Page 19 of Ripped Veil (Ripped Bratva)

I appreciate the question. Maybe that’s why I nod immediately. In any case, I don’t really have the luxury of turning down help.

She smiles, revealing a dimple in her right cheek. “Then follow me, little lamb.”

Instead of leading me back into the street, she goes to the opposite end of the alleyway. I assumed it was a dead end, but then I realize there’s a nondescript door nestled in the corner.

“It leads to the restaurant out front,” she explains, sensing my confusion. “The one you just passed.”

She opens the door. I follow her into a bright space that looks like a storeroom of some kind. I can smell frying meat in the air. My stomach churns with hunger.

“My name is Charity, by the way,” she says, turning to me and gesturing for me to sit down.

“Charity,” I repeat. “I’m…”

I pause. She’s the first person in the outside world I’m offering my name up to. It feels momentous somehow.

“Hey, I’m not asking for your blood type or Social Security number,” Charity says with a knowing smile. “Just something to call you that’s better than, ‘Hey, you there.’”

As she talks, she steps past some shelves stacked with boxes and moves to a thin cupboard wedged in the corner. She opens it up and starts pulling out normal clothes. One set for her. One for me.

Then she removes the coat, revealing the full extent of her outfit.

She’s wearing a bra that leaves little to the imagination. Her body is lean and tight, but very curvy. The panties she’s wearing are black lace. When she turns, I realize it’s a thong.

As I watch, still too traumatized to move on my own accord, Charity pulls a pair of jeans up over the thong but discards the black bra for a more modest one before shrugging a t-shirt on top of that.

When she turns to me, I realize I’m gawking. She smiles. “So, you gonna tell me your name or are you gonna make me guess?”

I shake myself out of my reverie. “Um, my name is Elyssa. With an E.”

Her smile gets wider. “Well, Elyssa-with-an-E, here you go,” she says, offering me the second stack of clothes. “Something to help you blend in.”

I examine the clothes she’s offered me. A pair of black leggings and a white t-shirt similar to the green one she’s wearing.

“I’d offer you a pair of jeans, but you’re much smaller than I am. The leggings are a one-size-fits-all kind of deal.”

Again, I barely follow her words as I struggle to unzip myself from the dress.

She notices my struggle and swoops over. “Oh. Right. Let me help you.”

She drags the zipper down the back and the dress falls off my shoulders easily. I shiver instantly once I’ve been parted from the material. Beneath it, I’m wearing white cotton panties and a matching bra. The same kind of thing I’ve worn my entire life. Unlike Charity’s undergarments, mine cover up everything they’re supposed to.

“Wow,” she remarks with a chuckle. “I’ve only ever seen underwear like that in my grandma’s drawer.”

I blush, bringing my hands up and around my body. Charity’s expression softens as she takes in my reaction.

“You want me to leave while you change?”

I nod gratefully. She gives me a reassuring smile and then heads for the door.

“By the way, the pink door to the side is the bathroom. Feel free to use it however you like. I’ll make sure no one bothers you in here.”

When she opens the door, sounds and smells filter in, including the scent of cooking oil and sizzling bacon grease. My stomach roils again, but I ignore it.

The moment Charity leaves, I shuffle to the bathroom. It’s small but well-stocked, with full soap and a fresh hand towel hanging from a nail in the wall.

I take a deep breath and look into the mirror. My face isn’t as nightmarish as I’d expected. With a jolt, I remember why: because my protector cleaned and washed me back in the club’s bathroom.

I touch my fingers to my lips, remembering the all-consuming way he had kissed me. I still can’t quite believe that happened. What’s even more shocking is that I don’t regret it. I still ache from where he entered me, from how he grabbed me and molded me to him. But it’s a good kind of ache.

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