Page 11 of Monster's Claim
“What if she runs again?”Ryker finallyasked.
“She won’t.”
“You’re so sure of that?”
“She’s moved away from terror, to havingdoubts.Leave her to me.”
Ryker gave him a skeptical look, then shookhis head.“I’ll get one of our tech guys to look at the messagesshe exchanged with Skip, see if there’s any valuable information wecan use.”
“If you find him, bring him here.”
Ryker narrowed his brows.“That soundsfucking personal.”
“He hurt her.Made the Familia family lookbad.Is there anything left to say?”
Ryker nodded.“Marco would probably put himin your care anyway.”
“We’ll spend lots of quality time together,”he said, rubbing his hands at the prospect of Skip all hooked tohis ceiling, begging for mercy that would never come.Matthiaswould make sure Skip would pay for all the hurt and distress hecaused his woman.
****
Sunlight hit Lara’s face.She groaned,wondering if everything had been a terrible nightmare.Thathorrible basement with that silver hook and Matthias—Lara conjuredall of that up.She dared to open her eyes, only to wake up in anunfamiliar bed.Someone else’s room.
She wasn’t in her clothes either, butsomeone’s big and comfortable shirt.A man’s shirt, she realized.Her aching ankle made her suck in a breath.
Lara remembered falling, the fear thatrippled across her entire body because she wasn’t ready to die.Sherecalled Matthias’s strong arms catching her, pulling her into afierce embrace.His warm breath against her.Relief filing herentire body before she shut down.I got you.
She shivered, lifting the sheet over herbody to see her right ankle, all bandaged up neatly.
“It’s not broken, just bruised according tothe doctor.He recommended bed rest for a few days,” said a woman’svoice.
Lara put the sheet down and found the sourceof the voice.A pretty pregnant blonde sat on the armchair betweenthe bed and window.She set down the book she was reading to smileat Lara.That smile seemed genuine, sympathetic.
Her tongue worked.“Who are you?”
“I’m Sky.I’m sort of Matthias’s adoptivesister.”
She sucked in a breath and slowly sat up.“You’re also part of the Severin Family?”
“I don’t mean you any harm,” Sky saidquickly.
“Don’t ever want to go back there,” shewhispered, clutching the sheets.“Down there.”
Sky must’ve understood Lara meant thebasement.Sky rose from her chair, walked to the bed, and pattedher arm.
“You don’t need to.Ever again.”The steeland vehemence in Sky’s voice took her by surprise.
Lara looked at the arm that touched her andblinked, seeing the white, uninterrupted lines stark against Sky’ssmooth skin.She couldn’t contain her shock.Lara widened hereyes.
Scars.
She hadn’t realized she said the words outloud, until Sky said, “We do have that in common.Maybe that’s whyMatthias can’t say no to me.”
“Did—” Lara began, then hesitated, unsure ifshe wanted to ask that dreadful question.Did someone in theSeverin Family inflict on those on her?
“Squirt, go away.I need to talk to Laraalone,” said a new voice by the door.Matthias.
Sky scrunched up her face at him.“Don’tcall me that.I’m not a kid anymore, Matthias.”
