Page 69 of Velvet Cruelty

“Brava bambina,” I say. “Stai andando così bene.” Good little girl. You’re doing so well.

Doc laughs as he tucks his cock back into his jeans. “Breaking out the Italian, are you? We can all do that.”

I ignore him. January’s green eyes are already following me like I’m performing a magic trick.

“When you first saw me, you could barely look at me, bella.” I flick my right sleeve over. “That was appropriate. You’re a shy, respectful girl and you were engaged to another man.”

Her throat contracts. I’m going to clamp a hand around it while I make her ride me. I reach for my left sleeve. “But it’s not inappropriate for you to want me now. I can kiss you. Touch you. Look you right in the eyes while I slide my cock into your beautiful cunt.”

She lets out a helpless little whimper. “Mr. Morelli…”

“Yes, bella,” I say quietly. “I know it hurts. Come to me and I will take care of you like the precious little girl you are.”

She jerks forward and Bobby groans. “How is this happening?”

“Fucking forearms,” Doc mutters. “Women and shirts and fucking forearms.”

I keep rolling up my sleeve, nice and slow. “Come on, bella. Come to daddy and he’ll make everything better.”

She puts a nervous hand on the carpet then sits back, her face red with embarrassment. I hold her gaze and let her drink me in, knowing she can’t resi—

A whistle cuts through the air, making all of us jump.

Adriano lowers his tattooed fingers from his mouth, ugly as one of Goya’s demons.

Doc rubs his chest. “You scared me, you giant fuck.”

Adriano doesn’t acknowledge him. He and January are staring at each other, green eyes into green eyes. He points to the floor at his feet. “Here.”

January cringes away.

I force myself to laugh, my heart still racing too hard. “Nice try, Rossi.”

Adriano taps a boot against the carpet. “Now.”

A split-second later January crawls toward him. She moves slowly, one hand after another like a great weight is tied to her legs. My stomach sinks.

Doc lets out a wild drunken laugh. “Fuck me, talk about a dark horse.”

I grit my teeth. Adriano’s greedy. If she chooses him, the rest of us are going to be waiting hours.

“Bella?” I prompt but she doesn’t look my way.

“Still time to change your mind,” Doc calls, but he’s just glad she’s giving in. He and Adriano go back a long time. He has the best chance at getting in on the action with him.

January is inches from Adriano. Even from this distance, I can see she’s crying. Rossi won’t like that. He likes causing pain, but he can’t stand tears. His usual solution is to wrap a T-shirt around the girl’s face then fuck her from behind. I imagine him gripping her pale hips in his tattooed hands. Manipulating her beautiful body with his scarred one. Sometimes I like seeing beautiful things get broken, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to put my bitterness to one side and enjoy the show.

“January…” Bobby’s voice is low, imploring. “January, he wants to kill you.”

She freezes. Adriano makes a noise like an angry bull.

I bite back a laugh. Yes. Ruin this, you clever little bastard.

“If it weren’t for us, he’d have killed you already,” Bobby says so quietly his voice is barely audible over the music. “He’s wanted you dead the moment he saw you. Don’t let him win.”

January sits back, her chest heaving.

“You fucking moron,” Doc snaps. “We were this fucking close.”

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