The Royal Flush (Knights of the Darkness Chronicles(Book Three)) Read Online Free PDF Page A

gestured to her parents.
    “Ah, my wonderful parents. Twenty plus years of marriage and they’re still together,” she teased.
    “I tolerate him,” her mother, Marian, smiled lovingly at her husband who winked.
    “I simply tune out ninety-five percent of what she says,” the father joked. “That’s the only way any man can live with the Hemingway women, you two would do well to remember that.”
    Xavier laughed softly, Darian only smiled.
    “But back to what I wanted to ask.” Franklin grew more serious. “I would like to know how do you feel about my daughter. Do you think that you can make her happy? Do you think that you can create that life of stability and family that she deserves?”
    Darian exhaled, one eyebrow raised as he considered the questions. Xavier answered right away.
    “Yes, Mr. Hemingway, I do. We do. We love your daughter very much and if it’s within our power, we will give her exactly everything that she deserves and desires.”
    “Well, I like that in him,” Marian stated.
    “I would have to concur with my companion, Mr. Hemingway. Your daughter is loved and will be well taken care of, I promise,” Darian added.
    “I hope so, she’s still Daddy’s little girl,” Franklin said as he settled more comfortably into the booth. “This kind of relationship is still very disturbing. What’s up with you two, I don’t know too many men willing to share one woman.”
    “Dad, you’re embarrassing me,” Natasha whispered to her father, her face slightly red.
    “I need to know.” Franklin looked at both Darian and Xavier. “Besides, you’re the one bold enough to place yourself in this kind of relationship. You shouldn’t be so shy when people question it.”
    “You and Mom aren’t just regular people,” Natasha said.
    “You had to know these questions were coming. Perhaps you shouldn’t have tried to avoid them by having us attend this very public and swanky restaurant,” her father stated.
    Xavier chuckled under his breath. He had warned Natasha that a public venue was probably not the best location to meet her parents. She had claimed they’d be less inclined to embarrass her if they were in public. From the looks of things, she was wrong.
    Natasha nudged X avier with her elbow and he stopped his silent laughter, regaining his composure.
    “And besides,” her mother chimed in. “The night’s still young. We haven’t even begun to tell them about the time you ate  ”
    “Mom!” Natasha shushed her mom in a strained whisp er.
    “Hold on now, wait a minute. I want to hear this little tale.” Xavier smiled.
    Marian looked at her daughter. “I’ll just save that story for another time. I really do want to learn a little bit more about you two. My husband makes an excellent point.”
    Franklin looked at his wife. “Oh, and here I thought you covered both of our concerns,” he teased.
    “Well, not all of them apparently,” Marian admitted.
    Just then, the waiter returned to take their orders.
    Natasha told the waiter what she wanted then closed the menu, handing it to him. He finished jotting down her order then he wrote down her parents’ orders before walking away. As the time passed by, her parents continued to ask Darian and Xavier questions, getting more acquainted.
    “Mr. Alexander, if you don’t mind my asking, what do you do for a living?” her mother inquired.
    “I don’t mind at all. I do have several business interests including a nightclub located downtown called Desires Unleashed . Have you heard of it?” Darian asked in his most charming voice.
    “I have. Oh! Now I know where I’ve seen your face before. You were on the news a few months back, right?”
    “Mom.” Natasha looked at her mother as if to say, stop embarrassing me!
    “Natasha, it’s quite all right.” Darian smiled. “Yes, that is true. It was a terrible ordeal, but justice was brought to the real criminals. I was still saddened by the death of Annette. She was a lovely young