Page 27 of Royal Deception (Royals of the Underworld #2)

RORY

I slam the ballroom doors behind me, my heart still pounding from the last few minutes. The gala is a blur at this point—Callie’s speech, Clary retreating, and the goddamn briefcase.

Lucky’s already ahead of me, his eyes narrowing as he stares at the briefcase in his arms. He looks like he’s ready to rip it open, but I shake my head.

“Not here. Let’s get to the computers. I need to see what the hell’s going on.”

We make our way through the hotel’s back corridors, not a word exchanged. Everything feels like it’s slowing down, but my mind is racing faster than I can keep up with it. The briefcase, the damn note—it’s all pointing toward something far worse than I thought.

Lucky pulls open the door to the small office I’ve commandeered for this exact kind of emergency. As I sit at the desk, he hooks up the USB drive to the computer. I watch as the files load, my jaw clenching with every passing second. I need answers, fast.

I rip open the first set of documents, my eyes scanning each page quickly.

The Russians, the goddamn Russians—they’ve been making moves behind our backs.

They’ve been quietly buying up shares of Veridex, little by little, until now, they’re just shy of being majority shareholders.

The implication? They’ve been positioning themselves for a takeover, biding their time.

“Fuck,” I mutter under my breath. This is bad, so much worse than I could have imagined.

I glance at Lucky, who’s leaning in, scrolling through the files on the USB stick. His eyes widen. “Rory,” he says, voice low. “It’s worse than just the shares. These videos… they’ve been monitoring the Brannagan hotels. Every inch of our operations.”

I feel the blood drain from my face as he pulls up the footage.

On the screen, the images flicker to life—camera footage of our hotels, our employees.

The Russians are working with Nexera, using their resources to infiltrate our operations.

They’ve got eyes on every angle of our business, and we’ve been blind to it all this time.

My hand tightens around the edge of the desk, my pulse pounding in my ears. “These bastards,” I hiss under my breath. “They’ve been planning this for months.”

Lucky looks at me, his face grim. “And they’re not stopping. They’re getting closer, Rory.”

I lean back in the chair, running a hand through my hair. This is a nightmare we can’t wake up from.

“Get Kellan on the phone. We need to move fast,” I tell him. “And keep an eye on Callie. I don’t trust her for a second now. Not with this.”

Lucky doesn’t argue. He grabs his phone, already dialing, while I turn back to the computer screen, my mind churning with a thousand thoughts.

This was never supposed to be the plan. We were supposed to be focusing on Veridex, not watching our backs against enemies that have been lurking in the shadows for far too long.

And if there’s one thing I know about situations like these, they only get worse before things get better.

I feel the weight of the moment settle on me, a deep anger bubbling just beneath the surface. These Russians think they can take Veridex from us? They think they can waltz in and steal everything my family’s worked for? No. That’s not happening. Not on my watch.

I grab the phone, fingers tight around the receiver, and hit Senator Burns' number. It rings a few times before his gravelly voice comes through.

“Burns here.”

“It’s me.” My voice is tight, the frustration bubbling up. “I’ve got a problem. The Russians, they’re making moves on Veridex. They’re buying shares, getting closer to controlling the company.”

“I know. I’ve been hearing the rumblings,” Burns says, his tone clipped. “Anatoly’s been making moves for months. But I need more, Rory. You know that. Can’t do anything with whispers and rumors. I need hard evidence.”

“I’ve got evidence.” I’m pacing the room now, restless, my fingers shaking as I glance over the documents again. “They’re working with Veridex’s rival company. They’ve got access. They’ve infiltrated everything we’re doing.”

There’s a pause on the other end, and I can hear Burns’ sharp intake of breath.

He’s processing, trying to figure out the next move.

When he speaks again, it’s with a growl of frustration.

“Christ. This is worse than I thought. I’ve been chasing Anatoly for years, trying to pin something on him.

But… we need more. We need something concrete. ”

I slam my fist down on the desk, the anger bubbling up. “What the hell does that mean? What do we do now?”

“Listen to me, Rory,” Burns says, his voice lowering.

“If we can find a way to use the Russians’ own hubris against them, we have a shot.

You watch their movements, right? If we can get a lead on where they’re hiding, where they’re operating, we could take them down.

Expose them. We can’t let them just walk in and take over. ”

I stop, staring at the documents in front of me. My brain spins, and I run my fingers through my hair, trying to make sense of it all. “Yeah, but what do we do with that info? We can’t just follow them. Do you actually think they’ll just walk into a trap?”

Burns snorts. “Of course not. But it’s the best shot we’ve got. We need everything, Rory. Every lead. Every file. Every piece of tech you’ve got.”

I pace, frustration rolling through me. I’m not sure how we’ll get it all, but I know I’ll do whatever it takes. We can’t back down now.

“I’ll get you what you need,” I tell him, though my mind is racing, trying to figure out how. “But… what happens after we expose them? What’s the next step?”

Burns’ voice is low, almost warning. “You take them down. Publicly. Every detail. You don’t leave any stone unturned. But don’t rush it, Rory. If you don’t have everything you need, if you move too fast, it could blow up in your face. These people don’t play by the rules.”

I grip the phone harder, the anger flooding through me again. “I’m not going to mess this up. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Burns sighs, like he’s done all he can. “Good. Don’t forget it. And keep your head in the game. We’ll see what happens next.”

The line goes dead, leaving me standing there, my heart racing. I’ve got a plan—sort of—but I don’t have all the answers. I don’t know how we’re going to pull this off. But one thing’s for sure. I’m not letting them get away with this. Not this time.

I return to the ballroom, my mind still spinning from the conversation with Burns. The Russians, Anatoly… everything is a tangled mess, and I’m no closer to figuring out how to stop it. But there’s one thing I know for sure. I’ve got to keep my head in the game. I can’t let this distract me.

The lights are bright, the music still playing, but it all feels a million miles away.

I catch sight of Clary near the edge of the room, her eyes watching me with a mix of curiosity and concern.

She’s standing with her arms folded, a slight frown on her lips.

Something in her expression tugs at me, but I push it down.

I walk over, my thoughts scattered. I need to focus on the event. The company. The future.

“Clary,” I say, keeping my tone firm, “you can go home. It’s late, and I’ve got work to do.”

She looks at me for a long moment, her expression tightening as if she’s processing something, but she doesn’t argue. “Okay, Rory,” she says softly, too softly, and then she turns and walks off without another word.

I swallow hard, feeling a strange weight settle in my chest. I hate that I’ve hurt her, but I can’t afford distractions right now. I have bigger things to deal with.

Time passes. My focus wavers again and again, my thoughts drifting back to Clary, even though I know I should be concentrating on Callie and the gala.

It’s as if everything around me starts to blur until I see her—Callie, her smile wide and confident, moving toward me.

She’s been waiting for me to come back, I know it.

We exchange pleasantries, and I congratulate her on her performance tonight, her poise, her charm. She beams, accepting the praise.

“Thank you, Rory,” she says, her voice sultry with that practiced sweetness she’s perfected over the years. She steps closer, her hand brushing over my chest as she locks eyes with me. The scent of her perfume is intoxicating.

And then, without warning, she leans in, her lips brushing mine.

But something in me snaps. I push her away, hard, stepping back before I even realize what I’m doing. My heart pounds in my chest, adrenaline coursing through me as the moment settles like ice in my veins.

“Rory?” Callie’s voice cracks, her eyes wide with surprise and a hint of anger.

I stare at her for a beat, trying to process what just happened. But then I know. I know what it is. It’s Clary. It’s always been Clary.

I’ve been running from it, from her, from what I feel. But now, standing here with Callie, all I can think about is her. Clary. The way she looks at me. The way she makes me feel. And I can’t ignore it anymore.

“I’m sorry, Callie,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper, the weight of my words heavy in the air between us. “I can’t do this. Not with you. Not right now.”

Her eyes narrow, a flash of hurt passing through them before she quickly masks it with a forced smile. “Fine,” she snaps. “If that’s how it is.”

She walks away, leaving me standing there, stunned by the realization that in this moment, I’ve made a choice.

It wasn’t Callie. It was never Callie.

I just hope I’m not too late.

By the time I get back to my apartment, the weight of the night feels like it’s crushing me. Everything’s spinning out of control, but nothing feels heavier than the pit in my stomach that’s been there since I sent Clary away.

I try to shake it off as I step inside, but as soon as I see what’s on my pillow, I freeze.

Clary’s eternity collar. But it’s broken.

The silver chain is neatly placed across the pillow, the pendant catching the light in a way that makes my chest tighten.

Then I see a note next to it and my heart skips a beat. I reach for it with trembling fingers, my eyes scanning the words before I can even process them.

I can’t do this anymore.