Page 18 of Royal Deception
Mark gives me a calculating look, the hint of a smile returning to his lips. “I’m glad to hear that. I need someone who doesn’t flinch when things get tough. Someone who understands the bigger picture.”
“I’m the guy you’re looking for,” I tell him, my tone full of confidence as I sit up straighter. “You may have heard stories about the Brannagan family—about our connections, our resources. Rumor and innuendo are ugly things, but there’s often a grain of truth in them. You can rest assured that we’re not afraid to get our hands dirty to protect our clients.”
Mark nods slowly, his fingers drumming on the edge of the table. I can practically see the wheels turning in his head as he considers everything I’ve said.
Finally, he looks up at me. “I think we can make this work. I’ll have my team reach out to yours to get the specifics nailed down. But I want to move quickly, Rory. We’ve got an opportunity to make something big happen, and I’m not willing to wait around.”
I nod. “You’ve got my word. We’re in this together, Mark.”
“Good. Let’s toast to our partnership then,” Mark offers, holding up his glass. As they clink together, satisfaction hums through me. The Brannagan name will mean something soon—something more than whispers in the dark. This is the first step toward real power.
But my overeagerness comes back to bite me that evening when Lucky storms into my office, his face like thunder, fists clenched at his sides.
“You got us into bed with Mark Veridan?” he demands, shoving the door shut behind him. “Rory, I know you’re the boss, but that was a fucking stupid thing to do.”
I push back from my chair, rising slowly. Lucky’s taller than me, but I don’t let that matter. I straighten, leveling him with a cold stare. “Yes, I did,” I say, my voice calm, controlled. “Got a problem with that?”
“Yeah, I do.” His glare sharpens. “There are serious rumors that Veridex has ties to Volkov and his network.”
My stomach knots, but I don’t let it show. “That’s just fucking great,” I mutter before stabbing the intercom button. “Clary, get in here. Now.”
Seconds later, Clary steps inside, her frown deepening as she takes in Lucky’s stance, my expression. “What’s going on?”
“You tell me,” I snap, pacing behind my desk. “I asked for a full report on Veridan and his company. Why the hell didn’t you find anything about ties to fucking Anatoly Volkov?”
She blanches but stands her ground. “Nothing like that came up,” she says, voice tight with certainty. “I dug as deep as I could. If it’s true, then they worked damn hard to bury it.”
Lucky exhales sharply. “Well, yelling about it won’t change anything. We need to figure out what we’re dealing with.”
“Find out everything,” I order, my voice razor-sharp. “I want to know if Mark Veridan and Volkov have even pissed in the same bathroom together.”
Lucky nods, already moving for the door.
Before I can turn back to Clary, my phone vibrates—three sharp pings in quick succession. I glance at the screen.
We know about your meeting.
You’ve made a grave mistake.
There will be consequences.
8
CLARY
Lucky storms off, and I wrap my arms around my body, knowing what’s about to happen. The moment the door clicks shut behind him, Rory rounds on me, his eyes ablaze, jaw clenched tight. I can feel the fury rolling off him in waves.
“You had onefuckingjob, Clary. One job!” He steps forward, and I back up, hands reaching out for the knob. “You were supposed to get me the intel on the client and you missed the most important fucking detail. How?”
My fingers dig into my arms, trying to keep myself grounded, to keep the frustration and anger inside.
“I did everything you asked,” I snap at him, meeting his gaze squarely. “I looked into Veridex. Iduginto them. I turned over every rock and pebble out there. If there was anything connecting Mr. Veridan to Volkov, they did a damned good job of hiding it!”
“And yet Lucky knew.”
“Because he heard things!” I shoot back. “He knew the rumors. Do you expect me to chase down every whisper, every rumor or ghost story that passes by? Maybe I should havechecked whether Mr. Veridan’s great-uncle’s cousin’s best friend once looked at Volkov the wrong way too.”
The tic in his jaw comes back. “I can’t believe you failed this one simple task.”
