Page 33 of Daniil
“Which is why you need child support.I can hire a nanny for you, so you can work without worrying.”
She stares at me.“I don’t want your money, Daniil.”
How did I know she would be difficult?
“Why?Because you think I’ll ask for something in return?”
“Won’t you?Custody?Visitation?What’s the end game here?”
“I don’t know!”I grunt, trying to hold back my irritation.“But he’s my son, so no matter what we decide, I want him—and you—to be comfortable.Not to worry about bills or private school or if we can afford hockey camp or whatever.”
“You think he’s going to play hockey?”she asks, a playful smile on her lips.
It’s the first time she’s truly smiled at me since I got here, and it nearly takes my breath away.She’s beautiful all the time, but her smile is what got me.Lennox introduced us and she smiled, politely holding out her hand.I was blinded then, and I’m blinded now.
What the hell is wrong with me?Why do I still react this way to a woman who’s made it clear she’s not interested?
“That or football—the real football, not your American nonsense.”
She throws her head back and laughs.“He has two former linebacker uncles who will disagree with you, but sure.Let’s go with hockey.”
“Did Grim, er, Landon play football?”
She nods.“In college.That’s where he and Elliott—Rage—met.They were both in ROTC and then went into the military together.They’ve been inseparable ever since.”
Lifelong friends.
What a novel concept.
It’s certainly not something I’ve ever had.Even when I was at university in Scotland, I wasn’t supposed to get friendly with “commoners.”I could party and have fun, but I was taught to keep a slight distance, so that’s what I did.
It’s one of my regrets in life.
I’m thirty-eight now, with no one in my life but my family and my fellow Royal Protectors.And even with them, I keep a slight distance because… I’m a prince and they’re commoners.I’m not sure I’m capable of change.
“I’d like to stick around for a while,” I say at last.“Spend time with him.”And you.I can’t tell her that, but she’s a big part of the equation.If she wasn’t, I would have already filed for custody and started working on a way to bring him to my home in Hiskale, the capital of Limaj.
“Don’t you want… a paternity test?”she asks after a moment.
I shake my head.“That would leave a paper trail, and short-term, we don’t want that.Until we’ve made decisions about the future, let’s just allow him to continue to be invisible.”
“He won’t stay invisible if the paparazzi find out you’re here, hanging out with an ‘unknown woman’ in Las Vegas.”
“Even then, there’s nothing to say the child is mine.You’re a friend of the family.”
“I don’t have room for you here,” she blurts.“Landon is in the guest room for a few more days.”
“That’s okay.I’ll stay at the hotel, come here in the morning and stay as late as you need me to.If you need to work, I can watch him.”
There’s no doubt in my mind she’s trying to come up with a reason for me not to do that, but it seems to be difficult for her to articulate it.
“I know you don’t want me here,” I continue quietly.“But will you please give me a chance to know my son and earn your trust?”
“It’s not about trust,” she whispers, blinking away tears.“It’s about his safety.And mine.”
“I would die before I let anything happen to either of you.”My response is grim.Determined.Sincere.Because it’s true.
“Unless you had to choose between us and Erik.”
