Page 105 of The Prince of New York

Rachel nodded. “It is. I have a second document that, due to the nature of the arrangement, states divorceisan option, and that such a severance has already been approved. Everyone wisely agreed that, due to the circumstances, nobody will be trapped in an unwanted relationship. You can come and go as you please. Ian also retains the right to come and go as he pleases, but he doesn’t play around with women despite his reputation. Honestly, I’m not sure how he got his reputation.”

I could work with playful banter to ease some of the nervousness in the room, mine included. “I believe it’s because I’m that pretty. And someone as pretty as I am is automatically a player and womanizer. In reality? My reputation is pretty far from the truth.”

The last thing I wanted was to be anything like my parents—or anything like the man who had terrorized Madelyn.

“You are pretty,” my sister agreed. “He’s a rare find, Madelyn. He has the looksandthe personality, and if you met him on the street for the first time, you’d have no idea he’s actually wealthy because he is happy living like he’s poor. Just claim him as yours and save us all from a great deal of drama and political nonsense.”

Madelyn alternated between gaping at me and eyeing my sister. “You’ll actually let me marry him?”

“Let? I’m practically begging you to. Please, take him. Run off with him, just return him in comparable condition. You can do whatever you want with him as long as you leave him alive,” my sister confirmed. “If you wish to remove him from his clothes, do so in private. Questionably private is fine. If you want to live in his suite, move your stuff in and refuse to leave. If you’re caught by the girls, expect to have to help Ian give them the talk about what happens when adult girl and boy people are left unsupervised. Once your asshole ex is dealt with, the RPS agents will relax enough to guard the hallway leading into your suite rather than in the suite itself.” My sister winced. “Sorry, after his fever breaks. Because Ian with a fever needs numerous people managing him, else he goes on a wander.”

“I am really sorry about that. I’ll try to behave until your ex is a smear on the sidewalk.” I regarded the various monarchs and armed myself with my most pathetic pout. “Are you sure I can’t punch him?”

“You can’t punch him, but you can fight us over the body,” my sister replied, and she laughed at me. “I will be attending, but I will be attending at a distance. Ethan is going on my behalf, and I’ll be trying to get my hits in from one of the windows overlooking the palace entry.”

“Did Ethan already tell you no?”

“I may have been forced to promise to not get within ready talent range before we landed, but he didn’t ban me from opening a window and frying the bastard from there.”

My brother-in-law shook his head. “If Terry approves of you joining the delegation going out front, you can. Terry?”

“If you can strike first and ask questions of the body, I have no problems with you accompanying; stay behind your brother and with Madelyn,” the RPS agent replied. “He doesn’t have an offensive talent worth worrying about, the reporter has a weak but potentially dangerous offensive talent several agents can readily counter, and it’s as safe of a situation as I can make it. If I order you to go inside, I want you to bolt for the palace like you won’t ever receive another milkshake if you don’t break a world record.”

“I can do that. Can you point at the problem while giving me the order so I can destroy it with extreme prejudice?”

“If you can run like you mean it while destroying whatever I’m pointing at, yes.”

Sometimes, I adored the RPS agent’s willingness to usher in chaos and property damage. “Can I join in?”

Terry sighed. “If I’m pointing at something with the expectation of your sister destroying it, I am not going to complain if you two wage war over who can strike faster and harder.”

“I accept your terms. Rachel, if you hide behind me with Madelyn, Terry might be happy with all of us. The Californians can feel like they’re stealing the show until we start battling over his body like we’re a bunch of unruly dogs after the same bone.”

“Do you think we can beat them to the kill?” Rachel frowned. “I haven’t practiced being quick on the draw with my talent much.”

“You can view this as a lesson in talent usage. Madelyn, if you see my sister snapping her fingers, she’s using her talent aggressively.”

“That’s good to know. What do you do when you use yours?”

“Nothing,” I admitted. “If I’m worried about taking someone out, I’m taking them out. No wasted words, gestures, or anything. I act first and ask questions of the body.” I attempted to engage Ethan’s mother in a staring contest. “I do not see what you have against me punching him hard enough he shits his teeth.”

“And that would be the start of the fever talking. You can’t help him shit his teeth, Ian. I respect your desire to protect Madelyn, but you’re going to have to settle with us warning him off and making it clear that he’s a treacherous little snake. And if he doesn’t get the point, eradicate him.”

“What if I went on a wander, but I wandered near him, punched him, and eradicated him with extreme prejudice?” While killing people wasn’t my first choice, I could and I would if necessity demanded. “He doesn’t lie to a reporter and claim I kidnapped Madelyn before flying here with good will in mind.”

“I know, but we do need to correct the reporter before you resolve the problem. Madelyn, if you decide you wish to have your very own New York prince to do with as you please, we can finalize the paperwork before they arrive. It’s not the first time we’ve processed such paperwork for New York, and everyone needed to handle it is here. Will can witness, verify that you are both interested in marriage, and verify your union. And this time, we don’t have to battle with New York’s pox of politicians over it; Rachel already did that work.” The Queen of California rose from her seat, rubbing her hands together. “The reporter is not going to like when he finds out his ban from the palace is permanent due to being duped by some nobody in New York. Darling, do we have a replacement reporter in mind?”

“I like Miss Natalie Hollands. She’s an import from Nevada working on expanding her boundaries and continuing her education. She isn’t attached to a network yet, as she’s still a student, but her record is clean, she came in with a high score, and she’s been working on good causes on her own to get them coverage. She does a lot of charity work. We could use a goody-goody around. Why?” The Californian king eyed his wife. “You are up to something.”

“I need one of you RPS agents to go find Miss Hollands, bring a camera in case she doesn’t have one, and inform her that she is the only reporter we’re inviting to a rather important show. Delay the bastard at the airport. If he has checked luggage, make the carousel break until we’re prepared. If he doesn’t have any checked luggage, break the gate. Tell the airport to leave his plane on the tarmac and concoct something until we’re positioned. I don’t want that fucker leaving that airport until we’re ready for him.”

Several of the RPS agents loitering around left the dining room and went to work.

Once again, Madelyn stared at the queen before her gaze settled on me and stayed. “Why aren’t you protesting this whole idea? I don’t understand. I’m a nobody. You’re the Prince of New York.”

I foresaw a great deal of work ahead of me improving her self-esteem, a problem I didn’t mind having in the slightest. If patience was what she needed, I had it in plenty. “You treat me like I’m a real person. We also have a great deal in common. If I’m getting the choice between you or some princess, I am picking you every single time.” I glanced at Will. “Your daughters are lovely, but they are way too young for me.”

His Royal Majesty of Montana snickered. “He’s telling the truth, Madelyn. There is very little Ian values more than people treating him like he’s just some other man you’d encounter on the street. He has never liked his rank, and he’s never wanted it. He’s always been happiest helping others shine. He’s a New Yorker, so he has to be difficult. You’ll have your hands full with him, I’m sure. I can tell you this much: he’ll bend over backwards to make you happy. And let’s face it, all you’re going to have to do to make him happy is exist. That’s just how it is with men like him. I’m guilty of the same tendencies. But I can promise you this: with Ian, you will never have to worry about anyone hurting you ever again. Should someone try, he will deal with them personally. You can take your time with your relationship. You’ll just take your time while wearing the armor of being married. But you both are in control of your destiny and marriage. You decide your happily ever after. In this case, marriage is the first step of the journey rather than the destination. It just makes certain nobody can tear you apart before you have a chance to see if you fit well together. If it doesn’t work out, it’ll be okay. You can quietly go your separate ways. But Ian isn’t going to give up on you, and judging from the fact you threatened to feed Terry his own testicles for even suggesting you don’t stick close, I don’t think you’re going to give up on him, not without a fight.”

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