Page 151 of Ripped Veil (Ripped Bratva)

I push the baby back into her arms. This time, she takes him without protest. But she never takes her eyes off me.

“You know what I do. Who I’m fighting. Don’t you?”

She doesn’t pretend like this is news. “Yes.”

I nod. “I’m not naïve enough to think that I’m invincible. Yes, I am powerful. But so are they. In fact, they’ve been powerful for much longer.”

She shakes her head. “Then maybe you should stop,” she says.

“Stop?”

“Stop going after them,” she says urgently. “Just end the mission. Live your life.”

I frown. “This is my life. This is the only thing I know how to do. Even if I wanted to—which I don’t—I wouldn’t even know how to stop.”

She looks as though she’s trapped suddenly.

I can’t look at her anymore. If I do, I might be forced to pull her to me. Comfort her. And if I do that, it’ll break down the carefully constructed barrier I’ve managed to maintain so far.

I’ve come so close to bringing it down several times before.

That time after she’d fallen into pool remains the closest call we’ve had. But even then, I’d retained some crucial sense of distance. A part of myself I’ve refused to show her.

I need to keep that now.

“I have to go,” I tell her, taking a step back.

“Where?”

“That’s my business.”

“Phoenix,” she says softly, “are you about to do something dangerous?”

I can see the worry in her eyes. Too familiar. It’s all too fucking familiar.

“Go back to your room,” I say gruffly. “And take care of that kid.”

Then I do the best thing I can do for her and my son: I walk away.

31

Phoenix

The Weapons Vault

“What do you think you’re doing?” I ask as Matvei shuffles into the weapons vault.

“Picking out a gun,” he replies. “Same as you.”

I shift my gun to my dominant arm and turn to him. “Maybe Murray knocked you in the head, too, because you clearly misunderstood what I said upstairs: you’re not coming with me tonight. I thought I made that clear.”

“Fine, I don’t have to be on the field. But I can still help onsite. In fact, I can help better if I’m close.”

“Is this going to be another agonizingly drawn-out argument?” I snap.

“Probably. I’m as stubborn as you are when I set my mind on something.”

I ignore the jibe and shrug my shoulders. “Fine, but if someone asshole starts shooting at you, I’m not gonna step in.”

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