Chapter 4: Get A Hickey

MARIELLE

Cassius’ words played on a loop in my head, a cruel melody I couldn't switch off. I sat in the backseat of his car, the leather cool against my skin, while he sat beside me like a mountain of ice.

I stared down at my lap, but my peripheral vision was locked on him. His hand rested casually on his thigh..thick veins, long fingers. My cheeks flared with heat. I knew exactly what those fingers felt like inside me. I squeezed my legs together, the phantom tingle making my breath hitch. I could only imagine the things a man like him could do if he truly let himself go.

When the car stopped, the door was pulled open. I stepped out and nearly bumped into Enzo Belmonte. He was Cassius’ best friend and manager, the shadow that followed him everywhere. He gave me a knowing look that made me shrink back.

I’d always been shy..intimidated by men in general but Cassius was different. I didn't just feel shy around him; I felt…consumed. I loved him, even if the weight of that word terrified me.

I followed Cassius inside, my heart hammering. The living room was full. I could hear the voices of the family, but there was only one person I dreaded facing.

The room went silent the moment I appeared.

"Marielle! Why did you disappear?"

My mother rushed toward me. Instinct took over; I stepped back, my spine hitting a solid, warm wall of muscle. Cassius. I didn't think… I just reached back, grabbing his arm and shielding myself behind him.

The room froze. No one challenged Cassius Marchetti. His presence alone was a law everyone obeyed.

"Marielle, sweetie, why did you run away?" Giselle, Cassius' sister, asked gently. She was the only one who felt like a true friend in this house.

"I-I wanted to be alone," I whispered, finally letting go of Cassius’s arm. "I'll be in my room."

I didn't wait for a rebuttal. I bolted for the stairs, needing the sanctuary of my four walls.

AT NIGHT

"Come on, Marielle. Don't be such a pussy."

I winced at the word, my thighs clenching. Elevator.. my childhood friend and Cassius’ niece- grinned at me over a bottle of vodka. "Seriously, Elena. You know I hate these games.”"Why? Do you have secrets?" she teased, her eyes dancing.

My heart did a somersault. My face turned a traitorous shade of crimson. Vera, the third of our group, leaned in, her eyes wide. "Marielle, your cheeks are turning red. Does that mean…"

"I'll play!" I blurted out, desperate to shut them up.

We sat in a circle on my bedroom floor. Elena placed the empty bottle in the center. Truth or Dare..the ritual we used to drown out our problems. The bottle spun, slowing down until the neck pointed directly at Elena.

Vera smirked, rubbing her hands together like a movie villain. "Do you use handcuffs on my brother?"

My jaw dropped. This was why I hated this. I was far too private for their brand of honesty.

"I do," Elena answered coolly, though a faint pink dusted her cheeks.

"Eww," Vera groaned.

"Don't 'eww' me," Elena snapped back with a wag of her finger.

"As if you don't suck my brother’s cock."

The banter continued, a dizzying blur of family ties and scandals, until Vera grabbed the bottle and gave it a violent spin. We watched it whirl until it slowed... and landed on me.

The girls shared a look that made my stomach drop.

"So, babygirl," Vera purred. "Truth or dare?"

I hesitated. A truth meant they’d dig into my soul. A dare meant... well, usually something embarrassing. "Dare," I whispered.

Vera’s smirk turned predatory. "Since our miss shy is feeling brave, let’s make it spicy."

"Vera, don't.."

"You have to get a hickey," she declared, her eyes gleaming. "On your lower hip."

"Are you crazy?" I stood up to leave, but Vera pulled me back down, laughing.

"Come on, babe! It’s just a hickey. We aren't asking for an orgasm."

I felt like I was going to combust. If only they knew I’d already had my first orgasm-..at the hands of their uncle.

"You have four days," Elena added. "If you fail, we pick a punishment. And it won't be pretty."

After they left, I stared at the half-empty bottle of vodka they’d left behind. Cassius’s voice echoed in my head…Forget about last night. Nothing happened…

Nothing happened? He had opened a door in me I couldn't close. He had touched me and then discarded the memory like trash.

Anger and hurt flared in my chest. I grabbed the bottle and chugged. The liquid burned like fire, sliding down my throat and setting my blood ablaze. I dropped the empty bottle and stood up, stumbling as the room began to tilt.

I felt too hot. My skin was crawling. I yanked off my hoodie, leaving myself in just a bra, and was fumbling with the drawstring of my pajamas when a sharp knock sounded at the door.

"W-who is it?" I slurred, leaning against the wood for support.

"Open up."

The deep, gravelly command hit me like a physical blow. I knew that voice. I fumbled with the lock and pulled the door open, completely forgetting that I was half-naked and reeking of alcohol.

My vision swam, but the silhouette in the doorway was unmistakable. He was tall, looming, and dangerous.

"Daddy," I breathed, the word slipping out before I could stop it.