St Just knew that O’Grady had bungled the moment Bianca Cruz walked into the tiny apartment with O’Grady behind her. A couple of the men were following them too, keeping a wary distance from the rabid-looking mob Boss, who looked drunk.O’Grady had kept drinking steadily and Bianca had sat still and unmoving in her corner of the car all the way, biting her lip, holding back her tears with an effort. They had not shared a word after the way they had made violent love.*St Just sighed.The f*ck was wrong with O’Grady? It had been Liam O’Grady’s idea to put a distance between them and the young girl; she did not need any further damage to her reputation, he had argued. St Just had been a little apprehensive; how would Bianca take the decision?And when he saw her face, the swollen mouth, eyes that slid away from him, her lovely mouth turned down a the corners unhappily, he wanted to hit his brother across his face.The Irishman had clearly made a mess.*Bianca walked in and stood to th
I looked around myself when St Just stepped out to make a call.It was a small, cosy apartment and the person who had probably decorated it had had good taste, I reflected , studying the pale walls. Or had it been done to accommodate the latest woman in the life of my Masters? I’d never know and I shrugged in determination. No way was I going to weep and sob.O’Grady had made fierce love to me in the car and after a long day at the office, which was something I had done after a long time, I was tired and hungry. To my astonishment, my clothes and all my possessions had already been brought here and arranged neatly in the little wardrobe in the small bedroom. Sighing I pulled out a comfortable pair of harem pants in pink and a large T shirt to change into before heading to take a shower. I sighed as I soaped myself. I had been able to smell the fragrance of O’Grady on my body , could see the mark on my breast where he had sunk his teeth into me and I squeezed my eyes shut.The muscl
Bianca There was another surprise for me the next morning.St Just had spent the night with me and when I came awake, it was to the aroma of bacon and eggs sizzling on the pan.I peered into the kitchen, wearing my towel as I rushed over after a quick shower. And I was startled to see St Just at the stove, preparing breakfast like he did it every day. I was fresh from the shower and went up to him, winding my arms around his waist and kissing his back.The fresh smell of his body made me thrill. St Just was only clad in a Pir of track pants and I dimly wondered if he had sent is man to fetch some clothes for himself.He grinned, throwing me a smouldering look over his shoulder and said softly,“Morning, sugar.”I giggled.“ I didn’t know you could cook,” I said, kissing him as he swept me around.He smiled and kissed me gently.‘Maggie was a good mother but she also made sure that O’Grady and I learnt basic survival skills. Like cooking basic meals.” I looked into his golden eyes cu
Dean Nelson watched from his tinted windows as Bianca Gomez drove away breezily. He had found out where she was staying and he intended to get into the apartment and familiarise himself with it better.Something like a welcome gift when she returned from wherever she had zoomed off to, with that lumbering giant in her wake…He had turned up a little late and had not seen St Just get into the vehicle and leave.*Bianca breezed into the parking area for the people working in the building a short while later. A couple of people noticed her car and commented on it. She made sure to say that she had left it at a friend's the previous day. Bianca Cruz was nothing if not resourceful. She had no intention of getting caught in the crossfire if someone were to discover how she was related to the Masters.But even as she sat down to work, she sighed as she thought, suddenly, of O’Grady, his bulk and his fierceness and she blushed as she recalled how he had made her feel that day in the car.She
O’Grady had been at his Casino on West Avenue when the call came in. An arm around Janine Chen, the silky-haired woman who managed the Casino with an iron fist, he stepped to the side when he saw Barry’s number flashing on his phone. All his bonhomie fled when he listened to the man he had entrusted to take care of Bianca.“How is she holding up?’ he growled, his focus on the beautiful Bianca, who they had dragged , willy-nilly, into their world of violence.“She’s holding up, Boss,” said Barry in a low voice and he heard the note of grudging admiration in the voice of the old-timer.“She’s tough.”*Barry told him about the way nothing of value had been stolen. Everything was in place. Except for the bedroom. On the mirror, scrawled with her lipstick were the words,’ Sl*t.’ and ‘ WH*RE.’A framed photograph that Bianca had left on her bedside table, a picture of her family, had been on the floor, the photo torn to bits.She had sunk to the ground in a daze to pick up the pieces but t
Liam O’Grady had met all kinds of women; those who fell all over him, those who kept sending him flirtatious looks, coy and winsome, to show their interest. But his woman before him, no this nineteen going on twenty young lass, she was in a league of her own. He bristled, his fists clenching as he sought to rein in his temper. She had the audacity to be sassy, to give him lip, when he had all but left all his work, his business, to go scouting for that dirty bast*rd, Dean Nelson?He glared at her pugnaciously, his lower jaw hard. And then, as his gaze swept her frame, he felt his member harden. The little wi*ch was wearing a man’s shirt, one of Saint’s, if he was not mistaken. A white shirt with nothing underneath, and from the looks of her tousled hair, she had been wearing it as a f*cking night shirt! * Jealousy, pure and evil gripped him. Was she missing his brother to such an extent that she wore one of his shirts to bed ???With a coarse oath that made Bianca’s ears ring, he step
But fate had other plans for Bianca Cruz.Liam O’Grady had to leave early; business, he grunted as he kissed her awake and indicated the steaming hot cup of coffee on the table beside her.She sat up, blinking, her tousled hair falling around her as she watched him tug on his jacket, checking his shoulder holster for the gun he always carried.Then, he turned, his black eyes glinting as he growled, “Pet, get back into bed. If I keep looking at those big ti*s, I swear, I shall f*ck you now.” Blushing, she obeyed him, pulling up the covers till her chin. As he left, slamming the front door and it clicked shut, she sighed and said to herself, ‘I love you, O’Grady.” *Snuggling back on the bed, under the covers, she laid her head on the pillow on which her lover had been lying. It still bore his masculine fragrance, the smell of his citrusy cologne, his musk... she sighed again. She loved Finn St Just; he was kind and caring. But the way she felt about Liam O’Grady? It was legions away fr
Simmons was sweating profusely as he replaced the phone. An instruction from the top meant he had to tread carefully. He had to follow orders. Or else… It had been his weakness, his involvement with a woman, that had caused him to be in this unpleasant position today, he thought bitterly. How could he have known, he argued with himself, that a few meetings in a motel room, would bring so much of trouble? Photographs and videos had been sent anonymously to his mail and his phone and he had been alarmed. And the blackmail had begun. Simmons had a wife and three children, a small house which was mortgaged and his wife, Beth, worked as a nurse in the local hospital. She would be livid if she found out. And would leave him, taking the three children, no question about that. It was that knowledge which was breaking him. He did not love his wife anymore, but they lived compatibly enough beneath the same roof; his children were his joy. So he had slipped up; didn’t men do such things? Boys w
Hila Zaidi was heading back home when she noticed a large black car, ambivalent in nature, tailing her. She frowned. She had dropped off her companion, her contact, at the crossroads and was making her way back, weaving among the near deserted streets. The idea of taking a circuitous route back to the Delano mansion was her way of checking for a tail, and now, her senses zoomed in to the fact that she had observed the black sedan tailing her for a while. She frowned and patted her gun. Her collection of knives was also with her. Hila was about to leave the city and enter the patch of woods that signalled the beginning of her approach to the Delano property. If she was ambushed here, she would be all alone.Setting her phone, she spoke as she drove.“Piers,” She said, her voice as bored sounding as ever,” I am being followed, my love.”Her husband’s voice came over the line immediately and her heart rate quickened. She would never stop loving this man, she thought tenderly, keeping a
Bianca stretched like a small cat and O’ Grady, lying beside her, thought in amusement that she would just need to purr; it would complete the picture. Rolling over, onto her side, she caught his look and frowned at him.Wagging a finger at him threateningly, she cried,“You’ve got a snarky look on your face, Mr O’Grady.”He gave a strangulated shout as he watched her flop on her side, uncaring of the bay in her belly.“For the sake of Sweet Jaysus and all the Saints,” he bellowed and she looked at him in astonishment.“You’ve gotta be careful lassie, not roll around like a whale in the Arctic.”O’Grady regretted his words the moment they left his mouth and he groaned inwardly.Sure enough, she glared at him as the meaning sank in.“So now, I’m a whale?” she snapped, her mouth pouting as he reached out to her, contrite but with a soft sob, she flounced off, her eyes filled with tears. Slapping his forehead in regret, the Irishman groaned and chased after her, grabbing her by the wais
St. Just was being shifted to a private room, the most luxurious, on O’Grady’s demands that afternoon.He came awake to see Bianca and Liam O’Grady by his bedside, peering at him, anxiety on their faces. Bianca gave a sob and pressed her fist to her mouth as St. Just’s tawny eyes fluttered open and he grinned weakly.“Am I in Heaven?” he growled, his voice hoarse from disuse and as he looked at his half-brother, he added, pretending to groan.“Nah, can’t be. This f*cker would not be there!”O'Grady stepped to him and held his hand in a fierce grip as he growled, an arm around Bianca, who was weeping silently.“As pleasant as ever, eh Saint?”And then he grinned, his handsome face splitting in an expression of joy.St. Just smiled and shut his eyes, drifting back to sleep. This was what Heaven was, he thought with a small smile.*Bianca had been sent off to university, as she was chafing at the bit and wanted to resume her studies. She was also torn between staying at St Just’s bedsi
Bianca’s examination came back with no untoward discoveries. She was fine, the doctor assured them, save for a sprained wrist and a few scratches and cuts to her hands. But apart from the abrasions, she was good to go, as the cheerful doctor declared. Besides, most importantly, the baby was fine. O’Grady sighed in relief and looked at his pet. She was yawning widely and he felt a strange sense of protectiveness towards her. Bianca had been planning to go down to meet her sisters and stepmother, Heather, the next day; she had told them about her pregnancy and Heather had at first been a little perplexed and not so happy.But later, mainly due to the influence of her daughters who thought that Bianca was the coolest person on earth, she had come round. Besides, there was also, as Bianca declared archly, the way Bet and Anna tended to regard O’Grady. In their teenage gaze, he was like a superhero who might just sprout wings and fly out the window, Bianca said drily. The adulation was h
Proserpina looked across at the doorway, sighing. She was in the enormous nursery at her mansion, beside Piers’ two sons, one on her lap, cuddling her, his thumb in his mouth, the other, Luc, already asleep. Her own sons, Gabrielle and Alexander, were giggling as they made funny sounds, mimicking the characters in the book she had been reading to them.Tara’s babies were also asleep, as was Claude’s little girl. Ria’s little one was also sleeping peacefully.Camille said with a huge grin, “Full house, tonight,” before she headed downstairs to bed. Proserpina had been worried when Hila had come to her to ask her to keep her sons here. “Where they will be safe,” she had said.That had been after Piers had gently informed his mother that Hila was leaving to scout for the person who was behind the deaths of so many of the Mafia Don’ associates. Placing his hands on his mother’s shoulders, Piers had looked at her tenderly and said,“We’ll all be safe, Mumma. And don’t fret.”The air seeme
Jana Rudenko looked around herself. She had landed in the United States under the guise of a woman who was part of a group tour, complete with falsified documents and a fake passport. She even had a fake husband along for company, a man who had once been a killer but now served her as her bodyguard.The fictional Mrs Liga Edgars, for that, was the identity she had taken for herself, also had a story to back her up. She had been a dour-faced widow who had been coerced to go on the trip by her children, with her newlywed second husband. But Jana had stepped in and stolen the real Mrs Edgar’s identity after having gotten rid of the real lady in question. Mrs Liga Edgar had been of Belgian ancestry, as her passport said, Now the false Mrs Edgar looked around as she accompanied the other eager tourists who were heading to the terminal.She hung back and her fictional husband, the good Mr. Edgars, slowed down too.“Stay with me,” she commanded in a low voice and he nodded. They joined t
Bianca was beside the window overlooking St Just’s bed, her eyes intently fixed on his as his lids fluttered. She looked around to her other lover, Liam O’Grady who stood behind her, hands in his pocket, his jacket open as he studied his brother’s pale face.They were on the other side of the thick glass pane.“He’s…getting better, isn’t he O’Grady?” she asked tremulously and he smiled tiredly. Now that his brother was in hospital, O’Grady spent most of his time shuttling between the casinos, the loan offices on High Street and the hospital. He looked forward to seeing Bianca at the end of the day, to fold his arms around her and be enveloped in her embrace, her lips on his.But this evening, the doctor had looked a little tense when he came to the hospital.“He’s contracted an infection,” the doctor had said grimly and went on,” We need to shift him.”And at Bianca’s alarmed look, he added kindly,“To the ICU, young lady.”Bianca had slumped down on the seat, close to tears and O’Gra
Many years agoFather Pavel Rudenko looked at his sister who was weeping wretchedly. The brothers had gone to meet their newly widowed sister. As a man of the cloth, the Monk had accompanied Dmitri Rudenko. “Take my son, take this monster, my brother,” she had begged with hands clasped before her, as she wept,“I cannot handle him anymore…”Her husband had been an abusive man; the boy was following in his footsteps, a cold-hearted brute who was terrorising his mother and sister.The Monk had stood silently and looked at his nephew, the son of his only sister, a half-sister, but still, his blood. Dmitri Rudenko had walked to him, gripping his chin firmly and he studied the teenager.“Duska?” he had queried and the boy had looked at the sinister-looking man, slim as a reed, with his menacing eyes.“Yes, uncle,” he had said, a feeling of exhilaration arising in him.That was how he had been left in the care of Dmitri Rudenko, the man who was regarded as a dangerous warlord, a gun-runne
Danielle, thought Proserpina as she sat in the large limo gliding over the streets silently, covering the distance as soon as possible. The woman who had seen her from the time she was the young, naïve, innocent mistress of Lucien Delano; the one who had become the bulwark of her life at a time when Proserpina was torn between leaving the Mafia Don for good…Proserpina had been with her Mafia Don when the call from Louis had come. The Don’s demeanour had altered in a flash.He had pulled her into his arms and growled,‘I have to leave, Woman. Danielle…” Breaking off, he had been scowling as he turned to make a call to Schwartz on the intercom, for James Schwartz had a set of rooms, a suite of his own, in the Delano mansion.But Proserpina’s small hand on his arm arrested him.In a firm voice, she said,“I’m coming too.” He swung around to slam her, to insist she stay home. But the determined look on his little Woman’s face made him stop. His Proserpina had grown, and how!She had be