LOGINLater, Bianca wondered how she had eaten. She had no recollection, for her entire attention was on her Master, who made her feel like she was the most precious, the most exquisite being in the world.They fed her, although she blushed and demurred; they held her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist, and generally made her forget everything but the two men in front of her.At one point, St Just leaned to her and said, “Cherie, shall we leave? Have you had enough? ”She looked at him, grateful for his understanding as the Irishman rose and helped her out of her chair.“I can manage …” she began, but the Irishman silenced her with a gentle, reproving look.“Lassie,” he said, and she melted at the love on his face, his voice soft with adoration. Then, they led her away, out of the large dining hall, uncaring as people stopped to watch their progress.Bianca walked slowly with her Masters on either side of her, their arms around her, as they escorted her to the escalator.“We’ve booked
Bianca wet her lips as she, along with her Master's, watched the graceful, curvaceous figure of Proserpina Delano leave the restaurant, her husband, the Mafia Don, walking closely behind her. The Don’s Woman laughed, tossing her head and acknowledging the people on the way, the servants, the guests, while her husband loomed behind her darkly, a large hand on her waist, guiding her to the corridor, firmly.It was clear that he resented having to share her, even the smiles she bestowed on the people around her. And of course, the admiring looks that followed in their wake must have set him off further. Bianca saw the way the big man’s shoulders tensed, the way he gripped his Woman’s arm as he tried to hustle her out quickly.*As they disappeared, O’Grady sighed. Like everyone else, he had seen the latent look of hunger on every man’s face as the Don walked his Woman away.The Mafia Don had looked determined and O’Grady smiled; he had had the look of a man who was about to have a feast
Bianca and her Masters had settled to dinner at a table at the swanky restaurant, which was called Captain’s. It was one of the nine in-house restaurants within the Shangri-La grounds.It was also the latest one, started by Dominick Delano, and Bianca knew the young man desperately wanted it to succeed. During a casual conversation, Serena Kingston spoke about how Rani and Dom were anxious to see that the Mafia Don appreciated how hard Dom was working to get a name in the field of restaurateurs.The Mafia Don had been openly sceptical, scornful even, of his son’s choice to branch out and perfect his culinary skills, as opposed to his other siblings, who had all been absorbed into the Delano mob, in some way or the other.While Louis and Rudy were the enforcers, bringing justice using their fists, the Capo and Jack Lord were also equally involved in the mob business.As for Ria, she was in charge of the accounts for all the operations under the Delano umbrella, and Jamie was also waiti
The Delanos did not celebrate.Just another quiet, if you could call the shrill sounds of children scampering, of babies wailing and of laughter as the siblings sat at the large dining table , with their spouses and partners, sharing a meal. Silence only descends upon the room when the Mafia Don walked in, his grey head and his keen look going across the room, searching for his Woman.“Woman!” he bellowed, displeased at not seeing her and Tara sighed as she rushed in from the kitchen.“Mumma’s just plating your favourite dessert, she’ll join in a minute,” she explained to her clearly disgruntled father.Proserpina emerged a minute late, her face flushed and pink, dressed in a simple Indian outfit.He took a sharp breath as he studied her, rocking on his heels. Proserpina had the kind of beauty that does not need anything loud.She was dressed for comfort, but there’s an instinctive elegance in the way she carries it.A soft, well-worn cotton kurta in a muted shade of dusty rose fell l
Roxanne worked in the room, which she had converted into her studio, humming softly. Her lover, the Iceman, as they called him, was expected to come late that night, and she was due to finish a huge contract she had landed a few weeks ago. But somehow, as she told him, her hand on his chest as they lay side by side at night, ‘the Muse’ seems to have deserted me, Daddy…”Van Dyke, who had been threading his large, thick fingers through Roxanne's lovely brown hair, which spread across the pillow now, grunted.“I’ll bring the muse back, babydoll,” he promised and rose to pad across to the dresser. She rose on an elbow and watched him; his figure illuminated in the moonlight. Roxanne sucked in her breath. Van Dyke was a magnificent specimen of a male, and he was deeply, totally in love with her. She sometimes wondered what she had done to be so lucky. Because any wish of hers, even the slightest, was met at once.Now he pulled out a small box from the drawer and turned, the shadows of hi
Serena Kingston wanted a small, simple wedding at a church.Not that Louis was religious, anything but, eh had told her, but he was going along with her, for as he said, his hand on the still flat stomach,“Baby, you’re carrying the next Delano, and we want to keep his Mommie happy.”They had been having a quiet dinner at Dom’s house and Bianca, sitting between her Masters, had choked on her fruit juice as Roxanne leaned back and rolled her eyes. Serena had blushed crossly, and the soon-to-be-married couple had begun a mock argument, until Louis threw up his hands in surrender.Roxanne, to Bianca’s astonishment, had been mulling over whether she needed to get married at all. As she said, leaning her head on Van Dyke’s broad shoulder,“A piece of paper does not really matter to me. I mean, my Mamma loved my Pappa. And they were never married.”Straightening as Van Dyle pulled her onto his lap fondly, she carried on,“I don’t seek that validation. I already love him…”She turned to wind
It was O’Grady who received the frantic message from Claude late that evening. “Our Mumma,” sobbed the distressed Claude, who was soft at heart and not really Mafia material, as Bianca thought privately. O’Grady, who had been cradling Cian, set the little fellow down gently beside Bainca who sat in
When O’Grady and St Just drove up to their apartments, they were astonished to find Bianca waiting for them. Dressed in her pyjamas with the flying elephant prints, a gift from Jamie Delano, she yawned hugely as she came to them, once Barry’s men had opened the door.The Masters pulled her into the
Both St. Just and O’Grady worried about Bianca’s health after the detectives had left.Knowing that she was pregnant again, their concern had intensified, and they led the white-faced, shaken Bianca to the bedroom. She leaned against O’Grady, too utterly spent to walk, and he scooped her into his a
The reaction from her Masters went every bit the way she had imagined it would be.Liam O’Grady shouted in joy, grabbing her by the knees and hefting her up in the air, he went around, carrying her about her room, roaring in joy.St Just, with a bewildered baby Cian in his arms, stood watching, a s







