The Dark Prince (The Dark Prince Trilogy #1) (18 page)

“She should be. Once her iron levels rise, she will be back to her normal self, for the most part. But I want her to stay t at its lowest dose of Xanax. I think it will help her in the long run,” Kayla answered.

Summer was confused. Why would Chase want to take her on a business trip? Was this a way of saying that he was getting rid of her? And being on Xanax explained why her emotions and thoughts weren’t out of control. It was nice for a change. So maybe Kayla was right about that.

"But with everything, I would advise her to stay home and rest,” Kayla went on in a motherly voice. “It would do her some good.”

“But it could also be a good time for my wife and I to get to know one another better,” Chase said, his voice low and commanding. “I have failed in that department, and I choose to have better communication between us.”

“Okay, Chase. Maybe you need Xanax too,” Kayla said, jokingly at the end of her statement.

"I’m fine,” he grumbled out.

After a long pause, Kayla excused herself to go check on a few of her other patients. Chase made himself comfortable as much as he could in the uncomfortable chair, and dug out his phone to tend to some emails that needed taking care of.

Summer took that time to open her eyes and look around the room she was in. The first thing she noticed was the dimmed light above her on the tiled ceiling. There were no pictures, just a white speckled ugly ceiling. Slowly, she turned her head, spotting Chase sitting next to her bed that she lay upon. His hair was wild and crazy, his eyes dark with worry and tiredness. Had he even been home to rest? She highly doubted it just by the hair on his face. And how long had she been here in the hospital?

And why was he here? Wasn’t he tired of her disappointing him at every turn, especially after what she did? Thinking, it had been Sunday afternoon when she decided to end her life, so she guessed that it was maybe Tuesday. Had she been asleep the entire time?

Chase was busy emailing one of his men about a few deposits that needed taken care of, so he didn’t notice that his wife was awake. He was trying to deal with issues to keep his mind off his depressed wife. It wasn’t what he wanted, but what choice did he have? He only wanted to make her life better, not worse.

While Clare seemed to be handling everything extremely well, not once seeming to be unhappy, Summer hardly seem to change from what she knew. And while that was a good thing in certain instances, Chase wanted Summer to have a life she felt was worth living. And it seemed as though Chase had failed to do that for her.

What more did he need to do to help his wife? He planned to start talking to her, getting to know her better. He wanted to wine and dine her, if Summer would allow him to. He hadn’t barely left her side – not that she knew that. But he would be changing how he acted, letting her get to know a part of him that not much of his family knew. He could be deadly, but a wonderful husband to his chosen wife.

Chase happened to look up right as Summer moved her head back to look at the ceiling. He quickly pocketed his phone, and then grabbed a hold of her hand, causing her to jump.

“Sorry,” he mumbled low. “You scared me, Summer.” He kept his voice calm, hoping that his worry didn’t shine through. Summer simply blinked. She wasn’t sure what to feel. She was still so tired, and the hand he had a hold of was the arm she cut opened, and a spike of pain shot up her arm, although she hid it well.

“You can’t do that again. Please don’t,” Chase said, trying to fight his tears. He was taught to not cry, which was an extremely hard lesson to learn for the sensitive boy he had been. “I don’t ever want to go through that again. Not with you.”

“I won’t,” Summer spoke, her voice hoarse from lack of use. She was surprised she talked, but Chase’s face lifted in a surprised smile before she could process that she had, in fact, talked to her husband.

“Good. You scared really me and Clare too. She’s at Zinna’s and Ryder’s house; I didn’t want her left alone, nor did she need to be here,” Chase said, mostly rambling, trying to fill in the silence. “I called Carter to pick her up.”

He then went on to explain what was in the IV’s, how many blood transfusions she had, and how much longer Summer would be here in the hospital. She stayed quiet, not sure what to say. She knew she should feel bad about trying to take her life, but really, it had always been there, knocking on the invisible door, waiting to be answered.

She promised to not try again, at least not on purpose. She did feel relieved that the baby didn’t make it, just because she was no way mentally able to handle it. Summer could see that the light in Chase’s eyes dimmed when he told her the news. She felt empty, but otherwise content that the option was now taken out of her hands. She knew that it was likely something that would have happened either way because of her poor diet choices and stress she was under.

Chapter 17

Summer was released early morning on Wednesday. Chase pulled a few strings, mostly donating money to the hospital, to get her released sooner than planned. Kayla had wanted him to wait until after lunch, but Chase had a few things he needed to do on his home computer instead of his phone. Plus, he was sure that his wife would feel better at home than here at the hospital.

Summer was started on her oral dose of Xanax, and she could already feel the difference in not only her anxiety, but also her overall mental health. It was amazing to not worry about everything constantly. She was still tired, but with the blood infusions that had been given, her iron levels were higher than she had for many years due to lack of proper eating habits.

As the sun rose, Chase woke his wife up, helping her to get ready to leave. He wanted to leave before there was an audience at the front entrance. Somehow, between John and Ivan, everyone found out that Chase’s wife was at the hospital and unwell. No one knew the extent, Chase made sure of that, but he knew that there was a good possibility people watching the main entrance doors in just an hour tops.

Kayla had brought a change of clothes for both Chase and Summer yesterday afternoon, and Summer was more than happy to take a shower and have real clothes on. She was even able to brush her tangled hair out. Instantly, she felt a thousand times better. It was amazing how being clean could make someone feel so much better.

Of course, Kayla wanted Summer to talk to someone that could help, even understand, her mixed thoughts and emotions. Summer flat out said ‘no’ to that idea. She didn’t feel safe talking to a stranger, let alone to Chase or Kayla. Summer couldn’t possibly be able to talk to someone that could not understand what she was going through. It wasn’t known for many women to be sold and resold so much, right? And who had actually escaped such life clutches? At least, that was Summer’s thinking.

Chase was torn on the idea of his wife talking to someone. On one hand, he wanted his wife to get the help that she needed. He wanted her to be strong and find who she was without the past plaguing her every minute of the day. But on the other hand, he didn’t know how much Summer would say about how she got to where she was today. It wasn’t something he wanted to risk as he knew legally, he would be arrested. Although, Chase didn’t really hand any sort of money over for the girls.

He was already slowly getting his drug collection across town taken care of. Either it was turned into the FED’s by small petty time thugs, or he had a few of his guys set the holding places on fire, erasing everything that had been there. It was almost too easy to take care of, and no one ever saw it coming. Nothing was tied back to Chase in any way, so he didn’t fear being found out. He would have loved nothing more than to set the fires himself, but his wife was more important. Always would be. No matter how much fun it was to set fires.

Chase knew that not just his enemy, but even a few of his connections that he used often would be wanting to know. Though Jason had a price on his head since the time he was born, and in turn, Summer also because of who she was. But Chase knew how to keep them both safe, by any means necessary.

Hand in hand, Chase led Summer to a back entrance, not wanting to risk exposure more than he needed to.

Summer went on autopilot as Chase led her out of the building, much like the first time that he led her from a completely different place. The only difference other than the building was her thoughts. They weren’t filled with stress or worry of the unknown. They were now more accepting, calmer of what was to come.

Summer knew that Chase wouldn’t raise a hand to her, but his actions for the past month were bad enough. Didn’t he desire her? Every man she had been given to, had used her body, and most of the time Summer let them, not willingly, but let them all the same. With Chase, he only had sex with Summer once, and that alone caused her mind and emotions to be all over the place. It was no wonder Chase wanted nothing to do with her. She was a freak of her kind.

She felt empty as she sat in the front seat after Chase helped her in, closing the door and made his way to the driver’s side. Summer felt like the other shoe had finally dropped. She wondered what Chase would do, as he hardly spoke much to her the last few hours. Was he upset that she tried to kill herself? Or maybe because she had caused herself to lose a child he didn’t want in the first place?

Summer then wondered what the child would have been. A boy or a girl? Would she have lost it no matter what she did before giving birth because of how weak and tired her body was in the first place, like Chase had told her, or was he just trying to ease her guilty conscience?

Surprisingly, her emotions stayed calm as her thoughts trailed off, even though she felt like crying. There was no use of thinking about things she could no longer have choices on. Everything was taken away from her in some sort of way. Either by force, or by nature.

Chase drove them home, letting his wife get her thoughts in order. He could see them swirling around in her eyes as she got dressed that morning. Summer didn’t question him, didn’t fight him. He wasn’t sure if that was just how she dealt with things, or if it was the medication. Or it could have been a combination of both.

His own thoughts were all over the place. He mentally made a list of what he needed to take care of before Friday, as he still had to go to Las Vegas and deal with that issue. He knew he should leave Summer, letting her stay with Kayla most likely, but he wanted her close. He still needed to give Ryder a call, seeing if his tips were successful about a few of his known hideouts for drugs and guns.

Chase wanted every illegal means taken care of within a year, and hitting the hide outs fast and hard was one sure way to make sure that it was done. He thought of what needed done at home to make sure that Summer would be resting. He wanted his wife to gain back her strength and he wanted to get to know who she was as a person.

Before either of them knew it, Chase pulled up to the house and he hit the garage door opener on his dash. Summer watched in a daze as the door lifted up and Chase pulled in. After parking, he got out and then went around the side to help his wife out. He just needed to be near her. He couldn’t help but wonder why, but for the time being wouldn’t question it.

He took her hand, as he knew she was in a daze, mostly from being so tired. Plus, he wanted to touch her in any way he could. Chase then opened the door, entering the four-digit code in the keypad, and led Summer to the couch, who then sat down and stared into space. Summer’s eyes blinked slow as exhaustion finally set in.

“You can rest. I don’t want you getting up and trying to do things,” Chase said, tired himself. He ran a hand through his hair as he watched her. “This is your home, Summer, so please don’t worry about anything. Let me take care of you for the day, okay?”

Summer’s tired blue eyes lifted to his green ones full of worry. His hair was crazy, and he was in need of a shower himself. With a blink, Summer nodded her head, too tired to try to speak. She knew Chase wouldn’t let her get away with not talking for days at a time now that he knew she could talk.

“Sleep, or just watch TV. I have a few things I need to take care of, but I will be close by,” Chase said, his eyes softening. He slowly reached out and sat his warm hand on Summer’s cheek. She couldn’t help but lean into it, seeking his warmth and acceptance, letting her eyes close for a moment. His touch was more soothing than she’d ever admit. She would never admit to how drawn to him she was.

He was just as drawn to her. Even with her being thinner . . . almost as thin as when he first found her a few weeks ago, she was still stunning. She wasn’t the normal type everyone expected him to go for, but Summer was his light.

After a few seconds, Chase pulled away and went to his office, leaving the door ajar so he could hear her. He didn’t want to leave her, but knew he had to get a few things out of the way. While his wife turned the TV on and laid down on the couch in a tight ball, Chase called his mother. It was the easier of the few things he needed to deal with. And if he got it over with now, he wouldn’t have to do it later.

“Hello, Chase,” Kayla’s soft voice answered.

“Hi, mom,” Chase replied, running a hand over his face. “Please don’t be mad at me, but I checked Summer out.”

“I figured you would,” she sighed, already knowing her son way too well. “How is she?”

“Tired,” Chase answered. “But I’m not sure other than that. She’s . . . .” he trailed off.

“Dazed?” Kayla asked.

“Yeah,” Chase sighed out again. Why was he still so worried? Why did he care so much?

“That’s to be expected. Once her body gets used to the medication, it will even everything out. She won’t be bouncing off the walls, but it will help with calming her emotions. Give her a couple of weeks for everything to sort out. If the Xanax doesn’t work, or dulls too much after a month, I can take her off it, or even put her on a different medication. But it’s a wait and see thing,” Kayla explained. “But with everything that has gone on, it will do her some good for the time being. I don’t want her on it long term anyway.”

She paused, gathering what she wanted to say next. Chase stood and peeked his head out checking on his wife, seeing her laying on the couch. He couldn’t’ see her face, so he didn’t know if she was asleep or not. But he hoped she was.

“It would do her good to talk to someone, but I know you aren’t a fan of that,” Kayla said before pausing. “With her miscarriage, how are you doing?” she went on.

“Fine,” Chase said, not entirely sure if that was true or not. He was still torn on how to feel, but he’d survive.

“If you need to talk, I can listen any time,” Kayla said. “Now, no sex for a few weeks. And please, use protection next time.” She knew all too well why Summer did what she had done. It didn’t take much thinking on that part. Poor girl must have been frightened out of her mind.

“Mom,” Chase said, trying to not feel embarrassed. He knew his parents were always open about their sex lives, but his mother talking to him about such things was always strange. “I will. I don’t want a repeat. Plus, once she has recovered, I want her on birth-control.”

Kayla didn’t know that they had sex only that one time, and drugged at that. Ivan knew, of course, but not Chase’s mom. She didn’t want to know about a lot of things in her boys lives. It was just easier anyway in the long run. That, and she was never a huge fan of the lifestyle choices they made on a daily basis.

“She can start in four weeks,” Kayla said. “At that time, I’d like to evaluate her emotional state too.”

“Figured so,” Chase said through a yawn.

The two finished their conversation, with a promise to his mother that he would take a nap later. Chase knew that wasn’t likely to happen, no matter how nice that sounded. The man went to check on Summer, finding her fast asleep. He gently covered her with the blanket that was sitting on a chair before going back to his office, ignoring the pull to kiss her head. Chase gathered that Summer would sleep for a good couple of hours. The next phone call was to Ryder and seeing how Clare was doing. The tips had been taken care of, and a few arrests were made.

“Clare is just fine. Worried about her sister, but otherwise enjoying her time here. And Zinna loves the company while I’m at work,” Ryder had laughed. “I can bring her home tomorrow, since it’s my day off.”

“Perfect, thank you,” Chase said, relieved. He had been worried about the younger girl, but knew she was in good hands. “Would you be able to let her stay Friday night until Sunday again? I have business out of town, and I plan to take Summer with me.”

“Of course,” Ryder said, knowing not to ask what the man had to do, as he already knew. “Anytime.”

“Everything I found out on Valerie has been emailed to you. Maybe you can figure out where the money is coming from if you have time,” Chase said, more in a commanding way than a hint.

“I’ll take a look once I’m off shift,” Ryder responded.

After getting off the phone with the second hand man, Chase went upstairs to take a shower, tired of smelling like the hospital and body odor. He knew that someone had come and cleaned the bathroom for him, ridding any blood or mess for his return. He wasn’t sure, as no one in his family had said anything. He knew a few of his guys that could clean up messes well, but they were not allowed in his house. Chase ended up shrugging it off. It was done and he didn’t have to worry about it.