Page 84 of Ripped Veil (Ripped Bratva)

“Nah,” Matvei says, wringing his hands together in preparation. “But we haven’t really begun yet.”

“Do we have any sodium thiopental on hand?”

“A few vials,” Matvei replies. “You want to go that route? Truth serum can be a tricky bitch.”

“Good. Get one dose ready,” I instruct. “If he doesn’t talk willingly, I’m going to force the truth from him.”

I don’t wait for Matvei to return with the drugs before walking into the dark cell. Two weak lights are fastened in the corners of the room. Just enough to sharpen the shadows.

Murray glances up when I enter. His eyes darken and his jaw tightens noticeably, as though he’s more determined than ever to keep his secrets hidden.

“Jonathan Murray,” I say. “We’ve never been formally introduced.”

“You need no introduction,” he snarls.

I smile. “I’m flattered.”

“I’m not gonna talk,” he continues. “So you’re wasting your time.”

“I never waste my time.” I grab the chair sitting next to the door and drag it in front of Murray. Then I twist it around and straddle it. “This is going to be painful if you don’t cooperate.”

“I can deal with pain,” he scoffs.

The clench of his jaw tells me that he’s preparing for agony, but he’s still terrified of it. I’m impressed with the bravado he’s showing. I expected him to grovel at once. The greedy bastards always break first.

“You’re willing to die for Astra Tyrannis?” I ask.

“If I tell you anything, I’m dead anyway.”

“Right. So why not at least earn yourself a painless death?” I suggest. “Answer my questions and you won’t feel a thing.”

He spits on the floor. “No deal.”

“Loyalty is a noble trait. But it can also be foolish. Especially if your loyalty is to the wrong people.”

Murray looks at me through narrowed eyes. “I have nothing to give you.”

“We’ll see about that,” I say.

I glance over my shoulder as Matvei enters the room. He hands me the large syringe. I hold it up to the dim light and examine it carefully.

“Do you know what this is, Murray?” I muse.

“No.”

“Sodium thiopental,” I tell him. “Heard of it before?”

His eyes go wide. “Truth serum…”

“Precisely. And this is some next level shit.” I shift my gaze to meet his and smile at him. “Now, I’ll give you one last chance to come clean on your own.”

“Fuck you.”

Sighing, I give the syringe back to Matvei. He approaches Murray without hesitation. The detective starts to struggle against his restraints, trying to crane away from the needle’s point, but he doesn’t have far to go. Matvei ignores him and jabs the needle right into his neck with expert precision.

His veins bulge slightly as the serum is injected. Murray gasps in pain.

“Done,” Matvei says, pulling away. “You want a Power Rangers band-aid for that?”

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