Monster's Claim

by Winter Sloane

  She let out a breath. Love might be too soon a word, but she was definitely getting there. Giovanni regarded for a few damning seconds. Someone could shatter the mounting tension with a knife. Oh God. Did she just mouth off to the most powerful man in the Severin Familia?

  Lara prevented herself from blurting out an apology. Instead, she met the old man’s gaze steadily, silently daring him to challenge her words. To her surprise, he ended up laughing, his chest heaving back and forth with the effort. Giovanni wiped the tears of what seemed like amusement from his eyes.

  The weight in her chest lifted at the realization Giovanni hadn’t meant his harsh words about his son at all. Oh, he was good, trying to get her riled up to admit the truth. Giovanni was probably just feeling her out, trying to read her intentions.

  The sound had Matthias running into the kitchen. Her man stared at his father with narrowed eyes.

  “What did you say to her?”

  “He offered to wipe my memories with a drug and let me go,” she said.

  “There’s no such thing,” Matthias said. “I mean, you’ve already been with me for days. That drug only works for erasing the memories of the past twenty-four hours. What game are you playing, Father?”

  “There’s no need to get all huffy, Matthias,” Giovanni said smoothly, rising to his feet to adjust his tie. “It’s truly a pleasure meeting you, my dear. Please take care of my son.”

  Matthias threw his father a suspicious look. “What will you do now?”

  “Well, since I’m here I might as well take out my daughter for lunch and ask if she’s picked a name for her daughter or son,” Giovanni said, nodding to Lara. “I’ll leave you two to it.”

  “I’ll see you out,” Matthias grumbled.

  Lara heard the slam of the front door. Matthias returned to the kitchen, while she finished nibbling on a cookie.

  “I was worried,” Matthias began, “that I’ll suddenly find you gone.”

  She pulled out her chair, rising slowly to her feet. Matthias was instantly by her side, holding her hand.

  “Don’t be silly. Didn’t you hear your dad and me talking? I’m not going anywhere, unless you ask me to.”

  He put his big hands on her hips and without warning, swung her in his arms like she didn’t weigh a thing. Yelping, Lara closed her arms behind his neck.

  “Next time, warn me if you’re about to do that,” she said as he carried her to the now empty living room.

  “Nope. I like hearing that cute squeal of yours.”

  Impossible man, but she’d pretty much told Giovanni that Matthias was hers, didn’t she? Days ago, she never imagined standing up to anyone, much less the retired boss of the most powerful mafia family in the city.

  Matthias settled on the couch with her on his lap. He settled his arms around his waist, careful not to let her fall off. He seemed conscious of her leg, careful not to apply too much pressure on it.

  She closed her eyes, only to feel the press of his mouth on the side of her neck. She didn’t protest when he slipped one hand up her shirt, unhooking her bra. She let him peel her top off, and smiling, she took off his tee as well, unveiling hard, scarred, and inked muscle. He licked his lips, a bottomless pit of hunger reflected in pitch-black eyes. She wondered if her own eyes reflected her need.

  Matthias played with her nipples. Lara moaned, shifting on his lap as he rolled one bud between forefinger and thumb.

  “Undo your jeans,” he said in her ear. “I want to watch you come.”

  He leaned his head lower and left a bite near her left breast. Shuddering in anticipation, she did as he asked. Blushing, she pushed her fingers down her underwear, beginning to stroke herself. It didn’t help when he pulled out his own dick. Matthias gave himself a hand-job, his gaze so entirely focused on her that it was intense.

  On lonely nights when she wasn’t too drained from working at the diner, she’d masturbate in her own bed, but it had never felt this erotic. Cum coated her fingers as she worked her pussy faster, rubbing at her clit. The tip of Matthias’s cockhead dripped pre-cum. Seeing her watching, he gave her a predatory smile. She could already imagine Matthias sliding that glorious length inside of her.

  “Tell me how wet you are for me, baby,” he said.

  “Very,” she admitted, chest rising and falling.

  Her nipples hardened to pebbles as her cunt turned slick with her need. Just when she was on the verge of coming, he lifted her fingers to his mouth and licked them dry. Her blush deepened.

  “So sweet, and I bet your pussy’s all ripe and ready for my cock.”

  “Come find out,” she whispered, locking her arms around his neck.

  Matthias entered her without warning, not stopping until he buried his prick to the hilt. She gasped. Like before, it felt like his massive shaft stretched the walls of her vagina completely. Lara felt full, complete, with him buried so deep in her.

  He began to pound in and out of her, moving faster and deeper with each thrust. She bounced on his lap, sensitive tits rubbing against the hard planes of his sweat-slicked chest. She cried out, uttering his name softly as he made sure the ridge of his cock kept bumping against the swollen bud of her clit. Lara always loved it when he reduced them both to making animal noises.

  “Matthias, God,” she whispered, as he shifted angle and found her G-spot.

  “Just us, little bird.” He sealed her mouth with his, thrusting his tongue down her throat only for her to suck it down.

  Matthias reached between her legs and gave her clit a pinch, opening the floodgates. Her mind shattered. Lara cried out, back arching as she came, long and hard. Her climax seemed to go on forever. She was vaguely aware of Matthias pumping in and out of her a few more times, before unloading his warmth in her deliciously sore pussy.

  The words she uttered to Giovanni were nothing but the truth. To some people, it might be crazy, falling for someone this quickly. They were still strangers in some ways, but he was the stranger she knew, the one her heart and soul recognized as hers. Matthias had turned her entire life upside down the day he took her in that alleyway. Even if she had the power to reverse time, she wouldn’t change a thing.

  She rested her head against his chest. They didn’t say a thing for a couple of minutes. Matthias hadn’t pulled his dick out of her, but that was fine. It was in Matthias’s nature to be possessive, but it was in hers to yield to him. Lara trusted him completely and knew he’d never hurt her, not in a million years.

  “Let’s try your plan,” Matthias finally said, laying a gentle kiss on her cheek. “If we catch this son-of-a-bitch, you won’t need to worry about him ever again.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered, nuzzling the side of his neck like a needy kitten.

  Lara rested her palm on his left pectoral, over the heart that beat steadily for her. She knew it wasn’t easy for him, agreeing to use her as bait, but she wasn’t only doing this for him.

  She wanted to find out what future lay in store for both of them.

  Chapter Twelve

  Lara nervously took another sip of her tea, but the liquid felt tasteless in her mouth.

  “Relax, little bird. I’m right here with you,” Matthias said through her wireless Bluetooth earpiece. “I’ll be right outside the cafe in the car with Ryker. There are members of the Familia in there, waiting for your signal.”

  He’d gone over the plan with her numerous times, but hearing his voice soothed her frazzled nerves. At first, she didn’t think Skip would take the bait when she messaged him. The mention of finding an envelope of cash in the dresser certainly did the trick. Two days after she texted him, he replied with an address to meet.

  The door to the cafe opened, revealing a skinny guy wearing an old military jacket with a hoodie underneath, his hair shaved close to his skull. Skip looked around the cafe, zeroed in on her, and flopped himself to the empty seat in front of her.

  “Lara, you look fine. You lost weight?” he asked, flashing her a smile.

&nb
sp; It took all of Lara’s self-control to suppress a shudder of revulsion. Fat and ugly were two of the adjectives Skip liked to holler at her when he got drunk. Skip, on the other hand, looked the worse for wear. His skin looked chalky, and there were bags under his eyes.

  “Let’s get this over with,” Lara said, playing the role of the disinterested but angry ex.

  She wondered if he believed her. Skip hadn’t run yet at least, but was she only fooling herself that she could really do this? Her insides coiled. Talking and even being in the same space with him summoned all kinds of negative emotions Lara thought she’d buried.

  Memories of him smacking her around their apartment surfaced in her head. Skip always left bruises where no one would find them. She swallowed the rising bile down her throat. No. Lara couldn’t break down right here and now.

  “Lara, do you want to stop?” Matthias said in her earpiece.

  Hearing his voice, reminded her she wasn’t alone. She could do this. Lara promised to help them after all. She never went back on her word.

  “You’re not even going to buy me a drink, doll?” Skip drawled.

  “No, I need to be on my way to work.” She even wore her waitress uniform although her no-shows the past few days had gotten her fired.

  Lara didn’t think it was much of a loss, given the wages she was paid for the long hours she put in. After hearing she’d lost her job at the diner, Giovanni himself offered her a job at Paolo’s, and Lara told him she might take him up on his offer.

  She reached for the fat envelope in her handbag and slid it over the table. Shit. Her hands shook as she did. Lara only prayed Skip would see her nervousness as part of her act.

  Skip instantly made a grab for it, already flipping the envelope flap and counting the cash inside of it.

  Lara was tempted to leave there and then, but she reminded herself this cafe was a public space. She needed to get Skip outside, to a less crowded location.

  “Where did you get all that money anyway? I found it while I was cleaning the room. It was in your sock drawer, along with some of your socks,” she said.

  “I probably must have left this emergency stash there. I was in a hurry to leave,” he muttered, not looking at her completely.

  Skip was more focused on his newly acquired prize. Typical greedy asshole.

  “Well, whatever mess or problem you’ve gotten yourself into, leave me out of it.”

  Lara abruptly stood and grabbed her handbag. She walked out of the cafe quickly. Good. Everything was going according to plan so far.

  “Lara, wait,” Skip said behind her.

  She could hear his hurrying footsteps. Heart racing, she turned on the first corner and entered an alley. No one there but a couple of stray cats hanging by the garbage bins. This reminded her of the time she’d exited the hair salon, but this time, she wasn’t the target.

  “Matthias? Get ready,” she whispered to the earpiece.

  No response. Lara told herself not to panic. Matthias wouldn’t abandon her. He’d save her if the situation turned volatile.

  “Bitch, I’m talking to you,” Skip yelled. He always turned nasty when he didn’t get what he wanted, just like a spoiled brat.

  She flinched when his hand grabbed her shoulder. Lara took deep breaths and faced her lowlife, abusive ex.

  “You got your money, Skip. Leave me alone.” Jesus. How long did she have to play this charade? Where were her back-up?

  “This,” Skip said, waving the envelope in front of her. “Seems too good to be true.”

  “It is,” she said.

  Lara was unsure where she got the courage to look him the eye. He’d stolen her voice, she realized, during the months they’d been together. Worse, she’d let him do it, boss and kick her around when she swore to herself she wouldn’t be one of those miserable and pathetic women.

  She might love it when Matthias gave her orders in the bedroom, but outside of that, he treated her like a princess.

  Skip narrowed his eyes, shoving the envelope in his huge coat, but at the same time, began to pull something black and shiny. Lara let out a breath, seeing the glint of metal. The only reason she hadn’t broken into a panic attack was because she’d spotted Matthias’s massive, hooded figure silently coming up to Skip.

  Before Skip could point that revolver at her, Matthias had one arm around Skip’s scrawny neck. Skip tried to punch, bat, and kick at him, but Matthias reminded her of an unmovable giant. Matthias easily flung the gun away. Skip must have seen his scars, because he flopped his mouth open, screams muffled by Matthias’s big hand.

  “You and I are going to spend some quality time together, Skip,” Matthias whispered in Skip’s ear, but Lara was close enough to catch every word. “I’m going to make you pay for all the times you’ve hurt her. No matter how many times you beg, I won’t stop the hurt.”

  Matthias locked his black gaze on her then, and Lara knew this was their defining moment. He probably expected her to grimace or run away, seeing him at his worst, at what he did best. Too bad Lara already expected the good and bad parts of him.

  If Matthias and the Familia didn’t go after bastards like Skip, the local enforcement wouldn’t be able to do anything. It was a good thing then, that the Severin Familia owned this city, in a way, protected it, and she belonged to one of them.

  Lara didn’t look away from the darkness in his eyes. She smiled at him as he finally rendered Skip unconscious and dropped him unceremoniously on the ground. He made his way towards her, pulling her towards him. She let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding and melted in his warm embrace.

  “You’ve done good, little bird. I’m so proud of you.”

  “What’s going to happen to him?” She asked.

  “Someone will bring a van to nab him, but,” he said, kissing the nape of her neck, “just say the word and I’ll end his life right here and now.”

  Lara glanced at Skip’s unconscious body on the ground. For a second, she debated being selfish and telling Matthias she wanted Skip wiped from this earth. Then she remembered the Familia still needed answers from him.

  “It’s okay. Let them take him. All I want to do is go home with you,” she told him, tiptoeing to him give a kiss on the mouth.

  “Your wish is my command, little bird,” he answered with a smile.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Are those the last of the boxes?” Lara called to him over her shoulder.

  “Yes. You don’t own a lot of stuff,” Matthias commented, grabbing the last box from the trunk of the car.

  “Well, you don’t either,” Lara responded.

  Lara nabbed a smaller box, and they walked to the door of their new home, a small single-floor house, perfect for a couple starting out.

  The houses in this neighborhood were always far away from each other. Matthias also did a little research and found out the neighbors kept to their own side of their fence and valued their privacy. That suited Matthias and his little bird just fine, because they wouldn’t give a damn if some members of the Familia dropped by.

  Matthias was very pleased when Lara agreed to abandon that rathole she lived in and stay with him. The old house he lived in, he surrendered to Marco, but the dungeon in the basement remained. Two weeks had passed since Lara offered herself as bait so they could get Skip. Fourteen busy days of house-hunting, and as for Skip?

  It took less than three days on his hook for Skip to tell them everything. After Ryker retrieved the information Skip had stolen, Matthias put an end to that miserable bastard’s life and incinerated his body in the woods.

  Of course, he spared Lara the grislier aspects of his job. He followed her inside the house. Right now, it was bare of furniture, which was perfect. It would be just like a bare canvas, like them.

  “We should go furniture shopping soon, starting with tables and chairs. Giovanni just texted me, asking me when he could visit,” Lara said, biting on her lower lip.

  “He offered us some furniture, but
I refused,” Matthias said, putting down the box. He walked up to her and pulled her into an embrace. “Marco did, too.”

  “You’re all sweaty, baby,” she said, trying to push him off, but in the end gave up. Lara seemed to settle for turning to glare at him. Matthias smirked, pushing her against the nearest wall.

  “Well, that’s nice of Marco. I think he really wants to make amends. Why don’t you give him a chance?” Lara asked.

  His woman seemed to have other things on her mind, forgetting her initial protest to reach for the hem of his shirt. Matthias let her pull it off him.

  “He can try harder,” he said. “I’m not in a mood to talk about my asshole brother.”

  “Marco’s still the boss,” she said. “But you’re the boss of me. When we’re having sex anyway.”

  Lara wore a shy and sexy smile when he slowly undid the buttons of her white blouse, to expose her pink lace bra underneath. He thumbed over the nipples, dick hardening as her tits peaked under the fabric.

  “You like it when I take control.”

  Knowing she might get mad at him if he ripped her blouse, he peeled it off her shoulders, before undoing her bra so the generous swell of her breasts sprang free. He slid one hand up her thigh, past her denim skirt, and under the matching lace underwear she wore. Trapped in his embrace, his little bird only sighed, spreading her legs further as he traced the swell of her slick pussy lips. Matthias always found her wet for him, even before they had sex.

  “I do,” she agreed. Lara let out a sigh of frustration when he pulled his hand away.

  “Take your skirt and panties off so I can fuck you without any clothes getting in the way.”

  She did as he asked. Matthias peeled off the rest of his clothes. His cock felt like a steel pipe between his legs, and he couldn’t wait to slide it deep inside of her. Without any distractions in the way, he crushed her body against his. Matthias claimed her sweet mouth, kissing her the way they both liked, rough and without apology. He was always hungry for her and would never be satiated if he couldn’t start or end the day with his dick buried in her tempting pussy.