Page 46 of Royal Deception (Royals of the Underworld #2)

RORY

“ I ’m coming home,” I tell Lucky, staring at Aleksey as he gets into his car. I watch long enough to ensure he’s driving off before nodding to my men, and we start heading to our own cars, the confrontation over.

The moment I step back into the apartment, I can feel the weight of the world lift just a little.

Clary's standing there, waiting, her eyes wide with worry. I don't know how she looks so perfect after everything we’ve just been through, but she does. Her lips part, and before I can say a word, she’s in my arms, her hands clutching at my jacket like she’s afraid I’ll disappear if she lets go.

I pull her close, breathing in the scent of her hair, the softness of her body. She’s here. Safe. That’s all that matters right now. My heart beats in a way I didn’t realize it could, faster than it ever has before.

"I thought I'd lose you," she murmurs, her voice shaky. "I?—"

"Not happening," I growl against her hair, kissing the top of her head. "Never."

Lucky clears his throat from the door, and Liam steps forward, his eyes flicking between Clary and me. The tension is still thick in the room, the air charged with a question neither of them wants to ask but both of them need the answer to.

"What happened?" Liam asks, his tone more urgent than I’ve heard in a long time.

I pull back from Clary, my hands still on her shoulders. “I bluffed,” I say, voice low but firm. The words feel heavier than they should, but it’s the truth.

They both look at me as though I’m crazy, and I grin. “Told them all that intel we had on Anatoly? Said he wasn’t the only one. Bastard could try to take the business from me, but if he wanted to try, we would turn the rest of what we had over to the Feds.”

“Did he believe you?” Liam asks, almost breathless.

“He questioned me. Asked why I didn’t turn him in then.

I implied that our informant had given us enough to turn in not just him, but every other man at the top of their organization.

I was only playing nice because I didn’t want things to turn into a full-scale war, but if he tested me, he would get what he deserved. ”

Clary’s hand finds mine again, her fingers squeezing with something like relief and disbelief all at once. “So… you didn’t just give in?” she asks, looking up at me like she’s waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"No," I answer, shaking my head. "I didn’t give in. I gave Aleksey a choice.”

I take a deep breath, running a hand through my hair as I turn back to face Clary, Liam, and Lucky.

"I told Aleksey exactly what I wanted. No more messing with Veridex or Mark. I demanded that he sell his shares, completely pull out of everything. I also made it crystal clear that if they wanted to keep pushing on Callie’s stalker, they’d regret it.

I told him to hand him over to us and that we’d deal with him ourselves. "

Liam leans forward, brows furrowing. “And Aleksey… he agreed?”

I nod, my gaze hardening as I recall the conversation.

“Reluctantly, yeah. He knew I wasn’t bluffing anymore.

But here’s the kicker—he told me that Callie’s stalker had nothing to do with the Russians.

Apparently, he was one of their former men.

They’d sent him away when his mental health became too unstable.

He’s been fixated on Callie ever since, and it’s all been of his own accord. ”

Clary’s hand finds mine again, squeezing tight as she listens, her face a mask of concern. “So… they didn’t have anything to do with it?” she asks, her voice tight with the weight of the truth.

I shake my head. “No. But it doesn’t make him any less dangerous. I’ll take whatever I can get, and we’ll deal with this bastard ourselves.” I glance at Lucky and Liam. “This isn’t over. Not by a long shot.”

Liam's face hardens. "No way in hell we let that guy go free now."

Lucky nods in agreement. "Not a chance."

Clary looks between us, eyes wide, as if finally processing everything that’s happened in one go. "What does this mean for me? For Callie?" Her voice is quieter now, vulnerable, and I feel a pang of guilt for all the chaos she's been pulled into.

"It means we’re keeping our eyes open," I reply, my tone firm but reassuring. "We’re not going to let our guard down. And we’ll get to the bottom of this stalker mess. But right now, the focus is on making sure you're safe and that no one gets to hurt you again."

I pull her closer, needing the reassurance that she’s still here, still with me. There’s so much left to handle, but for now, I just need her in my arms.

Clary looks up at me, her eyes filled with both awe and something else—something I’m not sure I deserve. “You were really willing to burn everything down for me?” she asks, her voice barely a whisper.

I don’t hesitate. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you and the baby safe. You’re mine, Clary. And nothing, not even Aleksey, is going to change that.”

I look at Lucky and Liam, my expression softening as I gesture to the door. “You two can give us a minute. I need some time alone with Clary.”

Lucky raises an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Oh, sure. Because you’ve been so subtle about how you feel.”

Liam chuckles under his breath. “Yeah, wasn’t it just a few days ago you were telling us there was nothing going on?”

I roll my eyes, but I can’t help the smile that pulls at my lips. “I was an idiot. Now get out before I throw you out.”

They both laugh, stepping back. “Glad you’re alright, Rory,” Lucky says, his voice softening just a bit. “We’ll be around if you need anything.”

Liam claps me on the shoulder. “Take care of her, Bro. And, uh, don't make us come in here to kick your ass later, alright?”

I grin at them, but they’re already heading for the door. “Get out of here,” I call after them. “I mean it.”

With a final chuckle and a nod of relief, they leave, closing the door behind them.

The apartment is quiet again, and I turn back to Clary, my heart hammering in my chest. She's still here. Safe. And I’m not letting anyone take her away from me.

I walk toward her, my eyes soft as I hold out my hand. "You okay?"

Clary gives me a small smile, her eyes filled with a mix of relief and exhaustion. She nods, then lets out a shaky breath. "Yeah. Just… a lot to process."

I step closer, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I know. But I’m here now. I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again."

Clary looks up at me, her gaze steady, but there’s an unreadable emotion in her eyes. "I don’t know what I would’ve done if something happened to you, Rory."

I hold her tighter, feeling her breath against my chest, but it’s not enough. I need to say this—no more holding back, no more pretending I’m fine. I can’t lose her again, not after everything.

I pull back slightly, my hands resting on her shoulders as I look down at her, my heart pounding in my chest. “Clary… I need to say this.” My voice is rough, the words feeling heavy, but they need to be said.

She looks up at me, her eyes wide, waiting, and I can feel the weight of the moment settle between us. This is it. I almost lost her. I could have lost her, and it doesn’t matter how many businesses or battles I’ve fought in my life. This woman, right here, means more than anything.

“I’m sorry,” I say, my voice low but steady.

“For the way I treated you, for the way I kept you at arm’s length.

I was too scared to admit what you meant to me.

Too fucking proud, too caught up in who I thought I was.

I convinced myself that keeping you at a distance, keeping everything with us about power and control, was enough. ”

I shake my head, frustrated with myself. “But it wasn’t. It’s never been enough. I almost lost you, Clary. And I don’t know if I could’ve come back from that. You’re… you're everything to me. The thought of not having you in my life, of your being taken from me, it…”

I pause, swallowing the tightness in my throat. Focus, Rory. No more hiding behind walls.

I look her in the eyes, my grip on her tightening, desperate for her to hear this.

“I love you, Clary. I love you in a way I didn’t think I was capable of.

And I want to be with you. In every way.

Not as some fucking game. Not as this twisted D/S dynamic I used to think was all we needed.

” I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head again.

“That was just my own way of hiding from what I was too scared to face. But I’m done with that.

I’m done pretending that I don’t want all of you.

I want us, Clary. I want to be with you, no walls between us, no distance. Just you and me. Forever.”

I take a deep breath, my hands still holding her, searching her eyes. “But I need to know… can you accept this? Can you accept me? All of me—without the games, without the control? Because I’m offering you everything. All of myself, Clary. No more walls. No more holding back.”

My heart pounds, the silence stretching between us, and I hold my breath, waiting for her answer.

Clary opens her mouth and grimaces, tilting her head like she’s unsure, and my heart squeezes in my chest. “Clary?” My voice breaks on her name.

But then, she winces. It’s sharp and sudden, and I feel the blood drain from my face as I pull back slightly, eyes narrowing in concern.

“Clary? Are you okay?” I ask, voice tight with worry.

She nods quickly, but then her hand moves to her belly, clutching it. Her breath hitches and she winces again, harder this time.

I can feel the shift in the air. Her face pales, her eyes wide with panic.

“Clary?” I say, my tone rising. “What’s happening?”

She swallows hard, her hand still pressed to her stomach, and then her voice shakes as she speaks. “Rory… Something’s wrong. With the baby. We need to go to the hospital. Now.”

But her breathing is quick, shallow, and I can see the fear in her eyes, the way she’s clutching her belly as if trying to hold everything together. I feel it in the pit of my stomach—this isn’t good.

“Please, Rory,” she says, her voice tight with fear. “We need to go. It hurts… I don’t know what’s happening.”

“Okay, okay. I’ve got you,” I say, my voice low and firm, trying to keep my own panic at bay. I don’t give her time to protest as I pull her into my arms, moving quickly toward the door.

By the time we get downstairs, I’m already dialing for an ambulance. But with every second that ticks by, my mind races through a thousand terrible thoughts, each worse than the last.

When the ambulance pulls up, I’m barely aware of anything except the way Clary grips my hand. The pain in her eyes, the way she’s trembling, I can’t stand it.

They load her in quickly, but when they tell me I can’t come with her, the world feels like it’s falling apart. I stand at the back of the ambulance, clutching her hand as they rush her into the back, the door closing between us.

“Clary!” I shout, my voice desperate.

She looks back at me, her face a mix of fear and determination, but the door slams shut before I can hear her reply.

I stand frozen, my heart in my throat, the seconds dragging on. All I can do is wait—and hope that she and the baby are going to be okay.