Thirty minutes ter, the bedroom door opened.

  Gaby stepped out into the living room, smoothing her hands down her thighs. The navy-blue, backless silk dress fit her fwlessly, hugging every single curve of her body.

  "Baby! Do you like it?" she asked, a nervous, hopeful smile on her face.

  I smiled, completely burying the cold paranoia gnawing at my brain. "You’re absolutely stunning, babe." I closed the distance between us, pulling her in by the waist to give her a deep, appreciative kiss. "When did you buy this?"

  She smiled innocently, her brown eyes bright. "Not too long ago!"

  Liar. "It feels like real silk," I murmured, pretending to casually analyze the fabric between my fingers. "Must have been pretty expensive."

  "Not really!" she deflected quickly, turning away to grab her purse.

  My jaw tightened. I know it was five hundred and eighty dolrs, Gaby. If she had drained her own meager savings to buy it, she was hiding it. If someone else had bought it for her, she was hiding them. I wasn't going to py games.

  I pulled my phone out, opened my banking app, and swiftly transferred 1,000 directly into her checking account.

  "Alright, let’s head out to the party," I said, slipping the phone back into my pocket.

  "Wait!" She froze as her phone buzzed in her purse. She pulled it out, the screen illuminating her sudden, panicked expression. "Did you just transfer a thousand dolrs to me?"

  I nodded smoothly, walking toward the front door. "It’s to reimburse you for the dress." I turned back and gave her a warm, protective smile.

  "But… I bought it to impress you, baby. Not to trick you into giving me money." She looked down at her heels, visibly distressed and ashamed. "You already spoil me so much. I can't take this."

  "Babe." I walked back over, gently pcing a finger under her chin and lifting her face until she was forced to look into my eyes. "You live under my roof now. Anything you need, I will provide it. Besides, you do a lot of housekeeping to keep this pce nice. Consider it an allowance. Don’t ever hesitate to tell me if you need anything, okay?"

  She melted completely. She threw her arms around my neck, burying her face in my chest. "All I need is you, baby."

  "Alright. Let’s go, we’re going to be te."

  We pulled into the dark, gravel parking lot of the underground bar a few minutes early. Nikoy, Boris, and Andrew were already leaning against the brick wall, smoking cigarettes and waiting for us.

  "Derro! At st!" Nikoy called out, tossing his cigarette.

  "Hi everyone," Gaby greeted them politely. She immediately stepped behind me, clinging tightly to my arm and hiding from their intense presence.

  Nikoy, Boris, and Andrew didn't say hello back to her. Instead, the three of them exchanged a very long, heavy, silent look with each other. Then, they slowly turned their eyes back to me.

  Just as I thought, my ego preened. They’re completely shocked by how hot she looks! "What?" I smirked at them, "Are we going to party, or are we just going to stare each other down in an alleyway?"

  Nikoy let out a hollow chuckle. "Derro… Derro.. Derro! Impatient as always. Let’s go inside."

  As we pushed our way through the loud, crowded bar, I could feel the heavy stares of the other guys tracking Gaby's every move. The open-backed dress was a massive head-turner. Heh. Keep looking, dogs. She’s strictly mine.

  We reached our reserved VIP booth in the back. I sat down right in the center of the leather sofa, spreading my legs and resting my arms across the backrest like a king holding court. Without me having to utter a single command, Gaby obediently climbed right onto my p, wrapping her arms securely around my neck.

  The Russian crew took their seats across the table. They just stared at us. They looked completely uneasy, the usual chaotic party energy entirely drained from their faces.

  I smirked. "It’s been a whole month since we hit the bar," I said loudly over the pounding bass, trying to break the ice. "Why so tense, boys? Did you forget how to party while you were trapped in your corporate jobs?"

  Nikoy forced a ugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Derro! Since when did you become this fucking crazy, eh?"

  "Crazy, you say?" I chuckled, "I’ll show you what crazy actually looks like."

  I looked down at the beautiful girl sitting on my p. "Suck me, babe."

  "Yes, baby!" she agreed instantly. She didn't hesitate. She didn't care that my friends were sitting two feet away. She immediately started to slide off my p, her knees already brushing the sticky floor of the club.

  "Brotha."

  A heavy, incredibly strong hand suddenly cmped down on my wrist.

  I flinched, looking up. Andrew was leaning entirely across the table, gripping my arm with iron force. His polite, quiet demeanor was completely gone. His face was stone-cold and fiercely stern.

  "We drink first," Andrew commanded, his voice slicing cleanly through the loud electronic music. "Do not forget the tradition."

  It wasn't a suggestion. It was a physical boundary. Andrew was looking at me with pure disgust.

  I stared into Andrew's deadpan eyes for a tense, heavy second

  I ughed, shaking off his grip. "Come back up here, babe," I said, grabbing Gaby by the waist and hoisting her back onto my p. I looked across the table. "Alright then, boys. Pour the shots. Let’s get to drinking."

  *

  As usual, Nikoy was pying bartender for the booth. But my hyper-vigint brain quickly noticed a massive shift in his routine. He was deliberately skipping Gaby, pouring her half-shots or casually handing her water instead of vodka. He was actively pacing her.

  I observed the crew closely. Their behavior was entirely unnatural. They didn’t immediately jump up and disappear into the chaotic dance floor like they usually did. They just stayed anchored to the leather sofas, sipping their drinks and watching us.

  I gnced across the small table. Andrew hadn't touched his gss in twenty minutes. Nikoy was just quietly exchanging pleasant banter with Boris and Gaby.

  What the fuck? Why are they acting so painfully boring?

  Gaby, on the other hand, seemed to be genuinely enjoying the rexed atmosphere. Whenever Nikoy or Boris threw a joke her way, she replied with her natural, witty attitude. They weren't treating her like my sexual prop; they were treating her like a little sister.

  What is wrong with everyone tonight?! "Guys, do you seriously not want to go dance?" I asked, forcefully injecting my voice into their conversation.

  "Derro! Hanging out like this is fun!" Nikoy answered smoothly, though his usual booming energy felt entirely forced.

  Are they just tired from pying corporate dress-up all month? I stared at them, my mind spinning into a dark spiral. Or are they staring because they're interested in Gaby? I grinned, "Babe, wanna dance?" I asked her loudly.

  "Sure, baby!" she answered cheerfully, completely oblivious to the tension in the booth.

  I gnced at the crew. They had stopped talking entirely. All three of them had their gazes locked heavily onto us.

  Let’s give them a fucking show, then. "Dance for me right here, babe," I commanded. I leaned forward, pressing an aggressive, marking kiss into her neckline. "Show me how you move."

  She obediently stood up from my p, positioning herself between my spread knees. Her dark eyes locked onto mine, swimming with blind, submissive arousal. She began to roll her hips, moving sensually to the heavy, pulsing bass of the club.

  I reached out, grabbing the hem of her expensive silk dress. I began to slide the fabric up her thighs, exposing her bare hips to the entire table.

  "Enough, Broda."

  Andrew reached entirely across the table. His hand cmped down over mine with a brutal, iron grip, physically halting my movement.

  I stared him down, my eyes fshing with cold, violent defiance. I ignored his command, trying to rip my hand free to pull her dress higher.

  "I said, enough!" Andrew stood up abruptly. He reached past me, grabbing Gaby gently by the arm and trying to pull her safely away from my toxic orbit.

  My martial arts instincts and my manic paranoia violently collided. I shed out.

  I drove my boot hard into Andrew's stomach. The forceful kick sent him stumbling backward until he crashed heavily onto the sticky floor of the booth.

  I immediately snapped my head toward Nikoy and Boris, my fists raised, waiting for the retaliation. But they didn't move. They just sat perfectly still in the booth. They didn't yell. They didn't reach for their bottles. They just watched me.

  Andrew slowly got back to his feet. He didn't raise his hands to defend himself. He just stared at me with cold, deadpan eyes.

  I shoved Gaby behind my back, stepping up until I was inches from Andrew's face. I gred him down, my chest heaving, desperately trying to reassert my dominance. He had touched my territory.

  "You want to punch me, Broda?" Andrew asked, his voice eerily calm over the club's deafening music. "Go ahead."

  I pnted my feet and swung, driving a brutal, textbook punch directly into his gut.

  He flinched for a split second, the air rushing out of his lungs, but he didn't fold. He immediately straightened back up, returning to his cold, stoic expression. He didn't fight back. He took my absolute best shot, and he looked at me with nothing but pity.

  He made my violence look incredibly, pathetically weak.

  "I will not let you treat her like a cheap whore, Broda," Andrew rasped, catching his breath.

  What? My brain violently misfired.

  Why does he care so much about her?! Suddenly, the invisible dots connected. The 580 price tag. Her terrified face this afternoon. Is Andrew the one who bought her the dress?! Is she fucking my brother behind my back?!

  I lost it. I grabbed Andrew's colr with both hands, shoving him backward and pressing my forearm crushing against his throat. "How fucking dare you?!" I roared.

  "What you are doing to Gaby crosses the line, Derro," Nikoy intervened. his voice cutting through my rage. It was low, steady, and completely heartbroken. He and Boris were still sitting calmly on the sofa. "We came here tonight to have fun together. Not to watch you use another person like a disposable tool."

  Fuck!

  I slowly released Andrew's colr, taking a step back. Andrew didn't retaliate; he just calmly smoothed out his shirt.

  "I understand that you are still mourning Jessica," Andrew said quietly, his tone softening into genuine, devastating warmth. "But you should not take your pain out on someone who genuinely cares about you, Broda."

  Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

  "We are deeply sorry we could not be present when you were down, Broda," Boris spoke up, his massive frame shifting awkwardly. "We failed you. But if you still cannot move on... it is a coward's move to exploit someone like this."

  Fuuuuuuck!

  Nikoy finally stood up. He walked over, gently pcing a heavy, grounding hand on my trembling shoulder. He looked directly into my cracked, manic eyes, cutting through all my bullshit.

  "Do you really like her, Derro?" Nikoy asked softly. "Do you really love Gaby?"

  "No! No! No!"

  Gaby suddenly lunged past me, grabbing my arm with a terrifying, frantic grip. She positioned herself between me and the Russians, shielding me.

  "Stay away from him!" she screamed at them, her voice shrill and entirely unhinged. "Don’t disturb our life!"

  She turned back to me. Her face was pale and slick with sweat, but she forced a massive, pstic smile onto her lips. She looked exactly like an addict terrified of losing her supply. "Let’s just get out of here, baby! We’ll go home! We’ll continue the fun at home, okay?!"

  My body and mind went entirely, terrifyingly numb. The manic adrenaline in my veins completely ftlined, leaving behind nothing but a cold, crushing exhaustion. I didn't say another word to the brothers. I just surrendered, letting Gaby drag my hollow shell out of the club, leaving the only people who actually wanted to save me behind.

  *

  Gaby took the wheel. She drove us back to the loft in complete silence.

  My mind was completely shattered. My sanity had been violently forced awake by the brothers. I mindlessly followed Gaby out of the parking garage and up into the loft, stepping back into my own tomb.

  "Let’s have fun tonight, baby!" she said, her voice entirely too loud and manic. She grabbed my hand, desperately dragging me toward the bedroom. She started stripping off her expensive dress bit by bit, trying to seduce me.

  But I felt absolutely nothing. It was like my brain had completely stopped working. The manic, predatory persona was aggressively fighting with the cold, sobering reality of what I had done to her.

  "Baby!" Her desperate voice echoed in my ears. She stood in front of me, completely bare, looking deeply into my eyes.

  "Let’s not do this tonight, Gaby," I said, gently pushing her hands away. "I just want to rest."

  I turned away from her, threw myself face-up onto the mattress, and rested my forearm over my eyes. I just wanted to fall asleep instantly and escape the guilt.

  "Baby…"

  She climbed onto the bed, completely ignoring my request.

  She already knew all of my biological weak spots, and she ruthlessly exploited them to force a physical reaction. She slowly stripped away the rest of my clothes. She forced her mouth down onto mine in a deep, aggressive kiss, while her hands busily stroked me until my body betrayed me and became fully erect.

  She didn't ask for permission. She just positioned her hips and sank down, taking my entire length inside her.

  She began to ride me with a fierce, punishing rhythm. I didn't touch her. I didn't hold her hips. I just y ft on my back, my arms resting limply at my sides, staring dead-eyed at the dark ceiling.

  She leaned forward, aggressively biting every inch of skin from my ear down to my colrbone. The sharp pain barely registered; it just felt like a dull tingle. She kept riding me hard, one of her small hands wrapping around my throat to choke me.

  As her climax rapidly approached, she grabbed my shoulders with a frantic, desperate grip. Her body began to tremble violently. Her fingernails dug brutally into my chest, slicing open my skin and drawing blood. I didn't even flinch.

  She moved down, her hands gripping the base of my shaft tightly as she took me into her mouth. She devoured me fiercely. The overwhelming sensation finally forced my body's tension to build up. She could clearly feel the throb in her grip. She shoved me as deep as she could, sucking hard until my body completely surrendered, shooting a heavy load deep down her throat.

  It was completely, terrifyingly hollow. My body was covered in sweat and bleeding scratches, but my soul was entirely dead. I had just been used as a literal sex doll to soothe a terrified girl's ego.

  She crawled up and id her head heavily against my chest. I could feel her hot tears dripping down onto my skin.

  I just closed my eyes. I needed to rest.