6. Renzo

6

My bookworm is wrapped in a world of academia and whispers of leaves in the wind. Camila sits under an oak tree, textbook pages fluttering like a caged bird desperate for freedom. Camila's eyes are focused, and her brow furrowed in concentration until Elio interrupts.

Elio should have no claim on her laughter – that crystal sound floating across the grounds to where I sit. Watching him effortlessly make her smile with his wit irks me. He has a way about him, sure, but I want to be the one to unravel the mystery behind those dark brown eyes.

I lean back, stretching my arms across the back of the bench, muscles tense beneath inked skin. I can't stand it—this game we play, Elio and me, at subtle war for attention under the guise of gathering intelligence. It's more than that now; it's personal.

I stand, moving toward them. Elio notices my approach and raises an eyebrow as if challenging me to interrupt their moment. Camila glances up then, a slight flush creeping onto her cheeks when she sees me.

"Renzo," she greets with a nod that's too formal for my liking.

I smirk, closing the distance between us in a few confident strides. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything," I say, though I couldn't care less if I was.

Elio closes his book with a soft thud, his eyes never leaving mine. "We were just discussing Dostoevsky," he replies coolly.

"Ah," I chuckle lowly. "Crime and Punishment? It seems fitting for the Barone brothers."

Camila's laughter breaks through the chaos in my mind. "Are you implying you're both criminals or just misunderstood?"

"Maybe a bit of both," I admit with a wink.

She shakes her head, amusement dancing in her gaze before it flickers with something else – caution, maybe. But it's gone before I can decipher it.

I sit beside her on the grass, ignoring Elio's sharp glare. "So tell me, bookworm," I begin, leaning closer than necessary. "What's your verdict on Raskolnikov?"

Camila shifts, pulling a strand of hair behind her ear as she ponders the question. Her lips part slightly, and I catch a glimpse of her tongue grazing her bottom lip – a nervous habit, or maybe something more deliberate?

"He's complex," she announces. "He's tortured by his own philosophy and actions. But aren't we all, to some extent?"

I grin. "Deep," I tease. "But true."

She tilts her head, considering me with newfound curiosity. "And what about you, Renzo? Do you feel tormented by your actions?"

I lean back on my hands, feeling the coolness of the grass against my palms.

"I've done things," I admit, weighing each word before it left my lips. "Things that would keep most people up at night."

Her gaze doesn't waver, those deep pools of brown studying me as if she's trying to read every chapter of my life. It's unnerving yet exhilarating.

"But you sleep just fine?" she asks.

I flash her a wolfish smile. "Like a baby."

She laughs a genuine laugh that fills the space between us.

Elio stands from his spot under the oak tree, his expression unreadable. "I should get going," he declares.

Camila looks up at him, an apology in her eyes. "I didn't mean to?—"

"It's fine," Elio cuts in before she can finish. "I'll see you tonight for dinner?"

She smiles warmly. "Yes, I can't wait."

As he walks away, his back to us like a dark silhouette against the brightness of the day, I feel jealousy coil through me, hearing they've got a date planned already.

"Picked the boring brother, then?" I ask.

Her cheeks redden, and she shakes her head. "I like Elio, and he asked me out on a date." She sighs, meeting my gaze. "I don't want to get in between two brothers."

"Why the hell not? It's one of the hottest things you'll ever experience."

Her brow furrows in confusion.

"We're good at sharing," I clarify.

Her eyes widen, and she coughs in shock, shaking her head. "What?" Despite her bashfulness, the blush in her cheeks tells me she's picturing herself caught between the two of us. Most people would see brother's sharing as wrong on many levels, but hell, if it doesn't set my blood on fire.

"Yeah, we've shared before. And let me tell you, it's as hot as it gets." I watch her closely before leaning in, my voice dropping to a husky whisper. "Can you imagine it, Camila? The two of us and you?"

Her eyes flicker with a mix of shock and something more primal. She stumbles over her words, trying to regain control. "I-I should go. I've got a study group."

She shifts her hands readying herself to stand, but I'm too quick. My hand shoots out, wrapping around her wrist with a firmness that isn't meant to hurt but to hold her in place.

"Running away because the thought got you all hot and bothered?" I ask, a smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth.

Her breath hitches in her throat, and I can feel her pulse thundering beneath my fingers. She tries to pull away, but I don't let go. Not yet.

"Renzo," she says, her voice wavering lightly. "You're being inappropriate."

I tilt my head to the side. "Or maybe what I'm suggesting is exactly what you need," I counter.

Her eyes dart around as if looking for an escape that isn't there. She's trapped–not by my grip alone but by the web of intrigue I've spun around her since we met.

"You don't have to run," I tell her, loosening my grip enough to let her feel like she has a choice. "We're just talking."

Her breath comes out in a rush, and for a moment, she appears lost – a ship adrift at sea without a compass. But then she squares her shoulders and meets my eyes with newfound determination.

"Let go of me, Renzo." Her voice is steady now, commanding even.

I release her wrist, watching as she rubs the spot where my fingers had been. She doesn't move to get up again; instead, she sits back down with a thud as if her legs can't carry her weight any longer.

The tension between us crackles like electricity in the air before a storm—dangerous and alive.

"Hey, Renzo!" Dante's voice washes over me and cuts through the tension. "Who's this?" he asks, his eyes roaming my bookworm's body in a predatory way.

Fuck.

He's interested, too.

Only once have we ever fucked with a girl, all three of us, and that was when we were randy teenagers. I won't deny it was fucking hot as hell, watching a girl service all three of our cocks, but something tells me that Camila wouldn't be so up for it.

"This is Camila." I smile at her.

She glares at me. "And I was just leaving."

Dante clears his throat and drops to the floor next to me. "Don't listen to a word that idiot says." He nods at me. "He's not right in the head."

"Oi, don't be a jerk." I elbow him in the ribs. Glancing at Camila, I clear my throat. "I apologize if I got a little carried away."

She licks her bottom lip, cheeks still flushed from the dirty image I painted in her mind. "That's okay."

"This is Dante. He's like a brother to me and Elio."

Dante holds out a hand, and she takes it and shakes. "Nice to meet you, but I should get to the study group."

"Of course. I'll see you around, Camila," Dante says, his voice dripping with desire.

Quickly, she gets to her feet and rushes away from us.

"What the fuck did you say to her, Ren?" Dante asks, shaking his head. "You've already scared her."

I run a hand across the back of my neck. "She's got a date with Elio, and I merely stated that we're good at sharing."

"Fuck." He rolls his eyes. "You do realize that's not exactly normal, two brothers fucking the same girl? You might have turned her off Elio."

He's right. I might have, but I don't care. Camila is meant for me. And if she's meant for Elio, too, so be it. I just need to be inside her, claiming her.

"I see the way you look at her, too. You'd have a go at her as well, wouldn't you?"

Dante can't help but smirk. "Of course, she's fucking stunning."

"Do you remember that girl freshman year of college? What was her name?"

He shakes his head. "Ren, don't go there."

"It was hot, though, wasn't it?" I ask.

Dante claps me on the shoulder and stands. I follow and we start walking toward the main building. "Yeah, it was the hottest fucking thing I've ever done. And with Camila… I can hardly fucking imagine, but does she strike you as the kind of girl that wants to fuck three guys at the same time?"

She doesn't, yet, but that's because no one has taught her how good being a submissive little slut to three men can be for her.

"No, but I'm telling you, she'll want it," I insist. "Once we've all won her over, she won't be able to resist the temptation. Can you imagine how hot it would be to have her submit to all three of us at once?"

"Ren, you need to forget it. Elio will never go for that, not with what's at stake here. We're supposed to be getting intel on her family's cartel, not trying to fulfill some twisted fantasy of yours," he states.

I scoff, rolling my eyes at his lack of vision. "You're not seeing the bigger picture. Imagine the secrets she might spill if we can get her so wrapped up in us that she'd do anything. It's the perfect way to get what we need."

He stops walking and turns to face me, his expression serious. "And what happens when Camila finds out we've been using her? When she realizes this was a game to get information? You think she's just going to be okay with that?"

I shrug, unconcerned. "By then, it won't matter. We'll have what we need, and our bookworm will be so far under our spell that she won't be able to resist returning for more."

Dante sighs heavily, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know, man. It seems risky. And even if Elio did agree, which I highly doubt he will, how do you plan on making this happen? She won't jump into bed with all three of us at once."

A slow grin spreads across my face. "Leave that part to me. I have a plan."

The concern on his face tells me he'll still need more convincing, but the thing with me is once I set my mind on something, I don't stop until I make it happen.