Page 110 of Royal Deception

There’s no argument.

Engines roar outside as the SUVs are brought around. Weapons click as magazines are loaded, safeties switched off.

I roll my shoulders, feeling the controlled fury settle into my bones. I look around at my men—my army.

The air is thick with tension, a storm about to break. Every man here knows what’s at stake, knows that by the end of the night, we’ll either have Clary back… or bodies will be piling up in the streets.

I stand at the head of the room, my gaze sweeping over my soldiers. My brothers. These men would follow me to hell and back, and if Aleksey thinks he can keep what’s mine, then that’s exactly where we’re going.

“We’re ready, Boss,” Connor says, strapping on his holster. “We’ve got three SUVs locked and loaded. Extra ammo, armor, and a backup plan if we need to level the whole fucking block.”

Lucky steps up next to me, adjusting his earpiece. “Kellan says Aleksey’s still waiting for your call. Stalling’s working—for now. But we don’t have long before he gets impatient.”

I nod sharply. “Then we hit them before he starts making threats he thinks he can back up.”

Aidan rushes into the room, out of breath but triumphant. “Got it. Clary’s being kept in an unfinished construction site on the east end of the docks. Security is tight, but not airtight.”

A savage grin pulls at my lips. “Then we blow the fucking door down.”

I turn to my men, my voice cold and sharp as a blade. “This is a full-scale extraction. We go in, we get Clary, and we erase anyone who tries to stop us. No loose ends. No mercy. If Aleksey wants a war, he’s about to learn what real war looks like.”

A chorus of affirmations rings through the room. Weapons are checked one last time, armor adjusted. Bloodlust ignites in the eyes of my soldiers, ready to rain hell on anyone stupid enough to stand between me and my woman.

I grab my gun, slide it into its holster, and crack my knuckles.

“Let’s go burn the fucking Bratva to the ground.”

45

CLARY

Iglare at Aleksey, my blood boiling hotter than it ever has in my life. “You have some nerve threatening to hurt a pregnant woman.” My voice shakes, not from fear, but from barely restrained rage.

Aleksey smirks, tilting his head like he’s amused. “And?” He spreads his hands. “You think that makes you untouchable? This is business, sweetheart. Your condition is just… collateral damage.”

I want to lunge at him, claw his eyes out, make him pay for even thinking about harming my child, but I’m still tied up, trapped like a goddamn animal. Helpless. The only thing keeping me together is my fury.

Not the fear. Not the nagging thought in the back of my mind that I might not get out of this. Just rage.

And betrayal.

Kate. My own fucking stepmother. I knew she was a snake, but I never thought she’d actually sell me out like this. I should have, though. I should have known the moment she sank her claws into my father. The moment she made it clear she’d never see me as anything but an obstacle.

Now she’s gone, disappeared into the wind, probably off to celebrate with her Russian boyfriend while I’m left here with Aleksey and his men.

Aleksey finally stands, dusting off his suit. “I’d love to stay and chat, but I have a meeting to attend.” His grin is sharp, wolfish. “With your man.”

My stomach tightens. Rory.

Aleksey strides toward the door, leaving me under the watchful eyes of at least half a dozen Bratva enforcers. I force my expression to stay neutral, even as my heart pounds.

I might be tied up, but I’m not done fighting.

I shift my gaze between the men standing guard, my lips curling into something like a smirk. “You boys do realize what you’ve done, right?” I ask, my voice smooth, confident. “You’ve made yourselves dead men walking.”

One of them chuckles, a heavyset guy with a scar down his cheek. “Big words for a little girl in a chair.”

Another one snorts. “Think your Irish boyfriend’s gonna come storming in here and save you?”