Page 59 of Royal Deception

My heart leaps into my throat.

“Clary, will you be my submissive? Permanently?”

My breath catches, and I stare at it, realizing this might be the closest thing to a proposal I’ll ever get from Rory.

25

RORY

Ihold my breath as I watch Clary stare at the collar, her fingers tracing the cool metal and the deep blue crystal at its center. The seconds stretch between us, my pulse hammering as I wait for her answer.

Then, she looks up at me, eyes shining with emotion. “Yes,” she whispers, then says it again, stronger this time. “Yes, I want to be yours.”

A rush of something powerful—something I don’t dare name—floods my chest. I undo the clasp and bring the collar around her neck, fastening it in place. The lock clicks shut with finality, and I make a deliberate show of walking over to my bedside drawer, pulling it open, and placing the tiny key inside.

“There,” I say, turning back to her. “It stays on unless I take it off. Understood?”

She nods, her fingers brushing over the pendant, a soft smile playing on her lips.

“Good girl.”

A deep sense of satisfaction settles over me as I pull her into bed, tucking her close against my chest. The last few days have been a mess of emotions, a push and pull I wasn’t surewe’d survive. But now, with her warm and steady in my arms, something in me settles.

Clary is mine.

And I’m not letting her go.

I waketo the feeling of Clary shifting against me, the press of her body still warm from sleep. The faintest streaks of light filter in through the curtains, and I blink, letting my mind catch up to reality.

Then, it hits me.

The gala.

Today is the day.

I exhale sharply, rubbing a hand over my face. There’s so much work to be done and it feels like not enough time to do it.

Clary yawns next to me and rolls over, a soft, sleepy smile on her face as she touches the pendant on her necklace. It looks good on her, and I lean over and kiss her collarbone.

“Good morning, Pet,” I say, pushing her hair out of her face. “I have a lot of work to do before tonight, but I’ll be back this afternoon to get ready.” There’s a hint of teasing in my tone, and I reach out and stroke her cheek.

As I pull on my clothes, I feel Clary’s gaze on me, and when I turn back to her, she’s still lounging against the pillows, the silver chain of her collar glinting in the soft morning light.

So beautiful.

I lean down to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and, without thinking, press a kiss to her lips. It’s quick, barely a second, but something about it sticks in my chest.

She blinks up at me, lips parting slightly. I smirk and pull away. “Be good while I’m gone.”

She rolls her eyes, but there’s a softness in them. “Be safe.”

I don’t respond to that. I never make promises I’m not sure I can keep. Instead, I grab my jacket and head out, shoving the odd moment from my mind. It was just a kiss. No big deal.

The morning drags on as we arrive at the venue, and I quickly switch gears to a cold efficiency I need to handle the day. The building looms in front of us—high ceilings, marble floors, polished wood. Everything about it screams high-class luxury, but I’m looking past all of that, eyes scanning for anything that could go wrong.

As we work through the venue, I’m hyperaware of every person walking through the door, every sound that’s out of place. It’s the calm before the storm. The gala tonight is going to be a spectacle. And I know we may be facing an even bigger spectacle from the Russians, but I’m prepared.

By the time we finish our sweep, the team and I feel confident. The venue is secured. We’ve got our eyes on everything.