Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

S he's ready to flee. I can see it in her eyes. She's scared and I fucking hate seeing her like this. I don't think she's afraid of me, though. It's something else. I have no idea what happened with her and El.

All I know is that El came back into the dining room shaking. But being away from Gio does that to her lately, even if he's just out of reach. I didn't tell Zoe about Ellie's attack. I mean, how do you bring up that your sister-in-law was raped and beaten? It doesn't exactly come up in conversation. Especially when I knew that Zoe was already struggling with her own inner demons.

In hindsight, I probably should have told her, prepared her for what she'd see.

Truth is, I selfishly thought I wouldn't have to tell her. Zoe finding out that we have no fucking way of keeping our women safe is the last thing I want. She was already on the fence, and now she's going to know there's no escaping the De Bellis curse.

"Tell me what you're thinking. Because I'm pretty sure, whatever it is, it's way off from the actual truth." Walking into my closet, I open a drawer and pull out the red-ribboned bracelet I was given as a child. It was a gift from an old Italian woman, one of the wives of a soldier.

She was the one who told me about the curse and then handed me the red ribbon, claiming it would protect me. I was ten back then. A kid who rushed back home and hid his latest trinket before his father could throw it away. After Shelli, I dug the thing out of an old shoe box. Even wore it for a couple of days before I felt like a fucking idiot believing a ribbon could protect us from anything.

The old woman was wrong, though. Because it's not me who needs protecting. It's not my brothers either. It's the women we bring into the family. It's Zoe.

I walk back out of the closet, clutching the red ribbon in my fist. "This is going to sound crazy and it is. But I'm going with it anyway, because if there's the tiniest hint of truth to it, I'd rather you be protected as much as you can be."

"What are you talking about?" Zoe asks.

I open my hand and watch her eyes flick down to my palm before looking up at me again. "Remember how I told you that my family's cursed?" She nods, and I continue. "Well, it's something I've known for a long time. It's why Shelli is dead, why El looks the way she does right now. And it's why I should let you walk away. I don't want to lose you, though, Zoe. So I'm going to need you to wear this instead."

Her eyebrows draw down in confusion. "What do you mean? Who did that to El's face?"

"A family looking to hurt Gio, and they used his wife to do it."

"I… I'm sorry."

"Will you wear this?" I lift the ribbon between my fingers and hold it out to her again.

"It's a piece of ribbon, Marcel," she says like I don't already know that. I told her it was crazy. But right now, I don't care.

"Someone gave that to me when I was young. Told me it would protect me against the curse. But today I realised something. I don't need protection, Zoe. But you do. So please humour me and wear it."

She holds out her right arm and I slide the ribbon over her hand before tightening it around her wrist.

"Thank you," I tell her.

"I'm not saying I believe you're cursed, but if it makes you feel better, I'll wear it." Zoe walks over to my bed and sits herself on the edge of the mattress. "What happened to El?"

I still. How the fuck do I answer that? I don't want to tell her too much. Not because I don't trust her, but because I don't want her to feel unsafe with me. Arming her with the knowledge that I can't do shit to protect her against the kind of thing that happened to my sister-in-law is only going to send her running again.

I wouldn't blame her either. After what she's already experienced in her life, she'd be mad to stay. That doesn't mean I want her to go, though.

"Marcel? What happened?" Zoe asks again.

"She was showing a property to a client when he attacked her. She was alone and… You know what? Let's talk about something else. Like how fucking hot you look in that dress and how much better it's going to look once it's on my floor." I close the distance before dropping to my knees in front of the bed. In front of Zoe. With my hands on her thighs, I slowly pry them apart, giving her plenty of opportunity to stop me if she wants to. "Fuck, this is the prettiest thing I've ever seen," I grunt when I'm greeted by the sight of her lace-covered pussy.

"Do you think we should talk?" Zoe suggests.

My eyes shift from her pussy to her face, while one side of my mouth tilts upwards. "You want to talk, babe? Want to hear about how hard my cock is right now? How I can smell your arousal?" My hand slides higher up her thigh. "Want to talk about how I'm going to make you come? First on my fingers." Pushing the lace aside, I glide two digits through her wet lips before sliding them inside her. "Once my hand is coated in your juices, I'm going to make you come all over my tongue. And then, just when you think you can't possibly take anymore, you're going to come all over my fucking cock."

I pump my fingers in and out of her. She's so fucking wet, so close to falling over the edge already. Zoe's body drops backwards onto the bed.

"You want that, babe? You want me to make you come, over and over again?" I continue to pump my fingers in and out. The walls of her pussy convulse, sucking me in. "Or I could stop and we can talk about something else?" My hand stills as I quirk a brow.

"Don't you dare fucking stop, Marcello." Zoe pushes up on her elbows to glare at me.

I smile and start moving again. "Wouldn't dream of it. Now, are you going to be a good girl and drench my hand?" I pump harder, curling my fingers upwards. Rubbing against that magic little spot inside her. Then, pressing my thumb against her clit, I draw circles as I pump two fingers in and out of her pussy.

"Oh god! Marcel, don't stop." Zoe moans. Her thighs shake and her hips gyrate in rhythm with my movements. "Shit!" she screams right before her entire body locks up. And then she's coming.

"That's it, fucking beautiful." I pull my hand back before she has time to recover.

I hold her pussy open and slide my tongue through the centre. From bottom to top. I don't know what this girl eats, but whatever it is, I need to buy it in bulk. Because, fuck, she tastes good. So fucking good. I circle my tongue around her clit, applying more pressure with each stroke. My fingers dig into the soft flesh of her upper thighs as I continue to spread them wide.My mouth closes around her clit and I suck while flicking my tongue over her sensitive bud. Zoe's hands grip my head, pushing my face into her pussy. Not that I could physically get any closer if I tried.

Trust me, nothing's ripping my mouth away from this piece of heaven.

It doesn't take long before Zoe's coming apart on my tongue, her fingers pulling at the strands of my hair. Straightening up, I stare down at her. She looks spent, but I've still got one more orgasm I want to wring from her.

"Ready for the trifecta, babe?" I flip her over onto her stomach. I position her so she's on her knees, lift her dress over her ass, and slide her panties down her thighs. Then I dig into my back pocket and pull out a condom. "I need words, Zoe. Do you want me to make you come on my cock?" I ask. Flicking my button open, sliding my zip down, and freeing my cock.

"Yes, I want that. Please," she says, looking back over her shoulder at me.

I step up behind her, freeing my cock and sheathing it before wrapping her hair around my hand and tugging her head towards me. Leaning forward, I close my mouth over hers as I slide into her slowly. Her pussy tightens around me.

"Mmm… Oh god!" Zoe moans into my lips.

"I love making you come," I grunt, as I straighten up and drive into her. Picking up my pace. Hitting harder and harder with each thrust. "Your cunt was fucking made for me. So fucking tight and wet. Look how she wraps around my cock like a damn glove."

Zoe's walls flex and her juices flood my cock as my words echo through the room. Reaching a hand between us, I rub circles around her clit. I need her to come. I'm not going to last much longer. She feels too fucking good. The tightening of my balls tells me I'm close to losing my load as tingles run up my spine.

"You need to come for me now, Zoe. Fuck!" I growl. "I want it. I fucking need it."

Like the perfect fucking creature she is, her body responds to my commands. Her pussy clings to my cock like it's a fucking lifeline, milking me of everything I have.