Page 109 of Royal Deception

I don’t stop moving, don’t stop thinking, don’t stop commanding. The weight of my empire, my family, Clary’s life—it’s all riding on this.

I turn back to Lucky, who’s still on the phone. “Tell Liam to have the tunnels watched. If they’re moving Clary, they might try to use the underground routes.”

Lucky nods, relaying the message.

“Where the fuck is Seamus?” I growl, turning back to Connor.

“He’s on his way, Boss,” Connor stammers.

“Not fucking fast enough,” I snap. “Tell him if he’s not here in five minutes, I’ll find a new fucking strategist.”

I grab my own phone and call Aidan, one of our best trackers. The second he picks up, I don’t even give him a chance to speak. “I need an address on Clary now. Pull every favor, check every feed, shake every fucking rat in this city. I don’t care how you do it, just get it done.”

“Yes, Boss,” Aidan says immediately.

I hang up and turn to the rest of my men, standing there, watching me, waiting for orders. “Move!” I bellow, and the men jump like they’ve been electrocuted.

Lucky is still on the phone with Liam, relaying information. “We need eyes on every road leading in and out of Russian territory. If they try to move her, I want them cut off before they get a mile out.”

I turn to Connor, who’s pacing as he talks to Seamus. “Tell him we need exit strategies. Multiple. In case this goes to shit.”

Connor nods frantically, shoving his phone closer to his ear as he repeats my words.

“Where the fuck is our firepower?” I bark, turning to another soldier.

“We’ve got two SUVs loaded with weapons in the garage, Boss,” he says, breathless.

“Not enough. I want everything we have ready—body armor, extra clips, explosives if we need them. This isn’t a fucking negotiation.”

He bolts, shouting orders to the others.

I grab my own phone and dial Aidan again. He barely gets out a “Boss?” before I cut him off.

“Tell me you have something.”

“Nothing concrete yet, but I’ve got surveillance pulling every available feed?—”

“Not fucking good enough. You have fifteen minutes to get me an address or I start kicking down doors at random. And if I do that, the body count’s going to be high, Aidan.”

“I–I’ll get it, Boss,” he stammers.

I hang up and turn to Lucky, who’s just ended his call. “What did Kellan say?”

“He’s reaching out to Aleksey now, seeing if he can stall.”

“Good.” I turn to one of our newer guys, standing frozen like an idiot. “Go. Get the damn cars in position.”

He stumbles, then sprints toward the garage.

Doors slam. Boots thunder against the floors. Men rush past me, loading guns, strapping on vests, shouting at each other as the preparations reach a fever pitch.

Seamus finally shows up, panting, shoving a map onto the table. “I’ve got potential locations based on where Aleksey’s been moving his operations.”

I don’t need to hear the rest. I snatch the map from his hands. “Mark the most likely.”

He doesn’t hesitate, circling a building near the docks. “This one’s our best bet.”

“Then we hit it first,” I say, finality in my voice. “If she’s not there, we go to the next. And the next. And we don’t stop until we have her.”