Page 19 of Plus-Size Bratva Bride

"I… I don't know," I whispered, my eyes darting between Abe and the dead man on the floor. "What… what just happened?"

My gaze locked onto Abe, unable to look away from his intense blue-gray eyes. My heart raced, a cocktail of fear, adrenaline, and a strange relief coursing through my veins.

"You're bleeding," Abe said, his voice low and rough as he approached me.

I glanced down at my shoulder, surprised to see red seeping through my blouse. "Oh," I mumbled, the sting of the cut finally registering. I’d forgotten all about it.

Abe's large hand gently cupped my face, tilting it up to meet his gaze. "Let me take care of that for you, Doll."

The pet name sent an unexpected shiver down my spine. I swallowed hard, trying to gather my thoughts. "I… I can handle it myself.”

What I didn’t say was that I was still afraid of what I saw him do.

His thumb brushed across my lower lip, silencing me mid-sentence. "You’re a woman who just had a knife pulled on her. Let me help, Pippa. Please."

The softness in his voice, so at odds with the violence I'd just witnessed, made my resolve crumble. I nodded, letting out a shaky breath. As Abe led me to his car, his hand warm and steady on the small of my back, I couldn't help but wonder what I'd gotten myself into—and why, despite everything, I didn't want to walk away.

Chapter 8 - Abe

I gunned the engine, tires screeching as we peeled away from the curb. My eyes darted between the road and Pippa, slumped in the passenger seat. Her normally rosy cheeks were ashen, bottle-green eyes wide with shock.

The car fell into a tense silence as I sped toward the safehouse. I couldn't help but steal glances at Pippa. This wasn't her world—the violence, the danger. She was all prim blouses and manicured nails, not blood and knife fights.

"Abe," she said softly, breaking the silence. "Can you just… take me home?"

I shook my head, my jaw clenching. "No can do, Sweetheart. We're heading to a safehouse first. Need to patch up that wound and make sure you're really okay."

Blood seeped through her fingers where she clutched her shoulder. Fury ran hot through my veins. That bastard I killed fuckingstabbedher. If I could go back and kill him a million times over, I would.

"Pippa, are you in pain?" I asked gently, trying to assess just how dire the situation was.

She startled at my voice, her eyes flickering over to mine just briefly before she looked away in near panic and nodded, biting her plump lower lip hard enough to draw blood. Her curled hair was coming undone, sticking to her damp forehead. Fuck, she looked terrible.

Not to mention, terrified. Every time she looked at me now, she probably remembered me smashing a man to death. This was exactly what I was afraid of—that she would see who I truly was, and run in the opposite direction.

God, how I wanted to hear her say she understood. Couldn’t she see? I killed him for her.

I gripped the steering wheel tighter and pressed harder on the accelerator, weaving through traffic like a madman. I needed to get her somewhere safe and patch her up. Before that, she would be in no state to talk. The thought of her hurting and the fact that I couldn’t do anything about that made my blood boil.

"Hey, look at me," I said, gentling my tone. When those green eyes met mine, I managed a reassuring smile. "You're safe now, okay? I've got you."

A tiny nod, but her trembling didn't subside. I wracked my brain for a way to distract her from the pain and shock.

"Pippa, can you tell me what happened back there? What did you see?" I kept my voice calm, like I was asking about the weather instead of a violent incident.

She opened her mouth, then closed it, swallowing hard.

"Take your time, Sweetheart. Just walk me through it step by step."

As she began to speak, her voice shaky but growing stronger, I divided my attention between her words and the road.

Pippa's voice quivered as she spoke. "I… I saw Tony talking to this stranger. They were exchanging something, Abe. It looked like something illegal—money? Drugs? I don’t know. They were talking about some plan and how the Vadims were no longer around." She bit her lower lip and stared out of the window.

"When I confronted Tony, the other guy freaked out. Tony, he just… he just lunged at me with a knife."

The fear in her voice was palpable, and it stirred something protective deep within me. Yet, at the same time, I had to have more information to keep herandthe Vadims safe. "Did you get a good look at the stranger?" I asked, keeping my tone level despite the rage building inside me at whatever betrayal was taking place right under our noses.

She nodded. "Tall, bald, with a scar across his left cheek. He had this… this cold look in his eyes." A shudder ran through her body, and I resisted the urge to smash my hand through a window in rage.

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