Page 29 of Royal Beast (Royals of the Underworld #1)

DARCY

A s I sit at my desk, staring at my inbox, I sigh, leaning on my hand.

Work is a bust today. My only meeting gets canceled at the last minute, leaving me staring at my calendar with nothing to fill the gap.

After a few minutes of aimlessly scrolling through emails, I decide to call it quits and head home.

I grab my things and head back to the penthouse. I miss Rose, and a quiet day together feels like exactly what we both need.

When I step off the elevator and into the apartment, the sound of low voices carries from the kitchen. I pause, about to announce myself, but something about their tone stops me.

“I’ll give him this much,” the maid says, her voice loud in the quiet apartment. “Kellan Brannagan pays better than anyone else I’ve worked for. But dangerous? Without question. I don’t know what Mrs. Brannagan sees in him.”

I freeze, gripping the strap of my bag tighter.

Doreen giggles and I freeze. “You’re not wrong,” she says, tone sarcastic. “That woman is nuts to put up with someone like one of the Brannagan brothers. I mean, she’s got a daughter to think about. But maybe being with a man like him is worth the risk for her.”

A quiet chuckle follows, making my stomach twist painfully.

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” Doreen continues. “Have you seen him? The sex is probably phenomenal, but what kind of mother puts her need to get laid above her kid’s safety?”

The words slam into me like a physical blow, leaving me rooted in place.

I should walk in there and shut this down, coolly dismiss them both and make sure they know whom they’re gossiping about.

But a small voice in the back of my mind whispers a question I don’t want to face.

Are they wrong?

The knot in my chest tightens as their voices drift into other topics. I force my legs to move, taking slow, deliberate steps into the kitchen.

Doreen looks up first, her face going pale. “Oh, hello, Mrs. Brannagan. I didn’t realize you were home. Have you been here long?”

“Just got in,” I say, keeping my tone light. “My only meeting canceled so I decided to take the rest of the day off and spend it with my daughter. Why don’t you head out early? I can look after Rose now.”

Doreen hesitates, exchanging a glance with the maid, but she nods. “Of course. Rose is in her room. I just put her down for her mid-morning nap.”

“Alright. Thank you,” I reply, keeping my expression neutral.

They leave quickly, murmuring polite goodbyes. The moment the door closes, I lean against the counter, staring at the spotless kitchen without really seeing it.

“You can take the rest of the day off too, Sylvia,” I say, barely looking at the maid as I head for Rose’s room. My stomach is churning as I process what I’ve just heard.

Inside my daughter’s room, I find her curled up under her blanket, clutching her stuffed rabbit in one hand, her little chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm.

The sight of her melts something in me. What am I doing? Am I putting her life in danger? Am I a bad mother for wanting to be with Kellan, for wanting to be happy?

But my doubts momentarily fade when she stirs and blinks up at me, her little voice murmuring, “Mama?”

“Hey, sweetheart,” I whisper, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “How about we go for a walk? Just you and me today.”

Her sweet smile is all the answer I need, and I get her dressed in something warm, bundling her up as we head out for the park.

Walking along the path, I push Rose in her stroller, listening to her babble about the pigeons bobbing around and the leaves that blow past in the breeze.

My guilt starts creeping back in as we walk through the trees and into the forested area. I’d fought so hard to keep her and Kellan apart. I built up walls, lied to everyone, anything I could to keep my baby safe.

But here I am, willingly waltzing back into his life and dragging my innocent child along with me. Anxiety curls in my stomach and I swallow, trying to keep the nausea at bay.

The breeze picks up, the air getting chilly, so I suggest to Rose that we head to the library and her little face lights up in excitement. She adores the children’s section with the colorful rugs, painted murals, and the foam blocks for little readers.

The short trip should settle my nerves, but my thoughts are relentless, circling back to the conversation I overheard, and worse, to the truths I can’t ignore.

Rose has already been a target once. That evening is burned into my memory, the way those men didn’t even hesitate to attack a woman and her child, the way I felt terrified and helpless.

Kellan came through for us then, but what about the next time?

She’ll always be a target of his enemies if we stay.

Getting her settled in with a few picture books, I pull up the library’s app and pick something to download to my phone, needing a distraction.

The idea of running crosses my mind again, as it has several times before.

If I could take her somewhere far away, where no one knew us, maybe she’d be safe.

We could leave this all behind, find somewhere warm and sunny, and settle down, just the two of us again.

Away from my dad’s debts, away from Kellan’s dangerous lifestyle…

But then I realize that without Kellan’s protection, we could end up even more vulnerable. Without him around, no one could protect us if someone decided to track us down. Being around him puts us at risk, but it also keeps anything more from happening.

Not to mention we’d be leaving Kellan behind in all this.

No matter what, I can’t ignore the growing feelings I’ve been having.

I wanted to fight hard to protect myself from him, from this.

But Kellan managed to tear down my walls piece by piece, leaving pieces of himself behind in exchange.

His mark on my heart is indelible now, and I don’t know where my resistance ended and the desire for more began.

My chest tightens at the thought and I shake my head, trying to push it away as I read the newest James Patterson book. But my head is weighed down by these thoughts I can’t escape.

Rose deserves better than this. She deserves a life free of fear and worry and always looking over her shoulder. Taking her away is the right thing, isn’t it? But how do I give that to her when my heart is so intrinsically wrapped up in Kellan now?

The thought of leaving him, of saying goodbye to the life I have with him, sets an ache inside me that I can’t quell.

We spend the rest of the afternoon at the library, looking at books and climbing on the foam blocks, but I’m restless and jittery the whole time, like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.

When we return to the penthouse, I try to focus on something productive, hoping it will calm my restless energy. Rose settles on the floor with her books and blocks, and I move to the kitchen, pulling out ingredients for dinner.

The rhythm of chopping vegetables and stirring sauces helps, if only a little.

The penthouse feels too quiet, the weight of my thoughts pressing down on me.

I keep glancing at the clock, wondering when Kellan will be home.

Despite everything, I’m eager to see him, to feel like we’re on the same side again.

The sound of the front door opening makes my heart leap, and I quickly wipe my hands on a towel, turning to greet him. “Hey, you’re home.”

He doesn’t respond. His jacket is slung over one arm, and his tie is loose around his neck as he walks straight past me, heading for the living room. I hear the click of the remote as the TV turns on and the news anchor’s voice fills the room.

I follow him, confused by his silence. He’s sitting on the couch, his attention fixed on the screen. The headline scrolling across the bottom catches my eye. Lachlan Brannagan Sr. Responsible for Missing Wife?

My stomach tightens as the reporter outlines the details, and I glance at Kellan. His expression is stony, his jaw tight. “Kellan?” I ask carefully. “What’s going on?”

He exhales sharply, rubbing a hand over his face. “It’s been a hell of a day, Darcy.”

I wait, but he doesn’t elaborate. “Is it about the Russians again?” I press.

He finally looks at me, his eyes dark with exhaustion. “Yeah. They came after us and we responded. This is their response to ours. Anatoly and his men are pissed. A few of them tried to retaliate today. They showed up at the office.”

My chest tightens at his words, and I step closer. “Are you okay? What happened?”

“I handled it,” he says shortly, leaning back against the couch. “But that’s not the point.” His gaze sharpens, and his tone turns accusatory. “Where were you today? You weren’t here. The maid said you sent her away.”

I blink, startled by the sudden shift. “I took Rose to the park and the library. We spent the afternoon out.”

His eyes narrow, and he sits forward, his elbows on his knees. “I told you to stay here. It’s not safe, Darcy.”

His words light a spark of irritation, and I cross my arms. “You didn’t tell me anything. And I’m not going to keep Rose locked up like a prisoner. She deserves better than that.”

“You think I’m doing this for fun?” he snaps, his voice rising. “This isn’t about what you or Rose deserve. It’s about keeping you safe. Both of you.”

I bristle at his tone, my frustration bubbling over. “Maybe if you actually explained things instead of barking orders, I wouldn’t have to guess what’s going on.”

His glare deepens, but he doesn’t respond, turning back to the TV instead.

The silence between us feels like a chasm, and the weight of it presses down on me. He’s shutting me out again, retreating behind walls I can’t climb.

As I turn back to the kitchen to finish dinner, the guilt and frustration I’ve been carrying all day settle heavily on my shoulders. Maybe I was wrong to think we could make this work. Maybe running is the only way to protect Rose—and myself—from the storm that always seems to follow Kellan.

The thought twists painfully in my chest, but I can’t shake it.

I wish there were an easy answer to this situation.

I wish I knew what the right thing was to do.

Do I stay with Kellan, let him continue protecting us but stay in a doomed marriage, or do I run and risk my child’s life without Kellan around as protection?

I’m just plating dinner when my phone buzzes on the counter. Frowning, I wipe my hands and glance at the screen. The number is unfamiliar.

“Hello?” I answer, a flicker of unease settling in.

“Is this Darcy Flynn?” The voice on the other end is calm but professional, and it immediately puts me on edge.

“Yes, this is her,” I answer, confused. No one has called me by my maiden name in months.

“This is St. Lucien’s Hospital. You’re listed as Max Flynn’s emergency contact. Your father collapsed and had to be brought in.”

The room seems to tilt, my grip tightening on the counter for support. “What’s going on?” I ask, my voice wobbling. “Is he okay?”

“He’s in stable condition, but he’s sedated right now,” the person says. “We need more information. Does he have any conditions we should be aware of?”

“He’s… he’s got cancer,” I say, swallowing hard. “Oh, my God. Is that what’s happening? Is it the cancer?”

“We’ll keep you informed, Ms. Flynn. For now, we’re running tests. Can you come in and help us with more information on him?”

I feel like I can’t breathe. I’ve been so caught up in my own problems that I’d pushed all my father’s stuff to the side, trying to pretend like it didn’t exist, and now here I am, confronted face to face with it.

What’s going to happen to him?