Page 106 of The Prince of New York

Madelyn’s face reddened further. “I am so sorry, Terry.”

The RPS agent smiled. “I will tell my wife, and she will worship the ground you walk on for having the courage to stand up for yourself and your needs. You will be entering a relationship with a man who cares about you. If you need space, he will give you the space you need. If you need someone to protect you from the rest of the world, he’ll be that for you. And if you leave because you need to leave, he will love you enough to let you go until you’re ready to come back again. That’s just the kind of man he is. He’s everything your abuser is not, and if you let him, he’ll show you. Of course, he’s going to be a bit of work. You’re going to have to make the first moves until he’s confident you’re comfortable. That will be annoying. And one day, you’ll end up throwing everything you can at him to get the point across that he needs to take the initiative.”

I snorted, aware Mackenzie had gotten tired of Will’s tendency to step with too much care and had resorted to throwing things. “I am perfectly capable of taking the initiative should she want me to take the initiative. Madelyn, if you want to give marriage with me a try, I’m a willing participant. If you don’t, I’ll pretend like my feelings aren’t hurt because I’d like to at least try. But if you don’t want the responsibilities of being a mother to my girls, that’s okay. They’re a part of the package. You don’t have to do any princess stuff you don’t want to do. If you want to fully embrace being a princess, I’m going to stand back, make suggestions on your lingerie, and otherwise support you.”

Madelyn raised a brow. “And what kind of lingerie appeals to you?”

As I hadn’t perished yet for overstepping, I decided to fling myself right over the line for better or for worse. “The kind I’m permitted to remove with my teeth comes to mind.”

My sister slapped her forehead. “Ian!”

“What? I’m being honest. My interest in lingerie generally begins and ends with the methods I’m allowed to use to take it off. If she didn’t want the answer, she wouldn’t have asked the question.”

My sister sighed. “That is definitely the fever talking. Ian, perhaps you should convince her it’s a good idea to marry you before publicly informing her you would like to investigate her lingerie with your teeth.”

“Should I have told her I’d replace any I break first?” Of all the people in the room, I could rely on Will to support me despite my ability to step directly into trouble. “Was that a trick question?”

“I think it depends on if she agrees to marry you or not at this stage,” he replied, and he grimaced. “I may be at fault for opening that can of worms. I’m sorry.”

“If I said the wrong thing, I’m sorry. If I said the right thing, well, I meant every word of it.” I bowed my head. “I don’t feel fevered, but I’m pretty sure I would just be trying to crawl under the table at this stage otherwise.”

“He’s shy,” my sister said. “But he did tell you the truth. You’re the first woman who has really treated him like he’s a real person. He loved when you were at the palace, and he hated every day you were gone, which is why I made the arrangements for you to come back. Had we known about that asshole abuser, we would have brought you into the palace sooner. But that’s how abusers operate. They do their best to make certain their victims can’t escape. But tonight, you mark my words, Madelyn. You will be free. You are free to marry Ian or not. You’re free to come and go. You will never have to worry about anyone hurting you ever again, because no matter what decision you make tonight, Ian’s going to be nearby making certain you’re kept safe. Yes, even if you decide that you don’t want to be part of his life. But that’s why I dealt with those damned politicians over this matter. You deserve to be free, and this was the only way I could give true freedom to you. You decide your fate from this point forward. And don’t worry about hurting Ian’s feelings. If you need him to wait, he’ll wait.”

“I really will,” I confirmed, and when I stopped to think about it, I understood what it meant to love someone enough to let them go.

Madelyn needed the freedom to chart her own course and choose her destiny.

Love was accepting what she needed over what I wanted.

“What if you never love me, Ian?”

Some truths were easier than others to speak. “I loved you from the moment you swept in and pitied me for sharing the same name as some spoiled prince, not realizing I am that spoiled prince. And every day thereafter, I loved you more for you being you. I hate what that bastard did to you, but I admire what you endured to protect your cats. If I were in your shoes, I would do the same.” I somehow kept from glancing at my sister. “Don’t tell Rachel this, but I really like taking naps with her tigers.”

“I already knew, Ian. It was pretty obvious from the fact you’d read books to them and sleep with them on the floor. But he’s telling the truth, Madelyn. The greatest gift you could ever give my brother is a chance. It need not be tonight. We’re just nosy royals who want to see you be happy and safe. If you need the rest of your life to decide, Ian will wait through it all. If you decide you want to sign the papers, you’ll have to leash him, as his determination to eliminate your asshole ex will become problematic. You will be his top priority, tied with his little girls. And honestly, you’ll always come first. Don’t get me wrong, Danielle and May are important to him, but you’re the foundation of the family he wants to build with them in it.” Rachel got up from her seat, came around the table, and kissed my temple. “You’re broiling alive, by the way.”

Madelyn got out her temperature gun, pointed it at my forehead, and stared at the screen. “102.1.”

Dr. Stanton sighed. “Yep. That’s about when his common sense starts leaving the building. However much I’d love to process their marriage now, I’m going to set some limitations: he can sign engagement papers and nothing else. Engagement papers are an excellent start, it will support the New York documentation, and California can make the arrangements for a fancy wedding. For protecting them both, it’s sufficient, as they can’t sign the marriage papers without both being healthy enough in mind to sign them. That level of fever means you’re not sound, Ian. I know you’re sincere about wishing to pursue a relationship, however.”

“I’m in,” Madelyn blurted.

“If California is making the arrangements for a fancy wedding, that means I don’t have to plan it—and Madelyn only plans exactly how much she wants to plan, I find this plan to be quite a good idea. Can I punch the bastard with a copy of the engagement papers?”

“No,” Dr. Stanton replied. “But you can kill him with extreme prejudice should he even look at Madelyn.”

“I can live with that compromise.”

That abusing bastard wouldn’t, and that was all I cared about. One way or another, Madelyn would be free.

THIRTY

The horse snorted flame.

Two hoursafter we finished dinner, an old family car pulled up to the public entrance of the palace, something I learned the RPS enjoyed using for staged events. When the royalty wanted peace and quiet, they came and went from a garage with a short driveway to the main road, which was labeled as the staff entrance.

There was another entrance marked for visitors and royalty as a decoy that led to a second garage, but GPS guided everyone coming to the palace to the public entrance.

The reporter, according to the Californian RPS agents, had not been given access to the staff entrance due to his tendency to chase glory rather than seek out the truth. Within the matter of a few hours, his career would be in ruins while the young woman the Californian monarchs had invited would see hers rise at a rather brisk clip. While she was wide eyed over the whole thing, she’d listened to everyone, took notes, and captured a mix of videos and photographs.

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