Chapter 4

He wanted me to do what?

This had to be a joke. What father would say something like that? I mean alright, Cesare Mancini was a tad intimidating – I kind of wanted to pee my pants when I walked in here – and the closest thing I had to a father was Kato, so I wasn't exactly up to date on male parental figures. But I was pretty sure they didn't typically demand girls to do things to their son.

"You can't be serious."

There was no way the Mancini's family dynamic was that fucked up.

The shadow on Cesare's chin seemed to darken as he lifted his head. "I'm very serious."

Or, it was.

I didn't know what to do. Should I listen? Should I argue? Could I run? That option was the more favorable one, if it wasn't for the man standing behind Gio's dad.

When I looked up at that stone cold stare, I was tempted to gulp back a swallow. His large frame tested the limits of the suit he was wearing, and he was standing so still, one might mistake him for a breathing statue. But he was also ready for me to try something. I could sense that in the way he was watching me.

The massive size of Cesare's Cherrywood desk put a decent amount of space between him and anyone coming into the room. It was placed between two windows on the far wall, and away from any other furniture, aside from the large leather chair I was seated in.

I couldn't help but wonder if that was a strategic choice. There was no way anyone was getting over the smooth top of that desk before that guy snapped their neck.

That didn't exactly bode well for me. The only strategic thing I'd ever done was frame Veda for eating Maw Maw's cookies. And that was completely by accident.

I suddenly felt out of my league. Not that I had a league, and if I did, it would be the one that everyone forgot was there. But this was so much more than picking a fight with an asshole bully. Well-dressed men shouldn't be this scary. Even Gio's brother, who was casually perched on a bookshelf behind me, was giving off a ‘fuck around and find out' aura.

That didn't mean I wasn't going to question them.

"What if I refuse?" One should always know what their limits were, after all.

Cesare settled into the plush leather back of his chair and cocked a brow. "Try it and find out."

That didn't sound promising, either. This was bullshit. How was I supposed to know what threads I could pull on if no one told me where the damn threads were?

It was time to try another tactic.

"Listen, I get that you want me to prove myself, and I totally want to do that…" Not really. "But other than a couple of kisses, I have virtually no experience when it comes to stuff like this…"

"I'm aware."

My eyes narrowed. First, he knew I was a virgin, and now he was aware of this? Did Cesare have some secret file on all my sexual exploits?

Deciding to let that go for now, I said, "Okay… well, then you would know forcing me to do this wouldn't be pleasurable for your son." Nor me. Though I don't think he gave a shit how I felt.

"Do you have a tongue?"

What kind of question was that? "Obviously…"

"Do you have the ability to suck?"

"Yeah," I saw where this was going. "But…"

"Then why are you still yapping at me?"

That was just rude.

"I'd hardly call this yapping, and secondly, I don't want to do it." When all else failed, go for honesty. "And I don't think Gio wants me to, either."

He looked about as thrilled as I was. Then again maybe he was thrilled? I couldn't really tell. Gio always had that angry line etched in his forehead. I did find it interesting that he hadn't objected to his father's demand. Wonder why that was? Oh, right. Because Gio Mancini was a giant asshole. A giant asshole that now apparently owned my ass for better or worse. What the hell did I agree to?

"You have thirty seconds."

My eyes snapped back over to Cesare. "You want me to do it here? In front of you?"

"Yes," he nodded.

Okay, that was weird. What kind of incestuous bullcrap was this family into? Did they often watch each other get off? Was that a normal thing that guys did, because girls sure as hell didn't do that stuff. Veda walked in on me having a shower last week and I threw a bottle of shampoo at her.

"Right now?" I clarified.

"That's right."

"Okay, so you want me to go over there and suck his…" I couldn't bring myself to call that thing Gio had in his pants a cock. Cocks were angry little roosters that ran around pecking things…

Then again, maybe cock was the right word.

"My patience is wearing thin, young lady," Cesare sighed. "My son's cock better be in your mouth in twenty seconds."

Twenty seconds wasn't a long time to figure a way out of this. And there had to be one. It would help if Gio would stop grinding his teeth.

Oh wait… Gio.

"You said I had to listen to Gio," I pointed out. "Not you."

Ah ha.

I held my breath as Cesare sat back and eyed me.

"That's true," he nodded. "I did say that."

Technicalities and logic would win every time. I don't know how many times I had told Memphis that.

I looked at Cesare.

He stared back at me, then lifted his head, "Gio."

Fuck.

Twisting my neck, I peeked over my shoulder praying that Gio wouldn't give into his father's demands. Clearly neither one of us wanted this to happen, and he was the only one who had the power to do something about it.

Hope rose in my chest when Gio's jaw ticked, then quickly died when he opened his mouth.

"You heard him."

Apparently he didn't have a backbone when it came to his father either, so we were both pathetic. Unless…

I searched the sharp angles of Gio's jaw and hard lines of his expression. Did he want me to do this? Atlee did say that the only thing that mattered was pussy. He said pussy a lot. So much so that it was now on my most hated words list along with kumquat and dude. Seriously, who came up with those?

But maybe Atlee wasn't wrong. Maybe Gio did want to go there? Apparently, we had to eventually. Then again the turkey baster method was always an option.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" It wouldn't be right if I didn't offer Gio a way out. "Wouldn't you rather slap me around a bit? Or you could choke me." He seemed to like doing that. "I'll even pretend to fight you."

It was a fair compromise.

Cesare grumbled under his breath while Gio arched a brow. "I don't like repeating myself."

Was that a trick statement, because… "All you said was you heard him. And him could pertain to anyone. There's three other guys in this room."

Sure, only one of them had spoken, but that wasn't the point.

"Get over here," Gio growled. "And suck my fucking cock."

Okay, that was a little harder to argue with.

Sighing, I looked around the room.

It felt like everyone was watching me. Except for Romeo. He was reading a book, which in itself was weird given the situation. Then again it could just be my nerves. It was entirely possible that the only person watching me was Gio.

Cesare cleared his throat.

Okay, so his dad was watching me too. And not very patiently, either. I could hear the hurry up silently wafting through the air.

"If I don't do this…" I looked over at Gio, "What happens?"

I needed to be clear on the parameters.

It was Cesare that answered me. "The deal would be broken, and your brother's debt would be called in."

"And by called in you mean…"

The look he gave me was all the answer I needed.

Basically, I either did this, or Kato would die. Why did it feel like I just put my brother in a worse situation?

I could do this. It couldn't be that hard, right? I'd kissed guys before. I'd even kissed Gio… well, he kissed me, but that didn't matter right now. All that mattered was that I could totally do this.

Oral wasn't that far from kissing. Both actions were done with a mouth. Sometimes there were tongues and spit involved. Add in some choking and light gagging and it wasn't that different. It was a small space. Just a tiny bridge to gap. Girls did it all the time. Although that was typically with someone like Simon. Not a photoshopped version of Greek God magazine.

Look at Gio sitting over there in his stupid jeans with bulging forearms. As if he was so strong and masculine. I bet he didn't even know what real fabric softener smelled like – which by the way was a very comforting scent. I kind of wished I had some right now. But that was alright, because this was no big deal. I was just going from kissing to oral.

With one deep breath, I rose from the chair and took a step.

"Stop," Gio called out.

Oh, thank god.

"I want you to crawl."

What?

"Unless," Gio tipped his head, "Your dignity is worth more than your brother's life."

It took everything I had to remain calm when a smug smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"For your information, I don't have any dignity."

Ha, take that.

"Then crawling should come naturally to you."

Smug bastard. Know what else came naturally to me? Bridging gaps. Like say the one between kissing and cannibalism. I could eat a dick. Pretty sure I wouldn't make it out of this room alive, but Gio's happiness would die with me, and I was okay with that. Unfortunately, I wasn't okay with what would happen to Kato.

So, as much as it made me hate myself, I slowly sunk down to my hands and knees.

"That's right," Gio hissed in a way too satisfied tone. "Get down where you fucking belong."

This mother…

That's when it occurred to me, Gio didn't say anything about how I had to crawl. Just that I had to crawl. And let's face it, I wasn't winning any major battles here. Meaning, I'd have to settle for the small victories. Slowly slinking across the floor with my head hung in defeat was not a win. However, crawling as fast as humanly possible was.

My knees clacked off the hardwood, while my palms slapped down, and I fell on my face twice. There was nothing remotely sexy or demeaning about it.

Pain shot up my thighs while the left side of my face stung, but when I jutted my chin up, flipped my hair back, and saw the look on Gio's face, the only thing I felt was satisfaction.

No one was expecting that. Someone muttered a "what the fuck," while Gio's brother stared at me with his mouth open, as if he didn't know what to say. Needless to say, I had successfully broken the tension in the room as far as everyone was concerned.

Well, everyone except Gio.

He looked down at me, unimpressed, and smacked his lips together, "You enjoy that?"

"Immensely," I smiled back at him.

"Fantastic," Gio bent over and growled in my face. "Now, do what you were fucking told."

If I hit him, would someone hit me back? It might be worth it. Unfortunately, I doubted that anything would help me get out of this. My fate was decided, and the walls were closing in. There was nowhere to go and nowhere to hide.

Gio sat back, rested his forearms on the arms of the chair, and I instantly wanted to shrink back from his stare. There was a darkness burning in his emerald eyes that sent a shiver up my spine. This wasn't the same as his usual menacing glare. He was enjoying my humiliation, a little more than he should be.

"I'm waiting."

I looked up at his arched brow and resisted the urge to shuffle back.

My act of defiance didn't seem so satisfying anymore. I kind of wanted to have a do over and crawl again. Take my time, instead of bolting over like a mad woman in a horror movie. Now, I was trapped between Gio's very large legs, with no more excuses, or a way out. It was judgment time, and I had to show how much I was willing to pay.

Okay, Nova, you can do this.

The first thing I noticed when I rose to my knees and carefully placed my hands on Gio's jean-clad thighs was how warm he was. Then again, maybe I was just cold. Despite my best efforts, my body continued to be wracked with shivers. Either way, Gio's warmth seeped into me like a dangerous blanket that caused the pit in my stomach to swirl.

It took everything I had not to stumble when I slowly shuffled closer. And even when my thighs met the cool fabric of the chair, I still didn't feel steady. I couldn't stop staring at the silver buckle of his belt. I knew what was under there. I'd seen it before. I also knew what I had to do. But I couldn't bring myself to reach out for it.

I looked up at Gio and whispered, "Do they have to watch?"

Not having so many eyes on me might help me bolster up enough courage to do this.

His jaw ticked. "Yes."

Not sure why I expected anything else. Gio Mancini enjoyed watching me suffer. Though there was something tugging on his expression that made me think he wasn't very happy about this either. That knowledge was enough to give me the strength to reach my trembling fingers out and start to unbuckle his belt.

I ran through the motions like a checklist of things to do.

Slide the belt through the loop…

Check.

Unhinge the clasp…

Check.

Pull it through the buckle…

Check.

Each action got marked off until my fingers touched the top button of his jeans. That's when I noticed Gio's hands digging into the arms of the chair so hard that his knuckles were turning white. Not only that, but his breathing was heavier. Every exhale he let out tickled hotly across the top of my head. He wasn't angry. He was turned on. By me?

There was an odd power in that. Until I remembered, I had no idea what I was doing. What if I couldn't finish the job? Or what if I utterly sucked at sucking a guy off? Would Kato be punished for my inability?

"Listen," I let out a breath. "I can't guarantee this will be any good."

"Shut the fuck up and do it." Gio hissed through gritted teeth.

Alright.

I hesitantly popped the button of his jeans open. That's when fear really took hold. There was no longer a blanket of denim hiding the large bulge of his erection from my sight.

I don't know why, but I looked up at Gio. Maybe I was hoping to find some kind of sympathy in his stare. As stupid as it was to seek solace from my tormentor, I still did it. Of course, I didn't get what I hoped for.

The only thing I got was an angry grumbled, "What the fuck are you waiting for?"

As much as I wanted to argue with him, a bigger part just wanted to get this over with. So, I sucked back what remained of my pride, leaned forward, closed my eyes, and pulled his black boxer briefs out of the way.

For some reason, I thought not being able to see it would make me feel better. But when his dick sprang out and brushed against my mouth, all I wanted to do was run away. Instead, I reminded myself why I was doing this and parted my lips.

The muscles in Gio's legs tensed as I pulled his thick head in my mouth, which didn't help any. Not only did it feel like my mouth was stretched beyond limits–I only had an inch of his length sucked back–but the flavor that exploded across my tongue wasn't horrible. It was a tad salty, with masculine undertones, but not intolerable. Why couldn't he taste like shit?

Alright, he's in my mouth… what now?

I thought back to the many conversations I had with Memphis and slid down a bit more. Not too much, though. There was no way I could take this whole thing, and I wasn't about to be the girl that choked to death on a dick. Then again, I suppose if that happened to anyone, it would be me. Still, it wasn't worth the risk. It was better to take it slow at first, and test my limits.

At least that's what I thought until I heard the leather on the arms of the chair creek followed by Gio's hiss.

Was I good at this?

My left eye popped open to peek up at the strained look on Gio's face. Either he was enjoying this or he really wanted to hit me. Both options had their merits. I was kind of annoying, but Gio didn't look too annoyed, so maybe I was good at this.

Let's find out.

I sucked in my cheeks and bobbed my head, going down more and more each time, until I swallowed his entire length. Apparently my gag reflex didn't exist. I knew all those times I crammed food down my throat would pay off. And Maw Maw said nothing good came from eating fast.

Gio sure as hell wasn't complaining. I was pretty sure he was enjoying this. His grunts and tense body was proof of that.

He wasn't so scary now. Big bad Gio Mancini, with his "I hate yous" and his "I'm going to kill your brother" crap, was taken down by my mouth. Because I was good at this.

Who's got the power now, motherfucker?

This was the best feeling in the world. If my jaw didn't hurt so much then I might've done this all day. Okay, maybe not all day, but for a little bit. Just as that thought left my mind, Gio's hand flattened on the back of my head and slammed me down on his shaft.

This time I did gag, mostly because of the warm fluid shooting down my throat.

That did not taste good, but I couldn't spit it out because my mouth was full. My only option was to swallow, and hope I could get it down fast.

Once Gio was done he pulled me off him and shoved me back on the floor, which was rude in my opinion. Shouldn't he be thanking me or something?

When I looked at his face, thankfulness was the last thing I saw. I'd never seen his eyes look so dark. I might've passed it off as lust if it wasn't for the angry tick in his jaw. And by angry I meant rage filled and murderous.

I sat there with my palms on the floor behind me wondering if I did something wrong?

Gio's eyes remained locked on me as he tucked himself away and all my insecurities came rushing back. What the hell was I doing? I was just an average girl with an average life. What made me think that I could do anything to help Kato? I couldn't even convince Veda to leave the house.

"I assume her performance was adequate?"

Not even the sound of Cesare's voice was enough to make me tear my eyes off of Gio.

"It was fine." He grumbled while glaring down at me.

Fine? It didn't seem fine. In fact he didn't seem pleased in the least.

"You came." It was a valid argument, but based on the sneer curling Gio's lip, I probably should've kept my mouth shut.

He rose from the chair and took a step over to where I was sprawled, "Get up."

The word, "Why?" bubbled up my throat before I could stop it.

That was a mistake.

Gio seized my arm and ripped me off the floor so hard I yelped at the pain of his fingers digging into my flesh.

Next thing I knew his angry face was growling in mine, "Where the fuck did you learn to do that?"

What? "Do what?"

"Don't fuck with me, Novalee." He pulled me in and grabbed my chin with his other hand. "No virgin sucks cock like that."

Uh oh. Maybe I did too good of a job.