Page 1 of Ripped Lace (Ripped Bratva)

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Phoenix

Phoenix’s Office—The Kovalyov Mansion

“It looks like a fucking slaughterhouse in here,” Matvei says as he walks into my office.

He takes in Charity’s body with a glance and a grimace before turning his attention to the second corpse in the room. His sharp eyes pass over the blood soaking into the Turkish carpet.

When they land on Ann’s twisted face, they stay there. Searching for reason where there isn’t any.

“I had to see it with my own eyes to believe it,” he murmurs. “Even now, I’m not sure I do.”

“I’ve been staring at her for the last ten minutes,” I laugh bitterly. “Still hasn’t sunk in.”

“How long did she live in this house?” Matvei asks.

“Six years,” I reply. “No, longer.”

“Fuck.”

I get to my feet as the cleanup crew swarms in. Half a dozen Bratva men in masks, gloves, and full-body suits, working silently and efficiently. They take Charity’s body first.

“You gonna tell me what happened?” Matvei asks, his eyes careening to mine at last.

“Where should I start?” I growl. “I was on my way here to get the truth out of Elyssa. Noticed the door to my office was open. I come in and find Charity’s body.”

“And Anna?”

“She walked in a few seconds later. With a gun pointed right at me.”

“Fuck,” Matvei says again. “Six years of watching. Six years of waiting. What a fucking trip.”

“It explains everything,” I say. “She was always there. Anticipating our attacks, our moves, and reporting back to the fucking ‘powers that be.’”

“The ‘powers that be’?” he snorts.

“That’s what they call themselves. The men who run Astra Tyrannis.”

Matvei shakes his head. “Why am I not surprised?”

I suck in a heavy breath as the pain of the last hour’s revelations takes its toll on my mind. But I don’t want to put the final detail off any longer.

“She was the one who killed Yuri,” I say in a low croak. “Aurora, too.”

Matvei’s expression stills. His eyes flatten with darkness and he looks furious. “What?”

“It was retaliation for Primm. It was her all along.”

“Did she say anything about Yuri’s body?” Matvei asks immediately.

“She claims he’s buried somewhere on the property.”

“Thisproperty?” Matvei balks. “And you believe her?”

“I have no reason not to,” I reply. “Why would she lie?”

“She wouldn’t have needed a reason,” Matvei snaps. “It’s clear she was a fucking psychopath from day one. She could have been lying.”

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