The Twelve Vitali Ch. 27

"Fuck!" Matteo growled in a long drawn out sound as he buried himself completely within her. He moved slowly, allowing her to adjust as her ass gripped him almost painfully in its tightness.

Cat floated on wave after wave of endorphins, her skin crawled, and every nerve fired electric jolts through her now. She was barely aware when Ricco moved from before her, and she felt like a ragdoll as Matteo lifted her up from the bench, holding her back against his body, his cock buried deep in her ass. Ricco appeared before her again, sitting on the bench, and she was lifted to straddle his thighs as he pulled her into his arms and applied gentle pressure to encourage her to sink down onto his cock as Matteo pulled out to reposition himself.

Ricco leaned back slightly, pulling her with him, his hands going to her ass and spreading the hot, red flesh wide when Matteo stepped up again and began easing himself into her ass. Ricco could feel his brother through the thin membrane separating them within her, and he groaned deeply as Matteo growled out his pleasure. Cat cried out in long whimpering whines as she was filled to overflowing. Her hips rocked under the slow, awkward movements of Matteo and Ricco as they found a rhythm together. The rocking pressed her clit against Ricco's pelvis and stimulated her further as he lowered his head to her nipples again.

This was a first for all three of them, a fantasy fulfilled for Ricco, but a totally new experience and desire for both Matteo and Cat. The frantic movements of the trio caused them to come rapidly. Cat stiffened and arched between them, her eyes rolling in her head as she came, jerking in spasms, and she floated away on the rush of endorphins they gave her. Matteo roared out his climax moments later, trying not to collapse on top of Cat and Ricco and holding himself buried within her as Ricco sought his ecstasy in short jerking awkward thrusts from beneath them. He added his voice to theirs and lay back on the small bench which barely reached his shoulder blades, clutching the unconscious woman he loved against his chest.

"Fuck," Matteo said in a whispering groan as he pulled his cock from her and staggered backwards, allowing Ricco to sit up properly, still cradling Cat in his lap.

"That was fucking unbelievable!" Ricco said in an awed tone, and, groaning, stood from the bench to carry Cat back into the bedroom so they could clean and care for her after such complete use.

*****

Cat woke to the smell of coffee and fluttered her eyes open. She could hear Matteo and Ricco talking quietly over her head as they lounged on the bed fully dressed as if for work.

"Good morning, beautiful," Ricco smiled as he noticed her come to life.

"Hi," she said in a raspy voice, and winced as she stretched.

"How are you feeling?" Matteo asked quietly, leaning down to kiss her.

"I'm good, I just need a hot shower," she smiled softly, realising her raspy voice wouldn't fill them with the confidence that her words were meant to convey, and she reached up to touch his cheek. "Don't look so worried, last night was great."

"Great?" Ricco asked. "More like un-fucking-believable! You are the most beautiful, sexy, amazing woman," he leaned down to kiss her as she blushed, making Matteo chuckle. "You blow me away each and every day."

"He means 'us', you blow 'us' away, and we love you. Are you sure you're okay?" he asked again.

"Yes, but coffee and a shower are needed," she said softly, and watched as Matteo put down his coffee and stood up from the bed.

"I'll help," he offered, and picked her up from the bed and carried her into the bathroom before placing her on her feet and kissing her properly before she could complain about morning breath. "Don't take too long, I'll tell Lisa to have breakfast ready for you in twenty minutes."

"Okay," Cat agreed, stepping into the hot water and turning her back so it could run over her ass as she grimaced again. She saw him still watching her and sighed. "It's not too painful, more just uncomfortable," she reassured him. "I'm fine, honestly. I enjoyed every moment and wouldn't change a thing, I promise." She was glad, however, that they didn't use her like that every night and that she still got to enjoy the softer side of Matteo as well. She hadn't truly seen the softer side of Ricco since they had become intimate again, and she considered that. Perhaps, now that he knew her preferences, he had embraced his dominant side more fully.

She dressed carefully in a soft full-skirted dress and soft underwear before making her way out to the kitchen, pleased to find that the men who occupied it yesterday were not sitting there chatting. She took a seat at the table and was surprised to find a full hot breakfast awaited her.

"You've been running yourself ragged lately and barely eating, so, just once, eat a proper breakfast," Matteo said.

"Humour him, please," Ricco said gently. "We have enough to worry about without worrying that you aren't looking after yourself properly."

Cat opened her mouth to argue that she was a big girl and had been looking after herself for a very long time, but could see the concern in both of their eyes. After a moment she nodded and took two pieces of toast and made herself a bacon and egg sandwich, smothering it in sauce before taking a bite and murmuring in surprised appreciation.

"Well, that's one way to do it," Ricco chuckled.

"What are your plans for today?" Matteo asked as he continued to eat the omelette Lisa had made for him.

"I plan to spend a shit load of your money today," she grinned widely and took another bite of her sandwich as he choked on his food at her quick response. "I have all these shiny new credit cards that I need to break in."

"It's our money, Mrs. Vitali," he chuckled. "You can do what you want with it. But would you care to tell me any details for today's spending spree?"

"I'm going to move my studio into a room with better light and create an office for Arturo and me, now that I know that being your wife comes with far more strings attached than I ever anticipated," she said nonchalantly. "Aria is going to help me, and if you don't like it or think it doesn't match the rest of the décor we can just keep the door shut."

"I'm sure that won't be necessary," he chuckled again and was glad she seemed to be embracing all that came with being his wife. The staff and the money and all the things she had baulked at initially seemed to be becoming accepted as part of her world now.

"Oh, and the security guy, the older one," she said quietly, unsure if he was close by. "he looks at me weirdly, and it creeps me out. Maybe I don't need so much security?" She asked tentatively.

"Bradbury?" Matteo queried. "He is very good at what he does and comes highly recommended. Why don't we give him more than one day to see how he works out," he suggested.

"I guess," she conceded. "But, Ricco, you saw him in the elevator on the way down to dinner last night, right?"

"He needs to watch you, Cat. He can't keep you safe if he never looks at you," Matteo said. "Hugh is in charge of security for now, so if you have a problem throughout the day let him know, okay? Logan, Hugh and Arturo are here to protect you above all else," he said seriously. "I want you safe and healthy and happy always." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. She turned to look at Ricco, who was unusually silent.

"He's the boss, Cat, and, in this case, I have to agree with him. You are the most important person, not just to us, but to everyone in this family. You need to consider that before making any decisions that would put you at risk," Ricco said so reasonably she nodded softly, accepting their concerns.

"Take Hugh, and whoever is on duty with you when you go shopping, we still haven't found out who sent you that hoax letter," Matteo made the point he needed to, relieved that she hadn't fought him on anything he had said this morning. She was even picking at some fruit after finishing her sandwich.

"I get it," she nodded. "The letter scared me enough to take all the threats seriously. I won't argue with the need for security. He just makes me feel... I don't know, it's just weird."

"I'm sorry you were scared by the letter, but I'm glad you finally understand the need for the security," Matteo pulled her into his arms. "David and Mick are fine, Frankie and Anna have adopted them, and I have guys at work keeping an eye on them," he reassured her.

"Speaking of work, shouldn't you two be going so I can get on with mine?" she raised her eyebrows. "How on earth can I spend all your money without guilt if you aren't out there bringing home the bacon?" she teased.

"Lucky there two of us then, isn't it," Matteo chuckled getting to his feet. "We have meetings, but work will wait until after the gathering. By the way, what number is your Hunt team again?" he asked. "I think they are putting up new standings today, and I wanted to see if we needed to get involved again."

"I doubt that. Logan has it all under control. He and Tate are coming for breakfast tomorrow to talk about it. Maybe Kalum too," she said easily.

"I don't think she's going to tell you, but you are in a unique position to put some pressure on Logan," Ricco grinned.

"True. Are we meeting with him today?" He glanced at Cat and saw her shake her head.

"Good luck with that," she smiled, not caring if they knew or not, but not wanting to be the one in her team that caved and told their number first.

"We'll see you at lunch. There's an event today, and we're expected," he informed her. "Arturo has it in your calendar."

"Okay, but if you keep feeding me big meals like this I am going to end up as big as a house!" she complained.

"Oh, I'm sure we can help you work off the calories," Ricco grinned and kissed her. "Have a good morning."

"Thanks, you too," she smiled, accepted a kiss from Matteo as well and watched them walk out of the kitchen toward the elevator.

No sooner had they left than Arturo joined her with her driver and head of her personal security, Hugh. They spoke about being her core team and that anything she needed one of them would be able to assist with. Once the gathering was complete, Logan would join them for a weekly meeting, as she would have stewardship of the maintenance and running of both households, although the day to day details would rest with the three of them.

She didn't argue the point, but she felt the pull of the power she knew she held being wrested from her as Arturo spoke with authority as if expecting her to just allow them to run her life and give her little option. These men would find out very quickly that she was not about to let anyone run her life for her. Cat had determined, after her horrific day of finding out just what was expected of her, to embrace the life she had been given by Matteo.

She had been poor, very poor, and knew she never wanted to feel that way again, not knowing where her next meal was going to come from. Being in a position to either add to or start a charity for children in similar circumstance gave her a good feeling. In the last twenty-four hours, she had stopped telling herself she wasn't good enough and started to believe the things she had said to the circle of women who would support her to navigate this family. It didn't matter who thought she wasn't good enough, smart enough, or had the right pedigree now, she was Mrs. Matteo Vitali and the mother of this family, and there was little anyone, even she, could do to argue with that. The security was a pain, she admitted, but it wouldn't be for long, she hoped, and she would honestly enjoy working with Logan, and she imagined once she made herself clear she would even enjoy working with these men.

Once Cat had embraced her fate she became busier than ever. She attended every event of the gathering over the final days meeting and talking to even more people to the point of beginning to become confused as to who belonged to who in which family. Rather than feeling exhausted, however, she felt invigorated by the constant workload she had taken on and found that, being able to rely on the teams of people around her, she was able to accomplish a lot more than she ever could on her own.

While Sonya had not apologised in front of the other women of the circle, she had, as Marina suggested, become one of her biggest supporters, and any other reservations seemed to fall by the wayside as Cat was always present and available to the entire family during the events and meals provided for the gathering. She'd put everything she wanted to do for herself on hold for the family and to be the woman that Matteo and Ricco needed her to be.

*****

"Are you ready for this?" Ricco asked as he escorted her down to the final celebration of the gathering at the end of the second week.

"Why wouldn't I be?" she frowned at him. "Is there something I should know about tonight?"

"The hunt winners will be announced," he shrugged, "That usually causes some drama and speculation," he warned.

"People will think we cheated?" she asked.

"Are you that sure of winning?" he raised an eyebrow.

"More like hopeful," she laughed. "I think Logan and Tate will be devastated if we don't, and Kalum gave us a big speech about second being the first loser; and he wasn't a loser, so there's some pressure, and I have not helped at all this week, except for one small thing," she sighed. "If we do win it will be because of Tate and Logan, because Kalum has done even less than me, I think."

"And here is where I leave you," Ricco said as Kalum walked toward him. "Stay close to Kalum, okay?"

"Okay," she said cautiously as he leaned down to brush his lips against hers lightly.

"Good luck," he said, and turned towards to ballroom.

"Time for the big reveal. You ready?" Kalum asked.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" she looked up at Kalum.

"Winning this thing is a big deal, and we have a good shot, thanks to Logan and Tate," he said. "You know there are rewards, right?"

"Bragging rights?" she laughed.

"That, and you can ask the head of the family for something that is within his power to give," Kalum said.

"That's a pretty broad range there," she said, considering the idea. "I already have more than I could ever have imagined. I doubt there is anything I could ask Roberto for after he gave me, not one, but two of his sons."

"You're missing the bigger picture here," he chuckled. "This is Matteo's first year as head of the family alongside his father. Whatever you ask him he couldn't deny you if it were within his power."

"I hate to break this to you, but anything I've ever asked Matteo for he has given me, except my freedom, and that is not within his power at the moment." She indicated Bradbury, who stood near the elevator she had come out of minutes before.

"I was going to suggest a dream honeymoon, but if you don't need one," he grinned at her.

"Maybe when I get my passport," she laughed, and they entered the room, seeing just ten teams in the room all gathered together in little clusters. She could see most of Matteo's siblings and a few of the cousins she knew well. She wasn't surprised that Lucca, Chase and Sebastian were there, as she went to sit with Logan and Tate.

"It's a bit late for a pep talk. Do we have any idea where we stand?" Kalum asked the group.

"The last day of hunting was Friday," Logan said. "Everything had to be in yesterday morning for counting. I saved quite a lot of the impossible items until the last count in case anyone had worked out our number. We were always in the top ten though."

"Looks like we're finally getting Matteo's Lamborghini," Raphael said, walking towards where Cat stood.

"Did they announce the winning team already?" she asked curiously.

"No, but we were in the lead the whole way through, I doubt any of you could have caught us," he shrugged with the confidence of youth.

"Unless some of the teams were holding back some big point items until the end," Lucca said with a smirk, coming to join them.

"Bastard," Raphael growled under his breath. "I doubt it would be enough to make up the difference, we were way in front on Wednesday's count."

"I guess we'll find out," Lucca continued to smirk at his little brother. Five numbers flashed up on the screen at the front of the room. Chase groaned and walked toward where Tate stood.

"You beat me, little chick. Good luck taking out Sebastian, I heard he stole Cat's garter from Logan at the house the other night," he kissed her and wandered out of the room.

"That wasn't my garter," Cat laughed, making Chase look over his shoulder and frown. She realised her mistake a moment later as several pairs of eyes turned on her.

"Why did Marina think it was?" Lucca asked seriously.

"She had a couple of red herrings at the wedding," Kalum laughed. "If you think Matt was giving that up easily, you're mistaken. He told me he put it in his office safe with his father so anyone claiming to have it for the hunt will be disqualified."

"Luckily Matt told me about that," Sebastian chuckled. "He was pretty adamant about people keeping their hands off your underwear."

Raphael swore and narrowed his eyes as two more numbers came up on the screen, and two more teams, including his, left the room, leaving the final three.

"What happens now? Do they call us one by one?" Cat asked Lucca.

"No, we all go back in, then they go through the sections of the list with percentages and points awarded. It's a pretty long drawn out process, but you don't have to stay if you don't want to, I can tell you our winning score in the morning if you like," Lucca offered as if it was a foregone conclusion.

"I haven't been much help, and neither has Kalum, as far as I know, but I would bet on Tate and Logan beating you," Cat said confidently.

"Alright, I'll take that bet," Sebastian said, joining their conversation. "What's the ante?" Cat turned to look at him, considering his words.

"A full day working for me," Cat said. "If I lose I will come and play computer games with you or fly your drones for a day," she teased.

"I think I can find something more interesting for you to do," Sebastian smiled wickedly. "Done," he said, holding out his hand to shake hers.

"Great. It's been forever since I've painted with a live nude model," she giggled.

"I'm not shy," he shrugged. "You in?" he turned to Lucca.

"Yeah, alright, one full workday," he agreed, shaking Cat's hand. "My work days are long, you might want to prepare your husband for that, because a bet's a bet, even if I do work for him."

"What is it you do again?" she laughed. "I'm not worried, I have the utmost faith in Logan and Tate."

"Shall we go find out then?" Thomas asked, seeing the final three numbers flash up on the screen.

"I think I need to put a bell on you or something! It's crazy the way you can sneak up on people!" Cat said with a hand on her chest as she looked at Thomas.

"I would love that!" Tate exclaimed. "You have no idea what it was like growing up with him in the house always jumping out and scaring people. He terrified my friends."

"I'll ask Matteo when we win," Cat laughed, linking arms with Tate and heading toward the ballroom.

They were guided in to sit at one long table together, all facing the rest of the room and a large screen on the far wall. Cat sat between Kalum and Logan at one end of the table, which stood on a small dais overlooking the room, as if they were on show to the room. As Lucca had warned, it was a long drawn out process. The scores for the easy tasks were put up during the serving of the entrée, and each of the three teams had completed the list in its entirety.

"You guys did such a good job!" Cat whispered to Logan and Tate who sat beside her. Throughout the long meal of five courses, each section of the list was shown with the tally of what the three remaining teams had scored. The scores were fairly close, and they all watched the screen as the impossible clues were put up, along with the answers the teams gave, which varied a lot, surprisingly. There was a rumble through the room and along their table as they questioned which was the right answer.