The Twelve Vitali Ch. 22

"You really think we can win, don't you!" Logan said in amazement.

"I don't think it, my friend, I know it! We are going to use every resource we have at our disposal to do it, including being newbs, poor sweet, clueless girls, and the heroes who just want to help them get some points, and anything else we can think of to get an advantage. This is war, my friends, and we are going into battle!" Kalum growled at them, causing Cat to break out into a serious fit of giggling.

"That was motivational," Tate said. "Right up until the point where Cat started laughing."

"I'm so sorry," Cat tried to get her laughter under control. "But he's just so cute when he gets like that. I couldn't help it."

"I'm not cute! Matteo is cute! I'm rugged and manly," he winked at her.

"Yeah, Matt doesn't like being called cute either, for some reason," she laughed again.

"I can't work out whether to take you two seriously or not, but if it means beating my brother, I'm in," Logan said. "I'll take the first ten on the easy and moderate lists, and I will fit in with the bride-to-be's schedule for the group challenges. It's not like I have a life anyway at the moment."

"Yeah, I'm in too. If there is even a chance to win and beat the regulars who are always at the top of the heap, I'll adjust my schedule to fit it in," Tate said. "I'll take the second ten in easy and moderate."

"Okay, Cat will take the next ten and me the fourth lot. Whoever finishes first moves on to the other things, we'll meet here before lunch tomorrow and Cat can confirm her availability in her schedule for the group challenges. Sound fair?" he asked. "Great. Because I am sure my fiancé is wondering what I am up to by now, so I better go find her." He grinned and left the bar.

"I'm going to start on my list. Here's my number, text me so I have yours. If I can pick up anything extra for your lists this afternoon I'll let you know," Logan said, scrawling his number on a coaster.

"Thanks, Logan. I'm sorry you got stuck with the newbies, but, if nothing else, we're going to have fun on this team," she grinned at him and found he gave a small smile back, which was at least progress.

"I might do that too," Tate said. "Talking to Kalum is pretty motivational," she laughed.

"Yeah, he's a cutie," Cat laughed with her. "I'm going to go and look at my schedule for the week. Some of those team challenges we will have to book in for, and it'll be better if all four of us can do them."

*****

"Hey there, beautiful," Ricco said walking into her art studio. "We wondered where you disappeared to."

"Hey," she tilted her face up as he bent to kiss her. "Where's Matt?" she asked, looking around him.

"Talking to Papa, he wanted me to come and make sure you were okay and get you to come down early for dinner," Ricco said.

"I'm fine. I just wish he wasn't so busy, you know?" she asked.

"I know, but what he's doing is important, or else he'd be with you. Trust me, with you is where he wants to be, twenty-four seven," Ricco chuckled. "Why don't you wear something amazing to dinner, and make sure nothing else important comes up to distract him."

"I don't want to stop him if what he's doing is important," she said softly. "I just still miss him, even though he's here."

"We have to eat, so let's get dressed for dinner and then I will make sure he spends the rest of the night with us," Ricco smiled, gently pulling her to her feet. "He did ask me to come and find you and bring you down early, I'm pretty sure he feels the same way."

"I'm sorry," Cat said, accepting a soft kiss from him. "It's been an odd day."

"There's a lot of family to get used to, huh?" he said as he guided her from the room. "Tell me about the hunt and what I can do to help," he suggested.

"Would that be cheating?" she asked.

"I expect most people with husbands or wives are talking about the hunt requirements. Why would it be cheating?" he asked.

"Maybe you could make some suggestions about the impossible ones, because I have no idea what even half of them mean," she laughed. "And there's one in there that I'm not sure Matteo is going to be thrilled about."

"Oh, what's that?" Ricco asked curiously.

"The bride's garter," she said.

"That's easily fixed," he shrugged. "Just buy a hundred and give one to every team. They will still be yours, but not necessarily the one you wear on the day. The impossible ones are more about thinking your way through the challenge or task rather than the item itself," he shrugged.

"That's a great idea," she grinned. "Although it means more points for my team if we just say no to everyone else. Kalum is super competitive. Did you know?"

"No, but it doesn't surprise me," Ricco laughed. "Who else is on your team?"

"Two of your cousins," she said without naming them.

"You do realise how many cousins I have, right? You might have to be a bit more specific than that," he chuckled as she held up several dresses, and he shook his head at them.

"It's just that..." she sighed and launched into the reasons they were keeping their team a bit secret and Kalum's plan for family domination. "They all went out and started this afternoon, except me, so I am going to have to go out hunting for my share of the easy stuff in the morning."

"I see, but it won't matter if Matt and I know who's on your team, it's not like we are in the hunt this year, and we might be able to help," Ricco said patiently. "One of us can take you hunting in the morning, or do some of it for you, if you want. Trust me, the other teams will have friends and family helping them out. Which cousins did you get stuck with?"

"Tate and Logan," she said, holding up the blue dress she had worn on her first official date with Matteo.

"That's the one," he agreed, approving the dress. "Tate's cool, Logan can be moody, but he got a tough gig having to be Sebastian's brother."

"Yeah, he seems pretty keen to believe we can beat him," she laughed. "Kalum won him over with his win or die speech, second is just the first loser and all that. They are pretty determined now to win this thing, so I have been trying to find time in my schedule to fit in as many of the group challenges as possible."

"Delegate, my love. Delegate everything you absolutely don't have to do yourself and you'll find the time magically appears. Other than that, ask. Matt and I are pretty good at organisation and can probably pull some strings for you," Ricco said confidently. He pulled her into his lap and smiled.

"What nobody realises yet is that once they announce the table, Kalum, Sebastian and a whole host of others are going to get extremely busy, including Matt and me. So it will be up to you next week to lead the team, just like Kalum is leading it this week while you're so busy. That's why you play as one person," Ricco explained to Cat, and the lightbulb went off in her brain. "There won't be any honeymoon for a while."

"Oh God, I still haven't applied for a passport!" Cat sagged. "I've just had so much to do, and..."

"That is something I can help with," he chuckled. "Leave that one to me, I'll get all the application forms and paperwork done for you to sign and we can send it off. Why don't you finish getting dressed while I look over this impossible list? You have to know with both Lucca and Sebastian competing this year it's going to be next to impossible to win."

"But I'm just a sweet helpless newbie. People will help me solve the impossible clues, won't they?" she batted her eyelashes at him and giggled.

"Now that could be cheating," he laughed. "It could also be your best asset."

They went back down to the grand ballroom where the opening night dinner was being held before the official events started the next day. As soon as he saw her, Matteo swept her up into his arms and kissed her.

"God, I missed you," he murmured and kept his arm around her waist.

"Catriona, may I have a word, please?" Roberto asked, pulling her attention away from Matteo.

"Of course," she smiled and followed him to a table in the front corner of the room where Stefano and Cosimo sat, with Matteo still holding her hand.

"We have taken your concerns into account, but with the ebb and flow of family the teams will need to be posted, we've had several withdrawals already. We will, however, post them without their numbers, which seems to be the biggest issue, according to Tate and Logan, who have no desire to leave your team, even when given the option. Your concern about being accused of an unfair playing field has also been taken into account. You are correct in your assessment, and your team has agreed that you and Kalum should play as separate entities. With the number of last-minute withdrawals that have taken place this afternoon, we have decided to reduce the number of teams and make them teams of four," he gave all of this information as if reading from the rule book in a strict not-to-be-negotiated way.

"This will be announced during the dinner before the reveal of teams. No further manoeuvring will be tolerated!" Stefano said, obviously angry about the withdrawals and changes made to his plans.

"Just so you know," Cosimo cut in over Stefano. "To this point there have been twelve volunteers to join your team and help you with your first hunt." Cat's eyes widened, and Cosimo chuckled, "Both Tate and Logan assure me, however, that they would be unhappy to switch teams and will not be withdrawing from the hunt."

"Kalum was quite motivational in our first team meeting," she laughed lightly. "If nothing else our team will be having a great deal of fun!" Cat smiled widely. "There is one thing though," she turned her attention to Stefano. "You realise that Matt mightn't be very happy that everyone will be asking me about and, I guess, wanting to see my underwear on my wedding day," she giggled.

"Wait! What?" Matteo frowned at his father.

"The wedding garter only," Stefano smirked. "The one grooms usually throw to the bachelors at the wedding."

"Seriously, Papa! Like we don't have enough to contend with, now we will have people sneaking into the penthouse to raid her wedding lingerie?" Matteo shook his head.

"It's an impossible task for a reason, Matteo," Roberto chuckled. "You have security in that penthouse, use it."

"Seriously?" he asked, again shaking his head and making Cat laugh.

"Thank you for the small change, I appreciate being able to compete fairly," she smiled. "If you'll excuse us just for a moment, my future husband and I have a weeks' worth of canoodling to catch up on," she laughed and pulled Matteo's hand as he looked at her with equal parts shock and pleasure.

"Canoodling," he waggled his eyebrows at his fathers' and walked away from the table with her.

"Matt," Sebastian stopped them on their walk from the table to a couch area at the back of the room. "Got a minute?"

"Just one, because I have canoodling to do," he said, liking the word Cat had used with his fathers' very much.

"Hi, Cat," Sebastian said. "Did you enjoy the photo's Ricco took you to see the other night?"

"Oh gosh, yes! Aren't they amazing?" she enthused. "Ricco's very talented, it must take forever to set up a shot like that." Sebastian seemed confused for a moment and turned his attention back to Matt, who was smiling.

"I thought you preferred paintings to photography?" Zion said, stepping into the conversation.

"Usually for portraits, yes. There was something otherworldly about Ricco's photographs though. Truly amazing. Have you seen them?" she asked Zion. She was dying a little inside and fighting the blush that crept up her face, but having been put on the spot she couldn't back down now.

"I have, not for a few years though, might be time for a revisit to his retreat," Zion smiled.

"I was thinking the same thing," Matteo nodded. "Ricco's been trying to get Cat and me to meditate properly and become all Zen, like him," Matteo chuckled. "You look like you could use a few relaxation techniques yourself," Matt told Sebastian with a chuckle. "I trust Ricco with Cat, you should too, but thanks for the gentle heads up. Now, if you don't mind, I need to see to a little canoodling before this dinner starts," he grinned.

"Canoodling?" Sebastian asked.

"It's my new favourite word," Matt grinned and kissed Cat before guiding her away.

"It's really happening, isn't it?" Sebastian asked almost to himself.

"Yeah, I get that feeling too," Zion answered. "Let's go see if Ricco is just as happy with himself."

The dinner was long and full of speeches from the brothers who currently ruled the Vitali family. The hunt teams were listed in groups of four without the team number attached to them. It was acknowledged that the first name listed would be the team captain and responsible for handing in the daily evidence in the correct packaging to reception, where it would be placed in the night vault until the arbitrators dealt with it in the morning. To Cat's delight, Logan was made their team captain. She had the feeling he lived in his older brothers' shadows, and she hoped this was his chance to prove himself. He had started a group message board for them so they could keep each other updated, and was more than happy that Cat had come up with a schedule they could book the team challenges into that week.

"Showtime," Matteo murmured and kissed her. He stood and walked to the small lectern where the speeches had been made. "If I may address the hunters and huntresses," he spoke into the microphone and waited until the murmur of voices had settled. "It's come to my attention that one item in the impossible list regards a personal item belonging to my fiancé. Let me warn you all now, nothing that my fiancé will be wearing on the day of our wedding is located here. I'm not allowed to know or see her wedding dress, as per tradition. It is my understanding that everything she intends to wear for the wedding is with her dressmakers, who are part of the Battaglia family." He smiled as many groans sounded in the room. "Impossible tasks are placed on the list to be just that, impossible. Knowing now what the task would involve, I expect you all to respect our privacy and not invade our home."

Cat laughed her way through dessert with Matteo's two youngest brothers as he was dragged away by more family members. No matter where she went during the evening, she found at least one of his brothers was never far away. Eventually, she made it to see Frankie and Anna, her oldest and dearest friends in his family. She was still sitting with them and talking when Matteo found her again.

"I'm going to steal her away, I'm sorry," Matteo said to his Uncle and Aunt.

"I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to catch up over the next two weeks," Anna patted Cat's hand.

"I'll make sure of it," she smiled. "I'm so glad you don't mind David and Mick sitting with your family at the wedding. The guest list seems so one-sided, and I did know you well before I met any of the other Vitali," she smiled.

"I don't think you'll feel that way on the day. From what I understand, the Donatis' and the Battaglia have claimed you as one of their own and will fill the bride's side of the church," Anna laughed.

"Gosh, really? I hadn't even thought of the sides of the church with so many coming, I just assume it would fill up regardless," she laughed.

"That it will," Frankie said with a smile. "But we like you better than Mattie anyway, so we were always going to sit on your side of the church, right up front with David," he winked at Matteo and chuckled.

"Can't blame you for that," Matteo chuckled in return, appreciating his Uncle's attempts to waylay her fears of seeming like the wedding was very one-sided.

"Go and enjoy your evening, we'll be here tomorrow," Anna encouraged and sent them on their way.

"Okay, let's make a break for it," Matteo whispered in her ear and pointed her toward a nearby side door.

It seemed to Cat as if his brothers were running interference for them, as people went to approach them but were steered into other conversations. Ricco waited for them at the elevator, his smile growing as they approached.

"Time to go home," he said happily.

"Hell yes!" Matteo agreed as they stepped into the elevator with Cat between them.

*****

The red room of pain had been a startling surprise to Cat, as she had taken in every detail, wondering how on earth they had recreated the exact room from the movie, if not the book. Ricco had stepped back slightly and allowed Matteo the space he needed to show her the room and everything he had promised to build for her on the day she had said yes to marrying him in the plane on their way back to Melbourne.

He'd watched with a true voyeur's intensity as Matteo stripped her of her dress and underwear. Kissing her deeply, Matteo turned her in his arms, pressing against her back and making her focus on Ricco, who continued to watch avidly.

"I want to see it first hand, not photo's, I want to see the master at work," Matteo rumbled in a husky voice close to her ear, and his hands moved around her to play with her breasts.

Ricco moved at an unhurried pace. He went to the rack that held specially crafted ropes, some of his from his retreat, as well as newer lengths. He selected several lengths and approached where his brother stood fondling the woman they both loved. This was more than he had expected or even dreamed of for their first night together in their home. He wanted it so badly his cock strained against his pants, and a shiver ran up and down his spine. He could see the anxiety in Cat's eyes, and one corner of his mouth twisted up. Fear was good, it would add to the experience and possibly make her even more receptive.

"I'd like her blindfolded, so she can concentrate on the sensations rather than us," Ricco spoke in a deep, lust filled voice. "Trust me, you will enjoy it all the more," he said to her and stroked his fingers over her face. He watched as Matteo released her and went to get the blindfold.

Matteo stood behind her again, kissing her neck and ear as he slipped the blindfold over her eyes and made sure it was secure. Ricco moved to press up against her front, softly brushing his lips against hers, and was pleased with her breathless whimpering purr.

"You look so beautiful like this," Ricco murmured and stepped back, leaving her arching towards him and then pushing back into Matteo.

Cat felt the two men move and adjust her, positioning her where they wanted between kisses, teasing touches and the tantalising feel of skin on skin which made her realise they had also undressed. Her hands were tied by the wrist behind her back, and she felt the familiar feel of the rope restraint was somehow comforting in her dark world. More rope coiled under her breasts and around her back, anchoring her arms in place at her sides, and again more rope coiled above her breasts, not tight enough to cut off circulation, but firm enough that her breasts sat out from the rope as if begging for attention. Each rope was knotted next to her spine. She could feel, what she assumed to be, Matteo's hands playing with her breasts and nipples, making her whimper and purr as Ricco continued to bind her.

"Remember to breathe," Ricco murmured into her ear. She consciously made an effort to regulate her breathing, despite the high sense of arousal she had. The ropes were cinched together by pulling her wrists up and using the long ends of that rope to secure them by pulling both ends over her shoulders and between her breasts, cinching the ropes at the front together as well and tightening its bra like hold on her breasts.

"Effective," Matteo's husky voice sounded in front of her. "How long can she stay in a bound like this?" He let his fingers trace over the edges of the rope, enjoying the vision before him even more than he had thought he would.