Page 48 of Ripped Lace (Ripped Bratva)

“Is that why you married me?” I blurt before I can stop myself. “To try and replace what you lost?”

He stops short, surprised. “Is that what you think?”

“In part. You wanna know what I really think?”

Careful, Lys. Don’t push him too far. This might be a bad—

“I think that you want me to be Aurora. And you’re furious that I’m not. And that’s why you hate me. That’s why you want to punish me. You think it’ll bring her back in some insanely messed-up way. Or get vengeance for her to punish me for being someone I can never be. But I’m not your wife, Phoenix, remember? Not truly. I’m not anything to you. Aurora’s gone and she’s not coming back. I can’t be her for you.”

“I’m aware of that.”

His words cut to the core of me, but I keep talking, because that distracts me from the ache in my heart.

“Your obsession with the people who took your family from you is making you lose your humanity.”

“What makes you think I had any to begin with?”

“I’ve seen it,” I say fervently. “I’ve seen it when you were holding Theo. When you were teaching me. When you were… inside me. It’s in there and it wants out. You’re just trying to keep it caged because you don’t know any other way to live.”

Something flashes across his eyes. “This conversation is over.”

“You have feelings for me! For your son! You just don’t want to admit it. Because you’re holding onto ghosts that no longer exist.”

“Stop talking about her!” he roars.

“I’m sorry you lost your wife, Phoenix. I’m devastated you lost your son. But you can’t blame me for their loss. You can’t take your anger out on me because you feel guilty for wanting to move on.”

The spark in his eyes grows and grows and grows. Then suddenly, there’s a blur of motion.

And the table is no longer in front of me.

I’m sitting there, looking at empty space as Phoenix leaps to his feet and catapults the table across the stone-paved veranda. Food and dishes crash and shatter.

Phoenix towers above, staring down at me, his gaze wild and filled with contempt.

I’ve woken the beast. There’s nothing separating us anymore.

And yet somehow, I’m not afraid.

“What do you want from me?” Phoenix growls as he leans forward, plants his huge hands on the armrests of my seat, and thrusts his face into mine. “Huh? What the fuck do you want, Elyssa?” His voice breaks with pent-up fury.

“I want you to admit that there is something between us,” I whisper. “I want you to admit that you feel guilty because of it.”

“That’s fucking bullshit.”

“You’re in denial.”

“This is business,” he growls. “This is war.”

I shake my head. “It’s not.” The accusation comes out shaky and uncertain on my lips. But now that it’s out there, I know for sure that I’m right.

Even if he doesn’t yet.

“Okay. Fine. You want the truth?” Phoenix growls.

“Yes.”

“There is something between us. And that something is sex. Do I want your body, your tits, your pussy? Yes. I want it all. And you want my cock. That’s all this fucking is. Sex… that’s all it ever was.”

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