Page 53 of Reckless Royalty

“What’s not a bad thing?” I mutter, not in the mood for his cryptic shit right now.

“The fact that you care about her,” he says simply. “It’s obvious.”

I grit my teeth, biting back a response as we make our way toward the Crowns Main Suite for the conference call. Giovanni and Connor are talking quietly behind us, their focus already shifting to the business side of things—who we need to contact and how we’re going to handle this.

But my mind is still on Maddy, on the way she looked at me when I told her I was leaving, on the way she clung to me like I was the only thing keeping her safe.

I don’t know what this is between us. I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel. But I do know one thing—I’m not letting anything happen to her. Not again.

I need to be there for her, not just as some protector, but as someone she can trust, someone she can rely on.

And fuck, I want to be that for her. More than I’ve ever wanted anything.

MADDY

I’m curled up in bed, the soft blankets wrapped around me like a shield. Cat and Chiara are here, keeping me company, their presence comforting in a way I can’t put into words. They’ve been sitting with me for what feels like hours, Cat’s hand resting gently on my arm while Chiara keeps up a steady stream of conversation, trying to distract me. But I’m not really listening.

I’m still replaying everything in my head. The man, the knife, the way he pressed me down to the floor, the cold bite of the blade as it grazed my skin.

I shudder, squeezing my eyes shut, but the images won’t go away. It feels too real, too fresh.

“Maddy,” Cat says softly, her voice pulling me out of my thoughts. “You’re safe now. He’s gone.”

I nod, but I can’t stop shaking. My mind knows it’s over, but my body hasn’t caught up. The fear is still there, wrapped tightly around my chest like a vice. My throat feels raw, my mouth dry, and I know it’s because I screamed.

I screamed Mihai’s name.

It was the first word I’ve said since… since everything.

I haven’t spoken in weeks; I don’t even know how long it’s been. But tonight, in the middle of that terror, I found my voice again. And it wasn’t for anyone else. It was for him.

“Maddy?” Chiara’s voice breaks through my thoughts, and I blink up at her. She’s looking at me with that sharp, no-nonsense expression she always has, but there’s softness there too, concern. “You need anything? Want me to grab you some tea or something?”

I shake my head, forcing a small smile. I appreciate her asking, but there’s nothing they can do to fix this. The worst part is over, but the weight of what almost happened is still crushing me. I can’t shake the thought of how close I came to… what? Dying? Worse?

I don’t know. And I don’t want to know.

My phone vibrates on the nightstand, and I reach for it, already knowing who it’s from. Mihai’s been texting me every hour since he left the room—checking in and making sure I’m okay. I pull it into my lap, feeling the warmth spread through me as I see his name on the screen.

Mihai:

You okay?

I stare at the message, my fingers hovering over the screen as I try to think of how to respond. Part of me wants to just say yes and pretend like everything’s fine. It would be easier. Less messy.

But the truth is, I’m not okay. And I don’t want to lie. Not to him. So, I type out a quick response before I can overthink it.

Maddy:

No.

There’s a long pause, and I can almost feel his frustration through the silence. He hates this. Hates not being able to fix it. But there’s nothing he can do right now. Nothing anyone can do. His reply finally comes through:

Mihai:

I’m coming back.

My heart skips a beat, and I quickly type back.

---