Page 230 of Ripped Veil (Ripped Bratva)

Then, like water down a drain, the anger rushes out of me. And I’m left there, pale and bloodied and trembling, wondering what on earth I’ve done.

48

Elyssa

Phoenix’s Office

I blink. Phoenix starts to come back into focus. The memories catapulting around in my head feel like scenes from a movie. Imperfect scenes, strangely choreographed and heartbreakingly acted. They don’t feel like they belong to me.

“Elyssa…”

There’s a grudging concern in Phoenix’s tone as he kneels in front of me and shakes me by the shoulders. I blink a few more times, trying to pull myself back from the nightmare that’s not a nightmare at all.

“I remember,” I whisper.

Phoenix stills a little. “You remember?”

“Not everything,” I amend. “Just… what happened that night.”

He removes his hands from my shoulders. But he doesn’t get off his knee. I can’t help thinking that it almost looks like he’s about to propose. Except, instead of a ring, he’s got bloody hands.

I suppose in a way, that’s fitting.

“Tell me.”

So I do. I tell him in a halting, jerking voice everything I just remembered. I don’t even recognize my voice as I tell the story. It sounds like it belongs to someone else.

“… I just wanted him to stop touching him,” I whisper in the end. “The paperweight was right there. It was heavy. I just wanted him to stop touching me.”

I raise my gaze to his. His jaw is clenched so tight I wonder if his teeth will shatter. The storm in his eyes rages harder than ever.

“Then you set the fire and ran?”

“Yes.”

“You stumbled into Wild Night Blossom and met me.”

“Yes.”

“And when we found ourselves alone together, we had sex.”

I wince. “Yes.”

“Elyssa?”

“Yes?”

“Theo… Who is his father?” he asks bluntly.

Nausea swells inside my gut. But I already know I have nothing left inside me to come out.

“Phoenix…”

“Answer the question, Elyssa. Answer the fucking question.”

“I don’t know,” I sob, looking down. “I’m sorry. But I honestly don’t know.” I can’t bear to look at his face.

“Get up.”

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