Page 52 of Ruining Vanessa

Ugh.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

I shove those thoughts out of my mind and press down on Vanessa’s now-bare chest. “Lie down,” I tell her steadily. “Or I will hand the knife over to Giulio, and it’ll be much worse for you.”

I never thought I’d be saying those words.

Vanessa’s sobs get worse, thick tears rolling down her cheeks, and her entire torso shakes as she lies back onto the table. From how she’s crying, it really seems like she thinks we’re going to torture her to death.

I smooth a few strands of her hair away from her face. “It’s not going to hurt as much as you think it will,” I murmur to her. It feels awkward to try to… What am I even doing? Trying to soothe her?

It doesn’t help anyway, and she keeps crying like I haven’t said anything at all.

I sigh, casting one last glance at Giulio’s icy expression before I open a nearby drawer.

There’s a first aid kit in there, extensive and able to handle even large lacerations—because you never know what’ll happen when you go hunting.

Then there’s the brand-new x-acto knife, which is little more than a craft knife. Sharp as hell, and it’ll cut skin like butter, but it’s unlikely to leave scars. Normally, I’d reassure Giulio of that fact, but for the moment, I think it’s better to let him think the heart, at least, is going to remain.

It might, if I put enough pressure into it, but the side isn’t a very good place for scarring, and it’s going to hurt like hell.

Why the fuck do I care?

What the fuck is wrong with me?

I open the packaging of the knife, making sure Vanessa can see it, and she keeps crying like she thinks I’m going to cut one of her nipples off. I shake my head. Giulio wants to shake her up a bit, and I get it.

But I don’t get why it’s not as hot as usual.

My body doesn’t seem to agree with my mind, though, as my cock is already hard in my pants, just like it would be if I was cutting anyone else up.

Giulio suddenly grips my shoulder, and I must’ve been really lost in thought to not even notice him creeping up on me.

“What’s the hold up?” Giulio asks. He reaches around my front and massages my erection through my pants. “Need help getting warmed up there? Don’t tell me you’re not into chicks anymore.”

I let him touch me, but his words make me scowl and bristle. “I don’t need you to warm me up,” I mutter. “I’m already hard, hotshot. I’m just taking my time. I like seeing her cry.” That’s not untrue, either. I do love the sight of the tears rolling down her cheeks, the way her body shakes with the force of her sobs.

I dismiss the part of me that keeps fucking hesitating, focusing instead on the way my cock is demanding I do more. Giulio’s touch helps, even though there’s always that confusion when my body reacts to anything he does to me. He’s the only man I’ve ever allowed to touch me intimately, and usually only after a great deal of blood has been spilled. This early on in the game, I’m not sure what to do about his hand on me. The occasional kiss still throws me off kilter, and his hand going straight for the gold? It’s going to throw me off my game.

“Vanessa,” I say firmly, wiping her cheek. “Look at me.”

She gives a small shake of her head, and I slap her cheek lightly. Her eyes fly open, and I could drown in the fear I see. It’s enough to kick the sympathetic thoughts right to the back of my mind, and I lean down to kiss away her tears so I can taste them again.

“There you go. I want you to watch me while I cut you,” I tell her, my voice going hoarse as Giulio continues to massage me through my pants.

Vanessa blinks tears away—and her gaze lands on Giulio, even though I’m the one holding the knife.

Giulio laughs and mouths the side of my neck. “Looks like I’m still scarier than you, Slayer.”

I growl at that, turning to push him away from me. “Get off me, you perv. You’re distracting me.”

Still laughing, he steps back away from me, but Vanessa still looks at him, still seeming more frightened of him than me.

I take the knife and press it to the side of her nipple. I might’ve dismissed that idea earlier, but I want her to be scared of me. Not Giulio. Even though I’d said it was better if I was the one holding the knife, and not Giulio, but…

Vanessa goes still, and her eyes immediately go back to me. I’m the more immediate threat, and that’s how I like it. Giulio is just there to watch.

“There we go,” I tell Vanessa with a savage grin. “Now you’re paying attention. Remember Giulio isn’t the one with the knife, my little broodmare.” I push the knife just a little harder, making a slight cut. It’s little more than a papercut, but I might as well have just cut the whole damn nipple off from the way she reacts.

---