Chapter 3

Istood in the window watching Nova pace back and forth and wondered if she would ever get the balls to knock on the door? Yes, she put up a good front. Acting all defiant with her chin in the air. But deep down she was just a scared little girl who kept running back to her truck. Stubborn didn't mean brave.

Could she actually do the job and trade herself for her brother?

A little indecisiveness was expected. There would be something seriously wrong with Novalee if she wasn't a little unsure–other than the obvious mess she was, that is.

No one signed their life over without at least considering the consequences first. Of course, there were the odd few that didn't take such a deal seriously. No court of law would ever uphold the contract. It wasn't legal in the least. A broken deal with the mob wasn't argued about with lawyers and a judge, though. But there was almost always an execution.

Not that I thought that would be a problem with Novalee. I was pretty sure the numerous beatings her brother had taken proved just how serious this was. So she had no excuse. Nova had every opportunity to walk away. The only question was… did I want her too?

"Will you answer one question?"

My gaze trickled down the tan spaghetti strap wrapped around her shoulder.

Not sure what more she needed to know. From what Atlee said, he clued her in on a few things to expect, and I wasn't about to give her a rundown of what her daily life would be like. Beyond making her life hell, I wasn't even sure what the hell I was going to do with her. I had a few ideas, though.

"Fine," I sighed, not because I was annoyed by the question.

Curiosity and annoyance went hand in hand with Novalee Ford.

What I had an issue with were the images flashing through my mind.

I couldn't stop thinking about the bruises she must have on her ass. Knowing that I'd marked her stirred something primal inside me, and I didn't like it. The only thing I should be focusing on was exacting revenge for my brother. Not how many times and in what ways I was going to exact said revenge.

Nova dipped her head and whispered, "Atlee said that you would…"

"Fuck you?"

The words just came out. It was some kind of fucked up automatic response that only annoyed me further. Though I did enjoy the way Nova's body stiffened. All scared and timid, like a mouse trying to hide from a cat.

Focus Gio.

I needed to stop staring at that damn romper. Where did she get that thing, anyway? The tan color was faded, and it looked thin as fuck. I could almost see her nipples if I tipped my head in the right way. It was the cheapest piece of clothing I'd seen. It couldn't have cost more than fifteen dollars, yet she somehow pulled it off.

Since when did I enjoy the thrift store reject look? Maybe I just needed to get laid. I should've let Carissa jerk me off last night. Or… I could dress Nova up in what I wanted. Like a doll. Bet she'd love that.

"You don't… I mean… You won't…" My dick jumped at the fear cracking through Nova's quiet tone as she demurely peeked up at me, "Will you?"

"Yes, I'll fuck you." My answer was immediate. There was no hesitation or voice in the back of my head denying my desires.

And that was a problem.

I knew what I had to do. My father made it perfectly clear what my duty in this arrangement would be. Four years, that's how long I had to wed and impregnate Novalee. Otherwise she'd be taken out, along with her brother.

I was fine with that outcome. More than fine. I got a few years to torment Kato by using his baby sister, after which I could wipe my hands of them.

The fucked up desire to claim Nova, however, was not okay with that outcome.

She was unorganized, stubborn, a Ford, and a complete mess. Yet, I couldn't stop watching her. I sat outside her house last night for five fucking hours. Know what she was doing? Fucking sleeping.

She snored louder than Romeo, and she drooled. That didn't stop me from jerking off, right there, outside her window. That's how I found out Atlee had cameras on the exterior as well. Fucker texted me when I was getting back in my Rover.

There was a goal here that I didn't want to lose sight of. That was why I sent Atlee to return her damn phone. So that I could clear my head. And now, all I could think as Nova lifted her foot to step into the house, was that Atlee had seen her in that motherfucking romper!

She paused just inside the door and twisted her neck to look up at me. "What now?"

I'll rip Atlee's eyes out of his head and burn that fucking romper.

What other whore outfits did she have in her closet? Between the shirt she wore the other night and this fucking thing that barely covered her ass, I was ready to do a purge of her clothes. Not that I cared who looked at her. So what if some guy stared at her ass or the way the swell of her breasts flushed just a touch when she inhaled.

"Gio…"

"What?" I snapped.

She snapped right back at me, "Are we just going to stand here? Cause I thought there'd be a little more torture involved."

"Don't get smart with me," I stepped forward, backing her into a wall. "You think you can come here, dressed like that, and tell me what to do?"

Who the fuck did she think she was?

Confusion knit Nova's brows as she glanced down at the fabric covering her chest, then back up at me. "Do you think I'm wearing something else?"

"Oh, I can see what you're wearing." So could every other man.

My palm slammed down on the wall beside her head. "Did you enjoy giving Atlee a show?"

"What?" Nova tipped her head as the crease in her brow deepened, "Are you on something, and if so, can I have some?"

"No I'm not—" The realization of how I was acting slapped me right in the face.

Was there anything wrong with Nova's outfit? No. Sure it was a touch short and I could practically see her goddamn nipples… but it was a basic everyday romper. Nothing more and nothing less. Just basic.

Letting out a breath, I slammed the door and headed for the stairs, "Follow me."

When I reached the first step, I noticed that Nova wasn't behind me. She was still standing by the door shuffling on her feet.

She wasn't off to a very good start. The second Nova entered this house, her fate was sealed. She belonged to me, and I didn't deal well with shit like this.

"Are you fucking deaf?"

And what did Nova do? She cupped her hand behind her ear and sang, "I didn't quite catch that, could you say it a little louder."

Ten seconds into this deal and she was already pushing my buttons. Four years suddenly seemed like a long fucking time.

"Maybe throw a please in there. Manners go a long way."

Apparently she needed a reminder of her situation.

"Or, we can call this shit off right now," I gave her a pointed look. "And your brother will be dead before you get home."

That made her face pale, but it didn't wipe the anger out of her eyes .

Nova huffed out a disgruntled grumble and stomped her way over.

I assumed that meant she got the point, so I ignored her and headed up the stairs.

This time, she followed. She had no problem making sure I knew how aggravated she was about it though. Every step landed extra heavy while Nova grumbled curses under her breath. A toddler had better behaviour than she did.

"Best get your tantrum out now, before you talk to my father."

"Your father?" Nova stopped, "Why do I have to talk to him?"

Was that a serious question? "He's the head of the family."

"Right," her hazel eyes rolled as she added, "the family," with finger quotes.

I got her meaning but still cocked a brow. "The family?"

"That's what you call it, right?"

"Call what?" I asked.

Nova leaned in like she was about to reveal a big secret, "The mob."

Alright, I was curious enough to see where this was going.

"And what do you know about the mob?"

"I've seen The Godfather."

Really? "You're basing your knowledge off a movie made more than thirty years ago?"

"Well," she rolled her eyes. "There's no now-a-day movies about the mafia."

"Have you looked?"

"No…"

"Then how do you know there isn't any?"

"Because I looked."

"Obviously not hard enough." Off the top of my head, I could name three, and I didn't like movies.

Nova's gaze narrowed. "Don't we have somewhere to be." A smirk curled the corner of my mouth as she lifted her chin and marched past me while singing, "Wouldn't want to keep the boss waiting."

"Oh, so he's the boss now."

Her stubbornness was almost cute. Nova would rather change the subject than admit she was wrong. I looked forward to breaking that streak.

"Well, what do you call him?" She spat.

"He's my father, so…" I paused outside the office door. "I generally call him dad."

Based on the dirty look she shot me in response, I was going to assume she didn't like my sarcastic comment.

"I wouldn't know about that. I don't have a dad."

That's right. I almost forgot about her orphan status. It did explain a lot. Like her obvious lack of supervision. Someone seriously needed to put her in line. Her brother obviously failed in that aspect.

"Aww," I gave her a fake frown. "Does someone have daddy issues?"

She didn't like that one. I saw the sneer she quickly tucked back behind a sweet smile.

"Um, have you met me? I scream daddy issues." She wasn't wrong. "I'd say I also have mommy issues, but clearly you take the cake in that department."

I never wanted to gut someone more than I did her in that moment.

Especially when she placed her palm on my chest and said, "Don't worry, you still have your dad."

There was a high chance she wouldn't make it to four years. In fact, I'd be surprised if she made it four hours at this rate.

"Do me a favor, repeat everything you just said," my tongue clicked off the roof of my mouth as I turned the knob and pushed the door open. "In here."

Then I wouldn't have to worry about dealing with her, because Nova wouldn't even make it out the door. The last time someone mentioned my mother, my father shot him right between the eyes. And that was someone he considered a friend.

Of course, Nova was more than happy to rise to the occasion. She puffed her chest out, rolled her shoulders back and marched into the room like she was going to tell the entire world off. Two feet was about as far as that lasted.

She looked over at my brother as he puffed on a cigarette, then turned to eye Saul standing behind my father, who was seated at his desk and her shoulders instantly slumped.

My father didn't have to say anything. All he did was roll his dark eyes up, and what remained of Nova's bravado disappeared with one loud swallow.

"Hello, Novalee," He waved at the chair on the other side of his desk. "Have a seat."

Gotta say, I enjoyed how her legs trembled as she walked over and sat down. Almost as much as the way she glanced over her shoulder at me. As if she expected me to help her or something. How fucked up was that?

My father's chair creaked as he sat back and took a minute to eye her, which made my jaw clench. Not because of how he was looking at her – my father sized everyone up. It was the fact that Nova shut the fuck up for him that made me want to punch someone.

Every time she saw me she ran her mouth, yet my father didn't so much as get a snide snort. He openly scrutinized her while Nova just sat there, fidgeting with her hands like a timid child.

What the fuck?

I stomped over to the navy armchair next to the bookshelf Romeo was leaned against, and dropped down.

"Something wrong, Little Brother?"

"I'm fine." I grumbled, despite the fact that I wanted to knock that stupid arched brow off his face.

He leaned down and exhaled a puff of smoke, "Your girl is cute."

Would he fuck off already?

I rolled my glare his way. "She's not my girl."

"She will be in about two minutes."

My eyes zeroed in on Nova's fidgeting fingers. She was also two minutes away from more bruises on her ass.

When my father finally spoke, I could've sworn I heard her squeak.

"I understand you wish to make a deal?"

"I… um…" She shot me a quick glance and said, "I thought the deal was already… done."

Why the fuck was she stammering? My dad wasn't that scary.

"Nothing is final until it comes through me."

Boss or not, that wasn't what I was led to believe. Why the fuck would he bother instructing me on my part of this if the deal wasn't done? Unless he was just trying to scare her into submission. Either way, I didn't like it. Getting her to submit was my job, not his.

"Okay…" Nova turned her attention back to my father. "I want to?—"

He held up his hand, cutting her off. "I know what you want. What I want is to make sure you understand what a deal like this means. There's no getting out of it. Once you sign on the dotted line, so to speak, your life will belong to my son. Should he choose to end it, then so be it."

Nova nodded. "I know."

"I don't think you do." My father sat forward and folded his hands on his desk. "It's not just whether you live or die that will be up to Giovanni. It will be everything. What you wear, when and what you eat, where you work, when you can leave the house, and how you do your hair. You will have no freedom. Every decision made will be made by my son, and you will obey."

I snorted. "She doesn't know how to obey."

"Hey!" Nova snapped her head around to me. "I can obey."

And there was the attitude I got.

"Oh yeah," I looked her right in the eye. "Bark."

Did I expect her to listen? No. I was trying to prove a point.

"I'm not your dog."

"Yes," my father intervened. "You are. If Giovanni tells you to bark, then you will bark. If he wants you to kiss his feet, suck his cock, or suck someone else's cock, then that is exactly what you'll do. I don't care if he wants you to parade around in an animal costume. This isn't a game, little girl. Every action has consequences. Disobey and you will be punished. You no longer exist beyond what my son decides. Do you understand me?"

Time stood still as I watched Nova stare back at my father. The gravity of the situation was opened and on the table for her. Nova was fucked. She knew it, and I knew it. Still, anticipation coursed through my veins as she forced down a heavy swallow. I wanted to hear her say it. Time slowed down when her lips parted.

"Will my brother be safe?"

My father nodded, "Yes."

Nova looked back at me, and I knew she could sense the darkness inside me. I wanted to hurt her. I wanted to lick the tears off her face while I enjoyed her misery in every way I could. That urge was calling out to her right now, like a moth to a flame. The second Nova said those words, she'd get burned.

"If my brother is safe," Nova nervously licked her lips, then turned back around to my father. "Then I don't care what happens to me."

"Very well," he cleared his throat and flipped open a file. "I see you're a virgin."

That seemed to shock her. Nova's eyes rounded for a second. "Yes?"

It wasn't a question, but okay.

"You do well in school, that's good. Intelligence won't be an issue. Is there any history of disease in the family?"

"Um… no." Her nose scrunched and she sat forward and asked, "Why does that matter?"

"Genetics, my dear."

Although that answer seemed clear to me, Nova was still confused.

"Genetics?"

"Yes." My father swung his eyes her way. "I don't want sickly grandchildren."

"Grandchildren?!"

"That's right. I expect the first one to be conceived after the wedding on your twenty-first birthday."

Now Nova's eyes were really wide. "Wedding?"

"Is that a problem?"

It was for me, but he wasn't asking me.

"No… it's just…" She blew out a breath, I assumed to calm herself down. "Marriage just feels like a really long time."

This time it was me that answered her. "Your brother owes us a life debt. What exactly did you think that meant?"

For once she didn't open her big fucking mouth. Nova remained quiet as my father continued. "Now, I understand school is important, so you will move in with Giovanni after graduation. Until then you will spend every weekend and Friday night here…"

Nova cut him off. "Wait, Maw Maw will never agree to that."

My father didn't even look at her when he said, "That's not my problem."

"You don't understand, there's no way she'd let me spend the night with a boy, let alone an entire weekend." Nova argued. "You can't expect me to do that."

My father closed the file and sat back. "Do you want me to make this my problem?"

And by that he meant take out her grandmother, which I assumed she understood by the loud gulp she sucked back. Nova didn't say anything, but she wanted to. I could see it written all over her face, and apparently so could my father.

He let out an annoyed sigh. "I don't think you're taking this very seriously."

"Of course I am," She argued. "It's just…"

"There's no just. You had your opportunity to leave, and you chose to stay. The deal is done."

"I know… but…" Nova shook her head. "You have to be realistic."

Clearly she didn't know my father.

"I don't have to be anything."

That's when she finally shut her mouth.

My father however wasn't done.

I felt it coming before he leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. "I think a test is in order. Suck Giovanni's cock."

Son of a bitch. Of course I couldn't say anything because this bullshit wasn't just a test for her, but for me as well. He wanted to know I could do the deed.

Motherfucker.