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In recent years, multi-hop device-to-device (MD2D) communication has gained considerable attention. Integrating MD2D with cellular networks creates a secondary infrastructure for local traffic offloading and network capacity expansion. Routing protocols play an essential role in the performance of MD2D networks. location-based routing protocols show fast service deliveries, but lack link reliability in urban areas. This paper proposes a new MD2D position-based routing (MPBR) protocol with a new zone-prescribed neighbor discovery mechanism to increase link reliability. The network footprint is used to assist regions with a higher probability of packet loss during neighbor discovery. Then, the nodes' link-state information and location are integrated to create accurate and agile routing decisions. The multi-objective shortest path (MOSP) technique is used with a privacy-preserving method to find reliable and optimal paths using different routing objectives, including link reliability, distance, delay, and channel overhead. These objectives are combined to identify the most efficient route. A secure clustering-based algorithm is used in multi-hop routing for location and data privacy. Our proposed routing protocol outperforms the benchmark routing protocol and advanced MD2D routing protocols. The simulation results show an average 15% reduction in energy consumption, a 20% reduction in end-to-end (E2E) delay and a 5% increase in packet delivery ratio (PDR).