Page 161 of Ripped Lace (Ripped Bratva)

I nod grimly. “Murder is so much more shocking when you witness it up close, huh?”

“I’m not supposed to be here,” he says with a horrified shudder. “I’m just waiting to go back to the Sanctuary. Then life will go on as usual.”

“You mean you’ll continue selling women and children into sex slavery?”

“That’s not what this is. I’m helping to give them a second chance.”

“You still believe that?” I demand. “Even after spending time in this place?”

“I’ll admit, there are unsavory aspects to this—”

“You are fucking delusional,” I snarl. “But I suppose denial is the only way you can justify your part in this.”

He cringes at my words, but I don’t pause to give him room to think. He doesn’t deserve even that tiny mercy.

“Now, where is my wife?”

“Elyssa is being held,” he replies guiltily.

“Held?”

He nods uncomfortably. “Until she accepts…”

“Accepts what exactly?”

“Accepts that she is to bemywife,” Josiah says. He seems to straighten up slightly as he speaks. He’s still clinging to hope that the future he prophesized will come to pass. Like I said, fucking delusional. “And that she will be my right hand in the running of the Sanctuary.”

So be it. The time for words is done. I need to beat the truth into this bastard’s thick skull.

My hand snakes through the cell’s bars and I grab hold of Josiah’s shirt. Taken completely by surprise, he gasps and screams like a bitch as I yank him against the bars with a hard clang.

“You dumb motherfucker,” I spit. “You better start praying to whatever you believe in, because I’m going to fucking kill you.”

A light chuckle comes from beyond Josiah.

“I have no objection to that,” Ozol says, coming into view from the shadows. “But it’ll be more fun if you wait.”

Distracted, I release Josiah. Not because of Ozol…

But because of the person standing just behind him.

“Elyssa!”

She’s standing just behind his left shoulder. Her shoulders are hunched forward, slumped with defeat. And even though I’m seeing red with rage and the cells are dark, my eyesight is sharp enough to make out the purpling bruises of fingerprints around her neck.

I grab a metal bar in each hand and shake the whole cage, roaring. “You motherfucker!”

“Now, now, Phoenix,” Ozol croons in a condescending tone. “You’ll need to rein in that beastly temper of yours if you want things to go smoothly.”

I ignore him. “Elyssa,” I say. “Look at me.”

She doesn’t. She keeps her head down and her eyes averted.

Something is wrong. He’s done something to her. Said something to her. Pushed her over the edge she’s been teetering on for a long, long time now.

“I will destroy you,” I vow. “I will make you wish you’d never been fucking born.”

“Strong words coming from the man behind bars,” Ozol laughs.

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