Page 173 of Ripped Veil (Ripped Bratva)

Matvei leans in. “What happened last night?”

I curb my anger. He has a right to be pissed. Especially given that I’d essentially left the building without so much as an explanation. And then I hadn’t checked in with him or the boys afterwards. If any of my guys had pulled that shit, I’m have come down on them for it. Hard.

“I… was dealing with something,” I reply vaguely.

“And by something, do you mean Elyssa?”

I grit my teeth. “Perhaps.”

“Okay, so I’m going to assume one of two things: either she’s buried somewhere in the backyard or else she’s lying naked in your bed as we speak. Which of the two is it, brother?”

“Get out of my seat.”

He smiles as he rises to his feet. “How was it?” His tone has shifted. It’s gentler now. I don’t like it any more than I did when he was annoyed.

We cross each other as we switch positions. I ignore his question.

“Is she going to be a problem?” Matvei presses.

“No.”

“Why am I not reassured?”

“Because you’re a distrustful bastard.”

“It’s necessary to be one in this world. You used to be the same.”

“I haven’t changed,” I argue. “But—”

“Don’t tell me she’s different.”

I hesitate. “Fine. I won’t.”

“What happened?” Matvei asks again.

So I tell him. I don’t pull any punches. I don’t sugar coat anything that transpired. I give him a complete play-by-play, including and up until the moment that Elyssa had lodged the brooch pin in Sakamoto’s throat.

His eyebrows leap up into his hairline. “She killed him?”

“Skewered him like a fucking rat.”

“Before he told you anything significant?”

“Yes. Hard to confess your sins with a four-inch brooch in your throat.”

“And you trust her?”

“I haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about it.”

“Clearly.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Your turn.”

He sighs like he’s still mulling over everything I’ve just told him. “After you left, it took about ten minutes for all hell to break loose. That’s when they found Sakamoto’s body on the balcony. Minutes later, hotel security also found a half-naked old lady locked into a bathroom stall.”

I chuckle, remembering the look on the woman’s face. Not quite the glamorous night she was expecting to have.

Matvei frowns. “What about this is funny? She sang like a goddamn bird as soon as the cops showed up.”

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