Page 19 of The Prince of New York

She smiled. “We’ll face off again after Terry finishes installing some safety improvements. Accidents happen, but next time someone gets thrown into the side of the course, it’ll be into foam padding instead of rocks.”

“I’m so throwing you in the mud in revenge, Rachel. And you will step onto that course knowing I will be throwing you into the mud whenever possible. All spectators will marvel at my ruthlessness.” The act of talking did a good job of worsening my headache, and aware I needed to make it to my suite before I could eat and then sleep, I staggered to my feet. “You don’t mind me making off with your tigers?”

“Not at all. Amisha, keep Ian in his suite, okay? If he needs something to do, have him help you with a puzzle.”

The tiger rumbled, and she rubbed her head against my leg.

My sister crouched in front of Endah, scratched behind the tiger’s ear, and said, “Endah, I’m going to need you to keep an eye on my brother, okay? If he shows any signs of getting sicker, signal to Madelyn. If Madelyn isn’t available, find Dr. Stanton. If you can’t find Dr. Stanton, come get me, okay?”

The tiger turned her head to mouth at my sister’s hand, which I learned was one of the many ways the animals communicated their agreement with something.

“Thank you. Are you going to be okay to get back to your suite, Ian?”

“I’m going to do my best to be okay, but honestly, I’m ready to sleep on the floor at this stage.”

Dr. Stanton came over, wrapped her arm around my back, and encouraged me forward. “Just stay awake for thirty more minutes, Ian. I’m sure the kitchen will be done before then, and you can eat and then go to sleep. If you sleep in an armchair, nobody will say a word about it tonight. The bed would be more comfortable, though.”

“We have dinner trays for the bed. I’ll go get one for him,” Rachel said before bouncing off, leaving her husband behind.

Ethan sighed. “I’m so sorry about her, Ian. She’s been cycling through crying fits that she hurt you, hyperactivity, and anxiety. I’ll keep an eye on her tonight and tomorrow and make sure she doesn’t break the palace—or burn it down getting upset over the situation. Dr. Stanton?”

“She’s just anxious and worried, and she’s using allowed outlets. I’ll keep an eye on her as well, but so far, she’s coping remarkably well. I think her stint babysitting Terry helped.”

The RPS agent in question sighed, patted my shoulder on his way by, and said, “Expect my wife to come visit and baby you, Ian. Clearly, you’ve never been shown a day of love in your life and need to learn how to cope with someone caring for you. All things considered, we’ll make ourselves at home here tonight to be on hand. If I don’t tell Olivia about this, she’ll kill us all, and the instant she’s told, she will be here prepared to show New York some Montana hospitality.”

With wide eyes, I stared at the man, flabbergasted he would involve the woman in my concussion recovery. “Dr. Stanton? I’m not sure about this.”

“If she’s happy to come join Madelyn in babysitting him, that might be wise. New Yorkers have trouble with affection, and Olivia can surely train Madelyn in how to buck her New Yorker tendencies and become a nurturing caretaker.”

“I’ll give her a call and make the arrangements.” Terry waved in acknowledgement before abandoning me to face my fate. If Olivia and Madelyn hit it off, my life was over. I could survive the Montana princess scheming against me, but if Madelyn joined in?

I wouldn’t stand a chance.

Judging from Madelyn’s narrowed eyes and frown, she wasn’t sure about the doctor’s commentary, either. “I’m sure I can handle him alone.”

Even with a skull splitter of a headache, I had a healthy interest in her handling me, especially when alone. I’d ditched women and sleeping around after meeting Madelyn, determining I would prefer to pine over the woman rather than deal with dating.

From top to bottom, I’d undergone the sort of changes that would leave my parents suspicious of an imposter.

I hoped both resided in some hell, but I suspected at least one of the bastards had survived and would come to make my life difficult. They’d leave Rachel alone if they knew what was good for them, but I was their eldest legitimate child. New Yorker pride often refused to die, and I could see both of my parents coming after me to keep a tight hold on their line.

Then I could see the bastards going overseas to take over a kingdom, ruining that one, too.

When I thought about it that way, I could understand why Terry kept losing his shit over my situation.

I was at far more risk than my sister.

Damn.

Dr. Stanton eyed me, and she pushed me along towards my suite. “I’m scheduling in time for a talk tomorrow,” she informed me.

Damned empaths. As arguing with her would only make the problem worse, I replied, “Understood.”

“Madelyn, if you don’t have a room here, I will have one opened for you. I’ll need you on hand to deal with this walking disaster. You’re uniquely positioned to be the most helpful. He’s been around lower caste folks lately more than royals, so he’s going to be most comfortable with you.”

“Really,” she stated in the sort of tone I reserved for rattlesnakes prepared to take a bite out of me.

As the women would surely fight with me stuck in the middle, I opted to hurry my pace, retreating for the relative safety of my new suite. Later, once I felt a little better, I would need to thank my sister for moving me across the palace to somewhere with fewer bad memories. I marveled that Rachel had been willing to use the suite for the king and queen.

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