Page 2 of Reckless Royalty

Ion doesn’t seem surprised by my silence. He gestures to one of the chairs across from him. “Sit, please.”

I don’t hesitate, sinking into the chair without a sound, my mind racing. He’s so composed, so different from the men who surround him—thick-necked enforcers with scars and dead eyes. But there’s no denying that this man is more dangerous than all of them combined.

“My condolences. I’m sorry for what you’ve been through,” he continues, his voice softening like he actually means it. “No one should have to witness what you did, let alone lose family in the process.”

My breath catches, and I clench my hands in my lap, squeezing tight enough to leave half-moon indentations in my skin. He’s not telling me anything I don’t already know.

So much blood, the dead look in my little sister’s eyes, the metallic smell. My mother didn’t want to go, but I pushed. They weren’t supposed to be, if I’d just?—

Ion clears his throat, bringing my attention back to him and out of the same spiral I’ve gone down for the past three days. His dark eyes are steady, calculating, but not unkind.

“I won’t sugarcoat this for you, Madison,” Ion continues, leaning forward slightly, resting his elbows on the desk. “You witnessed something you were never meant to see. It was a targeted hit, a mob execution. Santiago was a good friend of mine but also a man with many enemies, and someone finally made a move against him.”

Santiago. So that was the man who was sitting just behind us. The man I barely noticed until everything went to hell, the man who was arguing with someone about some… deal.

“The people responsible for the deaths of your family,” he says, pausing as if to soften the blow, “are powerful. They have connections that span across borders, and they will stop at nothing to ensure there are no loose ends.”

Loose ends. That’s what I am now. A dangling thread who could unravel their entire world if I had to tell them what I heard. The image of the blood bubbling out of my little sister’s mouth flashes in my mind, and I feel a sudden wave of nausea.

“You’re safe here, but it won’t be enough. Not for long.”

A shiver runs down my spine. I know what he’s saying. I’ve known it since the police found me, their pitying eyes telling me more than their words ever could. No one is safe. Not even here.

Ion leans back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest as he watches me. “That’s why you’re going to a place called Willow Bridge. It’s secluded, secure and the only place where you’ll be protected from the people who want you dead.”

I flinch at the word—dead. It’s one thing to know that I’m a target, but another thing to hear it spoken aloud. Like it’s already been decided, and I’m just waiting for it to happen.

“I know this is a lot to take in,” he says, “but it’s the only way to ensure your safety. And I’ve assigned someone to be with you at all times. My son, Mihai, will be your personal bodyguard.”

Bodyguard. Like I’m some kind of package needing to be kept safe until they decide what to do with me. I’m not a person anymore; I’m just a problem that needs solving.

The door behind me opens, and I hear footsteps. Ion looks over my shoulder, and I know it’s Mihai before I even turn around.

“Mihai,” his father says, his voice carrying a tone of authority. “This is Madison Graves.”

I force myself to look up as Mihai steps into the room. Every popular entertainment place knows Mihai Vasile and how he spends his money. He’s tall and tanned, broad-shouldered, with a sharp jawline and brown eyes that give nothing away.

He looks every bit like his father—cold, controlled, dangerous. His long black curls just reach his shoulders, brushing against a crowned skull tattoo on his neck. He’sdressed in a fitted black shirt and jeans, the kind of casual that only comes from someone who knows they have all the power in the room.

He glances at me, his blank eyes flicking over my face with the briefest hint of disinterest. Like this whole situation is just a waste of his time. There’s no kindness there, no warmth, just an acknowledgment that this is his job, and nothing more.

“We leave for Willow Bridge tomorrow morning,” he says, his tone clipped, like he can’t wait to get this over with. “I’ll make sure everything is arranged. You don’t need to worry about a thing.”

Except I do. I worry about everything. I worry that no matter where I go, it won’t be far enough from what happened. I worry that the guilt sitting in my chest, heavy and constant, will never leave.

Ion clears his throat, and Mihai’s attention shifts back to him. “Your primary objective is to keep her safe, Mihai.”

Mihai gives a single nod, his eyes briefly meeting his father’s before they settle on me again. There’s no empathy in that gaze. If anything, he looks like he’s already decided that I’m just a burden he’s forced to carry.

“Understood,” Mihai says, his voice low, firm. “I won’t let anyone near her.”

Ion nods, seemingly satisfied with his son’s response. “Good. I trust you’ll do what needs to be done.”

Mihai doesn’t respond. He just turns his gaze back to me, and for a second, we lock eyes again. There’s a coldness there, a distance that tells me everything I need to know about this arrangement. He’s not here because he wants to be. He’s here because he’s been ordered to.

“Madison,” Ion says, his voice softer now, “I understand that this is overwhelming. But you’ll be safe at Willow Bridge. Mihai will make sure of it.”

I nod, though I’m not sure I believe him. It’s hard to feel safe when the world feels like it’s collapsing around you.

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