Page 56 of Ravage God

“Isa—”

I waved him off and shook my head. I might just lose it if he tried to tell me this couldn’t happen again, or worse, apologizeto me as if he had been the one to take advantage of me. As if I hadn’t been a willing participant.

As if I weren’t capable of giving my consent.

“Don’t. Okay, Elio?”

We didn’t say anything for a moment. My lips still tingled from the kiss.

He let out a small sigh. “Come on. Let me drive you home.”

“You can’t. My father has people over, and I doubt they’re gone.”

“Again?” he asked, and there was this odd note to his voice that I didn’t care to decipher. I was still trying to think of ways in which he would kiss me again. I could try to make him jealous again, though I didn’t think he was going to let his emotions control his actions next time.

I shrugged. I didn’t really know if there were people over, but there could be. Dad had been having a lot of people over to the house lately. Mostly, I stayed hidden in my room when that happened, just thankful Dad hadn’t made me come downstairs to greet his guests.

“I can drive you to Valentino’s apartment.”

“And explain to him why you’re driving me to his place at this time of night?” It wasn’t late by any means, but it was late enough that Valentino would question it.

He let out a small sigh. “Isa…”

“If you don’t know what to do with me, you can just let me out of the car. I’m sure I’ll figure something out,” I said.

“Like hell.”

I bit the inside of my cheek to stop the smile I was feeling from showing on my face.

Finally, he said, “Come on. Get in the front. I’ll take you back to my house.”

I didn’t say anything as I climbed from the back seat to the front, turning around and looking back at him. I couldn’t becompletely sure, but I thought he had his eyes on my ass for a moment while I climbed over.

“Ready.”

He nodded and opened the back door, climbing out. I watched as he made his way around the car to the driver’s side. Then he got in, and we were off.

12

ISA

The driveto his house was a familiar one. Like last time, it was made in silence.

Like last time, I tried to gauge what he was thinking and feeling, and was unsuccessful.

Like my brother, like his brothers, and like most made men, Elio wasn’t an open book. And there was just something about Elio that made him seem even more closed off than his brothers, even Romeo.

We pulled up to the house among the four other houses that I knew belonged to his siblings. They were close.

He didn’t say anything when he put the car into park and shut off the engine, killing all the sounds that came with it. I shifted in my seat, uncomfortable with the sudden silence.

“Come on,” he said, opening his door. “Let’s get you inside.”

He was out of the car before I could say anything, and I quickly followed after him.

Even though I had already been to his house before, it still wasn’t a familiar place for me. And I didn’t get the chance to snoop around the last time, considering Tommaso had come by to pick me up before I had the chance.

I looked around the darkened living room as he led me further inside the house.