Page 45 of The Prince of New York

“Revenge? How is giving me a horse revenge? I like horses, Daphne.”

“Ah, but your parents do not. Your mother was wholeheartedly honest about her disgust in having to care for Thunder. She hates everything about horses, as does your father. Terry was kind enough to spy on them with his empathy talent while you were talking, and both were full of hatred and loathing regarding your new animal. Your mother is a skilled liar, I’ll give her that much. I doubt they had anything to do with Thunder’s acquisition, and that their contact regarding the terrorist cell forced them to do something kind for you before agreeing to cooperate.”

That I could believe. “I suspect we’ll figure more out once we have a chance to go through the papers. As it is, we’re going to be late joining my sister at the courthouse.”

“It’s fine. Your sister has a lot of things to do at the courthouse to keep her amused. Terry made the arrangements for her and Ethan to review some trials and cases to make Royal decisions on them. You’ll be seen as salvation by the time you arrive.” Daphne narrowed her eyes, and then her expression relaxed. “Ah, there we go. We have confirmation regarding the truck and the trailer, who owns it, and that it’s fine if we use it for hauling a horse before returning it. It was stolen a few hours north of here from a farm near a small port. Your parents must have entered the kingdom there. Take your time. The RPS will position ahead and behind, but it’s unlikely anyone is going to pay you any mind. As soon as we arrive, we’ll get into Terry’s SUV to head to the courthouse. We’ve held up your sister long enough, and I’m sure she’ll want to meet your new child.”

“And Madelyn?”

“She’s fine. Please don’t worry. She was told she could make herself comfortable in the juror waiting room, and she’s been reading. The empath on hand has indicated she’s quite content and has relaxed. There is a pair with her.”

“Has there been any sign of her boyfriend?”

“Maybe.”

“Spill it, Daphne. If you don’t, I’ll start cornering RPS agents until I find out.” I started the truck, made certain I had space, and turned it around so I could escape from my junkyard, taking care to keep the ride smooth for Thunder. “Where has he been loitering?”

“He’s been driving by the palace, and we think he’s looking for her old beater. The RPS did a test, switched the plates, and borrowed the vehicle. He tailed it for a while, and then we think he realized the plates weren’t the same. He passed, checked that she wasn’t the driver, and headed home. We recorded the make, model, and plates. As you’ll be departing for California soon, he won’t be an issue—and if he follows you to California, deal with him however you see fit. By the time you land, an official restraining order will be issued and delivered, and it will be valid anywhere in the Royal States.”

The restraining order pleased me; if I saw the bastard, I would be able to disable or eliminate him as I saw fit.

I would even ask Madelyn how she wanted me to handle her ex and abide by her wishes unless he raised a hand against her. Should he, I would reduce him to ash faster than anyone could blink—or stop me.

“I can work with that. All right. Do whatever it is RPS agents need to do while being the passenger. As I have a horse on board, you won’t get to see what I can really do with a truck. Just warn the RPS that I will not be exceeding fifty. I want to keep the ride smooth.”

“Should you buy your own trailer, I’ll get you a fun sticker. It’ll warn anyone behind you that your best friends are on board, and that you’ll kick their ass if they’re hurt. I have those stickers on my trailer, and for some reason, they avoid me. Of course, my plate says ‘VAMPIRE,’ and it’s flagged as belonging to a Montana Royal, which might have something to do with it.”

I laughed, eased the truck to the street, turned my signal on, and waited for traffic to clear up before easing onto the street and heading in the direction of the palace. “I’d be pretty cautious under those circumstances, too. Oh, well. I’ll just settle for the stickers should I get a trailer. Can you really transport Thunder to California?”

“Assuming Dr. Stanton clears his health, I’ll fly the cargo plane myself. That’s the least I can do.”

“I appreciate that.”

“Let me give you a piece of advice, Ian.”

I raised a brow, taking care to keep my eyes on the road and on the RPS agents tailing me. Fortunately for my sanity, they understood to give me plenty of space in case I needed to brake. “What advice?”

“Take up space. If anyone deserves it, it’s you.”

THIRTEEN

“Is the RPS here just a bunch of empaths all verging on having a meltdown?”

Terry draggedme to his SUV, as I refused to leave Thunder alone with Dr. Stanton, who rolled her eyes over my tantrum. “We have to get to the courthouse, Your Royal Highness. As we cannot bring Thunder to the courthouse, you need to leave him here. Dr. Stanton already told you that he’s healthy and clean of any diseases New York quarantines for. She will take good care of him through his first vet and farrier visit. I know you want to be in attendance, but we don’t have all day.”

I put up a fight, and a laughing Daphne joined in, helping to shove me into the SUV. Once inside, she joined me, pushing me onto the seat before buckling in. “I’ll contain him, Terry. Are you driving?”

“I will be, yes. Ian, they’ll call me if there are any problems with your horse. If we don’t rescue your sister from the paperwork, she might burn the courthouse down. And His Majesty is holding the officiation of their documents until we arrive.”

Damn it. I secured my belt, grumbled curses, and said, “The cameras are still in my suite.”

“I have a camera Madelyn can use if it’s needed.” The RPS agent closed the door, circled the vehicle, and got behind the wheel. “Damned horse empaths.”

“Kettle,” Daphne teased.

“I can leave my horses at the stable without issue.”

“You can, but you bitterly complain if you have to skip your trip to the barn to gush over your babies. Don’t even try to trick me, Terry. Maybe you can trick Ian, but you’re just as bad as he is.” Daphne tilted her head to the side, likely listening to something on her earpiece. “Seriously? Terry, is the RPS here just a bunch of empaths all verging on having a meltdown?”

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