Page 40 of Reckless Royalty

I glance over and see Konstantin Drakos smirking at me, his dark hair slightly tousled, a cigarette dangling loosely from his fingers. His presence is as commanding as ever—tall, muscular, with an air of arrogance that could rival anyone here.

He’s dressed in all black, even his nails are painted black, and the leather jacket only adds to the bad-boy image he cultivates so well.

Perfect Crown material.

“You’re distracted,” Konstantin notes, taking a drag from his cigarette, the smoke curling lazily into the air. “By her?” he nods toward Maddy.

I don’t answer, just scowl at him, which makes him laugh softly.

“No judgment,” he says, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “But if you don’t want people noticing, you might want to wipe that look off your face.”

I roll my eyes, shaking my head. “What do you want, Drakos?”

He takes another drag, blowing the smoke out slowly before responding. “Just wanted to say hi. Make sure we’re good.” He gestures vaguely to the crowd, his tone casual but pointed. “My family’s position—well, you know how it is.”

Ah, there it is. The real reason for this conversation.

Konstantin’s family—the Drakos family—has been vying for a spot in the Five Crowns, especially after the chaos with the Reyesfamily. Santiago’s death left a power vacuum, and everyone knows Konstantin’s parents have been eyeing that seat. But securing that kind of power requires more than just ambition. It requires alliances. Connections.

And that’s where my sister comes in.

“Your family’s making moves and we’ve noticed,” I say, keeping my voice low, so no one around us can hear. “But you already knew that.”

Konstantin raises an eyebrow, intrigued. “Go on.”

I lean in slightly, switching to Greek, just to make sure no one else can understand us.

“If you’re serious about taking the Reyes seat, you’ll need more than your family’s reputation. You’ll need to secure the right alliances. And Marina… She’s a key part of that.”

He blinks, the smirk slipping from his face as he processes what I’m saying. “What are you implying, Vasile?”

I keep my voice steady, my tone calm. “You may need to play nice with my sister. Because if your family gets that seat, there’s no way around it—there’ll be an arranged marriage. And you know what that means.”

He stares at me for a moment, his expression unreadable, and I can tell he’s weighing the implications. Marina’s been talking about Konstantin non-stop, and she’s made no secret about her interest. But this isn’t just about attraction. This is about power. And Konstantin knows it as well as I do.

“Arranged marriages,” he mutters under his breath, taking another drag of his cigarette. “So fucking archaic.”

I shrug. “Welcome to our world.”

Before he can respond, Marina walks up, her smile bright and full of energy as she loops her arm through mine. She’s glowing tonight, dressed in a deep red dress that sets off her tan skin and dark hair. She looks stunning, and from the wayKonstantin’s eyes flicker over her, I can tell he’s not immune to her charms.

“Mihai,” she says sweetly, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. “Are you monopolizing Konstantin? Because I was hoping to steal him for a bit.”

I chuckle, shaking my head as I step aside. “All yours, sis.”

She grins, turning her full attention to Konstantin. “Come on, Drakos. Let’s see if you can keep up with me.”

Konstantin looks at me for a moment, before he takes Marina’s hand and lets her lead him away. I watch them for a second longer before returning my attention back to the crowd, scanning for Maddy.

She’s still with Connor, standing near the edge of the garden, but she looks more comfortable now. She’s smiling—actually smiling—and it hits me harder than it should. There’s something about that smile that pulls at me in a way I can’t quite explain.

Connor catches my eye from across the garden, and even from here, I can see the amusement in his expression. He knows. Of course, he fucking knows. He’s always been able to read me better than anyone else. And right now, he’s probably enjoying the hell out of this.

I grit my teeth, turning away before I can make an even bigger fool of myself. It’s stupid, this jealousy, this possessiveness I feel when I see her with him. But no matter how hard I try to shake it, it’s still there, gnawing at me like an itch I can’t scratch.

I glance back to see Marina laughing as Konstantin whispers in her ear. It’s a power play, of course. But with Marina, things get tangled with emotion quickly.

She’s always been the impulsive one, the one who follows her heart first.

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