Page 85 of Shameless Royalty

I clench my jaw, looking away. “Yeah, I fuckin’ know.”

“Then what’s your plan?” Mihai asks, his tone calmer now, more measured. “Because, love or not, you know Declan’s not gonna just let this happen. Malachi is not just some guy, Connor. He’s leverage and a fucking bargaining chip. You think your father’s gonna be thrilled when he finds out you’ve been fucking the one thing he planned to use?”

I bristle, and my fingers tighten around my glass. “I know what Malachi is to my father. But he’s more than that to me.”

Mihai’s lips press together. “Yeah, I figured. But what about Malachi?”

I glance at him and frown. “What about him?”

He tilts his head. “He’s been locked up in your family’s estate for months and had no fucking choice in any of this. He’s yours because you made him yours.”

My stomach twists. “That’s not—”

“I’m not saying he doesn’t care about you,” he cuts in. “I’m not saying he doesn’t want this. But you need to be fucking sure he knows he has a choice.”

I go still… Why the fuck didn’t I think about this before?

Mihai sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re a possessive bastard. I get it. But Malachi has been trapped his whole fucking life. First under his father, now under yours. You think he even knows what freedom feels like?”

I swallow hard, my grip on my glass tightening.

“Give him a choice, Connor,” Mihai says, his voice quieter now. “If you love him, really love him, you’ll let him decide what this is for him. Not just for you.”

I stare at the fire, my chest tight and I hate that he’s fucking right.

Mihai sighs, rubbing at his temple. “Connor… you have to be careful.”

“I am careful,” I snap.

“Are you?” Mihai shoots back, his voice sharp. “Because if Declan finds out—when he finds out—it’s not just gonna be your ass on the line. It’s Malachi’s, too.”

I exhale harshly, scrubbing a hand down my face. “I know that, Mihai.”

He watches me closely. “Do you?”

I glare at him. “What the fuck are you tryin’ to say?”

Mihai leans forward again, his voice steady. “I’m saying I’ve known you since we were five, Connor. And in all that time, I’ve never seen you care about someone like this.”

I don’t respond.

Because, fuck, he’s right.

He exhales, shaking his head. “You’re in deep, brother, and I don’t blame you for it. But if you’re gonna do this, if you’re really gonna keep him, then you need to think. You need a plan.”

I nod slowly, my jaw tight. “I’m workin’ on it.”

Mihai lifts a brow and I scoff, feeling myself getting more pissed by the second. But not because of Mihai. “What the fuck do you want me to say, Mihai? That I’ve got it all figured out? That I have a nice little fuckin’ map drawn out, showin’ how I’m gonna keep Malachi and stay in my father’s good graces? Because I don’t. I don’t fuckin’ know what I’m gonna do. But I know that I’m not lettin’ him go.”

Mihai holds my gaze for a long moment, then sighs, shaking his head. “You’re insane.”

I smirk. “You knew that already.”

He huffs a quiet laugh, shaking his head. “You really love him?” he asks again.

I nod once. “Yeah.”

Mihai exhales through his nose, then raises his glass. “Then I hope you’re ready for the fallout, brother. Because it’s coming whether you like it or not.”

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