Page 5 of The Prince of New York

“I made him snuggle up on my couch with blankets after he got cleaned up, so he should be fine. He was not amused, but he could do his monitoring from there, so he accepted my edict. He is no longer on my couch, but I demanded he keep the blanket. Honestly, he’s rampaging while wrapped in a blanket, and it’s somehow made him terrifying. Terry, Terry, Ian’s coming to the palace, okay? You don’t have to eat the RPS agents. I mean, he needs a detail, but Ian can make it to the palace without help.” My sister heaved a sigh. “Ian, please do not get kidnapped, murdered, into an accident, or have anything happen to you that would worry Terry, okay?”

“What if a pretty kidnapper asks me nicely to cooperate?” I asked, taking care to keep my tone light despite my understanding there would never be such things in my life.

I’d loved, I’d lost, and I doubted I’d be able to bring myself to delve into those dark waters again. I’d lost because I’d loved Madelyn enough to let her go—and I’d lost without telling the woman the truth.

The pain might one day fade, although I would forever wonder what might have been if only I hadn’t been born a prince.

While Madelyn wasn’t a null, her talent came close, which put her beneath the notice of most. I couldn’t quite remember how I’d noticed her or why she’d been in the palace. She hadn’t known of my rank, and I’d enjoyed our conversations enough I’d hesitated to tell her.

Eventually, she had learned the truth and vanished from my life.

“Ian,” my sister complained. “Unless the kidnapper is a pretty woman promising to give you numerous heirs, you need to decline.”

“I promise to decline unless a pretty woman is somehow involved in scandalous fashions.”

“Drive safely. I’ll do my best to calm Terry down in the meantime.”

I wished her the best of luck with that.

TWO

Circumstances could change with time and effort.

Two and a halfhours after talking to my sister, I arrived at the palace. While I had my van, my junker of a truck, and a few beaters, I’d dug out the closest thing I had to something fancy, an upper end luxury family car I’d purchased a few years back used.

With Terry about to fall off his rocker, I’d try a little harder to blend in. And if anyone had been following me as of late, they would never expect a nice vehicle leaving my junkyard to belong to me.

The windows were as tinted as New York law allowed, and I kept the car in pristine condition.

Upon arrival, I discovered chaos in the form of a small crowd. I parked in front of the palace and regretted agreeing to come to my least favorite place on Earth.

My sister waited on the steps with Ethan, grinning at Terry’s antics, which involved a great deal of pacing.

Princess Olivia of Montana stared at her RPS agent with open adoration, and I took the opportunity to capture the moment in a photo. After some thought, I took a short video. Then I pocketed my phone, went to her, and stole a hug.

Olivia patted my back. “I’m sorry, Ian. Terry really thought your detail was doing their job; they were submitting your location and detailed reports, and everything looked quiet but normal.”

Terry quit pacing, heaved a sigh, and cast a guilty look my way. “Had I known they were relaxing in the monitoring and operation rooms, I would have dealt with this a lot sooner. Please accept my apologies, Ian.”

“I accept your apology, but there’s nothing to forgive, Terry. I’ve been plenty safe, and had I felt otherwise, I would have gone to you or my sister promptly.”

I would have, too. While life hadn’t gone the way I wanted, I had no desire for everything to end early.

Circumstances could change with time and effort.

How my circumstances might change continued to elude me, but I could hold on for however long was needed. My sister had proven that life could cut a sharp left turn and become something worth living.

Maybe such a thing could happen to me, too.

Terry released another sigh, and while it took him a few moments, he relaxed. “Still, I should have noticed everything was going a little too well.”

“Considering that your job is to make sure my sister stays safe, it’s understandable. It might be worth having someone who has a dedicated job of monitoring detail reports for this sort of thing. New York has more than a few details, and it would be a full-time job.” To reassure the RPS agent, I clapped his back before giving him a hug, something he appreciated and would comfort everyone present.

Terry gave my back a solid thumping before releasing me, stepping back, and narrowing his eyes. “That’s a good idea, Ian. I believe I shall do just that.”

“I’ll make room in the budget for it,” my sister promised. “It’s a good solution, and it’ll take a lot of work off your plate. That’ll give you the time needed to work on establishing our mounted program. As Ian will be going to California, California can assist with establishing a proper detail for him. Right, Ethan?”

My sister’s husband joined Terry, heaving a sigh. “My brother is going to laugh at me for years over this, but yes. I’ll give my parents a call in the morning and start getting the ball rolling on that. Will your junkyard be all right if left unattended for a few weeks, Ian?”

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