Page 3 of Monster's Claim
These new unblooded recruits were easy preyto him.Some violence would help distract him from the sweet, curvytemptation chained in his basement.She would probably wake upsoon.By then, he wanted his brother and his men gone.He bet herskin would feel creamy soft, her luscious, curvy body ripe for thetaking.
Unlike these obedient puppies, she had akick to her.Matthias couldn’t wait to see the fire in thosechocolate brown eyes.To unearth the hidden steel in her spine.Would she claw at him again like some wild animal?
“Matthias,” Marco said impatiently.
His brother gritted his teeth, clenching hisfists by his side.Marco continued, “Skip owes the Familia fiftygrand plus interest.We don’t take lightly to fuckers who thinkthey can get away with shit like that.Our reputation will take ahit when word gets out.Find out if his bitch knows anything.”
Matthias didn’t buy his brother’s bullshitcompletely.For Marco to involve himself personally in a case likethis, with a small fry like Skip, was interesting.What did thisscum do to rile up his brother so much?
“What else are you not telling me?”heasked.
Matthias pulled his hood down.Both of thepuppies tensed, horrified expressions on their faces.Matthiasdidn’t miss Marco’s grimace, but at least his brother had the gutsto look at the ruin that had become his face.The reminder that itcould,shouldhave been him who became this monster.
“Leave the room,” Marco told his guards.
“But, Boss, your safety is our number oneconcern,” the puppy who kept touching his gun said.
“You fuckers, show him more respect.He’sthe boss’s brother,” a new and familiar voice said with agrowl.
It was Ryker, his only friend, someone he’dshed blood with, who had his back and was a lieutenant for theFamilia.Matthias considered Ryker his brother, even more so thanhis own brother.
“Leave,” Marco repeated to the two suits,who wisely didn’t question him this time around.
Matthias noticed the tiredness aroundMarco’s eyes and decided to quit being a dick.He glanced at thewall clock above his brother.Close to midnight.He’d taken Laraeight hours ago.Matthias intended to be the first person she’dsee.He lifted his left sleeve, thumbing the rough skin where she’ddug her fingernails not long ago.
Would she buckle and fight him again?Mostof the men the Familia handed to his care wound up singing for himlike larks sooner or later.With Lara, a different approach wasnecessary.
Observing her the past few days didn’t showhim much.He didn’t think she knew a damn thing about her shady ex,but people often surprised him.Maybe she wasn’t as innocent as heinitially thought.
“So?”Marco asked, turning to Ryker.
“Skip made contact.He’s threatening to goto the cops if we don’t wire him a million dollars,” Ryker said,then provided Matthias the information Marco neglected to tell him.“Skip Diaz used to work under Ray, as one of our bookies.Skipwormed his way up to Ray’s good graces.Somehow got the bastarddrunk and swiped information from Ray’s hard drive.He has valuableinformation.Names.Locations.Accounts,” Ryker said.
“So you want me to find out if the womanknows where he is?”he asked in understanding.
Matthias refused to call Lara Skip’s woman.She was about to become his, and even as a kid, Matthias neverreally learned to share his possessions.
“Do whatever it takes to find to get theanswers out of the bitch,” Marco said.“You have a tightdeadline.”
Marco turned to walk away, conversationover.Matthias couldn’t suppress the growl that emerged from hislips.He didn’t like Marco calling Lara that, not when Lara meantso much to him.Lara didn’t even know he existed until today.Thesmall glimpses he caught of her during his initial surveillancewere enough to convince him she was born for one purpose.To becomehis.
“What’s this chick to you?”
Fuck.Matthias had forgotten Rykerhad remained in his living room.He regarded one of the few men inthe Familia he respected.His infatuation with Lara was one secrethe’d keep.For now.
“She’s no one.”
“Lie.”
“I heard you finally tied the knot withSky.”Sky, Ryker’s wife, was one of the few souls who didn’t flinchwhenever she looked his way.She always smiled whenever she sawhim.Genuine, not the pitying or a fake one that hid disgust.Luckybastard.
The Familia usually didn’t involve theirwomen in the violence of their work, but Sky had been a specialcase.Ryker had found Sky’s near-dead body ten years ago in agarbage bag and decided to keep her, take care of her.He heardRyker had let her go, told her to try to forge a life away from theFamilia.In the end, it didn’t work out, and she ran back to him,to the Familia.
“She sent you a wedding invitation,” Rykersaid, not commenting on his abrupt change of topic.
“Sounds like her,” he said, scratching atthe scars on his cheek.“Too bad I’m not fit to be seen inpublic.”
“Matthias,” Ryker began, but he raised afinger.
