Corrupt Prince by Ivy Mason

Three

The manwho betrayed me had a charming smile and a picture of Rose.

It was the kind of smile that you immediately noticed, even from across the room. On first appearance, it was perfect. Bright and enchanting, like the kind of smile worn by a great king in a Disney fairy tale.

It was only on closer inspection that you noticed the cold undertones, the deceptive gentlemanliness of it.

The picture of Rose was also, admittedly, a tad bit out of focus. She wasn’t looking at the camera, but out at something beyond the sight of the photographer. She’d also had a scraggly looking dog by her side.

It was the sad look on her face that did it in for me, even though all of my instincts screamed that I shouldn’t trust the man with the arresting, charming smile. I said goodbye to a father that I loved dearly, got onto a plane, and didn't look back.

When I arrived, Rose wasn't waiting for me at the airport like the charming man said she’d be.

In my defense, he'd just received a phone call stating that she'd been delayed.

Once again, I believed what he’d said, even though the pounding in my heart told me to run away as soon as the stairs to the private jet hit the ground.

But I thought of that picture and the sad look and the scrawny dog. She needed me, I could feel it.

Plastering on a smile, I took the crook of the elbow that the charming man offered me. He whisked me away from the fancy jet and into a fancy car and we went shopping, purchasing clothes for my impromptu visit.

I trusted the charming man.

Naively so—because that's what I did.

I trusted people, even when I shouldn't.

It was an issue of mine. I was working on it. Whatever.

Anyhow. I spent three full days shopping, pushing off my annoyance that Rose was still delayed, and pretended I wasn’t worried. I politely accepted all offers for dinners, shows on the strip, and zip lining.

Finally, on the third night of outings and a bajillion excuses, I put my foot down and demanded to see Rose.

Suddenly, the charming man became Mr. Not-so-charming.

It was then that I was shoved in this room, dragged by three guards. Kicking and screaming, my insides twisted and turned as my instincts screamed ‘I told you so’. That I never should've trusted that awful man.

After a day of being kept trapped in the room, the man entered, and I'd immediately pounced.

I was proud of the way I'd scratched up his face and neck with a nail file before his guards dragged me off him. I’d expected retribution but he'd only growled at me to behave.

Behave.

Like some mutt from off the street.

Like I was here voluntarily.

I’d show him a ferocious dog, all right.

Yelling, I’d jumped at him again, catching everyone off guard. It took his guards only seconds to grab me, but then I turned my wrath on them too.

It was only when Mr. Not So Charming called Rose, letting me talk to her only briefly, that I’d forced down all my anger and looked into Mr. Not So Charming's eyes and promised him with all the indignation and rage that I could muster, that I would kill him if he dared hurt her.

A cold smile was my only response, then a demand to give him the code to unlock my phone so he could text my Papa from it, something he’d confiscated as soon as they’d shoved me into this room.

And now, two days later, I was still stuck in this place, as if waiting for a death sentence.

Mr. Not So Charming had promised that if I behaved well, I would see Rose, but I was beginning to think that was a lie too.

I wasn't waiting around any longer. If this house was anything like my own, there would be guards outside my room and scattered along the property. I needed to test their security.

Thinking furiously, I strode back and forth in the room, stopping to stare out the window. There was a large expanse of a green lawn and the edges sparkled blue, as if there was a pool nearby. Though not as beautiful as the view from my own room at home, the sight was alluring, and hid the darkness within these walls.

My eyes scanned the area, sweeping back and forth, trying to figure out the outer edges of the property. Something flickered in the distance and I froze, narrowing my gaze to focus on the colorful dots.

Was there a garden back there? The ache in my chest was suddenly there again, my constant companion.

I pressed my fist to my chest, trying to focus in on the colors, though darkness flickered in my vision, making the aching in my chest swell and surge. I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath.

There isn’t time for this. I have more important things to think about.

Opening my eyes, I braced myself on the edge of my window sill and leaned out. My heart raced at the sight of the bushes below. I was two stories up.

Suddenly making my decision, I swirled back towards my room, racing towards the side drawer by my bed and yanked it open. There were two pads of paper, an expensive looking pen, a halfway empty pack of cigarettes and a lighter.

I grinned. Perfect.

I threw them aside, then went back for the other night stand. After an hour of sweat and cursing, I had a pile of broken furniture and crumbled paper in the middle of the room. Blown up condoms flit around the room like balloons, just for the fun of it.

I raised a tube of lube, squirting it over the pile, then the nail polish and remover came next.

“Whew.” I fanned my face, wrinkling my nose. The smell was strong. Next came the lighter, and I grinned as I stared at the flickering flame proudly.

This was going to be awesome.

It took me several tries to get the sock I’d found to catch fire, but the lighter was one of those cool propane ones and worked long enough to get it going. Just as I was about to toss it onto the heap before me, the door knob rattled and it swung backwards.

A man entered.

And when I say man, I mean a man.

Sexy hot, with scruff around his jawline that I wanted to run my fingers through, and a mop of golden brown hair.

He was wearing a dark Armani suit, with a bright pink tie. It was so unusual that I did a double take. The soft color of it reminded me of the roses that lined the garden path at home, and they brought out his tanned, golden skin. He was laughing and, when he finally turned to face me, I was arrested by the beautiful smile, the easiness to his stride, the way he carried himself with a grace I could only be jealous of.

His face was gorgeous and beautiful and sensual, all at the same time, with a firm jawline and golden eyes that matched his golden skin and hair.

The sight of him was stunning, and it made me forget for one brief second that I was locked up in this cell of a room, away from my Papa and a home that I longed for.

That I’d just been trying to escape the confines of this room.

That the flames of the sock were climbing upwards towards my fingers.

And then his eyes settled on mine and I realized with a twisting of my stomach that he looked exactly like Mr. Charming from earlier. That same beautiful smile. Same gorgeous face. All except the eyes.

I scowled, immediately angry, my lips pursing into a line. This must be the younger version of the man keeping me prisoner.

The prince to the king.

I immediately hated him.

“You must be the Prince Charming,” I sneered, then threw him a haughty look as I let go of the sock, just in time as the flames had begun to lick my fingers.

It took him a second to register what I'd done but it was a second too late. The flames caught quickly and the flash of panic in his eyes was everything.

Soon, the dresser was torching and, smiling, I skipped over to the window. Without hesitating, I jumped.

I fell quickly, my stomach lurching, and landed harshly in the bushes below my window. It didn't deter me though, as I'd jumped from much higher heights back home.

It took me seconds to scramble out of the bushes and to my feet.

The sight before me was a lie.

The empty green expanse of lawn, the unmanned driveway leading away from the house, the appearance of freedom.

I knew my Papa's security well enough to know the truth beneath the surface.

“Hey!”

I glanced upwards, and the arresting face of Prince Charming peered out over the window.

Poop. I had to get going.

I leaped like a gazelle, jumping forward, quickly picking up speed. Arms pumping, my legs moved as fast as possible as I ran.

I headed to the front of the house and towards the driveway leading out of here. As soon as I skirted around the corner, I halted to a stop.

There were three guards with guns, spaced out. They were protecting the front door.

They didn’t notice me so I turned, making a wide loop towards the side of the house.

My lungs began to burn, the harsh air scorching my airways.

Crapola, the air here was dry. I wasn’t used to it.

Ignoring it, I picked up my pace. The wind whipped at my face and the dots of color I’d seen earlier grew bigger.

The dots transformed into flowers. It was a garden!

"You have to be gentle with the seedlings and patient with the perennials.” The memory of my mama and me came to mind.

I suddenly felt alive. The sun was shining and the blue from the pool sparkled brighter. It was a beautiful day. The perfect kind to kick off your shoes and feel the grass squish between your toes.

I ran until I could barely breathe in the dry heat, even as my lungs and legs burned.

Until I could see the sparkle of the pool in my periphery.

Until I could see the garden, just ahead…

Suddenly, the horizon dotted with a wall of black. A line of men ran towards me from beyond the garden.

I could now see the large, stone fence, too tall for me to climb over.

I stopped suddenly, leaning over and heaving great breaths, trying to suck in air. It gave me a moment to think. Even if I could climb the fence, there was probably something else there to stop me. Probably more guards or an electric fence. I knew I wasn’t getting out of here any time soon.

I straightened, pulling my spring dress with me. I stripped it off and threw it to the side, showing off my new lace bra and panties. The convergence of the guards ahead slowed, eyeing me warily. One of them shook his head.

I blew them a kiss, smirking.

They all stopped, shifting uneasily.

Good to know that they were the kind of men who had restraint.

I chuckled to myself, just as a firm body slammed into me from behind, shoving me to the ground.