Page 44 of Royal Deception (Royals of the Underworld #2)

RORY

T he phone rings once, twice, and I’m already bracing myself for the storm that’s coming when Aleksey finally picks up. His voice is low and measured, but the anger behind it is unmistakable.

“You really thought you could get away with this, Rory?” he asks, the words dripping with disdain. “Anatoly’s in a cell, and you think you’ve won?”

I clench my jaw, but my grip on the phone tightens, my heart pounding in my chest. “What do you want, Aleksey?” If he thinks he can get to me, he’s fucking stupid. We just put Anatoly in prison. We’re un-fucking-touchable right now.

He chuckles darkly, like he’s savoring the moment. “What do I want? Oh, it’s simple. You give me yourself. You hand over control of your family’s business. Everything you’ve worked for, Rory. You’ll give it all to the Russians. And then, I’ll let Clary and her baby go.”

My throat tightens at the mention of her, and I fight to keep my voice steady. “Or?”

Aleksey’s tone sharpens, and the threat is clear. “Or they die. Both of them. You think I’m playing around with you? This is the cost of your little stunt. You’ve poked the hornet’s nest, Rory. And now, you’ll pay the price.”

Silence stretches between us. I can’t breathe. I can’t think.

Hand over my empire. Surrender everything I’ve built, everything I’ve bled for. The thought alone sends a sharp stab of panic through me. My businesses, my control, my power—it’s who I am. It’s what I know. Without it, what the hell am I?

Without that, I’m nothing. I took over what our father built and grew it even bigger. I expanded our reach. I’ve put my blood, sweat, tears, heart, and soul into my business. It’s always come first.

I can’t give that up.

But… that means I’d be giving over Clary to this man. I’d be handing over our baby.

The thought of losing her punches me in the gut. Living without Clary? Having a life without her warmth, her kindness, her determination? She’s become everything to me. She’s my entire world.

My world would go on somehow if I lost the business, if I handed everything over.

But if I lost her? That would be the end for me. I wouldn’t be able to continue. She’s everything I’ve ever needed that I didn’t know I wanted. She challenges me to be a better man. She’s made me feel something real for the first time in my life.

The thought of losing her—of losing our baby—drowns out everything else.

I grip the phone so tightly my knuckles pop. My voice is steady when I finally speak. “Fine. One hour. I’ll be there.”

Aleksey chuckles, satisfied. “Good boy.”

The line goes dead.

As soon as I lower the phone, Lucky explodes.

“You’ve lost your goddamn mind!” His voice is raw with disbelief. “You’re really gonna throw everything away? For a woman?”

I turn to face him, jaw clenched. “For Clary .”

Lucky scoffs, running a hand through his hair. “This isn’t you, Rory! We’ve spent our whole lives building this empire, and now you’re just gonna hand it over to the fucking Russians? What the hell are you thinking?”

I take a slow breath, trying to keep my temper in check. “You don’t understand, Lucky. You won’t understand. Not until you’ve fallen in love with someone whose life matters more than your own.”

His expression twists in frustration. “You fucking idiot! Look what you’re saying!

Being with that woman has turned you weak.

You always said relationships are crap and love turns men into fools.

And look at what’s happening right now. It’s proving you right!

You’ve always said it, and now you’re proving it! ”

I shake my head, my chest tightening. “No.” My voice is firm, unwavering. “It’s making me strong.”

Lucky stares at me like I’ve lost my mind.

“I spent my whole life thinking being in a relationship meant sacrificing who I was,” I continue, my voice rough.

“Thinking that it meant I had to surrender control, and now I understand that love isn’t weakness.

It’s given me the strength to walk away from this life.

If it’s weak to put Clary and our baby above all of this, then I’ll be weak. A thousand times over.”

Lucky’s hands clench into fists at his sides, his jaw tight with frustration. Then he exhales sharply and shakes his head. “Fine. Give it up. Hand everything over if that’s what you really want.”

I open my mouth, but he cuts me off.

“But we’ve got an hour,” he says, voice firm. “One hour to figure out where Clary’s being held, get her back, and keep this empire from crumbling. And I know you can do it, Rory. I know you’re capable of pulling this off.”

I shake my head. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep Clary safe.”

Lucky takes a step closer, eyes blazing.

“And keeping Clary safe means having the connections and the businesses to do it. You think the Russians will just let you and Clary live happily ever after once they’ve got control?

They’ll bleed this city dry, and they’ll own you.

You won’t be able to protect her from shit if you don’t have the power to back it up. ”

His words slam into me like a punch to the gut. I know he’s right. Giving up my power won’t just leave me defenseless. It’ll leave her defenseless. And that’s not an option.

I take a deep breath, steadying myself, and then I snap my fingers at Lucky. “Call Liam. Call Kellan. Get them both on the line now.”

Lucky nods and immediately pulls out his phone.

I turn to Connor, one of our enforcers, standing nearby like he doesn’t know what to do with himself. “Get me Seamus. Right fucking now.”

He hesitates for half a second too long. I glare at him. “Do I look like I’m in the mood to repeat myself?”

Connor jumps and rushes off to make the call.

I whip around, pointing at another guy. “Get the cars ready. We leave the second we have an address.”

He bolts like the devil himself is chasing him.

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.”

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.”