Page 11 of Ripped Veil (Ripped Bratva)

“You’ve been through something,” he guesses.

It’s not really a question, but I nod anyway. I can’t find my voice.

“Come here,” he says, taking my hand and leading me to the bathroom counter.

His hands grip my waist. In one smooth motion, he’s lifted me onto the counter as though I weigh nothing at all. While I sit there, wondering what he’s doing, he grabs a hand towel from a ring next to the sink and runs it through water. Then he lifts to my face and dabs carefully, almost… tenderly.

When the towel comes away, I realize it’s smeared with dirt and dried blood. I hadn’t even realized I’d been hurt.

Then again, maybe it isn’t my blood at all.

The realization makes me feel light-headed all over again. My vision blurs and fresh tears fall.

“Listen to me,” he rasps softly. “There’s no point thinking about it. Whatever it is.”

“But—”

“Can you change it?”

“N… no.”

“Then don’t torture yourself.”

He works on my face again patiently, his eyes lingering on my lips for a moment before he dips the towel in water once more.

“Thank you,” I whisper.

He just nods.

“Who are you?” I ask.

He meets my gaze. I feel my insides shiver. The intensity in those dark eyes has me leaning in, just the tiniest fraction of an inch.

“You chose the wrong place to seek refuge,” he warns me. “This place is not safe.”

“Why are you here then?”

“Because I can handle myself,” he says. “You can’t.”

I drop my head, unable to argue.

“You have to leave,” he adds.

I bite my lip to keep from saying the words that are dangerously close to spilling out.I don’t want to leave you.

But I’m not his problem. I’m my own problem now.

The drugged haze has mostly cleared away by now, though the fear still remains. He reaches up and brushes away one of my tears. Our eyes meet again, and I recognize something in him. Probably because it’s the same thing twisting inside of me right now.

Restlessness.

Conflict.

Two sides of himself warring with each other.

“Thank you,” I murmur.

“You’ve thanked me already.”

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