Mateo Caputo: Unseen Underground Read online

  “Luna brought us to eat.” She tilted her head at him, her smile taking over her entire face. Now that Mateo was here, she was comfortable. It amazed me how much she doted on him. He was her world, that was clear to see.

  “You’re going to love Aida’s pasta.” He made a humming noise. “It’s super yummy.”

  She giggled at him. “I love pasta.”

  “No way!” Mateo gasped, acting like he didn’t know that Chiara had eaten pasta every night since I’d moved in a week ago.

  “Yes way!” She placed her little fist on her hip. “You know it’s my fav-favor-favorite.” She stumbled on her last word, still not quite able to pronounce it properly, but she never gave up when a word stumped her. She’d use it over and over again until she could say it the same as everyone else.

  Mateo chuckled, tapping her on the nose with his finger. “Can you stay with Aida for a couple of minutes?” He walked closer, and I took an involuntary step back. “I need to talk to Luna.”

  “Okay.” She slapped a kiss on his cheek and then he let her down. She went running right back to the swing, and Aida followed her.

  “Luna,” he murmured. He didn’t say another word as he spun around, and I took that as my cue to follow him. With one last look at Chiara and Aida, I headed after him. He turned the way we’d come in and walked right out the front door. My nerves rattled through me as I got closer to him, but he didn’t stop until he was halfway down the driveway, just past the water feature.

  “Ma—”

  “What the fuck are you doing?” he growled out, spinning around. His hands clenched at his sides and his lips were in a flat line.

  “Aida called and—”

  “And what?” He slammed his hand through his hair, pulling at it. “You decided to bring them over?” He stepped toward me. “They’re my brother and sister, Luna. Mine. You don’t get to decide where they go—”

  “Are you serious?” I interrupted feeling my own anger bubbling up to the surface.

  “Deadly,” he grunted.

  “You’re unbelievable.” I shook my head, not believing the words coming out of his mouth. “Aida called and asked if I would come for dinner and to bring the kids.” I pulled in a breath. “She said it was Lorenzo’s idea.” Stepping forward, I continued, “And I somehow thought it would be a bad idea to tell a Mafia boss no.” I was fuming, not able to curtail my emotions. “And those kids may be your brother and sister, but unless you forgot, we’re married.” I held my hand up as proof, noting that he was still wearing his ring. He may have been sleeping on the sofa, but he hadn’t taken the gold band off his finger. “I love them. You fuckin’ know that.”

  He cracked his neck and stretched his hands at his sides, making fists then loosening them again. “You should have checked with me first.”

  “No. I shouldn’t have. If you can’t trust me then…” I trailed off, not sure what else to say. He needed to trust me. He needed to realize that I would never put Cardo or Chiara in harms way. “I did the right thing, Mateo. And you goddamn know it.” I let my head drop back. “I’m so sick of your mood swings. One minute you’re looking at me like you want me, and the next…” I licked my lips and met his stare head on. “The next, it’s as if you wished you’d never met me.”

  His eyes darkened, but his lips didn’t move. I wasn’t sure what I wanted him to say, but I needed to hear something. Anything to reassure me that I wasn’t losing my mind.

  “Luna—”

  “Don’t you fuckin’ walk away from me, Sofia!”

  We both whipped our heads around to where the man’s voice came from. I’d never heard it before.

  “If you don’t stop right now,” the man warned, his voice closer now.

  I tried to see where it was coming from, but I couldn’t place it. I turned to ask Mateo what was going on, but he wasn’t looking around, he was solely focused on me. I hadn’t heard that in my head, right?

  “Sofia,” the man growled, even closer now, and the sound of it snapped Mateo’s body forward. He grabbed me around the waist, hauled me against him, then backed us up into the brush of the trees.

  His chest heaved against my back, his breaths fanning over my neck as he whispered, “Don’t say or do anything.”

  I grabbed his hand where it lay flat on my stomach, my nerves spiking. What the hell was going on.

  “Fuck you, Christian!” a new female voice screamed. The little bricks on the driveway crunched under her feet, and just as she got a couple of feet past where we’d just been standing, a hand grabbed her.

  “Stop,” he growled, but she didn’t. She pulled, trying to get out of his grip.

  “That’s Christian,” Mateo whispered in my ear. I shivered, biting down on my bottom lip. When he was this close to me—holding me—I lost all sense of…well…everything.

  “Get your hands off of me, Christian.” I gulped as she turned, facing him. “You made your fuckin’ choice.”

  “Dammit, Sof. Why don’t you let me explain?”

  She laughed. “Explain?” Her hair shook around her, the long strands catching in the sunlight. “What is there to explain?” She pressed against him, going up onto her tiptoes. And for a moment, I felt like we were intruding. “I gave you a choice. Tell him about us, or we’re done.” She paused, her lips centimeters from his.

  I clenched my thighs together as the sensation of Mateo’s front against my back, and hand on my stomach mixed with watching Christian and Sofia.

  “And you didn’t.” She licked her lips. “You didn’t tell him. So, you and I?” She slowly lowered, her hand moving between the two of them. “We. Are. Done.”

  She took her opportunity and snapped her arm out of his grasp, and within seconds she was gone, as if she’d snapped her fingers and flown away.

  “Fuck!” Christian shouted.

  I jerked at how loud it was. Mateo’s arm banded tighter around me. He didn’t let go, not even when Christian stormed off back toward the mansion. We were hidden. I didn’t want this moment to end, and when he didn’t make a move, I figured neither did he.

  “Why—” My voice came out a mere rasp, so I cleared my throat. “Why have you been sleeping on the sofa?” It was the only question I wanted to ask. The only one that would give me the answer to everything happening between us. There was tension, and I had no idea how to fix it, how to move past it.

  “Dammit,” he murmured. “I…” He huffed out a breath and goose bumps prickled at my skin. “I’m scared.” I tried to turn in his hold, but he kept his arm firmly in place, not letting me look at him. “I’m scared that if I get into bed with you, I won’t be able to not touch you.” His hand slid down my stomach, his fingers slipping between the waistband of my jeans. “And if I touch you…” He pushed his erection against me at the same time his finger slid through my slit. “In my bed…” He flicked the bundle of nerves and every part of my body lit on fire. “I know I won’t be able to stop.”

  “Mateo,” I whispered, not sure why I was saying his name, but he seemed to know because he moved his finger faster, playing me expertly like a first chair musician.

  “And if I can’t stop,” he continued. “I’ll never let you go.”

  “I don’t want you to let go,” I told him, my voice unwavering. My stomach burned, the impending orgasm threatening to ruin every part of me.

  “Careful what you say to me, darlin’.” He pressed his lips to the side of my neck. “If I snap, there’ll be no turning back.”

  I groaned, leaning the back of my head against his shoulder and driving my hips forward, needing him to go faster.

  “Snap,” I begged him, grabbing his wrist and digging my fingernails into his tan skin. “Fuck, Mateo. I need you.”

  His teeth sank into my neck, the stinging bite pushing me over the edge. My heart beat wildly, my body tensing as the orgasm took everything from me, but gave me so much more at the same time. I wasn’t sure what he was doing; his hands were everywhere, pushing my jeans down, and m
aneuvering me how he wanted me.

  “Hold onto the tree in front of you,” he grunted. I barely got my eyes open and my hands on the tree a foot away before he yanked my hips back, bringing my ass higher. “The first time I touched you,” he started, whispering his palm over my ass and around between my legs, spreading the wetness from my orgasm. “I promised it would be one time. One and done. It’s how I roll.” He paused, pushing his cock at my entrance, teasing me. “If I shove my cock inside that wet pussy again, you’ll really be mine then.” His other hand trailed around to my front, his large palm and long fingers wrapping around my neck. “Do you understand what that means, Luna?”

  I panted. “Yes.”

  “And you still want this? Me?”

  “Always,” I groaned out, sighing as he pushed his cock in an inch. “Fuck me, Mateo.” I turned my head, meeting his stare. “Make me yours.”

  “Fuckin’ dammit, Luna.” He shoved the rest of his cock inside me, filling me to the hilt. But he didn’t let up. This wasn’t a loving, gentle act. No. This was him claiming me. Fast. Hard. Rough. Everything I’d needed from him. Everything I’d been waiting for.

  His hand clenched around my neck, my breaths harder to come by as he pummeled me so hard I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stay on my feet much longer.

  “Gonna come,” he grunted, and a second later, he emptied inside of me, marking me as his forever.

  CHAPTER 14

  MATEO

  I couldn’t stop staring at her. At the six freckles splattered on her nose. At the way she pursed her lips when she was asleep. At the way she sighed when I touched her, and she didn’t even know it.

  She was perfect—perfect for me.

  “Hmmm,” she murmured, her eyes fluttering open. She stretched her arms out, nearly hitting me in the face, but she was totally oblivious to it.

  “Mornin’,” I greeted, grinning down at her.

  She gasped, her head whipping around to face me. “Dammit, Mateo. I hate that you do that.”

  I shrugged. “You wanted me in our bed.” I pushed some hair out of her face, wanting to see her eyes when she was focused on me. “This is what happens. You just gotta deal with it.”

  She rolled over, throwing her arm and leg over me in the process. “If it’s a deal breaker…” She placed her chin on my chest. “Then I’m not so sure—”

  I flipped her over, grinning at her squeal, and settled between her legs. “No take backs.” Some of my hair flopped forward, tickling her face. “You’re stuck with me now.”

  Her lazy grin begged me to kiss her, and for the first time. I didn’t hesitate. We were married. I wanted her. She wanted me. And if I was honest, I was never good at denying what I wanted. What was the point in stretching out the inevitable. We couldn’t get away from each other. We were stuck in this situation. But the difference was, I wanted to be stuck with her.

  “How are you so happy in the morning?” she asked as I pulled my lips away from hers.

  I winked. “It’s the way I am, baby.” Pushing on my hands, I lifted off of her, knowing that if I my body stayed on top of hers any longer, we wouldn’t get out of here today.

  And I had plans.

  Big plans.

  “Come on.” I tapped her ass. “Up you get.” I strolled around the bed, straightening up my shirt. I’d already been awake for two hours, and the kids had been fed and dressed, now they were watching cartoons until we had to leave for school.

  “I don’t wanna,” she groaned, star fishing on the bed. “I could skip classes and we could spend the day in bed.”

  I raised a brow, glancing back at her as I got to the door. “No can do, darlin’. I got things to do.” I tilted my head. “Kids are ready. We’re just waiting on you.”

  “Ugh. Fine.” She sat up, rolling her shoulders. “I’ll be ready in ten.”

  “I know you will.” I walked away, still amazed at how quickly she got ready. She didn’t mess around when she needed to get out of the door.

  By the time I’d gotten Cardo and Chiara into the back of the SUV, she was walking out of the front door, locking it behind her. That didn’t stop me heading over to check the door though. It was a habit I’d developed since we moved into this neighborhood. It was so much safer than where we’d lived all of our life, but that didn’t stop me from being vigilant.

  The drop off line to the kids’ school was quick and pain free, and so was the ride to the mansion. Aida was waiting outside for us, and she jumped into the back once I’d stopped in front of her. Both Luna and Aida chatted up a storm, but I was caught up in my own head, my gaze flicking to my glove compartment.

  My stomach rolled as I pulled up to my usual spot on the college campus. I’d been preparing for this day for years—nearly eight to be exact—and now it was finally here. The documents stowed away were like a calling card, begging to be brought out into the light.

  “I’ll see you later,” Luna said, unclipping her belt and leaning over the center console. Her lips pressed against mine, soft and gentle. She pulled back, her brows lowering as she stared at my face. “You okay?”

  “Yeah,” I answered, way too quick to seem normal. She could tell something was going on with me, but I wouldn’t tell her. I wouldn’t jinx what I was about to do. “I’ll be here when you finish.”

  She didn’t move for several seconds, waiting me out, but deep down she knew I wouldn’t tell her what was going on. If I wanted her to know before I did it, then I would have told her. “Okay.” She pulled back completely, grabbed her backpack out of the footwell, and exited the car, waving as she rounded the front.

  I idled in the spot as I watched them both walk up the pathway, my hands gripping the steering wheel tighter. Once they’d disappeared into the building, I pulled away from the curb, pulling my mask into place. There was no way I would go into this without my armor in place to protect me.

  I worked on automatic, going back to the one place I swore I’d never go again, but this was a necessary evil. An evil I couldn’t leave hanging over me, not knowing what would happen if I didn’t nip it in the bud.

  The apartment building came into view, and I pulled into my usual spot then switched the engine off. I stared at the apartment door for longer than I should have. I was building it up in my head, knowing that I was about to go to war. If this backfired on me—no, I couldn’t think like that. I had to keep my head screwed on and my mission at the forefront of my mind.

  So I reached over, snapped the glove compartment open, and exited my car, determination driving me toward the apartment I’d grown up in. I didn’t bother knocking, instead I pushed my key in the door, jerking back as the smell of puke and sweat smacked me in the face.

  Now that I wasn’t here to make sure the place was clean, it had gone to shit. Furniture was scattered around, bottles and food wrappers leading the way to the sofa where Mom slept.

  “Wake up,” I told her, kicking the base of the sofa. She groaned, but she didn’t move. “Wake up,” I said, louder this time.

  “Fuck off.” She rolled over, nearly falling off the edge of the cushions, but she saved herself at the last second.

  “We need to talk,” I told her, swiping my arm over the table separating the sofa and where the TV used to be. It hadn’t taken her long to sell it. “Now.”

  “Go away,” she screeched, her body snapping up right. “I don’t want you here.”

  I raised a brow, my lips quirking on one side. “I don’t give a fuck what you want.” I clenched my teeth, trying to keep my cool. I was here for a reason. I needed her pliable. “We need to talk,” I repeated, trying not to show my frustration. I sighed. “I’ll give you cash.”

  That had her eyes widening. I was bargaining with the devil, but I’d be the real winner when I left this apartment.

  “Talk then,” she snapped out, sitting upright. She pushed her greasy, matted hair out of her face. “I ain’t got all day.” She licked her cracked lips, her shaking hands telling me she was already in w
ithdrawal.

  Sitting on the edge of the coffee table, I pulled in a deep breath, and tried to figure out where to start. “Go to rehab.” She laughed, the sound like nails on a chalkboard.

  “Nope.” She shook her head. “Is that all you came to say? If so,” she held her hand out, “give me my money and get the fuck out.”

  I stared at her—really stared at her—and wondered why she was like this. I couldn’t remember a time when she was sober. She’d never even tried to stop drinking. She loved her life the way it was.

  “The offer is always there,” I told her, gripping the papers in my hand tighter. “If you ever want to go to rehab and get sober, I’ll pay for it.”

  She grinned, her yellowing teeth flashing at me. “Nah. I’ll just take the money.”

  My nostrils flared. She didn’t care that she had three kids she’d abandoned the moment they’d come into this world. She didn’t care that she was alone. She didn’t care about anything.

  I held up the papers. “Sign these and I’ll leave.”

  She raised a brow, snatching the documents from me, and scanned them. “Nope.” She threw them down on the floor. “Ain’t no way I’m signing them.”

  My anger blasted off like a firework, loud and blinding. “You fuckin’ will sign them.” I grabbed them off the floor, spinning around as she lifted off the sofa and walked toward the kitchen. I wasn’t letting her go though. There was no way I was leaving this apartment until she’d signed them. I wouldn’t have her hanging over our heads. Snapping my hand around her arm, I halted her. “You’ve got no goddamn choice but to sign them.”

  “Get the fuck off of me!” She slapped at my chest, her nails raking down the side of my face, but I didn’t let up. She was doing this, whether she liked it or not. She had no intention of fulfilling her role as a mother—she never had. “They’re my kids! I’m not signing them over to you!”

  “They’re not yours!” I shouted back, my cool well and truly gone. I’d always treated her with kid gloves, doing anything for an easy life, knowing that one day I wouldn’t be stuck here with her. There had been a time when I’d been terrified of her, but that had been when I was a kid. Now I was an adult, trying to protect her other kids from her.