And no matter how far he went, no matter how hideous or shameful his lust became, it seemed like there was always some woman who was happily waiting to help him give in to it. With each new torture he devised and inflicted, he felt morbid blossoms of self-love bloom inside himself.
By this point, Gio's hobbies were becoming a well-known rumor within the Mancini family. Certain sexual preferences—like adultery, homosexuality, or pedophilia—were strictly looked down upon, since they could be used to blackmail members of the organization into betrayal. But even though Gio's obsessions were considered extreme, they were still technically within the rules, and he was left to his own devices. If Mario knew about them, he gave no sign.
When Gio turned twenty, he bought his own house and converted the attic into his Special Room.
Now Gio had finally become a made guy, and he was scanning the dimly-lit room restlessly, looking for someone to help him really celebrate.
He felt someone tap him on the shoulder and turned. A short woman with long brown hair and brown eyes smiled up at him, handing him a fresh tumbler of scotch. “Congratulations on your big night, Daddy” she said, slurring slightly.
“Thanks,” he replied, taking a sip. “Do I know you?”
“Not yet,” she grinned, “but a few of your friends invited me. My name's Katie. They said I'm the kind of girl you'd want to meet tonight.”
“Oh?” Gio asked, mildly annoyed. “Why is that?” He looked around and saw Bruno nudging Julius as they watched this interaction. The last thing he wanted was to be set up by the other guys based on what they thought his interests might be. The whole idea of them gossiping about the kind of sex he enjoyed bugged him, even though he supposed it was inevitable.
Katie leaned in close, and Gio felt the warmth of her breath tickling his ear. “Because you can do absolutely anything you want to me, no matter how fucked up, and I'll love it and beg you for more. How's that sound?”
Gio looked at Katie again, her eyes glittering darkly, her smile growing wider. She looked hot enough, but there was something else about her that seemed off. Still, he couldn't figure out what it was, and he knew he probably wouldn't find a better offer that night. The other women there might be more gorgeous, but would they do even half of what he needed to get the satisfaction he craved?
He doubted it. And what good was sex if he couldn't do the things he really wanted?
“Come on, Daddy,” she pleaded, tugging on his arm. “Tonight's your lucky night. Let's go.”
Gio thought it over for another moment, then beckoned for her to follow him to his car.
Chapter 4
They left the party together and Gio unlocked the silver 1978 Corvette he kept in perfect condition. She slipped into the passenger's seat and immediately took off her high heels, putting her bare feet up on the dashboard and wiggling her toes.
“Take your fucking feet off the dash,” Gio snapped. “It's a Corvette, not an ottoman.”
“Sorry,” Katie said, rolling her eyes and putting her feet back on the floor.
As Gio pulled away from the house and got on the road, Katie reached into her purse and withdrew a joint. She put it between her lips, lighting it and inhaling deeply.
“No smoking in the car,” Gio said.
Katie giggled, rolling the window down. “It's cool,” she insisted. “I can blow it out the window, see?”
Gio reached over and grabbed the back of Katie's hair, twisting it hard. He expected her to react with a cry of pain, or even anger. Instead, she was silent, her head rearing back to expose her neck. “I said no smoking,” he growled. “Now get rid of it before I hurt you.”
“Yes, Daddy,” she agreed mildly, pitching the lit joint out the window.
“And stop calling me Daddy,” Gio added, letting go of her hair.
“Okay,” Katie sighed. “What do you want me to call you?”
“Nothing. Don't even open your mouth to speak to me unless I tell you to.”
Again, Gio expected some small flash of defiance from her. Instead, she simply nodded and stared out the windshield blankly for the rest of the drive, her hands fidgeting in her lap.
When they got to Gio's house, he ushered her inside. “I need to use the bathroom before we get started,” Katie said.
“I thought I told you not to speak until spoken to,” Gio snarled.
“Yeah, but I gotta go,” Katie whined. “I'll just be a sec, okay?” Before Gio could answer, she clip-clopped down the hall in her heels, looking for the bathroom. As she did, she reached behind her to pick at her thong.