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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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
When Bianca came awake the next morning, it was to the tantalising aroma of freshly brewed coffee.“Wake up, sleepyhead,” chuckled O’Grady and she blinked. He was shirtless, leaning over her, a tender look on his handsome face.She dimpled.“Quick, to the bathroom, lass,” he chuckled, tugging off the bedclothes and she pouted. His eyes narrowed. Even with the baby bump, Bianca Cruz could make him hard in a minute. In a husky voice, he growled,“Quick, lassie…or…” she giggled and grabbed her nightshirt from the floor as she trundled to the washroom.A few minutes late, she was having a hearty meal of bacon and eggs, scrambled just the way she liked it. Pancakes were stacked on the side and the sight had her waddling across to hurry and eat one. But St Just, who was busy making them, turned and grinned as O’Grady easily grabbed Bianca, restraining her.“I’M HUNGREEEE!” she wailed crossly, glaring at St Just who was obviously enjoying the scene.“So am I, pet,” grunted O’Grady, rubbing
Her Masters were literally over the moon.They held her in their arms, kissing and generally making a fuss over her. Roxanne Piccolo, who had been hovering in the background, softly spoke up,“I’m leaving now, Bianca.”Pushing herself out of the arms of her men, Bianca rose and went to hug Roxanne.“You went to a lot of trouble for me, bae,” she said softly but Roxanne only dimpled shyly.After she had left, with a couple of O’Grady’s men to escort her safely home, Bianca turned to her Masters, leaning against the door, her eyes dancing. She held out her arms to them, appealing and suddenly shy.The brothers exchanged looks. O’Grady came forward and lifted her up in his arms, an arm under her knees, the other supporting her as she wound her plump arms around his neck.“Lead the way, Saint,” declared O’Grady with a devilish grin, pretending to huff and puff as he took the stairs.He deposited her tenderly on the bed and she raised herself on an elbow, as she commanded,“I want you ge
Jamie sat at the table, looking at her father nervously. They were at dinner and Lucien Delano was conversing in a low voice with James Schwartz, seated on his left.Proserpina hovered around, bringing out the dishes, till her husband gripped her wrist and growled,“Sit the f*ck down, Woman. Why do I have a house full of f*cking help ?”Sending him a pointed look for using such language, Proserpina subsided, dimpling at Schwartz, who looked at her, his heart n his eyes.“No mystery about why Uncle James never got married,” thought Jamie drily.She cleared her throat and her brothers, Dom and Rudy, who had also turned up for dinner, looked at across at her in surprise.“Papp…” she began, ashamed to hear the squeak in her voice. But after the evening when he had slapped her, she felt a great deal of fear when she faced her for her intimidating patent. Pappa had such a daunting personality, that people automatically quaked when they saw him, and women swooned. Jamie knew of his legendar
O’Grady was bone tired by the time he reached home that night. St Just had joined him at the flagship Casino, where he had been dealing with a missing sum of money amounting to a couple of millions.The Irishman was furious, to put it mildly.And to top it off, the Home Office people were still on St Just’s back, insisting on checking the loan details for a few months back. The blonde man, his hair tousled and his stubbly jaw making his face look more shadowed yet rakishly handsome, glanced at the Irishman, seated beside him. O’Grady always looked virile, no matter how weary he was and today was no exception.‘Have a fight coming up on Sunday,” mumbled O’Grady and St Just shut his eyes briefly. He felt his brother’s concerned gaze on him,“You ok there, Saint?” snapped O’Grady, ever conscious that St Just had undergone surgery a few months back.His brother smiled and nodded,“Thinking of the Pet, actually,” he grinned and they shared a smile.Bianca was in her second trimester. She h
Jamie Delano soon realised that she was no match for the wily, beautiful Bianca.If she had expected a meltdown because she had deliberately been late, having coaxed her bodyguards to allow her to ride pillion on her old friend’s bike, while they followed her, it had been a stupid thing to do.Now Bianca was flirting outrageously with the boy who had been Jamie’s best friend through school and who was always with her in all her escapades.“Brandon,” snapped Jamie, having had enough of listening to Bianca’s peals of laughter echoing in the café as she leaned in to speak to the smitten Brandon.“Wh…wh…what?” asked Brandon, blinking rapidly, trying to focus on what Jamie was saying.Bianca shot her a look from beneath her lashes, laughing at her, outright.Jamie fumed.She rose abruptly, dumping Bianca’s book satchel that she had been saddled with, unceremoniously on the table.“I think I want to leave,” she snapped. Bianca arched a brow and said in bored tone, ‘Not yet, hon. I haven’t f
Jamie collapsed on the chair, with a howl.“You don’t talk of our Mumma like that, do you hear?” Tara hissed, shaking her sister’s slight shoulders in rage. Louis was beside his twin at once, pulling her off of Jamie.But one look at his Woman’s face made the Don livid. Lucien Delano’s face was like granite.“Enough,” he said, his voice cold and low,” Your Mumma is to be addressed with respect. She has gone through hell for you, and all of us so I’ll be damned if you speak of her in that way, is that clear?”Proserpina walked out, hiding her tears.Danielle sighed as Grace went after the Don’s Woman, her face rigid with concern.“CAPTAIN DAVIS HAS MOVED ON, HE’S IN LOVE WITH DU BOIS!” shouted Jamie in a shrill voice, and as she turned to flee, she spat, “And it’s all thanks to my family!”She pushed past her brother fiercely as she ran out of the room, sobbing dramatically. Claude had been struck dumb; he was always overwhelmed when people in his family raised their voices. The peopl
Proserpina walked into the dining room, her face stained a delightful pink, hoping to God that her clothes were not too crumpled. Lucien had been invited to a dinner at the Senator’s house this weekend and she had gone out and bought a gown for the occasion along with Melissa Lord. Danielle Eton had turned up for lunch with her partner Grace after a long hiatus, following an ugly incident where she had been shot.Lucien had taken one look at the gown when he entered unexpectedly as Proserpina had been trying it on in their bedroom and he had been on her, like a lusty bull. Now she caught the end of an animated conversation that her sons, Claude, Louis and Rudy were having with Tara. Her daughter’s twins were crawling on the patio under the supervision of old Bea and a couple of maids.“…Mick Jagger …” Claude’s bellowing voice greeted her and she stopped, as she took in the scene. The boys were sitting on chairs, lounging on the patio, munching the cookies she had baked the day befor
Jamie lay in bed, smiling to herself. She was in love, she thought dreamily, much like all her siblings. And of course, the legendary love affair of her parents. She sighed and rolled onto her stomach, clutching a pillow. Pappa was so in love with Mumma, he would whisk her off to corners to make fierce love to her…Wasn’t that wonderful?And it wasn’t just lust, she knew that. Pappa would give Mumma the world if she just peeked at him from under her lashes, in that adorable way of hers. Jamie had practised that look in front of the mirror and had tried it on her classmates.Boys had fallen over themselves to get her what she wanted when she did that, thought Jamie, smirking.And she just KNEW that her love for Captain Ethan Davis was going to be something like the story of her parents. She giggled and prepared to turn off her light and go to bed. Just then, her phone pinged. She sighed happily, wriggling into a comfortable position as she reached for her phone.This was one thing Pa
Jana Rudenko smiled She now knew what she should do.The fact that the young Delano girl was walking around, visiting pubs and generally behaving like a cheap wh*re, had just made her job easier, she thought sneering.She eyeballed Nico Piccolo who looked uncertain as he sipped his drink.“ Get me all the information you have on that chit of a girl, Delano’s youngest little bi*ch,” she ordered coldly as she stretched out her plump legs and watched the girl at her feet massaging her thick legs.Unlike her brother, Dana had never fell the least bit of interest in sex, in men or women. She was only intent on bringing back the former glory of the Rudenko name.Nico wiped his mouth uncertainly.“Umm…I was…asking…” he began. The plump woman before him, had a hardened look on her flaccid face as she snapped,“Don Piccolo, YOU reached out to me. Not the other way.” She paused as her words sank in.“You wish to take revenge on your little sister who slipped out of your hands before you could