Page 21 of Ripped Lace (Ripped Bratva)

“You made it your problem when you stormed this place with a fucking army!”

I glare at him, realizing how badly out of sync the two of us are. What Matvei’s asking for is compassion.

And unfortunately for him, I’m fresh out.

“I’m trying to destroy bad men,” I remind him coldly. “The men who killed my family. I don’t have the patience to hold anyone’s hand in the meantime.”

“Yeah? What about the hand you just took in marriage?” Matvei drawls. “What about Elyssa, brother?”

“WhataboutElyssa?” I ask.

“She’s your wife.”

“She’s my property,” I correct in a ruthless snarl. “I will use her to get what I need from these people. And then I’ll cast her aside like the rest of them.”

Matvei’s eyes flash and he looks at me as though he no longer recognizes me. Then he exhales deeply and looks towards the windows. He’s still, but I know his head is a chaos of thoughts. I wish we weren’t at odds with one another like this.

But it doesn’t matter, ultimately. This is happening, whether he likes it or not.

A trio of figures approach through the evening glare. Ilya, Alexi, and Konstantin join us amongst the huge boulders.

“Reports?” I say.

Ilya starts. “We’ve got the women and children in the main hall.”

I nod. “Good. Make sure they’re not uncomfortable.”

“They keep asking questions.”

“Ignore them for now,” I reply. “Next. Konstantin?”

He rubs his beard and sighs. “The men have been confined to warehouses. Or maybe they’re barns, I’m not sure. This place is fucking weird. Anyway, we strip-searched each of them. None were armed.”

“Good.” I turn to Alexi. “Where’s the leader?”

“Locked in a room in the big house,” he tells me. “I’ve put two guards on him. But it’s unnecessary—he’s been bound and gagged. He’s also unarmed.”

“They’re not soldiers, that’s for sure,” Matvei observes. “Makes you wonder what Astra Tyrannis is using this town for, doesn’t it?” His tone is sarcastic, biting. I don’t appreciate the disrespect, especially not in front of my other lieutenants. But I’ll deal with that later.

“This place holds secrets,” I snarl. “We’ll find them all before we leave.” I turn back to my lieutenants, who are patiently awaiting next steps. “Konstantin, start initial interrogations with the men. See if you can sniff out anything unusual. Ilya, continue searching the properties. Alert me once the first sweeps are complete. Alexi, go prepare the motherfucker I stabbed. He and I are going to have a little chat.”

They nod and depart, but Matvei hesitates. I can sense the question in his posture.

“What is it?” I ask, looking at him over my shoulder.

“What role would you have me play?” he asks in a voice so docile that I wonder for a moment if I’ve lost him completely.

Part of me regrets the harshness of our conversation. But there’s no way around it. I needed men to follow orders, not to question me.

And I was steadfast about my plan the moment it took shape in my head.

“I need you to do what you do best,” I say. “Try and keep track of any outside movements. When Astra Tyrannis makes their move, I want to know about it.”

“You’re changing a lot of people’s lives here, Phoenix,” he says quietly. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

I consider answering honestly:Me fucking too.

I consider answering harshly:Don’t ever talk to me like that again.

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