25. Elio

25

Renzo fiddles nervously with the salt shaker as we await our father's arrival.

This morning, he sent us a text stating he's swinging by the university for an update. So here we are, waiting at the cafe he picked. It was a bit of a comedown receiving his text after the explosive night we shared with Camila.

Ren won't stop bouncing up and down in the seat next to me. "Do you think Dad would approve of us joining the Nexus with Camila?" he asks suddenly.

My brow furrows as it doesn't really matter. Father will never know about it. "Don't mention it. Leave the talking to me, okay?" I ask, glancing at Ren.

His eyes narrow. "Whatever."

We're both in a bad mood. After the heavenly night we spent with our princess, to have dear old dad waltz in the next day puts a bad taste in my mouth.

I glance up as the door to the cafe opens and Father strides in. His presence seems to suck the air from the room. Renzo's leg starts bouncing under the table again as he approaches and takes a seat.

"Well?" he asks gruffly, skipping any pleasantries. "How's it going with the Aguilar girl?"

I meet his steely gaze. "It's progressing. I've gained the Aguilar girls trust." The lie tastes bitter on my tongue.

Dad's eyes narrow. He knows I'm not telling the full truth. "That's not what Dario said. He said you've got him tracking her brother."

Damn it. I resist kicking Renzo under the table for his stupid idea.

"That's just a precaution, Father," I say evenly. "We haven't had to use it yet. The girl is falling for me. We've got the situation under control."

Renzo jumps in. "Elio's right. We just wanted a backup plan. But Camila's wrapped around his finger. You've got nothing to worry about."

He studies us for a long moment, then nods. "See that I don't. Remember who you answer to, boys." He stands abruptly. "I'll be checking in again soon."

As he leaves, Renzo and I share a tense look. That was too close for comfort. We can't let him think we've lost control of Camila. Because the truth is, she belongs to us now. And we'll be damned if we let anyone take her away.

"Fuck, that was tense," Ren says, running a hand through his hair. "How the fuck are we going to keep her and get the information father needs?"

I run a hand over my face, my mind racing. Camila has gotten under my skin like no other woman has before, and the thought of losing her makes my chest tighten.

"We need a plan," I mutter, glancing at Renzo. "A way to keep her while still getting the information Father wants."

Renzo leans back in his chair, a smirk playing on his lips. "Oh, I've got a few ideas."

Camila knows we were getting close to her for intel on her family. But the thought of hurting her to get it makes my stomach churn.

I narrow my eyes. "Care to share with the class? And if it involves her bleeding, I swear to God?—"

"No bleeding." Renzo leans forward, his eyes glinting with mischief. "We need another way to make her talk. Something that doesn't involve violence."

I raise an eyebrow. "And what do you suggest, Ren? Asking nicely?"

He grins. "Oh, I think we can be very persuasive without resorting to force."

I narrow my eyes. "What are you getting at?"

"We were both in the room last night. She's a natural submissive and she craves cock like a dirty little slut." Renzo shrugs, leaning back in his chair. "We make her want to tell us. We give her pleasure beyond her wildest dreams, make her crave us so much she'll do anything to keep us happy."

I consider his words. "That could work. But we can't push her too far, too fast. And Father is getting restless."

"I'm sure we might be able to find something on her laptop or phone to feed Father and keep him satisfied for now," Ren suggests.

It's possible, but it'll be risky. "Okay, we try it."

Ren smirks like a maniac and I'm not sure I ever want to know the thoughts going through his mind. "Did you see how her eyes dilated when she saw me in my C.O.D mask?" He shake his head. "I've never met a girl more perfect than her. And I know she's going to love taking it up the ass."

I punch him in the shoulder. "Calm down and don't get ahead of yourself."

He runs a hand through his hair. "Hard not to with her."

I know what he means. I can't wait to explore how much she likes to submit to us. The thought of bringing Dante into it too makes me crazy. Camila is so tight. I wonder if she could take all three of us inside her at the same time.

"What are you thinking, bro?" Ren asks, his eyes flashing with fire. "Whatever it is, I sense it's dirty."

I chuckle, running a hand through my hair. "Most my thoughts since I met Camila are dirty." Leaning over and grabbing my notebook from my bag, I put it in front of me. "Now the other part of our bargain. We'll never get any work done with Camila in the apartment. So we work here."

Renzo nods and gets his work out and we start on our assignments.

I lean back in my chair, tapping my pen against my notebook as I try to focus. But my mind keeps drifting to Camila, the way her body felt against mine last night, the sounds she made as Ren and I brought her to the edge of pleasure again and again.

"Earth to Elio," Ren says, snapping his fingers in front of my face. "Can you help me with this or what?"

I blink, shaking my head to clear it. "Sorry, man. I was just thinking about-"

"Camila," Ren finishes for me, a knowing smirk on his face. "Yeah, I gathered that from the way you were drooling."

I flip him off, but I can't help the grin that spreads across my face. "Can you blame me? The girl's a goddamn knockout."

Ren chuckles, leaning back in his own chair. "No arguments here. But we can't let her distract us from our work. We've got midterms coming up and you know how Father gets when our grades slip."

I groan, running a hand through my hair. "Don't remind me. I swear, sometimes I think he cares more about our GPA than our actual future in the family business."

"Yeah, well, that's because he knows we're already set for life in that department," Ren shrugs. "But he still wants us to have a good education. Says it'll make us better leaders or some shit."

I snort. "Since when do you care about being a leader, Ren? I thought you were more interested in being the muscle."

He grins, flexing his biceps. "Oh, I am. But that doesn't mean I can't be smart too. I mean, look at me. I'm the total package."

I roll my eyes, but I can't help but laugh. "Whatever you say. Just don't let it go to your head. We both know I'm the brains of this operation."

Ren scoffs. "Please. You may be book smart, but I've got street smarts. And that's what really counts in our line of work."

"Yeah, yeah," I say. "Let's just focus on getting this assignment done so we can go and have some real fun with our princess."

Ren's eyes light up. "Now that's a plan I can get behind."

I try to focus and shake off the thoughts of Camila. But it's like trying to ignore a siren's call. Every few minutes, my mind wanders back to how she looked spread out beneath me last night.

It's not just the physical attraction, though. There's something about our princess that draws me in. I want to protect her and keep her safe from the darkness surrounding our world. But I know that's impossible.

I run a hand through my hair, frustrated with myself. I can't afford to let my guard down, not even for a second. I need to remember who I am and what my purpose is. I'm the heir to the Barone empire, and I have a job to do.

But even as I try to convince myself of that, I know it's a losing battle. Camila has a hold on me, and I'm unsure I want to break free. The thought of losing her, of watching her walk away, makes my chest tighten with an unfamiliar ache.

I glance up at Ren, who's still focused on his work. He seems unaffected by Camila's charms, but I know better. He's just better at hiding it than I am. We both want her, both need her in a way that goes beyond the physical.

And that's what scares me the most. Because I know that in our world, love is a weakness. And I can't afford to be weak, not when so much is at stake.