Chapter 15

Every thought in my head screamed for me to run away when Gio started walking towards the door. I made this arrangement to save my brother, and I didn't expect it to be easy. The more likely scenario was a great deal of pain and frustration that eventually led to my untimely death.

Gio hated me. I hated him. One day, things would go too far and I'd get his whole family thrown in jail, or he'd finally choke the life out of me. Those were the only two possible outcomes. Shoving his hand down my shorts and making my entire body light up, was not in the cards.

In fact, it was so far away from the cards that cards were just specks in the distance. Pain I could take, but pleasure… what kind of bullshit was that?

My fingers curled around the pink strap slung over my shoulder. This backpack was one of the many things I'd stolen from Memphis. It wasn't big, but it was sturdy, and I managed to cram a lot of crap in it so it had some weight. But was it heavy enough to beat Gio to death? That was the real question.

Gio stopped to tip his gaze over his shoulder. "What the fuck are you waiting for?"

An anvil to magically appear in my backpack so I can smash your skull in.

"I'm contemplating murder."

"Great." He rolled his eyes. "You can contemplate murder in the house."

He'd like that, wouldn't he? How many other of my firsts was he going to ruin in those walls?

My first orgasm was supposed to happen in the back of a dirty pickup with some drunk frat boy, whose name I'd forget the next day. The moonlight would be shining down on our sweaty bodies. Then he would ask me if I liked it and I'd stick my head over the side of the truck and throw up.

That moment was not supposed to happen in Gio Mancini's driveway with some guy who smelled good and had all his teeth. What kind of bullshit was that? I refused to live my life in a romantic drama.

When I didn't move, Gio's brow arched. "Do I need to carry you?"

Normally, the answer to that question would be yes. No walking meant less energy I had to use. But my stupid teenage hormones kind of liked him right now, so that was probably a bad idea. Give a girl one measly orgasm and her body turns traitor.

"No, I'm perfectly capable of walking." I stomped my foot, held onto my shorts so they wouldn't fall down, and marched forward with my head held high.

Clutching onto the fabric of my bottoms probably didn't help the look I was going for–Maw Maw was going to be pissed about me losing another button–but it was better than walking around in my underwear. It was kind of hard to give off an ‘I don't give a shit' vibe when Michelangelo from the Ninja Turtles was smiling on your ass.

Gio pushed open the door and waved for me to go inside, which I did.

I stepped across the threshold with my chest puffed out and chin in the air. Because fuck Gio. And fuck Memphis too. If he had been better at explaining sexual things, then I might've been prepared for the butterflies that fluttered in my gut when Gio's eyes raked down my side. Whatever happened tonight was Memphis's fault.

What was going to happen tonight?

I paused to eye the staircase on the left side of the entryway, then shifted over to the one on the right. Much like on the outside of the house, there were two sets of steps in here that curved around the walls on either side. Despite the open concept, I felt claustrophobic.

The walls were moving in on me, while moonlight beamed in from the skylight above. The balcony on the upper floor loomed down at me. As if it had some impenetrable barrier it was waiting to slam down and trap me when I walked up those stairs.

Guess where Gio went?

My stomach churned as Gio's foot came down on the first step to the right. He took two more before he noticed that I wasn't behind him.

"Are you waiting for a fucking invitation?"

If I said yes, would he let me go home?

"Get your ass up here!"

Something inside my head told me not test my luck and do what I was told, but I didn't listen to other people so why would I listen to myself.

"Just my ass, because that might be hard to do?"

Gio let out an unimpressed tsk while I continued.

"First off, I don't have a knife. If I did, I'd have to somehow stay conscious while I was cutting it off, and if by some miracle that happened, I'd still have to throw my ass all the way up there." I tipped my chin at the balcony overlooking the entryway and added. "I may not act like a girl, but I definitely throw like one."

And that was how a true pain in the ass did it.

Judging by the look I was getting in response, I'd say I had successfully pissed him off. Did I think that would prevent me from having to go up the stairs of doom? No – honestly I think I'd be more scared if Gio said fuck it and told me to go home – but it did buy me time.

What did it buy me time for? I had no idea. I needed time to figure that out. But I did know that as long as I was over here, he couldn't touch me again.

"How about this?" Gio turned around to face me. "If you, don't get your still intact ass up these stairs in the next thirty seconds, then you'll wish you could cut it off."

That was a weird threat.

"I don't think anybody–"

"GET UP THE FUCKING STAIRS."

"Okay, geez." Someone was in a mood.

I rolled my eyes and slowly shuffled my feet forward. The closer I got the heavier my legs felt, but I continued to move until the toes of my shoes were touching the bottom step and Gio was leering down at me.

When I looked up at him I couldn't help gulp down a swallow. Gio looked different in a way that I couldn't explain. Nothing had changed. He was still wearing the same jeans and deep red shirt he was when I arrived. Yet, Gio seemed bigger somehow and more masculine.

I was suddenly very aware of the power held in those muscles. It scared me at first, but that tremble quickly morphed into a strange tingle that pooled low in my belly.

"Ten seconds."

Crap. I forgot about the countdown.

Leaning over, I peeked around Gio to the top of the stairs. What was going to happen to me up there? Going into this thing I had a clear view of the outcome. I knew what my fate entailed, and what I would have to do.

In a matter of minutes all that changed. I didn't know anything anymore. Not about this situation, or him… or me.

I should've been repulsed. Instead I enjoyed it. I liked the way Gio's hands felt and the dirty things he was saying. It brought out something I didn't know I had. Even with all that confusion, there was only one question burning in the back of my mind.

"Why did you touch me?"

Gio stopped his countdown and cocked a brow my way. "Why did I make you come?"

"Yes." And did he have to be so graphic?

"I told you I'd fuck you."

That he did, and so did Atlee. There was a conversation I'd never forget.

"That wasn't sex." It was foreplay which I very much hoped wasn't leading into sex.

"I also told you, you'd like it."

Well look at him. Mr. I'm right about everything.

"Ugh, whatever." I rolled my eyes and stomped up the steps.

This conversation was useless.

Gio snicked," If you want more all you have to do is ask."

I glared him as he strode past me to take the lead. "Go fuck yourself."

"Only if I can come on your face again."

This asshole.

That was it. I wasn't talking to him anymore.

Unfortunately for me, silence was not my friend. Without verbal conflict to distract me my eyes began to wander. I looked down at the chair in the entryway, at the red rug running up the middle of the hardwood steps, and at the back of the man in front of me. The very firm and sculpted back. I could see the outline of hard ridges pressing against the fabric of his shirt. Especially in the shoulder are.

Also, Gio should always wear jeans. That denim fabric made his butt looked abnormally firm. I tipped head and watched his ass flex.

Left cheek.

Right cheek.

Left cheek.

Right cheek.

It was kind of mesmerizing.

Wait… why was I staring at his ass? This was not some boring trip to one of Maw Maw's pot luck Sundays, where I was looking for something to do. This was the enemies' domain. Not some place where I could practice air guitar in a closet. I needed to keep my head in the game and not on Gio's butt.

"Where are we going?" I asked, because clearly silence was not the way to go.

Gio rounded the top of the stairs and turned to the left. "Where I tell you to go."

Well, that clarified things.

I glanced over the balcony to the entryway on the floor below and wondered how much force I would have to use to push him over the banister. If I timed it right then he might break his back on that navy armchair.

"You still have a punishment coming."

Damnit, I was trying not to think about that.

"What kind of punishment?" Not that I expected him to answer, I just couldn't take the silent death march, down the hallway of glamor.

There were less paintings hung on the wall in the museum, and that was before I took into account the tiny useless tables holding vases and various stone busts. Who needed that much artwork?

"That depends on you."

And the vagueness continues.

"Are you going to spank me again Daddy?"

"Keep it up." Gio shot me a look that curled the corner of my mouth.

"Is Daddy getting mad? Does Daddy want to hurt me?"

Pushing his buttons right now probably wasn't a good idea. I wasn't in a hurry to get spanked again – my ass was still sore from that last time – but pain was better than the alternative.

"That's thirty-seven." Gio said while rounding a curve to the left.

"Thirty-seven what?"

Thirty-seven steps? Thirty-seven ways to be an asshole? There were way too many options for that statement to be clear.

"Infractions."

Oh my god, he kept count? Seriously? "You do realize you're eighteen, right?"

"What's your point?"

"Eighteen-year-olds are supposed to be messy and have fun. Not be punctual and keep track of infractions. When‘s the last time you regretted life?"

His gaze shifted over his shoulder. "The day I met you."

Okay, that was fair. But…

"If I'm your only teenage experience, then you need more help than I can give you."

My eyes narrowed on a painting of a castle to the left. Why did that look familiar?

"I don't think marriage constitutes as a teenage experience."

"Uh, high school sweethearts." I pointed out while eyeing the red rug under my feet.

That looked familiar too. So did the clock over there, and that raven statue.

Gio snorted. "High school sweethearts is a myth. The only thing high school girls are good for is a quick blowjob and easy lay."

"Wow, I'm glad to see you set your expectations high." I was going to have to try harder to disappoint him.

Right now I was too busy trying to figure out where I was. I knew this hallway. I'd been down here before, I just couldn't figure out when. His father's office was the other way so we couldn't be going there. The only other place I'd been in this house was…

Gio reached out and turned the knob on a door as my eyes widened.

Crap. His bedroom.

This did not bode well. There were only two reason a guy would bring a girl to his room, and the first one didn't count.

"I demand my own room." It was worth a try.

"You don't get to demand shit." Gio pressed his hand on the small of my back and shoved me the room.

I stumbled forward while silently cursing myself for not seeing that coming.

When the door closed behind me, all I could think was how I missed my opportunity to push Gio off the balcony.

"You have two choices." Gio clicked the lock in place, then turned around and nodded to the left. "Go over there and put your hands on the wall."

It didn't look too menacing. Other than an oak dresser, and what appeared to be a closet door, that corner was fairly bare. Actually this entire room was bare. There was furniture, bed, table, loveseat on the far wall, but it lacked the lived in look. Where were the dirty clothes on the floor, or crumpled up pieces of paper? I once found an apple core under my bed that was so old it was halfway petrified. This place was way too pristine for a teenager.

I once again eyed the navy wall Gio had indicated, then asked. "Does the other option involve messing up this room? Because I can do that."

Give me five minutes with his laundry hamper and I could make this place look lived in.

"No, it's something else."

Really?

I rolled my eyes his way. "Care to elaborate?"

"No."

Figures.

Well, two could play at that game.

"I refuse to choose."

Gio's eyes darkened. "That's not an option."

"I beg to differ. My refusal clearly falls into the something else parameters of option two."

I thought for sure Gio was going to grind his teeth or growl something. Instead, he remained calm and folded his arms over his chest.

"There's only one problem with that."

Curious to see where this was going, I crossed my arms back at him. "And what's that?"

"Said options were not created by you, they were given to you. Therefore, you cannot set the parameters. Your refusal is rejected."

Damn, foiled by own technicalities. Didn't see that one coming.

"Okay," I could play this game. "I request more information on option one. What will happen after I place my hands on the wall?"

Based on the fact that I had literally no information on option two, I figured the wall was my best bet.

"I'm not required to give you more information."

True, but, "If I'm required to make a choice, then you, as the option giver, are required to provide me with the proper information to make said choice."

This entire argument was oddly hot. Did his eyes always sparkle like that? I kind of wanted to run my hands over Gio's chest and feel his steady heartbeat while he put me in my place. There was seriously something wrong with me.

"I'm not required to do anything. But…" Gio slowly raked his gaze down the length of me and smacked his lips together. "I'll grant your request. The wall option involves a spanking."

I suppressed a shiver and rolled my shoulders back. Couldn't let him know I was getting some sort of sick thrill out of this.

"With my belt."

Oh, I didn't like the sound of that. "With your belt?"

"That's right." Gio nodded.

There was definitely something wrong here. Since when was Gio Mancini straightforward? This all felt too… easy.

If I wasn't so busy enjoying our verbal conflict, then I might've noticed the sinister way the corner of his mouth lifted. He was playing with me. Bastard.

"Are you gonna make me call you Daddy too?" I looked him dead in the eye. "Or do you want to keep pretending I have a choice in this?"

Gio dropped the ruse of calmness from his expression and allowed that dark smirk to curl his lips. "You're learning. Now, put your hands on the wall."

This was a losing battle, I knew that. One way or another, Gio would make me do what he wanted. But he'd never make me complacent.

"Okay," I shrugged. "But I hope you spank me harder than Atlee does."

Satisfaction warmed my chest as Gio tensed and clenched his jaw.

Gottcha, asshole.

It took everything I had to stay where I was when he stormed forward and roughly grabbed the back of my neck.

"Say his name one more time." He growled down at me. "I fucking dare you."

Danger radiated off him in thick waves while his fingers dug into the back of my neck. He was on the precipice of snapping. A predator hiding in the grass waiting to strike. If I said the wrong thing, he'd attack and take me down. But Gio forgot one thing.

I was not prey.

Lifting my chin, I looked him dead in the eye and said, "Atlee."

There were exactly three things I regretted in my life. Taking the how to eat fried worms challenge with Memphis when we were kids. There was no recipe that made worms taste good. Every single PE class I'd been forced to suffer through, and the day I thought cooking oil would be a good substitute for conditioner.

There wasn't a single moment where I wished I could take back something I said.

Until Gio began steering me towards his bed.

He didn't say a word or shoot me a dirty look. Gio just dug his fingers into my neck and marched us forward. All I could do was wince as the obnoxiously ornate footboard got closer.

It wasn't as if there were fantastical images depicting mythical creates carved into the wood, but the thorny vines etched into the top seemed like unnecessary expense to me.

Then again, it was entirely possible that my opinion stemmed from the annoyance I felt at not being able to stop my feet from moving. It should not be this easy to control someone.

"Let go," I growled while trying to jerk free from Gio's grip.

Every try to pull your neck away from someone who had a strong hold… it didn't work. It didn't even have the possibility of working. But Maw Maw didn't raise no quitter, so I did the only thing I could think of and threw my hand back in a chopping motion.

That was about as effective as trying to break free of his hold. I hit him – I think in the side – but my palm clacked off a hard muscle, sending a sharp stabbing ache up my arm that made me shake my hand to alleviate the pain.

Damnit, why did he have to be so hard? Mental note to self, the side is not a soft spot. This wouldn't be so exhausting if I joined Memphis on his morning runs. Curse my lack of motivation, and curse Gio Mancini for making me consider exercise.

Gio huffed out a breath. "Fight all you want, there's not a fucking thing you can do."

My eyes narrowed. Oh, I was gonna fight alright.

I swung out my hand again, aiming for a lower spot, and followed that up with what I thought was a graceful kick. It was not. My awkward in between steps hop/skip was so far from graceful that clumsy people would've shaken their heads.

However, I did manage to kick a shin. It wasn't Gio's shin, but I still kicked it. After which I tripped over my own feet. The only thing that stopped me from kissing the floor, was the hand Gio had around my neck.

"Are you done, or would you like to continue kicking your own ass?"

Admittedly this wasn't going well, but I'd hardly call it kicking my own ass.

"Oh yeah?"

I twisted to the side enough so I could see his face, then jumped up to slap him. What I neglected to take into account was how close we were to the footboard now.

When my feet left the ground, my heels clacked off the wood, which caused my body to jerk, redirecting my hand to bounce off his chest and slap me in the face.

Now I was kicking my own ass.

My humiliation continued when Gio apparently had enough my shenanigans, plucked me off the ground to toss me on the bed.