,” I replied. “I’ll listen to what he has to say.”
“Are you sure this is the right thing?” Brat asked. “We already know he is looking for money.”
“We assume it’s money,” I replied. “But we don’t know for sure. Reg Evers might be an asshole, but one thing he is not, is stupid. I want to hear him out before I make my decision on how to handle this.”
“Understood,” Brat replied with a bow of his head. “I will go call him. Do you want me to come along?”
“No,” I replied, looking over at the closed door to the bedroom. “I think it best we keep as many people out of this drama as possible. I’ll meet with him alone.”
“I’ll have the car sent around for you,” Brat replied, before turning and walking from the room.
I sat in the chair, finishing my coffee and staring out into the scenery below, before standing and heading back to change. I wore plain clothes and pulled on my waterproof trench coat. I stepped in front of the mirror and stared at my reflection, wondering how inconspicuous I actually looked. I pulled the collar up on my coat and pulled a hat on, bringing the bill down low to hide my face. I clutched my sunglasses in my hand, wondering what kind of money this asshole was really looking for. I knew, even if I paid him off, this would never end. I needed this to be as discreet as possible. In the past, I hadn’t cared if I was splashed all over the tabloids, but now, I had a family and a kingdom to think about. I had to be extra careful meeting with this man.
As I turned back to walk out of the room, I stared at Adriana leaning against the doorframe. She smiled and walked over to me, pulling my collar up and kissing me on the cheek. She looked tired but more relaxed than the night before. I pulled my arms around her and hugged her tightly, knowing this was all very hard for her.
“I am going to meet Reg,” I said, still holding her tightly.
“I know,” she replied, pulling back. “I heard you and Brat. Just be careful, and don’t do anything you will regret.”
“Of course,” I replied, leaning in and kissing her lips.
I walked out of the room and out into the sitting area, pulling my sunglasses on and looking back one last time as Adriana stood by the fireplace, watching me walk out. She looked worried, which made this all that more important to me. There were so many good things in our lives, and I would be damned if I let this asshole ruin that. I nodded at Adriana and mustered the biggest smile I could manage. She shook her head and smiled, giggling to herself. That was exactly what I needed to see before leaving for this meeting, a reminder of everything I was fighting for.
I took a long way around to the front to avoid walking past my mother’s wing. I didn’t want to bring her into this unless I absolutely needed to. She had enough on her plate. I jumped in the car and headed out to the capital. It had been a while since I had been here alone, in fact, the last time I was here, I was wasted, trying to forget Adriana, not realizing I was doing the exact opposite of what I should have been doing.
I had the car stop two blocks away on an empty street and let me out. I knew the car would be a dead giveaway, and I didn’t want anyone to notice me or even think that I looked out of place. As I rounded the corner, I caught sight of Reg standing in front of the bar. He nodded to me with a shit-eating grin, and immediately, I felt enraged.
I took a deep breath and clenched my fists as he opened the door for me, and I walked in ahead of him. The bar smelled like piss and beer, a perfect backdrop for this type of discussion. There were only two people in the bar, so we moved to the back of the room and grabbed a booth in the shadows. I took my glasses off and looked up at Reg sternly. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and ordered a beer. I waved the waitress off, not wanting anything at that time except the ability to knock Reg’s smug face straight out of the booth. However, knowing I couldn’t make a scene, I kept my cool, ringing my hands together under the table.
“Not drinking?” Reg asked with a smirk. “I see family life has really changed you. Maybe it’s the baby on the way.”
“Don’t talk about my family,” I said with gritted teeth. “What do you want?”
“Not into small talk? I guess that’s a good thing. I am looking to build a new establishment here in your lovely little capital. It will be a huge deal, bring lots of money in, and grow the tourism factor of your city.”
“We are just fine without dirty strip clubs and drunks,” I replied.
“Now, now, Your Highness,” he said with a grin. “Don’t forget who spent the most money last year at my ‘dirty strip club.’ But that point aside, it's not a strip club.”
“I don’t know what any of this has to do with me? Do you need money? Is that what this is about?” I was tired of his games and wanted him to just get to the point.
The waitress walked up, and I looked down at the table, not wanting to make eye contact. It was a small place, and everyone had seen my face a million times. The last thing I needed was to be photographed with the owner of a strip club at a dirty bar. That would immediately catch my mother’s attention and make me look really bad.
I was starting to regret the decision to come out here alone. It might have been less conspicuous to take him to a fine dining restaurant than a dirty, dusty bar where we were lurking in the shadows. But none of that mattered now, because we were here, and we needed to get through this so I could move on with my life.
“I don’t need your money,” Reg said angrily. “I am actually a really good businessman.”
“Because you rob your employees and treat them like shit,” I replied.
“They ain’t really the highest quality of people,” Reg scoffed. “Except your wife of course. She never really belonged there, but either way, she was there, and she was my employee.”
“So, if you don’t need money, what is it you are looking for?” I’d had enough.
“I want to open a casino of sorts,” he replied. “An upscale gambling facility, and I need you to grant me a concession.”
“Gambling is illegal in Silesia,” I scoffed. “It has been for many decades, and I fully support that decision. These people need prosperity, not some leech sucking their money right out from under them.”
“It would bring tourism and jobs to your kingdom. How could that be wrong?”
“This is a pointless conversation,” I said, putting my hands up and pushing myself to my feet.
“Hold on,” Reg said grabbing my arm. “You might want to sit the hell down, Your Majesty.”
His tone was harsh but knowing, and I grimaced at his dirty hand around my arm. From the look on his face, I could tell his nice guy routine was over, and he wasn’t there to play games anymore. I sat back down in the booth and folded my hands in front of my face.
“I am not sure why after decades of a law, you would think I would change my mind now,” I said with irritation.
“Have you forgotten where you came from Milos?” Reg asked with squinted eyes. “Have you forgotten where you met that lovely wife of yours? Ahh, the memories I have of your sweet Adriana. She was a fan favorite, especially when it came to the lap dances. She moved her hips unlike any girl I knew, and her blonde hair was a favorite of the crowd. What’s even funnier was at one point, we called her ‘The Queen.’ You know, a stage name fit for her majesty.”
“Enough,” I growled, drawing the attention of the people sitting at the bar. I looke
d across the table at Reg, waiting for him to say it.
“No, it will not be enough, until I get what I want,” Reg replied with an angry tone. “I wonder how your subjects will think of their precious Queen when they know she used to bump and grind against every dick that came through the door? You do this Milos, or I will make sure everyone knows of Adriana’s past.”
Reg stood from the table and downed his beer, tossing a few bills on the table and straightening his pants. He reached down and took the hat from the chair next to it and slapped it on his shiny, bald head. He turned back to me with a happy smile and nodded at me.
“I’ll give you until Monday night to make your decision,” he said. “Until then, remember my finger is on the speed dial to the press. Don’t do anything stupid, my friend.”
Unprepared Daddy: A Second Chance Romance Page 71