Page 41 of Ripped Lace (Ripped Bratva)

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” I breathe out.

I can practically hear Charity cackling.This man doesn’t know what he’s in for!

I reach out for it, but I hesitate halfway. My hand hovers over the glistening jewels. They look like pure water frozen into shape. A million little miniature versions of me look back from the cut surfaces.

Well, what are you waiting for?!

With trembling fingers, I put the diamonds on.

For a second, I think it’ll be too much. But the moment the set is on me, I realize that it’s not too much at all.

It’s perfect.

Like this is all just another part of the plan.

Trying to suppress my shudder, I make quick work of my makeup and hair. Just a light layer of foundation, exactly the way that Charity taught me. Then a little eyeshadow, eyeliner and some lipstick in a caramel rouge color that complements my skin tone. I brush a comb through my tangled blond locks and rise back to my feet.

Look at you, babe. You can take him. Don’t let him intimidate you.

I stare at the mirror and nod. “I can do this.”

Hell yeah, you can. Go get yours!

“Not what I meant.”

Details.

The smile drops from my face when a knock reverberates through the suite. I take a deep breath and step out of the bedroom just as the door opens.

The guard waiting for me on the other side isn’t the one who interrupted my temper tantrum earlier. This one is shy, reserved, hesitant to even look at me the wrong way.

Something tells me good ol’ Ivan is not going to be guarding me again any time soon.

Phoenix was more pissed off about homeboy putting his hands on you than he was about you trashing his room! Oh my, this is too good.

“That’s not good at all,” I mutter under my breath.

Wrong. We can use it. Every man has a weakness and it’s usually between his legs.

Without a word, the new guard ushers me out of the room. I trail in his wake through the house. We take a different route than the way I arrived, so I get to see new sights along the way.

The place seems endless. Every hallway turns and reveals another floor, another atrium, another dozen rooms. The mirrors and tinted windows combine with the thousands of lights to make me feel like I’m floating through space filled with stars. In spite of the absurd elegance and the wealth that can pay for this kind of design, the overall effect is almost… understated. Cool without being cold, in the strangest way.

The longer we walk, the more anxious I get. One of these doors has Phoenix Kovalyov waiting on the other side. The only way I’ll get my son back in my arms is to play his game.

I need to be ready.

Calm down. You’re overthinking again.

“Will you stop?” I hiss.

“What?” the guard balks, freezing in his tracks and looking at me over his shoulder.

“Nothing,” I mumble, even as I hear Charity snicker mischievously.

You’re not a child. You’re not a little girl. You’re a jaw-dropping, badass superwoman. Just take a freaking look in the mirror.

The guard opens a pair of double doors to reveal a huge, circular room. On the far side of it, yet another pair of French doors is already opened up. An open, empty veranda beckons beyond. The smell of salt and brine hits my nostrils.

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