Page 51 of Ripped Veil (Ripped Bratva)

“I appreciate the support,” I snap at his receding back.

He doesn’t answer. When he’s gone, I turn to Charity and Elyssa.

“Um… Phoenix?”

Honestly, my body shouldn’t react at all. But the moment she says my name, I feel as though I’ve been touched by fucking fire. It’s the weirdest feeling I’ve ever experienced.

“Yes?”

“Theo needs to be changed.”

“Right,” I say gruffly, refusing to look her in the eye. “Follow me.”

I take them up to the second floor, to one of the numerous and rarely used guest rooms. “I’ll send someone out for baby supplies,” I tell Elyssa as I escort them in. “There should be a pen and pad somewhere in the desk drawer. Write down a list and I’ll have someone collect it at once.”

Then, before either one can say a word, I shut the door on them and walk away.

But it doesn’t matter. Refusing to acknowledge this won’t make it disappear.

I’ve learned that lesson the hard way.

13

Elyssa

Inside The Kovalyov Mansion

I turn to the door at the definitive clicking sound that can mean only one thing: we’re locked in.

Swallowing back my fear, I cradle Theo and turn to Charity. She’s not even looking at the door or at me. Her eyes are fixed on the massive glass doors overlooking the private balcony.

“This is fucking amazing,” she mutters. “Who the hell does this guy think he is?”

I’m so unnerved to be here at all that I don’t even scold her for the language the way I used to. “Charity,” I hiss instead, grabbing her arm and pulling her around to face me.

“What?” she asks. She’s still looking around in awe. “Lys, just look at how high the ceilings are!”

“I think he locked us in!”

Her eyes snap to mine. She walks straight to the door and pulls on the handle. It doesn’t budge. She pivots back around slowly. “Okay. So he locked us in here. Let’s not freak—”

“Oh my God,” I gasp, fidgeting on the spot. “Charity, we should never have come here.”

“Of course we should have,” she replies. “He’s Theo’s father. He won’t hurt us.”

I wince. We hadn’t really had much time to discuss him or who he was to me. Who heisto me.

But Charity is sharp. She understands people in a way I don’t think I ever will. She read the situation. Saw the truth on my face.

And she used it to save us.

“He’s Theo’s father,” I echo. My voice wavers and breaks.

“Hey now,” Charity murmurs, coming forward and putting her hands on my shoulders. “It isn’t all bad. We’re in the penthouse suite, baby. At least we didn’t get the basement cell like that cop asshole.”

A bubble of desperate laughter escapes my lips. “True, I guess.”

“We couldn’t stay there, Elyssa,” she says with a sad, gentle smile. “That dirty fuck called backup. It wasn’t gonna end well.”

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