Page 59 of The Prince of New York

Yes, it had. “Do you think I even have a chance with her?” I allowed myself to slump onto the table and stare at my sister, not caring if anyone saw me being vulnerable in her presence.

Rachel laughed, reached over, and ruffled my hair. “Just keep being yourself, Ian. It’ll work out. You have her attention, so all you have to do is keep being you. Change should only happen because you want to be a better version of yourself, not because you want to chase a skirt. Not that you were ever actually skilled at chasing skirts. The skirts chased you, and you wished they’d leave you alone. The skirt you wanted to chase you never did.”

“Dr. Stanton, I’d like to report a crime.”

“Your self-esteem will survive, so I’m afraid that no crimes have been committed. However, I will inform relevant parties that you are shy and enjoy being approached. You’re an introvert who is often forced to pretend that you’re an extrovert, which is generally exhausting, thus requiring relevant parties to reach out when you are not acting on behalf of some kingdom or another.” Dr. Stanton got out her phone and made a note on it. “However, this does bring up a good point for your therapist to consider. We’ve been treating you as though you are outgoing rather than sullenly dutiful.”

I scowled, pointing at my sister. “But she’s being mean, Dr. Stanton.”

“She is a New Yorker. That is what New Yorkers do when a defenseless male leaves himself open for verbal sneak attacks. As you provided her with a huge opening, you deserve what you received.”

As I had no hope against the women in my life, I went for my milkshake and grumbled over the situation.

“Don’t worry about him, Rachel. He’ll survive. Princes need to be put in their place every now and then, else they get egotistical. This one isn’t as bad as some, but he can be quite egotistical. Really, when I get home, I’m going to hunt down his former RPS agents and give them a scolding for leaving him to the sharks. I might request that at least Zach return to New York. With the former monarchs out of the way, he likely would not resist a transfer back.” Dr. Stanton met my gaze and held it. “And the only reason Zach went to North Dakota was because Adam, at the time, needed him a great more than you did. With two little girls to worry about, the tables have turned. I’ll discuss the situation with Terry. Peter won’t come back, and that’s nothing to do with you, Ian. He has a wife and a newborn, and he’s considering retirement.”

Peter had been ready for retirement even before the incident in North Dakota, which I could accept without difficulty. “Do you really think Zach would come back?”

“I do. You’ve always been an excellent principal. He was the first detail you had that really worked for you.” Dr. Stanton shrugged, dialed a number, and held it to her ear. “Good evening, Adam. Sorry to bother you at this hour, but there’s a mess, and I need your help with it. First, Prince Ian of New York intervened in an abuse case in court today and adopted two little girls. Both were admitted to hospital, with the younger registered as in serious bordering critical condition. The older girl was registered as in serious condition. Can you hunt down Zach and request he transfer back to New York? Ian could use him, and his previous detail was fired due to negligence. As Zach is incapable of negligence and can work with Terry, he’s ideal to lead Ian’s detail. I am assuming Peter doesn’t want to transfer back to New York due to his wife and children but extend an offer with a competitive transfer package; I will wage war with Terry over it. No, I haven’t discussed the situation with Terry yet. I figured if you called Terry and laid down the law, there won’t be any drama. We’ve had enough drama for one day. I have New York’s queen and heir at a fast food joint, keeping everyone calm, as milkshakes tame the pyromaniacs.”

I laughed my ass off at her commentary, unable to deny the truth of it. “We’re pyromaniacs who can be tamed with milkshakes, Rachel.”

“No lies have been detected,” my sister replied with a grin. “I should have thought about reaching out to North Dakota to see if we could steal back some agents. It didn’t occur to me.”

“You were also running around the Royal States like the unchecked hooligan you are,” I reminded her. “I’m sure had you been around to babysit me, you would have smacked me for offering Peter and Zach in the aftermath.”

“I would have, but I would have agreed with it, because Adam needed them more than you did. Now the tables have turned.” My sister considered Dr. Stanton, narrowing her eyes. “I will make room in the security budget for both of them, so if Peter and his familydowant to transfer to New York, they’ll be accommodated. The base offer will include one of those damned royal properties near the palace for each of them, so their commute will be no more than ten minutes.”

At the rate my sister was offloading royal properties, we’d end up with a few scattered in the country and the palace. However, her method of unloading the places made sense. It saved the kingdom money, and it helped us put the past behind us.

“Length of service for the properties?” Dr. Stanton asked.

“Five years, and Peter can work interior as he settles in for retirement. He can help with recruitment for the children along with hires for Ian’s detail. That’ll free Terry up and give him a chance to relax.”

Dr. Stanton relayed the offer, and after exchanging some pleasantries, hung up. “He will make calls and get back to us in the morning. For Peter, news about the girls might be sufficient to lure him back to New York. He’s a family man, and what they went through will trip his trigger. Zach’s easy; he can’t be a head of detail in North Dakota at this point, and you’re the perfect detail for him, Ian. He’ll accept the transfer offer.”

I wondered how life would be different with Zach and Peter around. Likely for the better, although the children would change everything.

“They will be all right?”

The woman smiled, reached over, and patted my hand. “Waiting at the hospital versus here won’t at all alter the outcome, Ian. Being miserable won’t help them. Enjoy your milkshake, try to relax, and cope the best you can. Melody and her father can handle their care. The only question, at this stage, is how much work they’ll have to do to get them on the road to recovery. They’re not like Jane, who was at death’s door when she made it to Maine. While injured, and terribly so, it should be no more than two hours between the both of them plus transfusions to get them headed in the right direction. And honestly, the transfusions are why you’ll likely need to pick them up in the morning. Daphne could have sped up the process, but she was about to blow a gasket, and I wanted her out of here before she did.”

“Maybe you should rule New York,” I muttered.

“Your sister made that same suggestion, and the answer remains the same. Sorry, Ian. You and Rachel are just going to have to handle ruling your kingdom with the grace and dignity it deserves. You’ll be fine. It won’t be that long until we get an update, and once we do, you can go home, take your temper out on some metal, and then come back and pick up the babies in the morning. And as they’ll still be under sedation when you fetch them, it’ll be quiet until Melody and I reverse the drugs and they get tucked properly into bed to sleep it off. Tomorrow will be quiet. Healing fatigue is real, and both of them will suffer from it. We’ll wake them long enough to feed them, and the day after tomorrow, they’ll be able to start being little girls doing normal little girl things. I’ll have California handle their talent evaluations, as the general excitement from traveling will help them cope.”

“That sounds like a good plan. After today, melting metal will be a relief.”

“Can I watch?” Rachel asked.

“I’ll even let you try to melt some. It’s a good exercise, and we’ll see if you have the right aptitude for it.”

“That sounds like a plan. Also, if Ethan isn’t done with those paparazzi within five minutes, I’m going to cause some trouble!”

She would. “Please don’t, Rachel. He’s trying his best to keep things cordial. We do not need them witnessing you and Ethan flirting through arguments in public.”

My sister sulked. “I don’t see why not.”

I heaved a sigh, got up, and took my milkshake towards the door. I leaned out and said, “Sorry to interrupt, but if we don’t feed your wife something other than milkshakes, she might flatten the entire kingdom.”

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