Page 163 of Ripped Lace (Ripped Bratva)

“Sir, you told me… You told me that…”

“Spit it out.”

“You said she was to be mine. After you took care of him.”

Ozol smiles, but it’s twisted. Josiah recoils. “And she will be. But not before I have my fun.”

Viktor holds eye contact with the poor bastard until Josiah is squirming in place. When his head falls, Ozol knows he’s won.

“Just a few ground rules, Phoenix,” Viktor says, turning back to me. “If you try anything, anything at all—she dies.”

I look past him at Elyssa’s grim expression. “Oh, don’t worry about her,” he adds. “She already knows the ground rules.”

He shoves her through the open cell door without warning. She crashes into me and my arms wrap around her instinctively.

“Elyssa,” I whisper, “are you okay?”

She looks up at me, her eyes filmy and desperate.

But she still doesn’t say a word.

Ozol laughs and snaps his fingers. All his men start filing into the huge space, bumping Elyssa and me into the center. They form an impenetrable circle around us.

“Now,” Ozol says, stepping between his men, “let’s begin. Josiah, come here!”

Josiah stumbles forward by his side. He’s gone from pale as a ghost to seasick green.

“I want to make sure you have a good view,” Ozol explains salaciously.

Then he nods towards me.

“Take off her clothes.”

One of the men kicks over the thin, filthy mattress that was pushed against the back wall of the cell. I ignore it, my hands clenching into fists. Elyssa turns to me and nods as though she wants me to follow Ozol’s instructions.

“I would suggest you follow my instructions, Mr. Kovalyov,” Ozol says. “I’m not a patient man.”

There are at least fifteen men staring at Elyssa like she’s a piece of meat. When I still hesitate, she starts undressing.

I reach out and stop her before her top is off.

“Learn from your wife, Phoenix,” Ozol tells me. “I’m giving you a gift. You might as well enjoy it. You won’t see her after today.”

“I have your word that you’ll set her free?”

Ozol smiles. “Of course,” he says, sounding affronted that I’ve even asked.

I look at Elyssa, who nods again.Why won’t you talk? Say something, for fuck’s sake!I’m bellowing inside.

The only answer is a tear slipping from her eyes.

Fine. Fuck it. We’ll do this. Not for Ozol. Not for Josiah. Not for the faceless Yakuza and Astra Tyrannis troops clustered around.

But for us.

Because I love her.

I reach out and pull off her shirt. Her bra comes next. Her jeans. But when I finally get to her panties, I hesitate, hating what I’m being forced to do.

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