Page 86 of Shameless Royalty

I clink my glass against his, a smirk tugging at my lips. “Merry fuckin’ Christmas.”

But as I take another sip, my mind is already elsewhere—on Malachi, on Da, on the storm that’s coming.

And I know, without a doubt, that the moment I return home, everything is going to change.

Chapter 37

Connor

ThesecondIstepinside the house, the familiar scent of oak and whiskey fills my lungs, grounding me in a way I didn’t realize I needed.

The estate is the same as I left it—grand, imposing, ours—but something feels different this time. Maybe because for the first time in my life, I’m coming home to someone.

And that someone is locked away upstairs, waiting for me.

I go through the motions of greeting my mother first. She pulls me into a tight hug, muttering something about me being too skinny before smacking the back of my head for good measure.

I grin at her, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. “Miss me?”

She snorts, smacking my arm. “Aye, about as much as I miss the flu.”

I chuckle, stealing a biscuit from the tray beside her before nodding toward my father’s study. “He in there?”

“Aye. Been waitin’ on you.”

Of course, he has.

I roll my shoulders back, masking the anticipation crawling under my skin. Because as much as I want to see my father, there’s someone else my body is fucking humming to see.

Malachi.

I don’t let my stride slow as I make my way down the hall. The door to his office is already open, the fire inside casting flickering shadows across the dark wooden walls.

Da is behind his desk, leaning back in his chair with a glass of whiskey in hand. He watches me as I step inside, one brow lifting slightly. “Back in one piece, I see.”

“Aye,” I say, dropping into the chair across from him. “You miss me, Da?”

His lips twitch. “Not enough to get sentimental.”

I smirk, reaching for the whiskey he’s already poured for me. “Fair enough.”

For a moment, we just drink in silence. But I know my father, and I know when he’s got something on his mind.

“You have a good holiday?” he asks eventually, his voice deceptively light.

I nod. “Good to see the boys. We’ve got everything in motion for Giovanni’s wedding.”

He hums. “And the Romanian Crown? He doin’ well?”

I tilt my head slightly. “Mihai’s fine, Da. If you wanted an update on him, you could’ve called him yourself.”

Da chuckles, shaking his head. “Aye, but then I wouldn’t get to see how you react.” He studies me, his gaze steady, unreadable.

I lift a brow. “Miss me that much?”

He smirks, but there’s something else behind it. Something I don’t like. “Make sure you’re rested,” he says after a long moment. “We’ve got a lot to discuss soon.”

I don’t like the cryptic tone, but I nod anyway. “Aye.”

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