Chained Princess

Chapter 19: Hidden Photos

K I A R A 'S P. O. V

"The attack was orchestrated by five separate gangs. Now these gangs are known to us, they leave us alone and we leave leave them alone it's how it's always worked until now. They attacked, but with the weapons they had, the knowledge and planning, it's clear that they were not working alone. Someone convinced them to do this, and I want to know who."

"What if no-one did convince them?" Kieron spoke up. My father as brass as ever, leaned back in his large leather chair that swarmed all the others, and sighed heavily. "I mean, there was that shipment of guns stolen recently that have the Skulls name on it, and the wedding wasn't exactly a secret."

"Kieron could be right dad?" Kai interjected. Then he flashed a smile to the rest of the table composed of me, Aaron, and some of my father's men. "We could be starting a war over nothing."

"Tessa nearly died. If the threat is still out there, it has to be eliminated." I nodded in agreement with Kalen. He'd just gotten back from his honeymoon, and I mean Tessa was waiting in the living room with all their suitcases.

"Aaron, could you help us out?" All eyes turned to us.

"I mean, of course. What do you need?" Smiling, I squeezed his hand from underneath the table.

Aaron had been the perfect boyfriend in every way. He understood my decisions not to move too fast, he was patient and calm and supportive. Anastasia was really taking to him as her father as well. She loved him, just like me. Every single moment we spent together, I could feel myself falling more and more in love with him.

"Great, we'll sort out the details." My father dismissed everyone, bar from us. Confused, we stayed seated until my mother walked in.

Shit. Was this an intervention?

I was not really for another one of those, last time it had ended with me leaving my family gone, bags packed and tears running down my face.

"Mum no," I rose, but she shot me a sharp glare.

"Sit down Kiara." Hesitantly, I complied. She hadn't spoken to me like that since I was thirteen. "This is not what you think it is. You may be twenty and a mother yourself but I need to know what's going on in my baby's life."

"You want to know what's happening with me and Aaron?" She nodded, whilst my dad stood stoically in the corner, arms crossed and eyes wary. Glancing over at Aaron, he nodded and squeezed my hand in reassurance.

"We're together, officially. Aaron is my boyfriend and we're not rushing anything. We're taking it slow, for Anastasia and for us."

"Oh darling, I'm so happy!" She exclaimed.

"Really?"

"Yes, I just...I've always hoped that you would find your way to back to each other somehow and you have. Love is pain, and unless you're willing to sacrifice it won't work."

"I think we've sacrificed enough." Aaron mumbled. I laughed quietly.

"I love you mum." Rising, I hugged her tight, and then stepped back as she pulled Aaron in for a hug as well. He looked awkward, uncomfortable and extremely embarrassed but the smile on her face was worth everything.

Even my dad choked out a laugh, and he put out his hand. "You're a father now, you understand the responsibilities of raising a child, especially a little girl. Well, she's my little girl. Hurt her and you pay, just as you would say to Anastasia's boyfriend...or girlfriend."

"She isn't getting one for at least thirty years." Aaron remarked and my father chuckled in agreement. They shook hands, whispering to one another about new business arrangements they could make.

Somehow I could see it in the future, the two of them ganging up on me about not letting Stasia take a date to the prom. It was the kind of normalcy I had dreamt of giving to my babies.

"Aaron asked me to watch Anastasia tonight." I looked at my mother in shock.

"He did?"

"Yes, just before the meeting. I'm guessing Mr Romantic has something big planned."

Excitement bloomed inside of my chest. We hadn't done anything wild, romantic, or freeing since Paris. I remember the bridge, our lock with our initials scratched onto it, the Eiffel tower, the glorious hot s*x.

Was this the night? Glancing over Aaron, I caught the carnal look of seduction roasting inside his eyes. Oh yeah, this was definitely the night.

***

"So, why did we leave Anastasia at my parents'?" I felt his fingers skin past my wrist. The slightest touch electrified my body, causing every nerve to become alert.

"Because I'm taking you on a date."

I thrummed at the dominance in his voice. "Oh really, and where are you taking me?"

"To the dining room. I'm cooking dinner for you, to make up for that night where I..." I knew which night he meant. I still received haunted flashes from that night, his cruel words seared into my mind.

"s**t, I've f****d it up already. I'm sorry Princess." I caught his eyes, his sorrowful guilty gaze, and remembered that he was suffering too. He was fighting his demons as I battled mine.

"No, you haven't. Thank you for tonight. I can't wait." He smiled softly, his thumb caressing my cheek.

"You're too good for me."

"No I'm not." Because I had darkness. Darkness that I pushed aside and tried to forget, with Aaron I was forced to confront it.

"Yes you are." There was a slight pause in his voice. "I need you to stay upstairs until it's ready, the whole thing I...I want it to be a surprise."

"That's cute." I pecked his lips. "Did you buy me a dress too?" Catching his sheepish smile, I couldn't help but giggle. "Aww baby,"

"Stop, otherwise I'll return it."

Looping my arms around his neck, I grinned. "Please, you could never deny me anything."

"That's true, now get your cute ass upstairs."

"Yes sir." I cheekily replied with a wink, yelping when he slapped my ass as I went.

Aaron's bedroom was lit with an array of different scented candles, their aromas all blending and mixing together through the air, created a soft melodic atmosphere.

I had been up here a couple of times since I got back, mostly to pick up Anastasia whenever she had fallen asleep in his bed. Once I walked in to a find them both cuddled up together, his large body engulfing hers. It was the most beautiful sights I had ever laid eyes on, so I watched them for a while, drinking in the perfectness of the moment until Anastasia began to stir.

I sunk onto the bed besides the large black suit bag that lay across it. Slowly, I unzipped it, revealing a red satin material. The dress itself, well you could hardly call it a dress with the low plunging neckline that stopped just above the belly button, and then thin spaghetti straps that held it up.

Once I had I put it on however, I fell in love. It did fit me perfectly, every curve on my body accentuated by the clingy material. The skirt was long, trailing against the floor at back, but the large slit at the front made up that tiny part of modesty.

I curled my hair lightly at the ends, simply flicking at the bottom, like I know Aaron always loved. For my makeup, I chose a deep rouge lipstick to match the dress, a lick of mascara and then a tiny dab of concealer on any dark marks.

"Five minutes!" He called from the downstairs, the strong waft of butter noddles entering from the hallway.

I did sit and wait, for about thirty seconds. Then I realised that I was in alone in man's room and well, what kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't snoop?

I started with his closet first but found nothing but clothes and a gun hidden beneath a shoe box, so I moved into his bathroom. The man had like ten different bottle of axe spray, which I politely chose to ignore. Sighing, when I found nothing as I rummaged through his hamper, I found myself suddenly drawn to his dresser.

I opened the bottom drawer first because well, everyone hid stuff in their bottom drawer. Piles of underwear were thrown inside like he was trying to hide something, so I quickly pushed them all aside and dove my hand to the bottom.

Ahah! A small wooden box lay buried underneath. It looked old and outdated with scratch marks clawed all around it. Taking off the lid, I gently pulled out the first picture.

It was a lady, a strikingly beautiful woman with long raven hair and jaded eyes. Her smile was almost transcendent, her face the picture of beauty as she stared down at the small baby in her arms.

I noted the date, the year and quickly realised that this must have been Aaron's mother. Reaching into the box again, I found a pacifier. It was mouldy and crusted but when I saw the words baby A scribed into the plastic, I felt a choked sob hit me.

He kept all of this? I found a baby blanket, a book his mother must have written and then finally another picture. A tall man with piercing blue eyes had his arm wrapped around Aaron's mother, and then a little boy stood in-front of them. A smile adored his face. The same face I fell in love with fifteen years later.

"That was my birthday. I had just turned seven." Startled, I accidentally dropped the picture and turned around.

Aaron smiled down at me, as guilt rippled through my chest. I could see the sadness lingering behind the open facade and for once I didn't know what to say

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"No it's fine. I should have shared it with you, it's not healthy to keep it all just hidden." He seemed pleased to have taken me aback. That was...not what I was expecting.

An hour long lecture of invading his privacy, yes, and it would have been well deserved but this...how did I respond to this?

"I don't understand, aren't you angry at me?" He shrugged, pushing off from the door as he walked over to me. The jerk motion of his head had me staring at the drawer again.

"Look at the back of the drawer." I eyed him curiously, pushing my hand to back and pulling out another box.

This was one seemed more new, it was vintage and creaked slightly as I pushed at the hinges to open it. Three more pictures greeted me, one of Caitlin as a baby in Aaron's arms, another of me at the Louvre during our trip to Paris and then a freshly printed out picture of Anastasia sleeping in her crib.

"This is...you keep these?" Nodding, he crouched down besides me and gently took one of the photos. He handled them with such precious care that it caused tears to roll down my cheeks.

"I need to store memories somehow and well, this seemed like the best way. Anything important to me I just put in the box."

"Your father is in this photo." I remembered vividly the amount of disdain he held for the man. Aaron blamed him for the death of his mother and I didn't blame him for it, so for Aaron to have kept this picture in particular it made me wonder.

"I know. It was the last good day we all had together. After that...well, I became the Aaron Black most of the world knows."

"Baby," I pressed my hand to his check, causing his eyes to flutter shut.

My heart ached for the man I loved, it was beating but barely. His soul was wounded, I could see the ruin in his goodness and no matter how hard he tried, he could never escape his demons.

"I love you." I felt his body shudder underneath my words. Then finally, his blue eyes peered open, almost cracking open the window into his would.

"I love you too Princess." I kept my hand pressed against his cheek as I put away all the memories we had dredged up. Storing them back safely where they belong, I rose, blushing under his intense stare.

"You look perfect." Entranced by his mere presence, I found myself sudd sky floating, free and calm within his longing hold. "So beautiful and all mine." I relished in that eternal ownership, needing and wanting him to take all of me.

Suddenly, I found myself falling back to Earth, when the loud beeping sound of the oven echoed throughout the house. "s**t," He murmured, sprinting downstairs.

I followed quickly, reaching the kitchen just in time to see a fog of thick black smoke blow out from the oven. The burnt smell of the noodles pierced my nostrils, and then the alarm suddenly stopped.

All fell silent, and suddenly a deep raspy laugh broke free. I stared at Aaron, bewildered. He threw the food in the bin, still laughing, and then washed up the pans.

"Uh Aaron..." I approached him carefully, his laughter making me smile but simultaneously confused. "Baby? Are you okay?"

He finished washing up and slowly turned, I shivered as his large hands traveled up my waist, pulling me into his body. "This is so stupid. I tried to cook you dinner and of course, I f*****g burn it. It's like the universe hates me."

"Or the universe wanted you to order pizza instead?" When he didn't smile, I sighed. "Aaron I don't care about the food, I care about you and the fact that you tried, means everything to me."

"Pizza then?" I giggled, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Pizza, but no pineapple." That s**t was nasty.

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A/N: Smut is deffo coming up next!!

I tried to fit it into this chapter but it was just so long!!

What else do you think is in store for the night??

And thoughts on Gabi and Ryder?