Page 1 of Royal Deception

1

RORY

This silence is all wrong.

It’s unnatural.

There’s plenty of noise outside my office. Between the steady thrum of traffic, the muffled shouts of workers unloading shipments in the alley, and even the occasional snatches of conversation in the hallway, there’s noise around me.

But this silence gnaws at me.

It’s been almost a year since our standoff with the Russians—when they snatched up Kellan’s little girl and we went toe to toe to fight them off. Since the confrontation, there’s been nothing but dead silence from their side of town.

I lean back in my chair, the reports spread across my desk, contemplating our victory over the Russians. It should feel like a win, but it doesn’t. I know that the Russians are still out there.

I know they’re waiting. Plotting. Things aren’t over between us.

Tossing my pen down, I rub a hand over my jaw, the sandpaper stubble evidence that I’ve been having more than a few sleepless nights.

My older brother Kellan disagrees with my fears. He thinks we’ve broken them, that they’ve cut their losses and slithered back into the dark.

But he’s wrong. The Bratva doesn’t lick its wounds. It sharpens its knives.

The thought sits in my chest like a weight, but I can’t shake it.

My phone buzzes against the desk, dragging me out of my head. I glance at the screen and see Lucky’s name flash across it with a message about an afternoon meeting. Shaking my head, I let it go unanswered, the vibration fading as I grab one of the reports to start looking it over.

We might have come out on top, but that doesn’t mean I’m letting my guard down. Complacency gets you killed, and I didn’t claw my way up from nothing just to fall now. The Brannagans don’t fold.

Still, my thoughts circle back to the last few months—not just the Russians but everything. The wedding, its aftermath, and the mess I made with Clary.

I grit my teeth, shutting the thought down as I cross to the window. Outside, the city moves on like nothing’s wrong, like we’re not sitting on a powder keg waiting to blow.

But nothing stays quiet forever.

My phone rings again, startling me out of my silent musing. I pick it up, glancing at the screen long enough to see Kellan calling me this time.

Reluctant to ignore my elder brother, I put him on speakerphone as I sort through these piles of reports. “Rory,” I answer, furrowing my brow at the stack of invoices in my hand.

“Just confirming that we’re still on for drinks at Clover & Thistle,” Kellan says, his deep voice crackling through the speaker. “You’ve been staying late at the office every night this week and I’m worried about you,dear brother.”

Guilt churns in my gut, and I sigh, running a hand through my hair. I’d forgotten about that, to be honest. I scheduled this meetup with Kellan weeks ago.

“Yeah, I know,” I grind out, reaching for the tumbler of whiskey on my desk. I take a sip, letting the burn slide down my throat as I mentally try to decide whether I should cancel.

“You’re not canceling on me again.” Kellan’s voice is stern, authoritative, leaving no room for argument. I stiffen, chafing against the protective big brother tone.

“Come on,” Kellan says, his tone softening. “I have some new pictures of the kids,” he offers, dangling the proverbial carrot. I smother down my irritation, the temptation of seeing my niece and nephew enough to temper the guilt, frustration, and stress swirling around inside me.

Another sigh escapes me, and I push back from the chair, straightening my tie. “Fine,” I concede. “But only an hour.”

Kellan chuckles.

An hour and a half later, we’re three drinks in, and the tension of the day has fallen from my shoulders as I swipe through photos of Rose and little Patrick.

“That’s from the day we took Patrick to the botanical gardens,” Kellan explains as I pause on a photo of a butterfly landing on the handle of Patrick’s stroller. Rose is holding onto the handle as well, and twisting slightly to look behind her. The photo is adorable, and I can’t help the clench I feel inside as I take it in.

Family is everything to me, and despite my prior reservations about Darcy and Kellan’s arrangement, I’m truly glad things worked out. I wouldn’t trade my niece and nephew for the world.