Page 153 of Ripped Lace (Ripped Bratva)

“Uh, yeah, sure. Of course.” He turns back into the house. I stride in behind him, dipping into a small drawer on the entryway table as we pass by it to grab something and stick it in my pocket. He doesn’t notice, thankfully. He will in just a moment, and he won’t like it one bit.

We go down the hallway into one of the spare bedrooms. I shut the door behind us.

“Alright, what’s with the secrecy?” he says. “What’d the letter say?”

“Mostly pontificating bullshit.” I tuck the object in my pocket into my hand. I’ll only get one shot at this. I have to nail it. “But I have to go and get her.”

“Of course,” Matvei scoffs. “And let me guess: he said, ‘Come alone or I’ll do something really melodramatic.’”

“Exactly.”

“Well, we have teams ready to intervene at a moment’s notice,” Matvei says. “And I’ll come with you, of course.”

“You’re going to be in a lot of danger if you come with me.”

“When have I ever cared about that shit?” he counters.

I smile. “You’ve always been a true friend. A true brother. Never afraid to ride into battle.” I hold out my hand and he clasps it with a matching grin.

That’s when I make my move.

The first cuff goes around his wrist.

The second cuff secures him to the thick metal post of the bed.

“I’m sorry, brother,” I say sincerely as it dawns on him what I’ve just done. “But I can’t take you with me.”

“And this is the solution?!” he roars furiously, pulling at the cuffs.

“Of all my men, you’re the one who’s least likely to listen. So it was necessary.” I start backing out of the room.

“Phoenix, walking into that club alone is suicide.” He yanks at the cuffs with his full strength. The bedpost groans, but it doesn’t give. He’ll have to make that effort a few thousand more times before he’s freed. Hopefully, that’s enough time for this kamikaze mission of mine.

“He has Elyssa, Matvei,” I say grimly. “And he’s promised to hurt her if I don’t show up alone.”

“They always say that! You know they always fucking say that shit!”

“But in his case, he means it. I know he does. This is not a man who’s got to where he is by making hollow threats.”

“Phoenix, he’ll kill you,” Matvei says, trying desperately to reason with me before I leave.

But I won’t be talked off this ledge. Elyssa’s in the hands of that fucking monster and I don’t intend to sit around and wait for the right plan to fall into place.

I’m done waiting.

It’s time to act.

“Phoenix! PHOENIX!”

I shut the door on him, burying my guilt in the same moment. Mabel and Konstantin are standing on opposite sides of the room, looking wary.

“Do not let him out of those goddamn restraints,” I instruct both of them. “Is that understood?”

Konstantin nods, but Mabel looks less sure. “Master Phoenix…”

“That’s a fucking order,” I snap.

She flinches back and nods.

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