8. Elio

8

"Ren!" I growl my brother's name as I step into the apartment.

He leans casually against the kitchen island, popping a grape into his mouth. "There's really no need to shout, brother. I'm right here."

My blood boils as I stare him down. The urge to wrap my hands around his throat surges with every smirking chew.

"What were you thinking?" My voice is a low growl, barely containing the fury. "You think this is a game? Telling Camila we share women?"

Renzo shrugs, the picture of nonchalance. "Elio, relax. I'm just stirring the pot."

I lung forward, my fists clenching. "I'll fucking kill you!"

Dante steps between us, his hands on my chest, pushing me back with surprising strength. "Easy, Elio," he ushers, locking eyes with me. "This isn't the way to do things. You know that." As always, Dante is the voice of reason.

I glare over his shoulder at Ren. "You're jeopardizing everything!"

Dante's grip tightens as I try to move past him. "Think about what you're doing! This isn't just about you or me—it's about the family."

The family. The word echoes in my head, cooling the fire in my veins bit by bit. Dante's right, as always. I can't let rage dictate my actions. Renzo might be a fucking idiot, but he's my family, my blood.

I step back, taking a deep breath, and my brother's expression shifts from amusement to something more serious. "I need to talk to you about what I said to Camila," Renzo admits once he notices the storm has passed.

Her name on his lips makes me angry. There's something different about this girl. Different from any other girl I've ever been with, and it's not just that she's a pure, innocent virgin. The fire she ignited in my veins when she admitted that to me was all-consuming.

Renzo leans back, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Just hear me out. I've got a plan to get the intel we need from Camila."

I cross my arms, my jaw clenching. "This better be good."

"Picture this," he starts, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "we all seduce her—you, me and Dante. We make her ours in every way possible."

The image of Camila tangled in the sheets, her body intertwined with all of ours, flashes through my mind. I shake my head, trying to clear the thought. "Are you out of your fucking mind?"

He shrugs. "Think about it. If we all have her, she'll be putty in our hands. She'll tell us anything we want to know. Any girl would love three cocks over one, and you know it."

Dante shifts uncomfortably. "I don't know, Ren. This seems a bit much."

"Remember that girl in our freshman year of college?" Renzo reminds us, his grin widening. "The one we all had together? It worked then. It'll work now."

The memory of that night floods back, the way she moaned between us, the way she submitted to all three of us. I can't deny the arousal that stirs in my groin at the thought of Camila in the same position.

But then I think of her innocence, the way she blushed when she admitted she was a virgin. The way she looked at me with those big, trusting eyes. The thought of sharing her, of exposing her to Ren's depravity, makes my stomach turn.

"She'll never go for it," I say firmly. "Camila's not like that."

Renzo scoffs. "Every girl's like that. They all have a breaking point. We just have to find hers."

I shake my head, the jealous rage bubbling up again. "No. I won't do it. I won't share her."

Ren's eyes narrow. "This isn't about what you want. This is about the family. About getting the information we need. Are you really going to let your feelings for this girl get in the way of that?"

I clench my fists, torn between my duty to the family and the growing desire to protect Camila. To keep her for myself. "She's a virgin," I admit.

Renzo's eyes flash with predatory glee. "Fuck, really?"

"Yes, which means she's not going to want to get down and dirty with three men at the same time. Forget it."

Dante clears his throat. "I think it's more likely she will if she's a virgin at eighteen. Think how fucking desperate for cock she'll be?"

I grind my teeth, hearing Dante agree with my brother. If it's two against one, I know my only option is conceding.

"Alright," I say through gritted teeth. "We'll try it your way, Ren. But we go slow. I lead this."

Renzo's grin spreads wide, his eyes dancing with victory. "Of course, brother. Whatever you say."

I turn to Dante. He won't meet my eyes. "What about you?" I ask. "You in?"

Dante shuffles his feet, clearly conflicted. I know he's attracted to Camila, too, though he'd never admit it. After a tense moment, he nods. "Yeah," Dante says, his voice low. "I'm in."

I take a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside me. "Listen, if we're going to do this, it has to be on my terms."

Renzo raises an eyebrow, a challenge in his eyes. "And what terms would those be?"

I meet his gaze head-on. "I claim Camila's virginity. No one touches her before I do."

Renzo's jaw clenches, his eyes flashing with defiance. "And why should you get that privilege?"

"Because I'm the one who's been working on her," I growl. "I'm the one who's gotten close to her. If anyone will be her first, it will be me."

Renzo scoffs. "Why not share the experience? Imagine how tight she'll be, how she'll scream when we both?—"

"No," I cut him off, my voice like steel. "If we're going to hook her into this, the only way is if she's hooked on me first. We ease her in, one at a time. And I go first."

Dante nods slowly. "Elio's right. If we push too hard, too fast, we'll lose her. We've got to be smart about this."

Renzo throws his hands up in frustration. "Fine. But I better get my turn soon."

I nod, but inside, guilt twists like a knife. I think of Camila, of how I promised her I didn't want to share her. And a part of me doesn't. A part of me wants to keep her all to myself, to protect her from the depravity of my world.

But another part, a darker part, thrills at the thought of her being ours, of watching her come undone beneath not just me but my brother and best friend, too. It's a sickness, a twisted desire I can't shake.

I push the thoughts away, focusing on the task at hand. "I'll work on her," I promise. "I'll get her ready. But we do this my way. Understood?"

Renzo nods, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "Understood, brother. Just don't take too long. I'm not a patient man."

"Listen to me very carefully," I say, my voice low and dangerous. "If either of you try to take Camila's virginity before me, I will murder you without hesitation, got it?"

Renzo scoffs, leaning back against the counter. "Always so possessive, Elio. Fine, you can have her little cherry. But don't think for a second that means you get to keep her all to yourself."

I clench my jaw, the urge to punch him rising once again. But I know I can't, not if I want to keep the peace. "Her virginity is mine."

Renzo holds up his hands in mock surrender. "Whatever you say, brother."

I turn away, my hands shaking with barely contained rage. I know my brother's trying to get under my skin.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself. I need to focus on the task at hand, on getting the information we need from Camila.

I vow silently that I'll have her. I'll make her mine in every way possible. When I'm done with her, Renzo and Dante can have their turn, but not before I've claimed what's rightfully mine.