Page 23 of Monster's Claim
No response.Lara told herself not to panic.Matthias wouldn’t abandon her.He’d save her if the situationturned volatile.
“Bitch, I’m talking to you,” Skip yelled.Healways turned nasty when he didn’t get what he wanted, just like aspoiled brat.
She flinched when his hand grabbed hershoulder.Lara took deep breaths and faced her lowlife, abusiveex.
“You got your money, Skip.Leave me alone.”Jesus.How long did she have to play this charade?Wherewere her back-up?
“This,” Skip said, waving the envelope infront of her.“Seems too good to be true.”
“It is,” she said.
Lara was unsure where she got the courage tolook him the eye.He’d stolen her voice, she realized, during themonths they’d been together.Worse, she’d let him do it, boss andkick her around when she swore to herself she wouldn’t be one ofthose miserable and pathetic women.
She might love it when Matthias gave herorders in the bedroom, but outside of that, he treated her like aprincess.
Skip narrowed his eyes, shoving the envelopein his huge coat, but at the same time, began to pull somethingblack and shiny.Lara let out a breath, seeing the glint of metal.The only reason she hadn’t broken into a panic attack was becauseshe’d spotted Matthias’s massive, hooded figure silently coming upto Skip.
Before Skip could point that revolver ather, Matthias had one arm around Skip’s scrawny neck.Skip tried topunch, bat, and kick at him, but Matthias reminded her of anunmovable giant.Matthias easily flung the gun away.Skip must haveseen his scars, because he flopped his mouth open, screams muffledby Matthias’s big hand.
“You and I are going to spend some qualitytime together, Skip,” Matthias whispered in Skip’s ear, but Larawas close enough to catch every word.“I’m going to make you payfor all the times you’ve hurt her.No matter how many times youbeg, I won’t stop the hurt.”
Matthias locked his black gaze on her then,and Lara knew this was their defining moment.He probably expectedher to grimace or run away, seeing him at his worst, at what he didbest.Too bad Lara already expected the good and bad parts ofhim.
If Matthias and the Familia didn’t go afterbastards like Skip, the local enforcement wouldn’t be able to doanything.It was a good thing then, that the Severin Familia ownedthis city, in a way, protected it, and she belonged to one ofthem.
Lara didn’t look away from the darkness inhis eyes.She smiled at him as he finally rendered Skip unconsciousand dropped him unceremoniously on the ground.He made his waytowards her, pulling her towards him.She let out a breath shedidn’t realize she was holding and melted in his warm embrace.
“You’ve done good, little bird.I’m so proudof you.”
“What’s going to happen to him?”Sheasked.
“Someone will bring a van to nab him, but,”he said, kissing the nape of her neck, “just say the word and I’llend his life right here and now.”
Lara glanced at Skip’s unconscious body onthe ground.For a second, she debated being selfish and tellingMatthias she wanted Skip wiped from this earth.Then she rememberedthe Familia still needed answers from him.
“It’s okay.Let them take him.All I want todo is go home with you,” she told him, tiptoeing to him give a kisson the mouth.
“Your wish is my command, little bird,” heanswered with a smile.
Chapter Thirteen
“Are those the last of the boxes?”Laracalled to him over her shoulder.
“Yes.You don’t own a lot of stuff,”Matthias commented, grabbing the last box from the trunk of thecar.
“Well, you don’t either,” Lararesponded.
Lara nabbed a smaller box, and they walkedto the door of their new home, a small single-floor house, perfectfor a couple starting out.
The houses in this neighborhood were alwaysfar away from each other.Matthias also did a little research andfound out the neighbors kept to their own side of their fence andvalued their privacy.That suited Matthias and his little bird justfine, because they wouldn’t give a damn if some members of theFamilia dropped by.
Matthias was very pleased when Lara agreedto abandon that rathole she lived in and stay with him.The oldhouse he lived in, he surrendered to Marco, but the dungeon in thebasement remained.Two weeks had passed since Lara offered herselfas bait so they could get Skip.Fourteen busy days ofhouse-hunting, and as for Skip?
It took less than three days on his hook forSkip to tell them everything.After Ryker retrieved the informationSkip had stolen, Matthias put an end to that miserable bastard’slife and incinerated his body in the woods.
Of course, he spared Lara the grislieraspects of his job.He followed her inside the house.Right now, itwas bare of furniture, which was perfect.It would be just like abare canvas, like them.
“We should go furniture shopping soon,starting with tables and chairs.Giovanni just texted me, asking mewhen he could visit,” Lara said, biting on her lower lip.
