Page 38 of Plus-Size Bratva Bride

She sighed in disappointment. There truly wasn’t much else to be said. The room fell silent as Pippa finished cleaning the last of my cuts. I watched her delicate fingers work, noticing how her brow furrowed in concentration. It struck me then how much trust I was placing in her—something I rarely did outside of my brothers and the Vadims.

After she was done bandaging my arm, she turned to me with a question burrowed in her brows.

“What?” I asked, out of curiosity.

“Why did you… let yourself get so involved when things turned south? You should have left the fight before…” She motioned at all my injuries.

I regarded Pippa for a moment. It wasn't often that someone questioned my actions, especially not with genuine concern like she was displaying now.

Leaning back against the medical room table, I let out a sigh. "I couldn't just walk away, Pippa. Loyalty means something in our world," I said, my voice quieter than before. “The Unholy Trinity, the Vadims… we've got each other's backs, no questions asked."

Pippa's green eyes met mine, a flicker of understanding passing between us. "I get that," she replied softly. "The Vadims… they're more than just employers to me."

I raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "Oh yeah? How so?"

She hesitated, her fingers absently tracing the edge of a bandage on my arm. "My aunt and uncle… they weren't exactly the Brady Bunch," she said with a bitter laugh. "My aunt and uncle used me as their personal ATM. They treated me like I was nothing more than a burden."

My jaw clenched, a wave of anger surging through me at the thought of anyone mistreating her. "Sounds like they need a visit from the Unholy Trinity," I growled.

Pippa's lips curved into a small smile. "As tempting as that is, the Vadims already took care of it. They gave me a job, a purpose… a family." Her voice softened. "They showed me what loyalty really means. Every Christmas, they thought of me. They know about my dreams, keep hiking up my pay. This one time, I was really sick and every single day, I had homemade food at my doorstep. When my family tried to emotionally blackmail meinto giving them more money, it was Vlad Vadim and his wife that stopped me."

I nodded, understanding all too well. "Funny how the people society calls 'criminals' can be more stand-up than your own flesh and blood sometimes."

"Exactly," Pippa agreed, her eyes shining with a mixture of gratitude and fierce loyalty. "The Vadims saw something in me when no one else did. I'd do anything for them."

I nodded, my own mind rushing back to the past. “Where were your parents?” I asked, hoping to understand the true extent of her suffering.

She went quiet for a moment, lost in thought, before she sighed. “They died,” she said, in a choked voice. “When I was only six. I barely remember them, just snippets of moments that seem like dreams now."

The pain flickered in her eyes. Now, I understood why she had those high walls around her, why she used them as armor.

“Oh, Pip,” I murmured, the sadness heavy in the air. “I lost mine too, when I was young.”

“Looks like we’ve got more in common than I thought,” she whispered with a small smile. “And clearly, the Vadims are intent on picking up all the orphans they possibly can.”

I found myself laughing at her attempt to lighten the mood, deeply admiring the courage she just displayed. “We’re fighters, you know?” I said with a small smile, knowing she’d understand why I didn’t leave the fistfight when things got hard.

“Hopefully, the fight will end someday,” she said, stepping away from me. The conversation had turned heavier than I thought, and I could see her expressions mirroring mysentiments. Sometimes, just when everything is getting better, life has a tendency to remind us of our darkest moments.

“You’re all patched up,” she said, closing the first aid kit. “I recommend food and rest. Go on up. I’ll have the maids bring you some dinner.”

I cleared my throat, desperate to buy a few more minutes with her. "Thank you. I've got to say, Nurse Pippa, your bedside manner is much better than Ivan's. Last time he patched me up, I thought he was trying to finish the job my opponents started."

Pippa's lips quirked into a smile, her green eyes sparkling with amusement. "I'll be sure to let him know you prefer my gentle touch," she teased, a hint of sass in her voice.

I chuckled, feeling the heaviness in the room dissipate. "Please do. Maybe he'll finally admit defeat in at least one area."

She shook her head, still smiling. "You Ustinovs and your competitive streak. It's a wonder you haven't turned the whole world into a battleground."

"Who says we haven't?" I winked, enjoying the easy banter between us.

As Pippa gathered the stuff to be thrown away, I found myself captivated by her movements. The way she tucked a stray curl behind her ear, the confident set of her shoulders—it all spoke of a strength I hadn't fully appreciated before.

Without thinking, I reached out and gently caught her hand. The warmth of her skin against mine sent a jolt through my body. "Hey," I said softly, my usual bravado faltering. "Thank you. For this, and… for trusting me with your story."

Pippa's eyes widened slightly, her cheeks flushing a delicate pink. For a moment, we just looked at each other, acurrent of understanding passing between us. I felt the facade I'd built around myself had started to crack, just a little.

"You're welcome," she whispered, her fingers giving mine a slight squeeze before she pulled away.

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