Earlier that evening.Jazz and Thomas were the only familiar faces in the room and they came up, standing and chatting.I had never exchanged more than a few words with Jazz; as for Thomas, the only time we had had much of a conversation had been when Lucien had taken me out on a disastrous night after my nineteenth birthday.I felt a little uneasy when they stood beside me, speaking in a very familiar way.But then, Lucien had moved away, looking glacial and dangerous as he watched me from afar, brooding as he stood, a hand in his trouser pocket, the other nursing the tumbler of alcohol which never seemed to be empty.I could not help sneaking worried looks at him. I so desperately wanted to return home, to my children. Lucien seemed to be furious, a possessive rage that made him seem dangerous, more than ever before.The two young men who kept me company tried to get me to join them in drinking but I was firm.I hated alcohol.The man who had publicly declared that he was going to w
ProserpinaIt was a long time before I found the strength to open my eyes slowly, feeling drained and listless.The sound of someone moving around in the room forced me to come awake and I groaned, as I came awake, slowly, unwillingly.My body ached and it took me a while to recognize where I was.The terrifying room with the threatening-looking implements, the rich red drapes, an ominous atmosphere all around where I had been raped by the man who had declared publicly that I was the mother of his children and his future wife.Sitting up slowly, I looked at my poor body. The full breasts with bite marks from Lucien’s aggressiveness; my womanhood felt tender and sore, for it ached and the muscles in my a*se were tender. I winced and cried out softly as I moved and swung my legs off the bed slowly.Slipping off the bed, I made to stand but my legs felt as though they would give way beneath me. Clutching the sides of the large four-poster bed we had spent the night in, I sat back down he
Proserpina He had left after delivering his ultimatum and I sat, heartbroken, too numb to weep. A slight knock on the door after Lucien had stridden out, made me turn warily. I wiped my eyes hastily and tilted my chin proudly as Da
LucienHe had been told very often about his almost insatiable libido.What else can you expect from the son of a slutty whore, he had laughed, disparagingly.
ProserpinaLucien was away for more than three and a half months.*I missed him, the nights were long without his rough hands sliding over me, squeezing, probing, and awakening a need in me that I had not known ever existed before he stormed into my life. I lay, wrapped in the sheets, staring out as the night faded, giving way to grey dawn before dozing off fitfully. It was only the yoga regime I followed which kept me fit.And sane.I slept in the afternoons, along with my twins, swam with them, played with them and avoided being anywhere near the part of the house where his men frequently turned up.Daniella had started to frequent our house along with Grace, her wife. Grace was a kindergarten school teacher and she told me that they were planning to adopt a child. It felt relaxing to chat with her. Plump and dark-skinned, with tight black curls, she was beautiful with her tapering black eyes and wide, full-lipped mouth.She was fun and the children, in particular, looked forward t
The drive back home had been swift. The news that Dmitri Rudenko was back had put him on high alert.***He wanted to be back in his familiar territory. Rubbing his thigh reflectively where the bullet had lodged itself and caused him to limp, Lucien frowned. He had a hunch that Dmitri Rudenko would never leave him alone till he had exacted revenge; Lucien had taken down the man's empire ruthlessly, killing his close confidantes and ending what was a rival to his own arms empire.They had had a long-standing feud running for years, ever since Lucien, Shark, and Schwartz had entered the world of gunrunning. Dmitri Rudenko, an East European warlord, had been running the show till then.At first, the man retaliated by attacking the men who were supplying them with the arms and ammunition, trying to intimidate their buyers, petty things like that. Later, things had gotten serious. A bomb went off, killing Schwartz’s wife and young son, who had been in the car. Schwartz had been delayed tha
The meeting room in his townhouse was empty now save for Shark and Schwartz. All his men had left. Lucien was at the desk, downing another tumbler of scotch. He knew his capacity for drinking was like his ability to have sex; nearly insatiable.Shark stretched his thin arms over his head and yawned wearily.His lank golden hair hung in a limp ponytail although his hair had begun to recede frighteningly.Schwartz sat in one of the leather armchairs near the French windows overlooking the city, his long legs elegantly crossed, studying Lucien through half-closed eyes.'What's up mate?', Finally he asked, bluntly. 'Cos that ain't water. Though you've been putting away the stuff like it was.'He rose to his feet, a tall, lean man, his long dirty blonde hair flopping onto his forehead. With a characteristic impatient yet graceful gesture, he raked his hand through his hair, frowning in concern as he watched Lucien.Shark continued to sit, although his restlessness had stilled. He knew that
ProserpinaFollowing Lucien's shift to the townhouse, we continued our routine. It was alright, but Jeannie made me think of something else altogether.On one of our frequent video calls, she chatted as I moved about the kitchen, preparing dinner. That night, it was pasta. The kids rushed in and out, playing, shouting, and screaming. Out of the blue, she said,"Hey kid, don't you want to do something other than potter around in the kitchen and bring up your kids?'I looked up, frowning."Like what?' I said it blankly.She snorted in disgust."Study, you moron!' she said derisively.'You were always so gung ho about that!' and then she added in a different tone, "Until that gangster took over your life.'I turned away, ostensibly to keep the bowl on the counter. But I wanted to hide the bitterness that would be exposed on my face.Jeannie knew me too well not to understand my feelings.Turning, I pinned a bright smile on my face and said breezily,'Nah. That's done with.'I got her talk