Page 141 of Ripped Veil (Ripped Bratva)

“Exactly,” she nods, giving me a reassuring smile. “We’re family. Us and Theo. The only family we’ve got. Everyone else? They don’t matter.”

I know Charity’s right. It’s been the two of us for a year now. The two of us and Theo, that is. We have to stick together.

“Okay. I’ll work on getting us more money,” I say, buying myself a little more time. “And once we have enough, we’ll get out of here. Start over someplace else.”

Charity smiles. “Maybe we can even leave Las Vegas. Go somewhere peaceful. Quiet. Cheap.”

I force myself to smile. She seems to recognize the conflict waging inside my head because she gives my hand a reassuring squeeze. Before I can delve deeper into the depth of my feelings for Phoenix, I hear a door slam.

Then I hear a deep voice. And I know immediately it’s him.

“Boss?” someone asks—one of the maids, probably.

“Get me some fucking bandages!” Phoenix roars.

Theo starts wailing at once. I almost want to join in with him. Instead, I shout, “Stay with Theo!” to Charity as I get to my feet and race out of the living room.

I turn out of the door and see Phoenix standing by the staircase. “Standing” might be the wrong word, actually—more like he’s bent over it, holding the banister as if he’s going to collapse to the ground if he loosens his grip for even a second.

There’s a clumsy tourniquet applied to his leg, but the blood has still soaked through the leg of his pants.

“Oh my God!” I gasp. “What happened?”

“It’s nothing,” he grunts.

“It doesn’t look like nothing. Let me take a look.”

“Not necessary.”

“Are you really so proud you won’t even let me look at it?” Apparently, his latest mood swing is still fighting fit. But given the state of his leg, I ignore it. “You’re gonna bleed out onto the floor if you don’t see to that wound right now.”

He growls unintelligibly but I sense the note of concession in it.

“Great,” I drawl. “Wonderful. Fantastic. Glad you’re on board. Let’s go to the kitchen.”

He limps off to the right and I start to follow him until I sense Charity behind me. She’s standing in the threshold of the door with Theo in her arms.

“What happened?” she mouths to me.

“He’s hurt,” I respond. “Stay here.”

I leave her in the living room and follow Phoenix into the kitchen. Anna is clearing up the lunch plates.

“Master Phoenix!” she exclaims when she catches sight of him.

“It’s not that serious,” he says with some extremely predictable male bravado.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” I intervene. “Anna, Theo will need a bottle soon. Would you mind?”

“Of course not,” she says, her eyes flashing with worry. “Do you…?”

“If I need help, I’ll let you know,” I tell her.

Before Anna leaves, she places the first aid box on the bar stool next to me. Then she takes a full bottle to Theo.

“The woman’s a godsend,” I say as I crack open the box and start hauling out supplies.

Phoenix doesn’t respond. He seems to be lost in thought. His eyes are barely focused as they stare out at the glass panel windows that overlook the lake in the distance.

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