ProserpinaA feeling of foreboding filled me as we hurried down the corridor.We had moved through the crowd of people who were milling around, drinking, dancing and eating. Many people had stopped us, thrusting their hands at Lucien, offering him their congratulations. Inquisitive eyes had roved over me and I had felt conscious of my full belly. i could feel the whispers: Her children are getting married and the old cow is still breeding.Sensing my discomfort, Lucien jerked me closer; What is it? he rumbled. I looked into the eyes of my lover, the man who shared seven children with me and I shook my head. My silliness could wait; I loved him and did not want to burden him with my foolish thoughts just now; he was already under a great deal of stress.My Mafia Don was astute enough to read my mind. With a small smile, he grunted,'Whether I keep my Woman with child or not, is my business. "I dimpled though I knew that this would be the last child for us. Snuggling into him, I resume
Piers looked at Hila as they moved through the crowds that had spilt over from the main Hall into the lobby and the surrounding areas.“Where the f*ck is Philippe?’ he thought as he checked his phone. As though reading his mind, the phone in his sweaty hand pinged and he saw that it was the Capo. Jerking the handset to his ear, he listened gravely, his body going rigid.So Pappa and Mumma were taking the long way as poor Mumma was not able to walk quickly.And that was the one which involved walking along the maze of corridors that connected the fire escapes…Anyone could have slipped in during the melee and when the lights had gone off for a minute, it would have given the best opportunity for someone who wanted to enter under cover of darkness.He felt his breath coming faster and Hila glanced at him sharply.“What?’ she rasped as he broke into a run and pushed past people in his urgency to get to his parents.“They are taking the long way,’ he shouted over his shoulder, and she spr
ProserpinaThe long corridor stretched ahead of us, a darker area than the areas we had crossed. it was a shortcut, Lucien growled hoarsely in my ear and I nodded. But I felt my heart begin to pound for a reason I could not fathom.It was away from the main halls and rooms, a long corridor broken only by a few doors that opened out onto the grounds outside, the open lawns and beyond that the fields and hills that lay beyond the building. Lucien’s man, Theo Nadal, had not been happy about the decision, but Lucien had looked at my face, noted the fatigue and had ordered the man to do what he said.But the feeling of disquiet was increasing within me with each step.*I knew that Lucien Delano had taken a risk. But he had done it for me.This passage, which they called the Outer Ring, was the one that had several doors opening out from it onto the grounds. It was generally used by the workers, for unloading goods and did not have as many surveillance cameras, from what I grasped as we wa
DanielleShe yelled as she ran along the carpeted corridor, entering the elevator and wildly jabbing at the number pad, all at once.The man she had seen slouching along beside the One-Eyed Dusak, had been Cole Brandt.He was the man who had masqueraded as the son of the Mafia Don, the man who had actually turned out to be the son of Shark, Lucien’s old friend. Shark had been the one the Mafia Don had shot down like a dog when he discovered Shark’s treachery.He was back. And he was walking with Dusak Rudenko.Dusak had been instantly recognizable, with his tall, muscular build and the black eye patch over his damaged eye. Again, the blind eye was courtesy of the Mafia Don who had gouged it out when the boy was younger and desperately attempting to kill the Boss.This time the cards were stacked against the Boss, too many for him to win this round, she thought as she swore and glared at the elevator keypad, willing it to go faster.She swore roundly as the lift came to a halt in the b
ProserpinaMy Mafia Don was speaking to his men and I caught the snippets of the conversation, as I leant against him tiredly, soaking in his strength.‘…exhausted…’, ‘Can’t take the chance…’He was talking about me, I thought and I straightened, placing my hand on his muscular chest,‘I can walk, Lucien…” I said in a small voice and he gripped my hand, crushing my fingers as he turned to me, eyes glittering.“You …,’ he began harshly when one of the men cried hoarsely,‘BOSS!” and then, the sound of gunfire drowned out everything.The grunt and muffled scream from one of the bodyguards alerted me; we had lost a couple of our men in the surprise attack.I sobbed in terror, my hands over my ears as Lucien pulled me into his chest protectively, an arm around me, his gun in his hand.A group of men emerged from the turning and I raised my head and saw, with sickening clarity, the face of the man who had pretended to be the son of my lover; Cole Brand.And beside him, an ugly grimace on h
A sudden sound of gunfire resounded in the tunnel.Dusak turned, and the force of the bullet that struck his chest caused him to reel.And he saw HER, the girl of his dreams. The big man with her and the sound of other people rushing forward, firing, killing his men—all of that was a blur.For his one good eye was fixed on her, the golden-haired buxom beauty who had fallen to her knees beside her dying mother, weeping as she huddled beside her distraught father.He gave a hollow laugh. Lucien Delano raised his eyes, the gray eyes now dark with a wave of mad anger and such pain. Dusak wanted to laugh.He had won, after all.Lucien Delano had lost his most prized possession, his Woman.He had succeeded in avenging the death of his uncle, Dmitri Rudenko.Now he could die in peace.But the big man with the ponytail, the Capo, who was to marry Ria, raised his gun and fired it twice at him.As he slipped into death, Dusak smiled, baring his teeth.***EarlierRia Delano had fired the gun at
Piers.He rushed in, having encountered no resistance along the way. Hila was beside him, alert and tense, her black eyes glittering as they raced down the corridor, dimly echoing with the sounds of people—men shouting—and one voice, in particular, commanded his attention. His Pappa, the Mafia Don, was bellowing—the sound of a man in deep distress—and with a sudden spurt in his speed, Hila and he stumbled upon the scene.He would never forget the scene that met his eyes: his mother was lying in his father’s arms as the Don held his beloved wife. Her blood was staining his shirt; there was a rapidly spreading, sticky, deep stain around her body.Hila pushed the men standing around, forcibly thrusting away Claude, who was gabbling madly in his grief, sobbing like a baby. Ria was on her knees, weeping.“The f*ck away from her, let me see,’ yelled the former assassin. Lucien Delano was still holding his wife, and his lips drew back in a feral snarl.“Don’t touch her…’ he roared.‘Where’s
PiersHe caught sight of Cole Brandt’s stocky figure ahead of them in the distance, and noticed one of the guards, obviously alerted to the man’s appearance, striding towards him. He saw Cole Brandt make a wild dash for the door.‘Would he get away?” thought Piers frantically as he increased speed.Hila screamed,“The doors, Piers, ‘she panted,’ Shut them!’He reached for his walkie-talkie and yelled into the handset, just as Cole picked up speed, shoving aside a man who was with two women and groping them publicly, sending the man flying.‘Shut…’ roared Piers.But it was too late.Cole Brandt, his fear powering his short legs, had burst out of the main lobby to freedom.Piers did not stop to help the threesome that had fallen to the floor in an ungainly heap. Too much was at stake. With a hurriedly murmured apology, he shot outside.*A few scantily dressed women wandered around in the gardens, trays of food and drink in their hands, offering the wares to the guests. There were stone
Piers's loud shout made the hall fall silent. For a minute, every head in the room swivelled to stomp in the doorway.Even Lucien Delano and Proserpina, absorbed as they were in their burning need to lose themselves in their desperate need for each other, stopped. Proserpina blinked as she turned to look, safe as she was, nestled in her lover’s strong embrace. And the Mafia Don scowled in annoyance, muttering,“What is with that fool boy?’Piers whipped his head to face his parents across the room, an arm around Hila, holding her to his chest as he cried, "Mumma! Pappa!’And when he was hurrying to them, his eyes were wild with excitement as he cried in joy, dragging his lover beside him,‘I…you… I mean… Mumma, I’m going to be a dad!”Proserpina was out of her husband’s protective arms as her son whooped and threw his arms around her, laughing with him. Lucien watched drily as Claude and Ria immediately crossed to him, pulling him into a huddle. Tara joined them, and after a pause, so
LucienHe began to make his way slowly through the milling throng of his guests to where his Woman was standing, in a daringly backless gown, her beautiful body making his staff harden with desire. Ria and Tara had chosen the slinky gown for her. When Proserpina had protested in embarrassment, her hands on her pink cheeks, the girls had declared,‘Mumma! Even after eight kids, you still look WOW!’It had been one of those rare weekends when Tara had come home. Ria had little Jamie on her lap, jiggling the fat little girl who was cooing at her Pappa, for the Mafia Don was hands down, her favourite person. Jamie was the apple of the Don’s eye, as Ria often teased her father.Lucien, who had been in the bedroom working on his phones and tablet, had been watching them in amusement.After the heart attack, mild though it had been, he had taken to spending time at home, working from his office or sometimes, his spacious bedroom.‘Please…but it’s BACKLESS!” Proserpina had gone on, her eyes m
A love like the kind her parents shared was almost like a fairytale…She sighed and touched her small belly. Big Philippe placed his large warm hand over hers and whispered concernedly in her ear,“Princess?”She looked up into his dark eyes and felt the rush of affection, of love that kept them bound to each other. Philippe, the Capo would bring the Moon and place it at her feet if she asked for it, she thought and unmindful of the crowds milling around her, the sound of glasses clinking, the chatter of people as, Ria reached up and pulled his head down. Murmuring against his lips,‘Philippe Diaz, I love you,” as she kissed him.***Piers Delano was staring at his phone. His mind was on other matters, although he had turned up for the party after his twin’s wedding ceremony. It had been a brief ceremony; Philippe had been born a Catholic, so there had been a small wedding service at Church. Old man Diaz had passed away a few years ago, and Philippe’s brothers, both of whom had been a
A few years later.The years have been kind to him, thinks the Don fondly as he surveys the guests at his daughter’s wedding party.Lucien Delano has aged but in his predictably indomitable manner, he looks and of course, his wife is testimony to the fact, that he still behaves in the same manner as he used to.His still-muscular physique belies his years and he continues to practice in his gym and has a friendly bout of boxing in the Ring, off and on. His son Claude is now an established name in the world of boxing, simultaneously running the underground fight clubs he has set up, and partnered with Paddy. The two of them work in tandem, Paddy with his enviable skills on the computers, has managed to make the Fight Clubs very lucrative indeed! thinks the Don.The Mafia Don is still actively handling the matters of his mob, which has branched out to become a powerful organisation, but one that is totally against human trafficking. He has made his millions through his arms dealings, a
LucienHe looked at his Woman fondly. She was on the bed, her head lowered to the baby at her nipple, the little child whose brown curls were bobbing as she sucked hard at her mother’s swollen teat.Proserpina wore a look of divine bliss, and Lucien moved over to her, taking her chin in his hard grip and kissing her.It was all he could do, for she had been spending almost a month at the hospital now. A month during which the Mafia Don had practically lived in the hospital too, his only concern being his Woman.And of course, the littlest child of his, who had charmed him already, though she was too small, too tiny to utter a word. Yet she could be ear-splittingly loud, too!He found himself staring in wonder as the baby yawned, exposing her small toothless gums, pink in colour, as he watched her face adoringly. And when Proserpina laughed at him, at the way he fawned over his youngest daughter, the Mafia Don growled at her, his eyes hungrily wandering over her.“Woman, I want to bree
RiaShe was running down a corridor that stretched out endlessly. The sound of the man’s footsteps thundering after her made her pant in fear. He was after her. She stumbled and fell, picked herself up, and kept running, her hands reaching out in the dark for some door, some way out of this place. And then, suddenly, out of the blue, she grabbed a shirt sleeve.The face of the man looked up in front of her.She screamed as Dusak’s face appeared out of the gloom, grinning maniacally.He had blood pouring down his forehead and a large hole in his cheek where he had been shot. But he opened his mouth and spoke in a guttural voice she knew she had heard before.“LOVELY Ria, my Ria, I am going to be with you forever now...'He reached out a long skeletal hand with talons, and that was when Ria screamed.Dusak Rudenko began shaking her throat ungently, and she felt a gurgle of panic erupt within her. A deep fear, unnamed and unknown.And then Philippe’s voice came into her consciousness, be
Lucien stood, staring in shock as a beaming Camille reached out to hand over the little baby to him. He stared in confusion for he had never held any of his newborn kids; it was a first for him.But even as he hesitated, the little child, its skin pink and puckered, a thatch of dark hair on its tiny head, opened one eye and looked at him quizzically an eyebrow raised questioningly, weighing him up critically so to speak, before shutting her eye firmly and ignoring the people around her, her mouth blowing a red raspberry pout.Ria and the other children began to laugh as Lou cried, with a shout of laughter,“Pappa, Sir, she is not impressed by you!’But it was Ria who declared, wonderingly, as she leaned against Lucien, who was holding the precious bundle cupped to his chest fiercely,“Pappa, I think she has Mumma’s colouring!”***ProserpinaI opened my eyes slowly. It felt as though there were weights holding my lids down. It had been a dream that seemed to go on forever, tumultuous
Lucien looked around at his family who were in the large waiting room. The younger boys, Dom and Lou, were piled on a sofa, their mouths open as they snored softly; Tara was curled up in an armchair with Aiyana beside her, an arm draped protectively around the child. The ex-FBI woman sat, her legs folded elegantly even in sleep.James Schwartz was sitting in another chair while the Capo dozed uncomfortably, Ria’s golden head on his lap, Rudy nestled beside her. Lucien’s face softened slightly as he looked at James. As though his thoughts had touched his second in command, the Scotsman stirred and stretched, sitting up, alert in an instant.He looked around himself and met Lucien’s eyes, an unspoken look passing between them.Snoring loudly, Claude was sprawled in abandon, sleeping on a mattress someone had thoughtfully provided, which was spread on the floor, his arms thrown wide, while Paddy had chosen to settle in an armchair close to the corridor leading to the theatre door, positi
She mumbled,"Yes Sir...' and her molten brown eyes, clouded with desire and want, with pain and pleasure, misted over as she looked at him, beseeching him to release her from her need.Her absolute submission aroused him tenfold, and the big man growled shakily, for the sight of her large breasts with the evil clamps fastened to her tender nipples was too much for him.“I shall f*ck your t*ts today, wh*re,’ he said hoarsely, "to punish you. Pain, wh*re, and pleasure."She made a sound, her breasts wobbling as she tried not to shift too much, but he lowered his head to sink his teeth into the fleshy mounds savagely, and she cried out.He tugged lightly at the clamps with his teeth, and she met his eyes, her own filled with tears of pain but she dimpled slightly as she said breathlessly,'Master... I am yours, Lucien Delano..."He grunted.F*ck, but he could never have enough of this delectable offering laid before him: this lush body, the thighs wet with her want, her shining pink c*n