Page 40 of Plus-Size Bratva Bride

Just as I was about to head to the break room for a much-needed coffee break, I heard a commotion near the entrance. Curious, I made my way there and froze when I saw a woman berating one of the guards at the door.

"I don't care who you are! Let me in right now!" she demanded, her voice loud and shrill.

I was about to intervene when from the corner of my eye, I saw Abe push past me. “I’ll handle it,” he said as he crossed. I frowned, knowing then that he was doing that hovering thing he’s so good at.

“What’s the problem here?” he demanded. While the security didn’t let her through because her new ID didn’t have a clear picture, I suddenly remembered I recognized this woman as a regular. I hadn’t earlier, but that tattoo and nose ring were too much of a coincidence.

I walked up to Abe and put myself between him and the woman. “I know her,” I told him. “She comes often.”

“See?” the woman said smugly, glaring Abe down.

“No clear ID. No Admission,” Abe reiterated, his hand now on my arm. He turned back his neck and told the guard to see her out.

“Abe, but—”

“I can’t keep you safe if you allow such concessions, Pippa,” he said with a frustrated growl. “No one enters without a proper check. No one!”

I huffed, frustrated at his stubbornness. "I get it, Abe. But she's a regular. It's just a picture."

Abe's jaw clenched. "Rules are rules, Pippa. I won't risk your safety for anyone."

And that was that.

***

One evening, as I was making my way through the dimly lit corridors of the casino, I caught sight of Abe leaning against apillar, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked like a brooding sentinel.

I approached him cautiously, unsure of what to expect. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

His gaze locked onto mine, unwavering and intense. "Making sure you're safe," he replied simply.

I rolled my eyes. "Abe, I'm fine. You don't need to babysit me all the time," I muttered, trying to sound exasperated but secretly enjoying the attention.

The truth was, I had noticed over the past few days how he was always there, watching over me. It pleased me to see him care.

But at the same time, something between us had changed. Since I moved to his place, he hasn’t touched me like he did earlier. It was as though that one-night stand was the beginning and end of everything.

At the back of my mind, I knew that that was all it was, a one-night stand. But his hovering was so obvious, that I felt like I was getting mixed signals. He wouldn’t have acted this way with anyone…right?

Deep down, I knew there had to be something more. So why wasn’t he being himself?

Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t notice that Abe was watching me intently. “Penny for your thoughts?” I heard him ask, and his voice brought me back to the present.

I shook my head, for I had nothing to say. Sensing my troubled mind, Abe's hand came to rest on the small of my back, guiding me to the casino and telling me I needed a break. Despite my annoyance at him deciding whether I needed a breakor not, I couldn't deny the thrill that shot through me at his touch.

We made our way to the bar, where Abe insisted on getting me a drink to welcome me back. As he turned to place our order, I found myself studying his profile, admiring the strong line of his jaw, the tattoo creeping up his neck, and the way his dark hair curled slightly at the nape.

Get a grip, Pippa, I scolded myself.

Just then, a statuesque blonde in a slinky red dress sidled up to Abe. "Well, if it isn't the king of the casino himself," she purred, placing a perfectly manicured hand on his arm.

I watched, a knot forming in my stomach, as Abe turned to her with a charming smile. "Natalia, always a pleasure," he said, his voice low and smooth.

The woman—Natalia—laughed at something he said, her hand lingering on his arm. I couldn't hear their conversation over the din of the casino, but the easy familiarity between them was unmistakable.

I gripped my drink tightly, a bitter taste forming in my mouth that had nothing to do with the alcohol. The flutter of attraction I'd felt earlier twisted into something uglier—jealousy, hot and sharp.

It's not like you have any claim on him, I reminded myself harshly. But as I watched Abe lean in close to whisper something in Natalia's ear, her tinkling laughter grating on my nerves, I couldn't shake the irrational surge of possessiveness that washed over me. Maybe this was why he wasn’t touching me like he used to.Natalia and others like her.

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