Page 55 of Reckless Royalty

I smile. It’s a small, tentative thing, but it’s real. I can feel the tension in my body easing, just a little, knowing he’s there, knowing he’ll come if I need him.

Chiara catches my smile and raises an eyebrow. “What’s he saying?”

I shrug, showing her the screen.

Chiara smirks. “He’s got it bad for you.”

My eyes widen, and I feel my cheeks heat up. I quickly shake my head, typing out a message.

It’s not like that.

Chiara chuckles. “Sure, sure. But anyone can see the way he looks at you.”

Cat squeezes my arm gently. “That’s a good thing, Maddy. You deserve someone who looks out for you.”

I nod, but I’m not sure what to make of any of this. Mihai is… complicated. Intense. He’s not the type of person you just let in without thinking twice. And yet, here he is, working his way into my life whether I’m ready for it or not.

As the girls talk around me, their voices a soft hum in the background, I glance at my phone again, rereading Mihai’s messages. There’s something about him that makes me feel safer than I have in a long time. Even when everything else is falling apart, I know he’s there. He’ll always be there.

I can still feel his arms around me, his cologne wrapping around me like a promise. I can’t believe the guy I was so terrified of, could make me feel so safe.

Smiling, I type one last message before setting my phone aside.

Maddy:

Thank you for protecting me.

MIHAI

Islam my phone down on the table, the last call with our fathers still echoing in my head. They’re pissed. And they should be. There’s a mole, someone on the fucking inside who’s betrayed us, and that’s not something you take lightly.

Nikolai and Gio were told to leave the guy we caught to stew for a day. Let him marinate in his own fear before we tear him apart. Tomorrow, all four of us will be in on the questioning.

My jaw tightens as the scene plays over and over in my head—the guy holding a knife to Maddy’s throat, that look of terror in her eyes as she lay on the floor completely helpless, the blood.

And the way she screamed my name. I can’t get it out of my head. That sound won’t leave me. It’s burned into my mind, a constant reminder of how close I came to losing her.

It makes me want to fucking kill him.

I need to break something.Someone.

But first, I need to check on her.

When I get to Maddy’s room, the door is slightly ajar. Quietly, I push it open, careful not to wake her if she’s sleeping. The soft glow of a bedside lamp spills across the room, and there she is—curled up on the bed, her blonde hair fanned out against the pillow, looking so damn fragile.

Chiara and Cat are sitting nearby, their faces drawn with concern. They glance up when I enter, and Chiara speaks first, her voice low. “No matter what she says, she’s not okay, Mihai. Not even close.”

I nod, not needing them to elaborate. I know. I can see it in the way she’s holding herself, even in sleep—tense, like she’s ready to bolt at any second. My jaw tightens, the anger simmering just below the surface, but I push it down. Right now, I need to be calm. For her.

Cat stands, giving me a small smile. “We’ll leave you with her. We’ve been trying to get her to rest, but… you know how it is.”

Chiara rises too, her hand resting briefly on my arm. “She needs you.”

I nod again, and they quietly slip out of the room, leaving just Maddy and me.

I glance at the chair opposite her bed, deciding to sit there for a bit. Just to watch over her. Just to make sure nothing else happens tonight.

The room is silent, save for the sound of her breathing—soft, but uneven. I settle into the chair, leaning back slightly as I keep my eyes on her. She looks so different from the version of her I’d seen online.

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