Page 59 of The Mafia's Property

“See. She likes it here.” I figured that statement was meant for Rico and not I so I didn’t respond. However, I felt Rico shift uncomfortably next to me. I turned to him. His face was serious, his forehead slightly crinkled. “I think it’s time we let you out of your contract,” he said.

My last bagel bite went down a little harder. I set the sandwich down and wiped my mouth. Was that what they were discussing just before I came? Maybe my nighttime disturbances were more uncomfortable for them than I thought. “Did I do anything wrong?”

“Not at all,” Nico said, “But this fool thinks you don’t want to stay with us anymore.”

“I think the best thing I could do after you saved my life is give you your freedom.” His gaze went down to the bracelet. “One word from you and I will remove that thing.”

“But what if I want to stay?”

“We’ve treated you horribly!” Rico exclaimed. “I want to punish myself many times over for what I did to you. You don’t deserve the way I mistreated you.”

“I’m sorry as well,” Nico folded his arms, “but I don’t think I want to let you go. I’m selfish. I will admit it and letting you leave is…” He didn’t finish his statement. He didn’t need to. I knew how he felt. Part of me hated them for what they did to me. Part of me reveled in it. A depraved subconscious came alive and enjoyed the pain and humiliation. That should sicken me and yet, it didn’t. It was confusing and after the week I spent with them, I no longer debated with myself I had fully accepted that depraved self as me. But I still didn’t like how they forced me to that realization. I should have come to it without being thrown into a pit of debauchery.

“Is that what you were discussing before I came?”

They both nodded.

I pushed the plate away and placed my hands flat on the counter. “I hate the bracelet. I would love for it to come off. As much as I enjoy knowing that you’re secretly watching me, I enjoy my freedom of movement more.”

Nico’s face fell. “So you want out of the contract?”

“I also hate what you did to me.” Rico nodded solemnly. I continued with my speech, “But,” Rico looked up. “I have to admit that I liked it as well.” They both stared at each other. “There has to be some boundaries and trust set between us if you want me to stay.”

They nodded vigorously. “The bracelet is gone,” Nico said.

“And you’re right. You’ve mistreated me. And I can’t forgive you for that. At least not now.”

“And if we rectify that?” Rico asked. “If we atone?”

“I’ll see if I can forgive you,” I replied.

They both seemed happy with that. Nico ran out of the room and came back with his phone. He tapped something on it and I felt the bracelet click, the red light go off and loosen. “Step one,” he said. I removed the pretty little thing and placed it on the counter. Rico took it, threw it on the floor, and smashed it with his boot. He picked the pieces up and threw them in the bin. “Clean slate,” he said.

“I still want to finish my contract, though. And after that time, if I still don’t want to be with both of you, then we part ways.”

There were still two months left in the agreement. That was enough time to assess the relationship, right? Then after that we could see where we were.

“Done,” Nico said.

Rico took my hand in his and stared into my eyes. “I’ll make it my top priority to show you we’re not the monsters we’ve been on the island.”

I wanted to tell him I didn’t see them like that. To me, they were broken men, and I was just as broken as they were. But before I could say anything, Nico swiveled my chair around and dropped a kiss on my lips and all thought flew out of my head.

♣

The next two months flew by in a daze. The boys were using every weapon in their arsenal to win me over. From romantic trips to Europe, to shower me with gifts almost every single day. Not only were they gentlemen in their conduct, they also tried to include me in their declensions, something they’ve never done before. Instead of telling me what to do and where to go, they gave me the freedom to do what I wanted. I was starting to feel more like a girlfriend and not a toy they liked to play with.

That didn’t mean they had changed every aspect of themselves. Rico was still a little possessive and Nico still couldn’t let go of that controlling streak of his. Last week, we went to the opening of one of their Chicago clubs, and this was more on display than before. Rico had almost cut off the hand of one guy who asked me to dance with him and had placed his hand on my arm, dragging me to the dancefloor. Rico whipped his hand off me and he almost punched him in the gut before I intervened. I saw the poor man get dragged away by Stiks and had to make Rico promise nothing happened to him. Only after some humming and hawing did he finally listen to me.

Nico still had some issues to deal with. While he no longer dictated what I wore, and even though he looked like he wanted to rip my clothes off every time I took some questionable fashion choice, he was still looking over what I eat. Not dictating every calorie intake, but giving me advice on what foods to eat. Most of it was good advice, I had to say, and he never restricted my intake. I’ve since come to learn that he enjoys having that control.

But in the bedroom, well, everything was flipped on its head. Nico and Rico made it their personal mission to make me come at least twice each night. Sometimes with both of them, other times just one. Rico liked to watch while he was in the room and Nico, he loved watching on screen. He loved to record and watch everything later, and I noticed, he enjoyed recording Rico and I. Not necessarily him and I or all of us. Just Rico and I. Or sometimes, he would ask me to play with myself and send him a clip. I never realized how much of a turn it was for me, just as it was for him. I wanted to perform for him. For them both.

The more I spent time with them, the more I wanted them. Before I even knew it, I was falling in love with them both. I don’t think I’ve ever l loved two people equally at the same, but did they love me? That part was less obvious. They enjoyed my company. They liked me. But the deeper, visceral emotion? That was difficult to tell. And not just with the usually reserved Rico, but even Nico was a little cagey when it came to his feelings towards me. And they made it especially difficult when each time we had sex, I often want to scream how much I love them. I was fed up. I had to say it. You regret the shots you don’t take, right?

Rico and Nico took me on a balloon ride on the last day of the contract. It was by far the romantic they had done. It was over lake Tahoe and apparently Rico had spent some time learning how to fly a hot-air balloon so that it would be just the three of us on the ride. Nico had prepared coffee and sweet treats. The amount of preparation they put in was shocking. It could only mean one thing.

“Do you like it?” Nico asked as the balloon swept over the mountains and the lake.

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