Page 17 of Reckless Royalty

He raises his hands in mock surrender. “Hey, just calling it like I see it. You’ve been on edge since the jet landed. It’s not like you.”

I lean forward, my elbows resting on my knees. “There’s a lot going on, Nikolai. This isn’t like the usual bullshit we deal with.”

He nods, his expression serious now. “Yeah, I get it. We’ve never had someone from the outside in the suites, and Madison being here changes things.”

“It changes everything,” I say, my voice heavy. “And I don’t even know if it’s worth it. She hasn’t said a word, and I don’t know if she ever will.”

“Give her time,” Nikolai replies, his tone more thoughtful than usual. “Trauma doesn’t just disappear, you know.”

I sigh, running a hand through my hair. “I know. But I’ve got Sofia breathing down my neck, waiting for answers. She’s hurt, man. And I don’t know how to fix it.”

Nikolai leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “You’re not going to fix it, Mihai—not like that. Sofia’s pissed because she’s grieving, and she’s looking for someone to blame. Right now, that’s you for protecting Madison. But deep down, she knows this isn’t on you. She’s just… lost.”

“I can’t just ignore her, Nikolai,” I say, my voice hardening. “She’s family. And then there’s Madison caught in the middle of all of this, and I don’t know how to help her either.”

Nikolai is silent for a moment, then shrugs. “Maybe it’s not about choosing. Maybe you just need to do what you always do—survive.”

I let out a frustrated breath, standing up and pacing across the room. “Survival isn’t enough anymore. Not with this. This is bigger than all of us.”

He watches me for a moment, then stands up too, clapping me on the shoulder. “You’re overthinking it. Focus on what’s in front of you. Right now, that’s Madison Graves. Keep her safe, and everything else will fall into place. Sofia will come around. She always does.”

I don’t respond, my mind still racing. I know what he’s saying makes sense, but it doesn’t make the choice any easier. My loyalty to Sofia and my responsibility to Madison—they’re like two weights pulling me in opposite directions.

“I’ll leave you to brood,” Nikolai says, heading toward the door. “But seriously, get out of your head. We’ve got bigger things coming and The Blood Trials to plan.”

I nod absently, watching as he walks out, the door closing softly behind him. But the silence that follows is deafening.

I run a hand through my hair, letting out a heavy sigh. None of this is fair, but I can’t change what’s happened. All I can do is make sure Madison survives, even if it means putting myself at odds with the people I care about.

I fucking suck at this bodyguard thing.

I leave my suite and head down the hall, each step feeling like a weight I can’t shake off. Madison’s been through hell in the last few days, one nightmare after another, and something gnaws at me, telling me I should check on her.

She’s been at the center of back-to-back shootouts, and somehow, I let myself think she’d be okay after all of that. I reach her door, my hand hesitating over the wood. She might want her space, but damn it, I have to know she’s alright.

I knock softly, listening for any movement inside. Nothing. I wait a few seconds, then knock again, a little louder this time. But all I hear is silence.

Just as I’m about to walk away, I catch a faint sound that twists my gut with an instinctive worry. A small, choked whimper.

Without another second of hesitation, I push the door open, ignoring the voice in the back of my head telling me to wait. I step inside, scanning the room quickly, and that’s when I see her.

She’s sitting on the floor at the foot of her bed, knees drawn up to her chest, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, and her breathing—fuck.

She’s in full-blown panic, her breaths coming in short, desperate gasps, her eyes wide but unfocused. Her whole body’s shaking like she’s trying to hold herself together but can’t.

The realization hits me like a punch to the gut: I should have known this was coming. After everything—the tension, the danger—this was inevitable, and I just left her to deal with it on her own.

“Madison,” I say softly, crossing the room in a few strides, but she doesn’t seem to hear me. She’s lost in it, trapped somewhere in her own head.

I sink down in front of her, reaching out slowly. “Hey, look at me,” I murmur, keeping my voice low.“Madison, you’re safe. It’s just me. Mihai.”

Her eyes flicker with a hint of recognition, but she’s still struggling, her breaths coming in shallow bursts. I hesitate for a second, then pull her gently into my lap, her body stiff againstmine. I hold her close, wrapping my arms around her and the scent of strawberries hits me.

“It’s okay. Breathe with me. You’re fine, Madison. Just breathe.”

I can feel the tension radiating from her, her heart racing against my chest. I run a hand through her soft blond hair, cradling her head as I rock us back and forth, my voice a soft murmur in Romanian.

“E?ti în siguran?a, Madison. Sunt aici. Doar eu ?i tu.”

---