Page 21 of Royal Deception (Royals of the Underworld #2)

RORY

I tap out a reply to Callie’s email as I step out of the hotel, tucking my phone into my pocket.

The hotel’s nice, but after the security breach at the original venue, Callie had insisted on checking a few of Brannagan’s properties as backups.

This one seemed like a strong contender, if only for the added security measures we’ve got in place.

I’m here to make sure that’s the case, though, just in case any changes need to be made before the event.

I take one last glance around the property before heading for the exit. This place would work, but I want to double-check the rest of the details with my team.

But as I step out onto the sidewalk, I spot Clary a few storefronts down, her arms loaded with more shopping bags than she can carry, struggling to keep up with her stepmother, Kate, who’s barking orders at her.

I’ve met Kate before, and she’s as insufferable as I remember—condescending, dismissive. The way she’s talking to Clary right now is only adding fuel to the fire burning in my gut.

“You’re so damn slow,” Kate snaps, looking at Clary like she’s an inconvenience. “If you didn’t waste all your time being lazy, maybe you wouldn’t be so useless.”

Clary doesn’t reply, but I can see the way her body stiffens, like she’s used to it but still taking the hits.

I don’t think, just move.

I step forward, my voice cool but firm. “Let me help with that,” I say, approaching them just as they reach the curb.

Clary blinks up at me in surprise. “Rory?”

Kate scowls, the expression deepening into pure disdain. “What do you want, Brannagan?”

I don’t even look at her, focusing on Clary instead. “I’ve got it,” I insist, my hand extending out for the packages.

Clary hesitates, glancing at the bags in her arms, then looks back at me, a small sigh escaping her. “It’s fine. I’m fine.”

I lift an eyebrow. “You sure about that?” Without waiting for her to protest, I take the bags from her hands, not giving her a chance to argue.

Then, with a casual motion, I let them all fall to the sidewalk with a dull thud.

Kate gasps in outrage. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

I look at her calmly, my voice lowering to a chilling tone. “Clary’s under my protection. So if you ever speak to her like that again…” I let the silence stretch before I add, “You know exactly who I am.”

Kate snatches the bags up from the ground, glaring at me with fiery eyes before turning on her heel and storming off without another word.

I watch her go, then turn back to Clary, who’s standing there, still a little tense, her gaze flickering between me and where Kate disappeared down the street.

“Thank you,” she says quietly, her voice soft but sincere. “But, I’m sorry… I don’t know if that’ll help.”

I shrug, leaning against the brick wall. “I can handle women like Kate.”

Her gaze meets mine for a moment, though there’s still a trace of concern in her eyes. “She’s not going to just let that slide, you know. She’s… bitter.”

I raise an eyebrow. “You don’t need to worry about her.” I pause for a beat, my voice light but serious. “Kate’s not someone I have trouble dealing with.”

Clary’s lips press together as she considers my words, still unsure, but she doesn’t argue.

“So,” I say after a beat, glancing at her, “Are you busy?”

She glances down at the ground for a second, then shrugs slightly. “Not anymore. Now that I’ve been freed from being Kate’s errand boy.” The faintest smile touches her lips, though it’s more out of irony than humor.

I can’t help the smirk that plays at the corner of my mouth. “Well, in that case, I’d say you’ve got some free time to spare.”

She raises an eyebrow, but before she can ask what I mean, I offer, “Why don’t you come to my place? I could use a little company, and I’m sure you could use a break.”

Her eyes narrow slightly, suspicion and curiosity blending. “A break from what?”

I smirk, leaning in a bit, lowering my voice just enough for her to hear the implication. “From everything. You could join me at my place,” I say, a hint of innuendo in my words. “Maybe have a little fun, a little relaxation?”

Clary’s breath catches, her cheeks flushing slightly at my suggestion. “I don’t know if?—”

I cut her off gently, my tone soft but insistent. “It’ll be exactly what you need. Trust me.”

There’s a brief moment of silence before she exhales slowly, clearly torn, but then nods. “Okay. I’ll come.”

An hour later, I’m carefully squeezing Clary’s throat, counting out loud as we experiment with how long she can handle some light breath play.

I release her throat, and she takes in a gulp of air, but slowly, as I’ve instructed.

There’s a circle of marks there from where I’ve been squeezing, but Clary hasn’t complained once.

“I like the pain,” she explains, her voice slightly hoarse. “It feels like a natural kind of high. It’s grounding.”

I can understand that, even though I’m not as into pain. I’m more into watching someone immerse themselves in the sensations, a voyeur of pain, as it were.

One might call me a Sadist, but I don’t know if that fully fits. What I enjoy is watching as Clary’s mind transforms the pain into a kind of sensual pleasure for her. Something that has her craving more.

We go one more round with the breath play before I switch it up, looping a long, silver chain through the ring on her collar and attaching nipple clamps to her breasts. She’s got her hands tied behind her back as I take her from behind, fucking her on my lap roughly.

I yank her hair back, biting a mark into her neck, and she moans loudly. It’s got me so hot and bothered that I don’t even think when the words come spilling out of my mouth. “I want you to become my full-time sub.”

The two of us lock eyes, and I blink, wondering where that came from. But it feels so much clearer now. This is the role that Clary was designed to take in my life. It’s exactly what I need.

I turn her around to face me and kiss a line down her jaw. “I mean it,” I say. “You’re the perfect little submissive, Pet. I hate waiting a whole week to spend this time with you.”

“What…” Clary gasps when I bite down harder on another spot on her neck. “What would that entail?” she asks, a note of wariness in her voice.

“It would be like this, but full-time,” I tell her, pulling off to tug at the chain holding the clamps.

She moans and bucks under me, spreading her legs wider.

“But you’d come live here, with me. We’d have access to each other at all times for any scene or session we want to explore.

You’d be mine, under my full control at all times. ”

Clary’s eyes are fluttering shut as I angle my hips, hitting a spot deep inside her that has her thighs shaking. “All times?”

“You’d be a twenty-four, seven sub,” I explain, tugging the chain harder.

The pain has to be absolutely exquisite because Clary’s inner walls constrict around me and she comes apart immediately.

“I’d tell you what to eat, what to drink, what to wear, everything.

You’d do ask I ask, and in exchange, I’d protect and care for you. ”

There’s a hesitation in her eyes, and I know that she must be worried that I could terminate the arrangement at any time, throw her out with nothing, but I want to make sure she knows that it wouldn’t be like that.

“I’m serious,” I say, thrusting harder into her already abused pussy. “We can draw up a contract for it—a proper contract, not just a BDSM negotiation one. It would protect you and leave you with enough money to do whatever you wanted should something happen to cause the end of our relationship.”

“Let me think about it?” she asks, her voice rising as I hit that spot deep inside her once more. I nibble her ear, growling when she bounces harder on my lap, chasing her orgasm. I give her a warning slap on the thigh, and she has the good sense to look chagrined before backing off.

“Take all the time you need, Pet,” I tell her, kissing down her neck to her shoulders again before biting into the supple flesh, my teeth digging in.

No matter how much I expect this to hurt, Clary seems willing to endure the pain, even relishes in it if the way she moves her hips against me is anything to go by.

I thrust a few more times, gripping her hips with my nails, and we both release at the same time, collapsing as we bask in the post-orgasmic glow.

Pulling her close, I press slow, reverent kisses along her skin, lingering over the deep red bite marks that stand out starkly against her softness. I know we should clean up, but right now, I don’t want to move. I just want to keep her close.

She shifts in my arms, her fingers tracing along my jaw before she cups my face in her hands. There’s something steady, certain in her gaze—something that makes my chest tighten.

“I have an answer for you,” she whispers.

My brow lifts slightly, anticipation curling low in my stomach. “Yeah?”

She nods, her fingers flexing slightly against my skin. “I want to do it,” she says. “I’ll be your full-time submissive. As long as I know you’ll protect me, I trust you.”

This is exactly what I wanted—her submission, her trust. I should be elated. But something about the way she says it scrapes against something raw inside me. It doesn’t feel quite right. Something about it digs at me. Something I don’t want to name.

I shove the thought away before it can take root, burying it beneath a smirk. “I knew you’d say yes, Pet.”

Clary lets out a breathless giggle, rolling her eyes before tucking herself against my neck. The warmth of her skin, the steady rise and fall of her breath—it’s enough to pull me under. My body is heavy, sated, exhaustion creeping in at the edges of my mind.

I’ll just rest for a minute. Just a short nap.

A sharp buzzing yanks me out of sleep.

I blink against the darkness, my mind sluggish as I register the vibration against the nightstand. Clary is still curled against me, her soft breaths tickling my skin. Careful not to wake her, I reach for my phone, squinting at the screen.

Liam.

That’s enough to shove the exhaustion from my body. Liam doesn’t call in the middle of the night unless it’s serious.

I slip out of bed and step into the hallway before answering. “Yeah?”

“I hope you got some rest because shit just hit the fan.” Liam’s voice is tight, clipped. Bad news.

I exhale sharply, rubbing a hand down my face. “Go on.”

“The Russians pivoted.”

That wakes me up completely. “What do you mean, ‘pivoted’?”

“You know how Lucky had Darren Webb ‘taken care of’?” Liam’s tone is grim, and I already don’t like where this is going.

I press my fingers against the bridge of my nose. “Yeah.”

“Well, it looks like Aleksey isn’t too happy about losing his mole inside Veridex. So now he’s making a move through his connections at Nexera.”

I frown. “Why are they so invested in working with that company?” I demand. “Other than bringing down Veridex, what’s their angle here?

Liam draws in a deep breath. “You might have forgotten this, but Nexera has had a partnership with the Brannagan Hotel Group for years now. The Bratva now have complete access to everything about our hotel security systems.”

My breath stills.

Fuck.