Page 80 of The Prince of New York

May ran in circles, jumped around, and otherwise reminded me that I had no chance of matching little girls in the energy department. Fortunately for my sanity, she recognized she needed me to get what she wanted, a kitty of her own.

Either she had missed my comment about them each getting two kitties or hadn’t been taught anything about numbers.

I worried I dealt with a little girl who had no concept of math, something I would have to correct in a hurry.

After making it only a few doors down, Madelyn swooped in, caught May, spun the girl around, and held her upside down for a moment, evoking a storm of giggles and squeals. Once thus contained, the woman somehow managed to put her down, keep a hold on her hand, and tame the beast, at least long enough for us to make it to the family dining room without incident. Once at the table, the girls calmed enough I could leave them with Madelyn and fetch their snack, which would be yet another serving of soup and protein shakes until we could adapt them to solid foods.

Vincent laughed at me. “They’re running you ragged, aren’t they?”

“I made the mistake of informing them they would be getting kitties. They’ve been playing and sleeping with the tigers and Madelyn’s cats all day, and as nobody got hurt, everyone was respectful, and the girls seem to love cats, I made the decision to get them two each to help them settle. I’m also going to grab every last puppy that might meet the requirements to become a service dog while there.”

“I’ll warn the RPS they’ll need to bring a van and send over the police trainer.”

“A police trainer?” I asked, furrowing my brows. “I want support for the girls, not takedown artists.”

“The police trainer in question trains service dogs, and she can help you pick the puppies and start working with them. I’ll brief her on what happened to the girls. Expect a K-9 ‘service’ dog or two from the retiring pooches from this year. They can’t work on the force anymore, but some of them absolutely are suitable to serve as guard dogs and service animals. I’ll take care of it. The RPS could use some dogs, too. We’ll just have to make sure the dogs are suitable for working with kids.”

“I had no idea the RPS worked with dogs.”

“They’re usually bomb sniffers, but New York has special needs.”

No kidding. “All right. I don’t suppose the soup for today has any calming ingredients?”

“I’m afraid not. We’ve made a beef noodle soup with larger pieces of vegetables today, and we overcooked the vegetables in case they have problems with their teeth. Expect trouble. You’ll need to remind them they have to chew their food, as they’re used to minimal chewing before swallowing. I requested that the RPS put agents good at choking intervention to be present in case of issues.”

I chilled at the thought of either girl choking on their meal. “Is that really a possibility?”

“Ian, your parents were irredeemable assholes. You know it, I know it—anyone who has ever met them knows it. But what those so-called parents did to these little girls goes so far beyond what happened to you that I struggle to comprehend it. You’re going to have to teach them how to eat properly, you’re going to teach them what a good diet is, and you’re going to have to be on guard against eating disorders. Dr. Stanton is already looking into a therapist for them, but we’ve been given instructions on how to do the food introductions. You’re going to likely have upset stomachs tonight because we’re introducing so many new foods to them—and they won’t tell you that their stomachs hurt because they’re going to be afraid they won’t get their next meal because of it.”

“Why is killing their parents illegal?” I complained.

Vincent patted my shoulder. “We’ve all had the same thoughts. So, in good news, there’s a lot of beef in this soup, and if they like it and eat the whole thing, they’ll be sleepy enough you’ll be able to take them to the shelter and get through itwithoutthem being huge balls of energy. I’ve already been told the RPS plans on having constant monitoring in their bedrooms to make sure the animals and the children are all safe, and this will be the norm for at least six months. Danielle will continue to have constant monitoring, in the form of camera supervision, until she’s five.”

“I see you went through a lot of briefing.”

Vincent chuckled, guided me to one of the stoves, and began ladling servings of soup. “Monty, Marcus, and Albert came by about an hour ago, as you’ve been relaxed in the kitchen. They want to keep you steady, and that means having these talks where you’re comfortable. Right now, that’s in the kitchen.”

Interesting. After a moment or two of thought, I accepted the man was right—and appreciated how the RPS handled the situation. “That makes sense. It also keeps the girls from overhearing us.”

“Exactly. If they don’t like beef, we have other soups ready to go. What isn’t eaten will go into the freezer for your late night adventures. Your sister has informed me all heads in the kitchen roll if we don’t feed you honeyed salmon tonight. Dr. Stanton approved giving the girls a small serving to try it but to have soup prepared. There will be a herd of physicians on hand with allergy medications in case fish is an issue.”

“How likely is it that allergies will be an issue?”

“It’s unlikely. Dr. Stanton requested that the girls have allergy blood panels done, and they came back negative for everything, but she isn’t sure they’ve had any exposure due to their poor diet. As such, they’ll be on hand for the introduction of both fish and shellfish tonight. We’re also going to introduce peanuts and the other common allergens.”

“Are you sure it’s illegal to kill those bastards?” I grumbled.

“I’m sure. Grab a bowl for yourself, and I’m expecting you to eat two plus two protein shakes. I know you well enough that you’re going to be throwing yourself at the mud run again tonight since you melted through your entire stock of metals.”

“Would anyone really notice if they disappeared without a trace because I found them in a dark alley?” I sighed, grabbed one of the larger bowls meant for salads, and filled it with enough soup to appease the chef. “I’d be doing the world a favor.”

“You know that, I know that, but apparently, they have rights because they’re humans.”

“Are they, though? Could any actual human do somethingthatcruel to two sweet little girls?” I shook my head and followed Vincent out of the kitchen. “With luck, neither of thosehumansstep foot outside of prison ever again. That way, I won’t have to think about the ethics of murdering them in a dark alley.”

“Just think about it this way; if they come within fifty feet of those girls outside the courthouse, it’s no longer illegal to murder them. There’s a restraining order, and due to the severity and nature of their injuries, lethal force is permissible. You just can’t lure them into coming near the girls, not that you would anyway.”

I wouldn’t, as I wouldn’t want either Danielle or May to remember the day I used my talent to make certain their parents never hit them again. “Do request that the restraining order includes an exemption to kill them on sight should they step foot onto land owned by the royal family or any RPS agents in the kingdom. There is no reason for them to be in such places, and it will be assumed they are after the girls should they do so.”

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