The Prince

After all…just ahead of him, standing by the paddock and flirting with Jon Huntley, one of the trainers at Calumet, was the one and only Nora Sutherlin…his Nora here in Kentucky with him, with Wesley.

And he had Søren to thank for that.

Wesley still recalled his shock when he’d pushed past Søren, ready to flee Nora’s house and the presence of the man who’d made a habit of turning her flawless pale skin black-and-blue.

But Søren had spoken the words that Wesley knew would change his life even before the priest had elaborated.

Wesley…I need to ask a favor of you.

Slowly, Wesley had turned around and faced the priest once again.

“A favor? What?” He heard hatred in his voice. It sounded so foreign. Wesley didn’t hate anyone, or didn’t think he did. Not until that moment.

“As I said, things are happening. I’m concerned that Eleanor is at risk. I’d like her to leave the area for some time. I’d hoped that Kingsley and I could remedy the situation while she was upstate this summer, but unfortunately…”

“Wait. What? You want me—”

“I know who you are, Wesley. I know what you are. I knew before I even allowed you to move in with Eleanor.”

“Allowed? What do you mean, you ‘allowed’ me to move in with Ele—with Nora? She asked me. I said yes.”

Søren smiled then and that smile had drawn a line down the center of Wesley’s back with an icicle.

“Eleanor is watched.”

Wesley had taken a step forward in fury.

“You unbelievable ass**le. You spy on your own girlfriend?”

“It’s hardly spying, Wesley. Eleanor is my property. It’s my obligation to see to her safety. You lock the door to your car and never leave it on dangerous streets. Why? So it won’t get stolen. I see that Eleanor is watched so she won’t be harmed. It is the same principle.”

“Except Nora isn’t a car or a house. She’s a person.”

“Yes. And therefore infinitely more precious than any other chattel. Which is why the instant she took an interest in you, I had Kingsley find out who you were.”

Wesley hadn’t said anything at that point. He’d feared he would end up killing Søren or being killed by him with the next words he’d said. Nora and chattel used in the same sentence. Then and there Wesley decided he would do whatever it took to get Nora away from this man and keep her away from him…forever.

“The Prince of Kentucky. That’s what they call you, isn’t it?”

Wesley’s jaw clenched. “Unfortunately.”

Søren raised an eyebrow slightly.

“You never told Eleanor your family was worth roughly one billion dollars. Why is that, young man? You aren’t the deceptive sort.”

“People don’t look at you the same when you have money. I wanted her to see me as a person, as a man, not as…”

“Money.”

As much as he hated to agree with him, Wesley had nodded.

“Back home, I can’t even go to a fundraiser without it getting into the stupid gossip columns. I tried to visit some kids at a hospital and some nurse posted pics of me with those sick kids all over Facebook. I hate it. I hate that I’m John Wesley Railey, son of Jackson Railey of The Rails in Kentucky. I’ve got dollar signs all over me. I had a girlfriend in high school, Madison. Overheard her telling one of our friends she was only with me because it got her access to all the good parties in town. I didn’t want Nora to see me like that.”

“You do realize that Eleanor is as unimpressed with money as I am.”

Wesley shrugged. “I didn’t know that at the time. And it seemed to make her so happy to help me.”

“She does love her strays, doesn’t she? You were her favorite of all her puppies.”

The mocking tone in Søren’s voice had Wesley seeing red. And shortly after the red, he saw black. Wesley had rushed forward, intent on pushing Søren into the wall. The puppy had grown up. But with one seamless motion, Søren stepped to the side, wrapped a hand around Wesley’s neck and pushed him hard into the door.

His head smacked against the wood and his vision darkened for a split second. The whole thing had happened so fast, so gracefully, that he knew he’d never be able to defeat Søren with physical force. The man was unnaturally strong and had years of practice putting people in their place. But Wesley had something Søren didn’t have. And in that moment when he’d been pinned by his throat, Søren’s fingers digging into his neck, Wesley’s vision cleared and he knew what he would do.

“Behave yourself, young man. Eleanor’s very fond of you, and I’d hate to break one of her favorites. I’ll allow her to do that herself…if you’re willing to take her in, take her to Kentucky with you while Kingsley and I deal with some unfinished business.”

Wesley had swallowed and felt the sinews in his neck pressing against Søren’s hand.

“Is this how you win fights with Nora, too?” Wesley refused to give in to the panic that threatened to overwhelm him. “Choking her? Slamming her head against the wall?”

“I’m not holding you hard enough to even lightly constrict your airway. You flinched so much that’s why you hit your head. When I do this to Eleanor, she wets herself for reasons far different than the reasons you’re about to.”