by Greg Herren
“Corelli? Jesus Christ, Jake.”
“We weren’t even after him,” he said, his voice close to cracking. “I mean, Jesus Christ, who the fuck would go after Corelli? We were just supposed to take out Richie. It was an easy hit. He was meeting with his guys over at the docks. All we had to do was bust in, blow their fucking heads off, and get the fuck out of there. Who the fuck knew he was meeting with Corelli?”
“What happened?”
“What happened? We stormed through the fucking door and started firing, that’s what happened. Then when it was all over, we saw there were three more bodies than there should have been lying there with holes through them. Corelli and his goddamn sons. Both of them. Dead as shit. When Eddie rolled them over I just about pissed myself like a baby. All I could see was Corelli’s face looking up at me with his goddamn eyes still wide open.”
He started to shake. “We killed the whole fucking family,” he said, his voice hysterical. “The whole goddamn fucking Corelli family. Do you know what the fuck that means? It means every one of our fucking asses is history, starting with mine.”
Putting my arms around him, I held him as he wept. His large body fell back against mine, and my face was buried in his neck, surrounding me with the scents of his skin—sweat, excitement, and fear. Closing my eyes, I thought of Corelli lying dead, his blood pooled around him like a halo, and felt a familiar ache in my pussy. I undid the buttons of Jake’s shirt and ran my hand inside. His heart was beating so fast I thought it might give out from fear. But still I couldn’t help pushing my fingers down his belly, past his belt, and into his pants, where I wrapped my hand around his dick. It was rock hard.
Without a word, I pulled him back on the bed and unzipped his pants. Freeing his cock, I straddled him and worked the head of his prick into me. His eyes remained closed as I began to ride him, and I knew that he, too, was thinking about the way Corelli’s eyes had looked up at him in wonder. After a few minutes, his hands closed around my ass and he shot deep inside me.
*
We knew running was useless. They always find the ones who run, and looking over your shoulder gets uncomfortable very quickly. Besides, it just wasn’t the way things were done. Everyone who got into it knew that from the outset. The rules were bred into us from birth. All we could do was wait, wait and see what Corelli’s men would do.
We didn’t have to wait long. The phone rang less than an hour after Jake came home, while he was pacing the room and smoking and I was sitting on the bed, my cunt still sore from Jake’s pounding. He grabbed it on the first ring, not even bothering to say hello. He was silent as he listened for a minute to whoever was on the other end, then he hung up.
“What?”
“That was Joe, Corelli’s second,” he said, his voice tight. “They want to see me.”
“What do you mean they want to see you?”
“He said they know what happened, and they want me to come up to discuss it.”
“Discuss it? You can’t go there. They’ll just kill you.”
“I don’t think so,” he said. “If they wanted to do that, they’d just come over here and do it.”
“I don’t like it,” I said. This wasn’t the way things happened. Not in our world.
“There’s something else,” Jake said. “Joe said to bring you with me.”
I looked over at him. “Me? Why?”
He sat down next to me. “I don’t know. Look, you know you don’t have to. I’ll go alone. You can get the fuck out of here…”
“No,” I said. “I’m going. You go alone, you’re good as dead. With me there, at least you have a chance. You know I’m off-limits to them.” Rule number two—women don’t count for shit, unless they’re pushing out more boy babies to add to the ranks. They wouldn’t off me because it wouldn’t get them anything except another body to get rid of.
We argued about it for fifteen minutes, but in the end I won, mainly because Jake was scared of being late and pissing off Corelli’s guys. While he pulled on some clothes, I got dressed. Despite my fear, I sensed somehow that looking my best might be to our advantage. I pulled on a black velvet dress that Jake had bought me to wear to the opera. Sleeveless, it hugged my body tightly, pushing my breasts up and out. The black looked good against my pale skin, and with my long black hair pinned up, I looked like any other woman on her way to a performance of La Bohème.
We arrived at the house a few minutes before the time Joe had told Jake to be there. Befitting his status, the seat of Corelli’s empire was an imposing brownstone in one of the city’s older neighborhoods. Surrounded by a heavy iron fence, it sat back from the street like a watchdog guarding its territory. I’d passed it many times on my way to and from different places, and every time I’d wondered what went on behind its curtained windows, what it would be like to walk its halls. Now, standing on its steps, I stared at the red lacquered door and wondered how I would get away.
Jake rang the bell, and a moment later it was answered by a young man in a white suit.
“We’re here to see Joe,” Jake said, the hand that held mine shaking so hard I had to squeeze it to make him stop.
The young man gestured for us to enter. Without a word, he led us up a staircase, then down a long hallway to another door. When he knocked, it was opened by another man, this one older, with graying hair.
“Joe,” Jake said, nodding to the man as though we were meeting him on the street.
Joe nodded in return. “Come in.” He didn’t look at me.
We entered the room, and Joe shut the door behind us. To my surprise, I saw that we were in what seemed to be a bedroom suite. A large bed was in one corner, and across the room from it were several armchairs. In one chair sat a man in a dark suit, while two other men stood behind him.
Joe led us over to the man in the chair. When we neared, he stood and held out his hand to Jake. Jake took it, and the man shook. “Hello, Jake,” he said, his voice low and pleasant.
He then turned to me, and again he held out his hand. When I took it, he closed his fingers around mine firmly. “And this must be Sofia. It’s nice to meet you.”
Not sure what to do, I smiled and nodded slightly. The man smiled back, and I was struck by how young he looked. His face was thin and handsome, with dark eyes and a mouth I couldn’t help but think of as beautiful.
“Please,” he said, indicating the chairs. “Sit down.”
Jake and I sat, and the man resumed his place. He reached into a box sitting on the table next to him and pulled out a cigar. Taking great care, he trimmed the end, lit it, and drew in his breath until the end of the cigar crackled with heat. Taking a puff, he leaned back and let the smoke exit his lips in a dreamy, sensual cloud that drifted in the air between he and us. Then he turned to Jake.
“First,” he said. “I should introduce myself. I am Nick Corelli.”
Jake looked confused. “Nick Corelli?” he said.
The man nodded. “Yes,” he said. “I know most people thought my father had only two children. But there are…were…three of us. My mother died when I was born, and I was sent to live with her sister in Milan. I then spent many years in school. I only recently came back to the city.”
“Your father,” Jake said. “You have to understand, I didn’t mean to…”
Corelli raised his hand. “I have been told what happened,” he said. “There is no point in discussing it.”
Jake glanced at me, then looked back at Corelli. “If there’s anything I can do to…”
Corelli laughed, his voice filling the room. “Jake, my friend, you know how it is. We all know how it is, don’t we? I cannot just let you go without some kind of reparation. My father was the most feared man in this city. As the last of my family, I inherit what he created here. I think you agree that it would not be a fitting start to my reign to simply forgive the man who killed my father and brothers.”
Jake was silent. I looked at him, waiting for him to speak.
“What is
it you want?” I said, when I saw that he wouldn’t.
Corelli turned his eyes to me. “A game,” he said.
“I don’t understand.”
“My father was very fond of gambling,” Corelli said. “Horses. Cards. Women. He would often settle outstanding debts with a game. If his opponent won, the debt was forgiven. If not, then my father…collected what was owed to him.”
“You want to play cards for your father’s honor?” I said.
Corelli laughed again. “Oh, no. I have something much more amusing in mind.” He took another drag on his cigar before speaking again. “Do you love your husband, Mrs. Anthony?”
I looked over at Jake. “Of course I do.”
“And does your husband make you come?”
“Excuse me?”
“When he fucks you. Does he make you come?”
I looked into Corelli’s eyes defiantly. “Of course he does.”
“That’s very good,” he said. “A man should know how to please his wife.” He gestured toward the three men who remained behind his vacant chair. “Now look at these men. Would you say they were attractive?”
I looked at the men for a moment. “Yes,” I said. I didn’t know what Corelli was up to, but I figured lying wasn’t going to get me anywhere.
“Good,” Corelli said. “And would you say that you would enjoy making love with them?”
“Perhaps,” I said after a moment. “It would depend on whether or not they were good lovers.”
He smiled. “Do you think they would make you come, as your husband does?”
I stared into Corelli’s eyes. “I don’t know.”
Corelli looked at Jake, then back to me. “The game I have in mind is a game of love,” he said. “I would like to see you make love with these men.”
Jake looked at Corelli. “What the hell do you think—”
I interrupted him. “And if I do?”
“If you do, then your husband goes free. If not, then I will have to take my payment.”
“A man’s life for watching me fuck?” I said, angered. “If you want a whore, Mr. Corelli, I’m sure you can easily find one.”
“Very true,” he said, smiling. “I’m sure there are some in this very house even as we speak. But it’s not just about fucking, Mrs. Anthony. As I said, this is a game of love. My father always said that a woman would come only for the man she truly loved. I’ve wondered for a long time if that’s really true.”
“I wouldn’t know,” I said. “My husband is the only man I’ve ever been with.”
The corners of Corelli’s mouth rose up. “Then this should prove very interesting. If my men can make you come, then your husband dies. If not, then true love wins, both of you go free, and all of this is forgotten.”
“I haven’t agreed yet,” I said.
Corelli raised one eyebrow. “Then perhaps I should order my men to kill your husband now.” He nodded, and one of the men ran over and grabbed Jake’s head, putting the barrel of a pistol to his temple.
“It’s up to you. Mrs. Anthony,” Corelli said, watching my face intently.
“Sofia, no,” Jake whispered. “Don’t do it. Don’t.”
I looked into Jake’s frightened eyes. It was true, he was the only man I’d been with. He knew my body inside and out, and just thinking about his cock inside me made me wet. I turned back to Corelli.
“It’s a deal,” I said.
Corelli clapped his hands. “Very good, then. Alex, make Mr. Anthony comfortable here.”
The man holding the gun to Jake’s head produced a length of rope, which he tied around Jake’s arms, securing him to the chair. He then gagged him with a cloth. I looked at him and saw that his eyes were fixed on me, pleading with me.
I love you, I mouthed to him.
Corelli remained in his chair. “Oh, and one more thing. I think perhaps we need an audience for our little performance. Joe, if you please.”
Joe walked over to the door, opened it, and went into the hall. When he came back, he was accompanied by Eddie and five of Jake’s other main men.
“What the fuck is going on?” said Eddie when he saw Jake tied to the chair. “You said we were just talking here. What kind of shit is this?” He attempted to turn and knock Joe to the ground, but Joe punched him hard in the stomach, dropping him to his knees.
“Mr. Annarotti,” said Corelli. “Thank you for coming by with your friends. I wanted you all to see that I am indeed a fair man. I know how stories can become…distorted…in the telling. This way, you can see for yourself, so that there are no misunderstandings afterward.”
The same young man who had shown us in entered with six chairs, which he set up, three on either side of Jake’s chair. The men sat down, Eddie holding his hand to his stomach.
Corelli turned to Eddie. “I have made Mr. Anthony an offer,” he said. “His wife has chosen to accept it. If she succeeds in the task I’ve set before her, your boss is free to go about his business uninterrupted by me or anyone else. Should she fail, then all that he has will belong to me. That includes you, Mr. Annarotti, as well as your men. Do we understand each other?”
Eddie looked over at Jake, who nodded slightly.
“Yeah, we understand,” Eddie said. He looked at me then, his eyes dark with fear. I knew he had no idea what was about to happen, but he was too frightened to ask any questions.
“Tony,” Corelli said. “Perhaps you’d like to be the first to tempt Mrs. Anthony.”
Tony nodded. Walking over to me, he took my hand, and I stood. He led me across the room to the big bed. The chair with Jake strapped to it was directly opposite the bed, and he could see everything that was going on. Corelli, settled into his chair, watched as I turned to Tony and looked into his face. He was handsome in a rough way, but his eyes were the cold eyes of a man used to taking what he wanted.
Before I could think about what was going to happen, Tony grabbed me and kissed me. He was a big man, and his powerful arms encircled me tightly as his tongue forced its way into my mouth. His hands crept to the hem of my dress and pulled it up over my ass. I felt him tear my panties away easily, and then his fingers were gripping the mounds of my cheeks.
He pushed me so that I fell onto my back on the bed. Removing his suit coat, he quickly undid his tie and his shirt, tossing them onto the floor and revealing a well-muscled chest and stomach covered in a thick swath of dark hair. Another few tugs, and his pants followed. He stood looking down at me, his cock swelling between his legs as he stroked it to its full length. Then he climbed on top of me, his hands pulling my dress over my head. When my breasts were bared, he immediately began to pinch my nipples hard.
My body rose up against him as I jerked in surprise, and my pussy pressed against his balls, his hard cock slapping my stomach. Tony continued to pinch my nipples as he slid his body down mine, spreading my legs with his knees. Pushing his cock into my cunt, he slid all the way inside in one long thrust, making me cry out.
“So soon, Mrs. Anthony?” Corelli’s voice came from across the room, taunting me. “Is Tony so much bigger than your husband that he can make you come just from being inside of you?”
I looked into Tony’s face. He was half smiling, and I could tell he was enjoying his part in the game.
“Give me your best shot,” I hissed as I put my legs around his waist and tightened myself around his prick.
Tony groaned as he began to pump in and out of me. His big fingers worked over my nipples as I ran my nails up and down his broad back, scratching the hell out of him. I knew I’d be able to outlast him if I concentrated on making him lose his load. Every time he thrust into me, I pushed up to meet him, driving him as deep as he could go.
As Tony fucked me, I looked over to see how Jake was. His eyes were on me, and I could tell that despite the gun that Alex was holding against his head, he was hard inside his pants. Good old Jake, I thought as I pulled Tony’s cock into my cunt.
Tony fucked me mechanically, like a mach
ine bent on beating my pussy into submission. Over and over he slammed into me, his breath coming in hot blasts against my face as he grunted in time with his thrusts. When his eyes shut and he began to groan, I knew I had him. He pumped into me a few more times, then I felt him explode inside me. He buried himself so that his balls were slapping my ass as his prick throbbed, spewing its load. When he was done, he pulled out and looked down at me.
“Nice fuck,” he said, wiping his dick on my ass.
“Not nice enough, apparently,” said Corelli. “Mrs. Anthony barely broke a sweat over you, Tony. Perhaps Joe can do better.”
Tony got off the bed as Joe came over. In his forties, Joe looked like any number of Italian men of that age. His gray hair was thinning, and his stomach was less than tight from all the pasta he’d crammed down his throat over the years. As he removed his clothes, I thought of the times when, as a little girl, I’d watched my father undress after he came home from work. Like my father, Joe carefully folded his clothes and placed them on a nearby chair.
When he pulled his T-shirt over his head, I saw the scars. Three small, ragged holes near his navel. Bullet wounds. He saw me looking, and turned around as he removed his underwear.
“On your stomach,” he said harshly.
I rolled over, and only then did he get on the bed. I felt his hand come down, slapping my ass hard. “Up on your knees,” he ordered.
I pulled myself up so that my ass was in the air, my face lowered onto the pillows. Joe moved in behind me, and I waited for his cock to enter my pussy.
Instead, he slammed into my asshole, shoving his cock past the tight ring of muscle with no warning. I screamed into the pillows as he pressed himself tight against my butt. Before I could adjust myself to him, he pulled back, almost all of the way out. Just the head of his dick was inside me, and he began to fuck me in short movements, teasing my asshole until the pain subsided and I began to feel fingers of pleasure creeping up my cunt. Jake had always wanted to fuck my ass, but I’d never let him. Now, as Joe took my virgin hole, I began to groan into the pillow.
“Sounds like Joe is giving your wife a real ride,” I heard Corelli say to Jake. “Perhaps our game will end sooner than expected.”