Chapter 81

I snatched the card from Mariana's hand to take a closer look, but there was nothing special about it. It wasn't a credit card, nothing fancy, just an electronic key. The kind that opens doors without a sound. Half the house worked like that. With any luck, it unlocked the wine cellar and we'd grab some good bottles later.

"Mariana, put that back."

I handed it over, already losing interest. She kept staring at the card with that look like her curiosity wasn't fully satisfied.

"Later we'll figure it out. Let's see what's up with this kid."

She tucked the key away, grabbed the box of dick-hardening pills, and struck that pose like she knew way more than she should. Her face hardened, her tone shifted.

"Cuz, this stuff doesn't work miracles. It doesn't just make anyone hard out of nowhere."

"But isn't that what it's for?"

I asked, pissed off. I hated when things didn't work the simple way I imagined.

"No. It's to fix problems. People use it thinking it's an on-off switch, but it's not like that."

I crossed my arms, staring at Mariana, already dying to know what kind of dirty shit she'd gotten into that she hadn't told me about.

"And since when did you become an expert on all this, Mariana?"

She gave that perverted grin, laughing with her tongue between her teeth, like she'd been waiting for the question.

"Otávio took this to use on me."

She shrugged.

"It didn't make much difference, cuz."

I rolled my eyes, no patience for the full story right then—I was nervous about the kid's situation.

What wouldn't leave my head was the time. He said he'd been like that since I left the room. That was hours ago. A lot of hours. And it didn't seem like a lie. He was too embarrassed to be making it up. I was the one who asked to see, and he didn't suggest showing it right away. Nothing abnormal, nothing alarming. And that made me even more nervous.

"Mariana, what if it's real?"

I said quieter.

"We don't know him that well. What if shit hits the fan and it falls on me."

She sat down in front of me, way too calm. Suspiciously calm. She pulled out her phone, started tapping like she already knew what she'd find. When she turned the screen to me, she spoke in almost a teacherly tone:

"If it was serious, this would show up. Priapism. And if it was that, he'd be desperate by now, banging on your door, begging for help. Not sitting there all quiet like that."

I stared at the screen, my stomach twisting. It wasn't relief. It was something else. A mix of anger with the feeling of being used.

"So why the hell would he say something like that?"

I asked.

"It doesn't make sense."

Mariana tilted her head, looking at me like I was too slow to keep up.

"It does."

She paused short, on purpose.

"To get your attention."

That hit me all wrong.

"You're saying he made all this up just to..."

I didn't even finish the sentence.

"To mess with you. To show you his dick, you idiot."

She gave a half-smile.

"Guys are obsessed with that shit."

I felt the blood rush to my face. I shoved the pills in the drawer without a care. I wasn't thinking straight anymore. I just wanted to handle this my way.

I turned to leave, but Mariana was faster. She grabbed my arm hard enough to stop me.

"Jully, stop."

She said seriously.

"If you go in there now, like this, you'll do exactly what he wants."

"Mariana, but I gotta sort this out right, let's head back there and improvise on the way."

We went back to his room, and Tommy was there, slouched in the computer chair with that I-don't-give-a-shit expression, sipping juice from a carton like nothing happened. Mariana stopped at the door, shooting me a sideways look like "I told you so," but I ignored her completely and went straight to him.

"Tommy, you feeling better?"

He looked at me, glanced quick at Mariana, thought for a second, and let out a lazy "Uh-huh," nodding slow.

"Uh-huh? Seriously, Tommy?"

The blood rushed to my head right away, because Mariana was right the whole time.

"You have me worried sick thinking you're really sick, and now you hit me with a simple 'uh-huh'?"

"I... I got better, Jully."

He answered, stuttering a bit, with that innocent smile that seems dumb but isn't dumb at all.

"It was just a little scare."

I stood there, arms crossed, pissed as hell because he'd played me perfectly, but at the same time feeling that stupid curiosity growing inside me, wanting to figure out why the fuck he'd set all this up. I wanted to slap him, but obviously I wasn't gonna do that.

"Alright, Tommy, here's the deal."

I said. Truth was, I had way different plans in my head, the kind involving skinning him alive or cutting his balls off, but suddenly a different crazy idea hit me.

"You pulled that whole act just to show me your dick?"

When I dropped the question, he choked hard on the juice, it came out his nose and sprayed all over his shirt. I had to wait for him to stop coughing and recover before going on. From the door, Mariana—who'd already clocked the sudden shift in my tone—closed the door real slow and turned the lock.

Now no one was gonna see what I was about to do to him.

He sat there in the chair, with the most pathetic, scared look in the world, staring at me like a dog waiting for the kick. His shirt all sticky with juice just made the scene even more ridiculous and humiliating.

"Get up. Now."

He stood up slow, and I saw it right away: that hunched posture, hands shaking a little—it was the body of someone who'd always taken beatings in life, someone who knew there was no escape. He stood there, clasping his hands in front of him like that could protect him from something.

"Now, Mr. Tommy, take your clothes off."

I glanced quick at Mariana by the door—she had her eyes sparkling, clearly loving the show.

"Jully, no... I'm embarrassed..."

His voice came out low, almost a whisper.

"Oh, now you're embarrassed? But you weren't when you pretended to take pills just to show me your dick, right?"

"Sorry... I just wanted... um... I just..."

He stuttered, red to the roots of his hair, unable to finish.

I turned to Mariana, who hadn't quite figured out my plan yet, and said real casual:

"Mariana, how long does this stuff last again?"

"Thirty-six hours, cuz."

"See, kid. Pills are expensive, we ain't wasting 'em, right?"

I took a firm step toward him, grabbed the hem of his dirty shirt and tugged it up a bit, just to see him shrink more.

"You're gonna have to stay hard for these full thirty-six hours, Tommy."

"But... but I can't... that's too long..."

"Even with the pills?"

I got right up close, pressed my face to his, with the craziest expression I could make, voice low and threatening.

"Then listen up: either you stay hard and fuck me right... or I'll fuck you."

He looked at me totally lost, eyes wide with pure terror. It wasn't happiness, wasn't sadness—it was total desperation. His mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

"Mariana, babe... go to the kitchen and grab some cucumbers for me? Some thick ones, okay?"

"Sure thing, cuz! On it!"

She turned to the door like she was really going, but I knew she was faking—I could tell she stayed there, back turned, holding in the laugh. Mariana could be a real bitch when she wanted, and she was loving watching the poor guy shit himself waiting for my next move.

I gave him a hard shove in the chest, making him stumble back and almost fall ass-first on the bed. His eyes watered up right away, like he was one step from really crying.

"What's wrong, Tommy? Want to call mommy to save you?"

He let out a little whimper, defeated, and pulled off his shirt with shaky hands, tossing it on the floor. Then he looked at me again, pleading, hoping I'd change my mind, that it was all a joke.

"Shorts now. Hurry up, I wanna see that tiny little dick of yours again."

"Damn, cuz? He really has a small cock?"

Mariana's voice came out husky, full of mischief. She approached slow, swaying her hips a little like she was dancing just for me, every step calculated to tease me. That bitch knew exactly what she was doing.

She stopped right next to me, pressing her body against my side, and wrapped her arm around my waist. I felt her hand slide slow under my shirt, up my warm belly to grab one of my tits firm, squeezing in a way that pulled a gasp out of me. At the same time, she turned her face to mine and gave me a deep, slow kiss, her tongue pushing into my mouth without asking, swirling, sucking, taking me over completely. Holy fuck, if this was just acting, she'd soaked me in seconds.

She pulled back slow, licking her lips with a naughty smile, eyes shining with pure lust.

"Well... if it's too small, it won't satisfy both of us anyway."

She whispered, voice low and teasing, squeezing my tit one more time before letting go.

"Then there's more of you left for me, cuz."