Page 211 of Ripped Veil (Ripped Bratva)

It hurts how bad I want to scream, to cry. Is this how it feels to have your world torn apart?

Charity.

Charity.

Charity…

I keep saying her name in my head. That’s all I’m capable of processing at the moment.

The blood pooling around her is unmistakable. The devastating proof that I am now undeniably, completely, and wholly on my own.

My knees start to shake. I know I’m seconds away from hitting the ground. Seconds away from releasing my grief in a wail that will alert him to my presence.

And then what—he’ll kill me like he killed her?

I consider just letting him do exactly that for just a moment. It would end my pain, my suffering, my guilt.

But Theo needs me. I can’t leave him here, in this house, with this man.

I’m a fool. A damn fool.

Maybe I always have been. I back out of the room before he notices me, tears blurring my vision. I head through the house, searching for signs of my son.

Instinct takes me to the room I once shared with Charity. I walk through the door, and relief floods me when I see my baby lying in his crib. At the foot of it is a hurriedly packed duffel bag. Clothes have been strewn in willy-nilly, both mine and Charity’s, with Theo’s thrown on top for good measure.

Frowning, I race over to Theo and scoop him up. He gurgles softly but otherwise doesn’t make a sound. I run my touch over his fingers, his toes, checking him for any sign that he’s been hurt.

But I find nothing. He’s okay.Thank God.

Still running on pure survival instinct, I throw the bag over one shoulder and tuck Theo into my arm as I sneak out of the room.

I don’t know where I’m going. I don’t have any place to go. I don’t have anyone to turn to.

All I know is I have to get my boy as far away from this place as possible. And for him, I’m willing to be as brave as I need to be.

I’m willing to run through the desert once more.

44

Phoenix

Phoenix’s Office

Who killed her?

Even as my mind runs through the possibilities, I raise my gun. The killer might still be in the house.

It is possible that Elyssa pulled the trigger?

Perhaps the sisterly bond between them was bullshit. Another ruse. Another cover. Another lie.

I start to turn towards the door. I don’t hear the gunshot. But I feel the air ripple as the bullet escapes a chamber just a few feet behind my head.

I swear I have just long enough to think,So this is how it ends.

But I’m wrong. Narrowly missing my hand, the shot hits my weapon instead. It rips it out of my hand and sends it skittering across the floor, into the gap underneath the leather sofa.

My ears are blistering as I pivot slowly. I can’t hear anything besides the scream of remnant white noise.

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