Page 66 of Royal Beast
I sink onto the couch, coffee in hand, feeling the rare calm of a day without work. Darcy’s still at the hospital with Max, and while I wish I could be there to support her, I know she needs space right now. Besides, Rose deserves a quiet, fun day too.
The peace lasts all of ten minutes.
My phone buzzes on the coffee table, Rory’s name flashing across the screen. I grab it with a sigh, already bracing for whatever crisis he’s dragging me into. “What?”
“Morning to you too,” Rory says, his tone clipped. “I need you at the office.”
“Not happening,” I say flatly. “I’m spending the day with Rose. Find someone else.”
“It’s not optional, Kellan. I need you to come in. We have issues to discuss. Russian related issues.”
I grind my teeth, shooting a glance at Rose. She’s humming along with the movie, completely unaware of my rising frustration. “Rory, I need to be home right now. Darcy’s father is in the hospital and I’m staying with Rose to look after her.”
“I’m sorry for everything going on,” Rory says, though he doesn’t sound particularly sorry. “But I need you. I’m going to send Clary over. She can watch Rose for a couple of hours, but this is an all-hands-on-deck situation.”
“Fine,” I say, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I’ll see you soon.”
Rory hangs up, and I toss the phone onto the couch, muttering a curse under my breath. Rose glances over, her brow furrowed.
“Do you have to go, Kellan?”
I crouch down in front of her, resting a hand on her shoulder. “Just for a little while, okay? Miss Clary is going to come and hang out with you. Is that alright?”
Rose nods, but her smile wavers. “Will you come back soon?”
“Promise,” I say, tapping her nose lightly.
Clary arrives soon after, her bright energy filling the room as she steps inside. “Hello, Miss Rosie! I can’t wait to watchMoana. Did you know I’ve never seen it before?”
Rose jumps up, excitement in her eyes at the prospect of introducing someone new to her favorite movie, and drags Clary over to the couch.
I feel a twinge of relief, hoping this will go smoothly, and grab my jacket, heading out the door. But when I step into the office, the relief turns to a feeling of dread when I see Rory’s face. He scrubs a hand over his eyes and shakes his head.
“It’s not great,” he admits. “But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”
I sink into the leather chair and prop my feet on his desk. “Lay it out for me.”
“Anatoly and I are in a stalemate at this point,” he reveals. “We have enough to bury each other but if we do, neither of us will come out unscathed. It’s a mutually assured destruction situation, Kells.”
“What’s our plan?” I ask, a prickle of fear running through me. This is the first time in a long time that we’ve been in a situation this bad with our rivals, not since Dad was head of the Family.
Rory sighs. “Anatoly wants a meeting.”
“Do you think that means he wants to back down?” I ask, frowning.
“Doubtful,” Rory says. “I think it could mean anything, but we should still go.”
“Is that the smartest idea?” I question, sitting upright. “We could be walking into a trap.”
“Maybe we need to call a family meeting,” Rory says, running a hand through his hair. “We can’t make this decision alone.”
It takes a half hour’s notice for everyone to start arriving.
Rory sits at the head of the conference room table, stiff as a board, hands clasped in front of him like he’s bracing for the storm to hit. I lean against the wall, arms crossed, trying to keep my own tension in check.
Liam’s the first to show up, his phone practically glued to his hand. He doesn’t even look up, probably texting that girl he’s been seeing. He’s been so hard to reach lately. All his time has been spent with that chick.
Lucky strolls in a minute later, his usual smirk absent. He tries to look relaxed, but I know him too well. The tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw’s set—it’s written all over him.
