Page 51 of Gilded Princess

Unfortunately, that seems to be a tall order. Hence why I haven’t dated much in the last couple of years. Looking at Dante now, I can admit to myself that I’d date him, among other things.

In a New York minute.

In fact, an idea percolates. One that I think my progressive cougar of a mother would approve of.

I open my mouth, a flirty retort on my tongue, when his phone rings and vibrates against the coffee table. I can’t help my curiosity, and I lean forward to see who’s calling him. Could it be Matteo checking in on me?

All I see are numbers, so it’s not someone in his contact list. Huh.

“I gotta take this,” he murmurs as he gets up off the couch and walks around it, leaving the room.

“Okay.” I follow him with my gaze, my interest piqued. I don’t really know anything about Dante, but I think I want to get to know him.

No regrets, right?

Chapter Nineteen

MADDIE

Dante doesn’t come back for the rest of the movie or the next one, but I saw him poke his head in the room a few times.

I’m laying down on this couch, and I’ve decided that it’s maybe the most comfortable surface I’ve ever slept on—including the mattress in my suite.

I’ve been dozing on and off for the last hour or so. It’s hard to tell the time in here with the curtains drawn and the lights low for the movie.

A buzzing sounds, and it takes my brain a few moments to wake up enough to realize that it’s the new phone Matteo gave me. Rolling over, I stretch my arm out as far as possible so I don’t have to get off this cloud masquerading as a couch.

It’s Lainey. That perks me up a little, maybe a video chat is just what I need. I roll to my back and scoot up a little, answering the phone just as a yawn spills from my lips.

“Hey, Lainey.”

“Maddie? Oh, thank god you’re okay. You are okay, right? Wolf said you were, but I haven’t had a chance to call you until now. I’m so sorry I didn't call last night. Sully got hurt—really hurt. And once he was patched up, we came to their apartment here in the city, and I just . . . crashed. But Maddie, I'm so, so sorry for dragging you into my mess.” Her words come out quickly, strung so close together I’m not sure she took a single breath. Her eyes tear up, and she blinks, sending a tear running down her cheek.

My eyes well in response to seeing her, and I know I’ll lose the battle to hold the tears in. Not only do I have a tendency to tear up when I see someone crying, but my emotions are all over the place and so close to the surface right now.

“Oh, Lainey, it's not your fault. Is Sully going to be okay?” My throat feels thick, and I swallow down the unshed tears. I can’t imagine how scary that would be to see someone you care about get hurt. And I don’t care what Lainey says, she definitely still has feelings for Sully.

"I think it is though. I don't understand what's going on, but I—I'm pretty sure they were trying to get me, but took you by accident." She clears her throat and looks to the side. "It was the same guy from my birthday, the one with the red eyes. And I just—you have no idea how sorry I am that you got hurt. And Sully, he’ll be fine.”

“That’s good, about Sully, I mean. And I’ll be fine, so don’t worry about me. I’m more concerned about you. Why would someone want to kidnap you? I—I don’t understand.”

She shakes her head, her hair swirling around her tear-streaked face. “I wish I knew.”

I nod a few times. “Would you tell me if you knew anything? Because I don’t understand why all of a sudden, some psycho is trying to snatch you off the streets of New York City.” I shrug a shoulder and run a finger underneath my left eye, catching a stray tear. “I’m not sure what exactly to be scared about, but it’s like my body does. I’ve been on high alert since I woke up.”

Lainey nods, a grimace slashing across her beautiful face. "I know, and I'm sorry for that too."

"Lainey.” Her name comes out on a sigh. I hadn’t accounted for how she’d feel after everything, even though I really should have. It was careless of me to not realize she’d agonize about everything. “You're not responsible for something someone else does, and you're not responsible for my feelings.”

She nods, a tear sliding down her cheek with the movement.

I bite my lip, hesitating on how to phrase what I want to say. Screw it, Lainey and I don’t have that kind of relationship where we have to tiptoe around each other. I blow out a breath and look her in the eye.

“If that guy actually got you and not me, I don't think we'd be talking right now. I think they would've done something horrible to you, Lainey. And if me getting taken by mistake stopped something awful happening to you, then I’m glad it was me. I’m worried about you."

Her lips tip up into a rueful smile, and she chuckles. “Always the mother hen, Maddie. I'm okay. Or I will be. I have people watching over me now.”

I nod and return her smile. “Good. And how are those Fitzgerald boys, hmm? Are they treating you well? Because if they aren't, they have to answer to me. And my new friends." I waggle my eyebrows at her, knowing how ridiculous I look when I do it. It never fails to make her laugh, and today is no exception.

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