Kelly shouldn’t have to pay for my family’s bullshit. But he’s paying for it anyway.
And so are these two. I took him to that café already. That was reckless enough.
But when he asks me for something, I just … give in. Every single time. He’s making me break rules I’ve followed my entire life.
If my father finds out I’m with a man, Kelly becomes a problem, and I know how he solves problems because I’m the one who does the solving. But this time I’ll refuse the order. And if he tries to force me, I’ll put a bullet in his head. Kelly’s mine to protect, even from my own blood.
Fuck it.I’m about to do the stupidest thing I’ve ever done. Good thing I’ve lost my mind.
He wants a real date? I’ll give him one that’ll ruin him for everyone else. He owns me, has me wrapped around his finger and doesn’t even realize it.
I pull out my key and shove it into the lock.
The door swings open to Kelly’s apartment—technically mine too now since we’ve spent every second together and I’m not going anywhere. He can kick, scream, change the locks, and none of it would matter because he belongs to me.
I walk straight to the bedroom. He’s curled up in bed with his laptop open, some random show playing. Clover’s knocked out beside him. His hand rests on her soft brown fur. He looks up.
“Get dressed.”
“What?”
“We’re going on a date.”
He scrunches his nose. “No, it’s fine. I’m sorry I asked. I was having a bad day, and it was a stupid impulse. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I know we can’t really do that kind of thing since it’s risky. We can just order food here and watch something.”
“I made reservations.”
My ancestors are probably rolling in their graves. If any of my grandfathers could see me now, they’d shoot me in the head themselves.
“Are you sure?”
“Da.”
I settle beside him, lying back and pulling Clover onto my chest. Her fur is impossibly soft, her body warm and trustingagainst me. I always thought rabbits were pointless pets, but she’s actually perfect. Just like everything else Kelly touches.
“Do I need to dress nice?”
“Dress however you want. You look sexy in everything.”
He scoffs and mutters something under his breath and starts pulling out clothes. I watch him strip off his shirt, watch him change his mind, and pull on something else. I can’t stop staring at every movement he makes.
The drive to the restaurant is quiet. Kelly fidgets with the radio, settles on some pop station I couldn’t care less about. Then sings along to a Tate McRae song. I knew his playlist was full of pop songs, but actually hearing him sing it is something else entirely.
By the time I park, I’m already tense because I know exactly how I want the night to end.
He doesn’t know that yet. He just asked for a date and has no idea what he’s walking into.
He’s wearing black jeans and a white shirt with the top buttons undone, his hair styled wavier than usual, messier but deliberately so. My mouth goes dry the second I look at him. He’s gorgeous and all mine.
I still can’t wrap my head around why he doesn’t run. He’s too good for a man like me. Too kind, too pure for someone with blood under his fingernails. But I’m selfish enough to keep him anyway.
“Ready?”
He glances out the window at the upscale building and nods. I move around to open his door. He lets me take his hand. We walk toward the back entrance. I type the code into the keypad, and the door clicks open. Dropping his hand when we step inside.
He looks around, probably wondering why we’re not going through the front like normal customers.
Gloria’s the first to see us. She’s wearing a red dress tonight, skin-tight, with blonde hair falling past her waist. She works under Yulian but answers to all of us when needed.
