Plus-Size Bratva Bride (Vadim Bratva #9)

Chapter 10 - Abe

The first rays of sunlight crept through the blinds, and I stirred, my body aching in all the right places. Memories of last night with Pippa flooded my mind—her curves pressed against me, those gorgeous green eyes clouded with desire. Fuck. I hadn't felt the need to be this gentle with a woman… ever.

I rolled over, drinking in the sight of her sleeping form. Her light brown curls splayed across the cushion, full lips slightly parted. My chest tightened with an unfamiliar urge to stay, to protect.

But I needed to get an update. Information was the only leverage I had to truly keep her safe. Last night, I stopped Tony from killing her. But tomorrow, she could be someplace I might not reach in time. Yet as I dressed, every fiber of my being screamed at me not to leave her alone and my gaze kept drifting back to her.

"Get it together, Ustinov," I muttered, putting on my belt. She was safe here and I would only be gone for an hour or two max.

I checked my watch. My brothers were waiting. Before I left, I strode to the kitchen. I scrawled a note and placed it on the fridge, my handwriting uncharacteristically precise:

"Stay put. I mean it, Pippa. -A "

I paused at her door, hand hovering over the knob. Just one more look. To make sure she was okay

"Abe?" Her sleepy voice nearly undid me.

I cleared my throat, aiming for a soothing tone. "All okay, Pip. Go back to sleep."

She mumbled something unintelligible, already drifting off. I lingered a moment longer, observing the curve of her cheek, the slight pout of her lips. Christ, I was in trouble.

Forcing myself to turn away, I walked out and made my way to my car. I had a job to do. And keeping Pippa safe meant facing whatever shit storm was brewing head-on.

***

I strode into Ivan's office, the tension in the air palpable. My brothers' faces were grim, their postures rigid. My older brother Ivan, ever the picture of control, sat behind his massive desk, fingers steepled under his chin. Vlad paced by the window, his usual easygoing demeanor replaced by a tightly coiled energy.

"Nice of you to join us, Abe," Ivan drawled, his tone deceptively casual. "I trust your… lead… is secure?"

My blood boiled. "Pippa's not just a lead, Ivan. She's—”

"She's what, Abe?" Ivan cut in, his voice dangerously low. "A distraction?"

I bit back a retort, the muscle in my jaw twitching. But, I knew if I entered this argument, it would be a simple waste of time. "Pippa's safe and that’s what matters. Now, what's the situation with our mystery man?"

Vlad turned from the window. "He's in the wind. Our contacts haven't picked up a trace."

"Fuck," I growled, slamming my fist on the desk. The impact sent a jolt of pain up my arm, but I welcomed it. It was better than the growing knot of anxiety in my gut. "How the hell did he slip past our net?"

Ivan leaned back, his chair creaking. "That's what we need to figure out. And fast."

I ran a hand through my hair, frustration mounting. "Every second he's out there is a second he could be talking to the wrong people. If word gets out about how that succeeded at getting away from the casino and that Vlad Vadim’s trusted employee was injured—"

"We know the stakes, Abe," Vlad cut in, shaking his head.

I paced the length of the office, my mind racing. The stranger knew too much, had seen too much. If he talked to anyone, enemies would become overconfident and come crawling to attack, believing that the Vadims were weakened.

Besides that, whoever he might have reported would know there was still one loose string in the picture.

… I couldn't shake the image of Pippa, vulnerable and alone at the safehouse. What if they found her? What if—

"Abe!" Ivan's voice snapped me back to reality. "Focus. We need that brain of yours working with us, not spiraling."

I took a deep breath, forcing my emotions back under control. "Right. Okay. We start by retracing his steps. Every camera, every witness, every scrap of evidence from the casino. Hack into the public cameras in the vicinity. We find this bastard, and we make sure he never talks."

The tension in the room shifted, a sense of purpose taking hold. As we dove into planning the hack, I pushed thoughts of Pippa to the back of my mind. I had to stay sharp, had to neutralize this threat. Only then could I ensure that the Vadims and their star employee stayed safe.

***

I pulled up to the safehouse two hours later, my mind now turning back to Pippa. As I approached the front door, I heard a commotion inside. My heart rate spiked, and I instinctively reached for my gun.

But when I burst through the door, I was met with a sight that made me freeze in my tracks. Pippa was there, all rightfully dressed, and in her quest to get something out of her reach on a shelf, she had dropped a load of books on the floor.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I demanded, my voice coming out harsher than I intended.

Pippa whirled around on that ridiculous chair she was standing on, her green eyes flashing with defiance. "What does it look like, Abe? I'm leaving and I had no cellphone battery to call a cab. So, I thought I’d use that to call one instead.” She pointed at the receiver hidden away in a corner on the top of a bookshelf. “I can't stay cooped up in here forever, you know?"

I raised an eyebrow. Jesus. Even the morning after being nearly stabbed to death, this woman wanted to be in charge through and through. She was resourceful in finding that thing, for sure. My finger pointed at what she thought was a phone. “That,” I said, “won’t work. It’s only to receive emergency messages. Not make calls.”

“Oh,” she frowned, looking endearingly disappointed, then stepped off the chair she had been standing on. “So…” she shuffles her weight from one foot to another. “Drop me home?”

I strode toward her, jaw clenched. "Hell no. It's not safe out there."

"I have a life, you know," she shot back, flicking her hair over her shoulder with more force than necessary. "A job. Responsibilities. I can't just disappear because you say so."

I ran a hand through my hair, frustration building. This woman was infuriating, but damn if her stubbornness didn't make something in my chest tighten. "Pippa, listen to me. You can't go. There are people out there who want to hurt you."

She paused, her lips pursing. "I appreciate your concern, Abe. Really. But I have a home to get back to. I swear I’ll keep it locked, not let anyone in unless I know them. My apartment is pretty safe.”

I stepped closer, close enough to catch the scent of her perfume. "You don’t understand,” I scoffed in her face. “Your apartment is child’s play.”

A flicker of uncertainty crossed her face. “But—” she began.

I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to shake some sense into her. "What you want right now doesn't matter if you end up dead, Sweetheart."

Pippa's green eyes flashed with fear.

I took a deep breath, trying to get my point across. "We have no leads. Tony could have had other men working with him at the casino. If there are more infiltrators in the Vadims ranks and they find out what went down between Tony and you, you’d be dead within seconds. Besides, there could be others coming. Others who won't hesitate to use you as leverage against the Vadims.”

She faltered for a moment, her hands now clenched together. "The Vadims are like family to me. I would never betray them."

"It's not about betrayal," I growled, closing the distance between us. "It's about them torturing you for information. It's about them hurting you to get to us. Can't you see that? Do you know what some of these assholes are capable of doing to a woman like you? How much harm they can cause you?”

Pippa's bottom lip trembled slightly, but her voice remained steady. "And what am I supposed to do? Hide away forever?"

I ran a hand down my face, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. "Not forever. Just until we neutralize the threat.”

Pippa's lips pursed, but she nodded. "Fine. But I have work to do. The Vadims—"

"Can manage without you for a few days," I interjected. "Your safety comes first. Meanwhile, you can work remotely. Vlad Vadim would want that.”

Pippa's eyes widened, and for a moment, I saw her resolve waver. I watched as Pippa's shoulders slumped, the fight slowly draining out of her. For a moment, I was struck by how young and vulnerable she looked, despite her fierce demeanor.

"I just… I can't stand feeling helpless," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. Then, she looked up at me and whispered, “So, where am I to go?”

I could sense the reluctance in her voice, the frustration of being cornered into a situation she didn’t want. It was evident that Pippa did not take well to being pushed around—and I couldn’t blame her for it. But there was no other choice.

Taking a step back, I let out a sigh, trying to calm the fierce protectiveness that surged through me. “You’ll stay with me,” I said finally, my tone firm. “At my house. It’s the safest place there is, with all the security we have in place.”

Pippa’s eyes widened in surprise, brows furrowing. “With you? Are you joking?” Her disbelief was palpable, mixed with a tint of defiance.

I moved closer. "It’s not up for debate, Pippa. I need to watch over you, at least until we get to the bottom of this mess. Even the strongest of us need backup sometimes.”

She looked up at me with a cocked eyebrow. "And you're my backup?"

"Whether you like it or not," I replied with a simple shrug.

Pippa rolled her eyes, but I caught the ghost of a smile on her lips. "God help me," she muttered.

“It’s the only option you’ve got to avoid a potential torture chamber,” I reiterated.

Her lips parted as if she wanted to argue further, but something must have made sense in her internal dialogue because she eventually relented, resignation settling in.

“Fine,” Pippa said quietly. “But don’t expect me to be happy about it.”

For the first time that day, a grin spread across my face. "Wouldn't dream of it, Sweetheart. You're far too stubborn for that."