Page 12 of Royal Beast (Royals of the Underworld #1)

KELLAN

D arcy and Rose are gone.

The realization hits like a punch to the gut as I stand in my office, the drawer open, the car keys and credit card I’d left for her missing. Anger simmers beneath the surface as I pull out my phone and open the bank app, scrolling to find the most recent charge—Sterling Creek Mall.

Gotcha .

My jaw twitches. She went into my office, took her things without a word, and just left. I’m still fuming as I stare at the screen, annoyed but almost impressed by her nerve. But then it hits me, a creeping dread that turns the irritation to ice.

Sterling Creek Mall.

Not just some random spot.

It’s right in the middle of Russian territory.

The last few weeks flash through my mind—Anatoly’s backstabbing, the Russians slipping their men into our business and city government, Aleksey’s threats. They’re looking for any chance to get under our skin, and Darcy has no idea she’s just wandered into their territory, practically gift-wrapped.

I grab my jacket and head out, my mind racing as I head for the car. I try to shove down the panic, but with every turn, my grip tightens on the wheel, knuckles white. My mind churns, the possibilities firing off, none of them good.

As I pull into the parking lot, I spot a group standing around near the exit.

As I get closer, my heart lurches. I spot three men surrounding Darcy and Rose. They’re practically on top of them. One of them has Darcy’s arm in a firm grip, and another is reaching down, trying to pry Rose from where she clings to her mother’s leg, her tiny hands clutching tight.

The anger I felt earlier morphs into pure rage.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I ask as I get out of the car, my voice cutting across the air sharp and lethal.

The men freeze, heads turning in my direction. I step forward, hands clenched into fists.

“Let her go. Now ,” I demand, a red haze clouding my vision as I approach.

The Russians scatter back as Rose stumbles free, but one of the men keeps his grip on Darcy, his fingers digging into her arm as he tries to pull her away.

My fury surges, and I throw myself at him without a second thought, fists driving into his face, feeling the sickening crunch of bone beneath my knuckles.

“Run!” I shout to Darcy, and for once, she doesn’t argue. She scoops Rose up and darts away, her footsteps echoing on the pavement as I keep my focus on the man beneath me.

The other two close in fast. A hard blow crashes into my ribs, knocking the wind from me, but I shove back, throwing my elbow into the next guy’s jaw, feeling savage satisfaction as he stumbles backward.

The man beneath me claws at my ankles, trying to trip me up, but I slam my boot into his shoulder, sending him sprawling.

There’s no time to breathe. One of them lunges and wraps his arm around my neck in a brutal chokehold.

I twist, driving my heel down hard on his instep, earning a grunt as he loosens his grip, but before I can fully shake him, another fist lands across my cheek, rattling my teeth.

I counter with a wild swing, catching one in the gut, and he doubles over.

I bring my knee up fast, smashing into his face and sending him stumbling back.

But they’re relentless. The man who grabbed me earlier is back, throwing a punch into my side that feels like a hammer blow, sending sharp pain knifing through my ribs.

I stagger, my vision swimming, but I refuse to back down.

Grabbing the nearest man by the collar, I slam his head into my knee, feeling the crunch of bone and cartilage before he slumps to the ground.

The remaining two don’t hesitate. One catches me off guard, landing a fierce uppercut that splits my lip, and I taste blood.

Another kick to my thigh nearly sends me to my knees, but I manage to stay upright, swinging again, this time with a fist aimed at the man’s jaw.

It connects, and he reels back, stunned, just long enough for me to tackle the last one standing.

We crash to the ground in a tangle of fists and fury, each of us grappling for control.

His closed fist catches my already bruised ribs, and a flash of agony shoots through me.

Gritting my teeth, I bring my elbow down on his throat, driving all my weight into the blow.

He chokes, sputtering, and I force him down, pinning him with every ounce of strength I have left.

But it’s not enough. The man I’d thrown off earlier has found his footing again, and his boot connects sharply with my shoulder, sending a fresh wave of pain through me. I fall back, clutching my side, and they circle me like wolves sensing weakness.

I hear Rose’s terrified cries somewhere in the distance, and it spurs a last burst of strength in me.

My fists swing wildly, catching one across the face, then the other, blood smearing my knuckles as I lash out.

But their combined strength is overwhelming and I feel myself losing ground, my body protesting as their blows keep coming.

Finally, I’m forced to the ground, unable to stop their assault any longer.

At least Darcy got away . That’s my last thought before the world starts to go in and out around me.

“Rose, run !” Darcy yells. I hear the sound of metal screeching across the pavement before Darcy appears, pushing a shopping cart as she runs full tilt into the men, knocking them out of the way.

The cart tilts to one side, but Darcy yanks it back upright and slams it into the closest man as hard as she can, a warbled screech escaping him.

She hefts the cart slightly in the air before ramming it into one of the other men on the ground, aiming for his head. He pushes it off at the last second, but she still manages to drive it over his fingers, earning an enraged yell.

I blink, trying to clear my vision, watching as the men crouch in front of Darcy who stares them down with a wild look in her eye, feigning a lunge toward them with the cart.

They back up at first, but when one of them tries to sidestep her and attack from the side, she whips it around viciously fast and slams into him, causing him to fall back hard enough to hit his head on the pavement with a sickening crack.

“Don’t fuck with a mama bear!” Darcy screams, pure venom in her voice. “You tried to hurt my daughter! I’ll make you pay, you bastards!”

She runs at them again, but one of the men catches the cart and yanks it forward, then shoves it back in quick succession, nearly wiping Darcy off her feet.

I inhale sharply, the pain in my side flaring up.

Darcy has been absolutely incredible, but I can’t let her continue to fight alone. I made a vow to protect her as my wife.

A renewed energy fills me, and I jump back to my feet as I wipe the blood off my face. Darcy is still grappling with the men, but she’s losing ground, and I need to take over.

Her last blow stuns the man closest to her.

I surge forward, landing a brutal punch to his jaw that sends him reeling to the ground.

Blood drips from my knuckles, each strike carrying a weight of fury and pure survival instinct.

But I don’t have time to think about the pain, only the need to end this.

The second man lunges for me, swinging wildly, but I dodge just enough to absorb the blow to my shoulder, retaliating with a fierce jab to his gut.

He doubles over, gasping, and I use the moment to follow up with an elbow to his nose.

There’s a sickening crunch, and he stumbles backward, clutching his face.

Behind me, Darcy pushes the cart again, ramming it into the third man’s knee.

He collapses with a howl, trying to grab onto her, but I reach him first, gripping him by the collar and throwing him into his friend who’s still clutching his stomach.

They both crash to the pavement, tangled and groaning.

A sharp pain ignites in my side, and I sway, blinking hard to clear the black spots clouding my vision. I grit my teeth, taking a breath that’s more ragged than I’d like. The men exchange a look, hesitating as they take us in—me, bloodied and furious, Darcy still clutching the cart, eyes blazing.

Finally, they start to back away, cursing under their breath in Russian. The three of them turn tail and stumble off, swearing revenge.

I watch as they go, keeping a close eye on them until I see them round the corner and sprint to a nearby black SUV.

“Rose!” Darcy yells, rushing over to her daughter. She scoops the hysterical girl up and holds her in her arms, squeezing her so hard that Rose tries to pull away. Darcy drops down to the ground, still clutching onto her daughter.

“Baby, I’m so sorry. Are you hurt?” she asks, fussing over the girl, checking her from head to toe. The world begins to swim around me as I take in the sight. They’re safe. I did it. I protected them.

My knees buckle, and I catch myself on a nearby bench, gasping, a bone-deep ache searing through my ribs with every breath. Darcy rushes to my side in an instant, her hands on my shoulders. Her face is a mix of relief and worry.

“You saved us,” she says, her voice husky. Dirty tear tracks streak down her face and she presses her forehead against mine for a moment. “Thank you. Thank you.”

I try to smile, but all that comes out is a grimace and my hand flies to my side, pressing against my ribcage.

“Oh, God, you’re hurt. Let me help,” she insists, her voice soft but firm.

“I’m… fine,” I manage, though the coppery taste of blood in my mouth and the blurring of my vision say otherwise. But as I look at her and Rose—safe, unharmed, here with me—the pain, for just a moment, feels worth it.

“We have to get out of here,” she insists. “Can you walk?”

I start to stand up but immediately stagger, nearly pitching forward.

“You need to get to a hospital!” Darcy insists.

I shake my head, blinking away the sweat from my eyes.

“Can’t,” I gasp out. “They’d get… the police involved…

ask too many questions. I just need… to get home.

I’ll patch… myself up. Just… let me… get to my car.

I can… drive myself… home. It’ll be… fine.

” Every word causes searing pain and feels like it could be my last breath.

Darcy purses her lips and glances at Rose, then back at me. “I can’t let you drive yourself in this condition. You look like you’re about to pass out. If you insist on going back to your place, let me at least drive you there.”

I want to protest, to keep Darcy and Rose out of this, but it’s starting to get too hard to stand so I nod weakly, bracing myself against Darcy as she starts leading me to the car. Rose is still crying but she follows behind, worry in her blue eyes.

“Mama, is Mister okay?” she asks, eyes darting between us both.

“Don’t worry about me, Princess,” I say, giving her a weak smile. “I’ll be fine. I’ve had worse, but I fought off the bad guys.”

Rose gasps, a bright smile forming. “You’re a superhero!”

That earns a small chuckle from both Darcy and me.

“That’s right, Petal,” Darcy says, trying to keep her tone light. “We need to help fix up the superhero after his fight with the bad guys, okay?”

Rose’s eyes narrow, a new resolve in her expression. “Let’s do it, Mama.”

Darcy helps me into the backseat, and I lie down, closing my eyes as the darkness overtakes me.