HilaShe had woken early, planning to leave at daybreak. But it had been near impossible to leave Piers’ warm body and when he looked at her, just looked at her, his gray-blue eyes soft and pleading, she had succumbed. Rolling on top of him, she kissed him, feeling his erection against her womanhood and they made gentle love. Then, after a shower, she changed into her Goth biker outfit, as Tara had described it. With a wry twist of her lips, she acknowledged that the girl was right.Kissing Piers goodbye, she crept out and headed downstairs. To her astonishment, the St. Claire household seemed to be up and awake, and she found Proserpina talking to Camille in the hallway, a mug of steaming hot coffee in her hands.Proserpina looked up and smiled,“Would you like some coffee?” she asked. Hila sighed. The aromatic blend in Proserpina’s hands was a temptation she could not afford.Proserpina seemed to understand for she came forward. Hila noticed in some amazement, that she was in yoga g
Claude The young boxer was flushed and sweating as he stopped and turned to look at his father. His body was damp and his heart was racing. He had done well, he knew that but what did the man who stood silently on the ground near the ropes, with James Schwartz beside him, leaning on a cane; what did the Mafia Don who was watching him broodingly, from the ground, think?Because the world knew what a pitiless, powerful street fighter Lucien Delano had been a long time ago, a legend in the ring, the man who had never lost a single match during any of his savage Underground fights.Claude Delano wanted to live up to his father’s reputation. It was not an easy thing to dream of achieving but he had been slogging, practicing, for as long as he could remember, for the day when his father would be proud of him.That was all that mattered.After a long time, Lucien Delano growled,“That was …well done, boy!’Paddy, who was skulking in the shadows of the gym, for he was still terrified of the D
LucienHe sat in the front seat of the little amphitheatre, designed specifically to allow the audience to watch fights from a vantage point. The Ring or the Cage, whichever was in use, would be at a lower level, allowing the audience to see clearly without having to crane their necks as blows were delivered, one after the other.He sat, one suave leg crossed over the other, his splendid underground fighting Club, his cherished dream, spread around him. This was unlike his other fighting clubs which housed many cages, and many rings, where mixed martial arts fighters and boxers, all of them could perform at one time as people moved from one to the other, like in some shopping arena. Of course, the prices were exorbitant. But this was more sophisticated. He had the seats designed so that the viewers could recline, sipping drinks of their choice as they watched. Servers moved around discreetly, and all the girls had been trained rigorously by Danielle. They had firm instructions not to
When Basheer the Basher strode onto the ramp, pounding the air with his fists and grinning, his white teeth gleaming as he looked about him ferociously, Proserpina gulped. Lucien glanced down at her quickly, and she lifted her frightened eyes to him. Her husband patted her small hand and tucked it into his elbow.‘Stop fretting, woman,’ he growled almost impatiently, and she nodded, but her heart was pounding in fright.Claude came in soon after, and the shouts went up the loudest from the Delano faction, with the kids whooping and yelling loudly.Ria screamed,‘Kill him, bro!’Lou and Dom had leapt up in their immaculate tux, shouting encouragement. Karina was watching him, her fist in her mouth and her eyes wide in apprehension.Some of the people in the audience turned to look at them and noticed the small white-faced woman beside the big figure of the Don. Proserpina sat, biting her lower lip, her eyes wide.Proserpina had never been to a full fight; the one time she had attended
Claude was swept away by his team, and his family crowded around him protectively as he strode out, his big shoulders sloping tiredly. Piers walked by his brother’s side, alert for any mishap whatsoever.As they were leaving. There was a sudden flurry of movement, and Karina pushed through the crowd, making her way to Claude. The girl’s eyes were shining as she beamed and wrapped her arms around her beau’s neck. At first, Claude looked surprised, and then he wrapped his beefy arms around her waist, kissing her back unashamedly with enthusiasm.Piers sighed.Incorrigible, he thought as he swivelled his head to catch his sister’s eyes as Philippe urged her out. Lou and Dom were with them, and of course Tara, with Aiyana holding her hand to keep her safe. For some reason, Aiyana seemed to have a huge soft corner for his little sister, he thought as he turned to the kissing couple who were still at it."Move, Claude,’ he growled, and his brother broke off the kiss, his eyes dancing in del
Finally, Lucien sobered down and said in his gravelly voice,“Enough of my f*cking life story.’He cleared his throat and waited for the laughs to die down ,“My friends, I take great pleasure in announcing the engagement of my children this evening, before all of you.”He paused, and his eyes met Ria’s softening as he growled.“My beloved daughter, Ria, will be getting engaged to my Capo, Philippe Diaz.”The couple stepped forward, Philippe looking darkly handsome and flushed with pleasure, while Ria was glowing.Ria moved to her father, who pulled her into his embrace, dropping a kiss on her hair.Lucien continued,“And the engagement of my son Claude, with the daughter of the Bratva, Karina Kosova.’The plump figure of Karina approached the stage, bobbing shyly as Claude ambled on stage, grinning from ear to ear. He was freshly showered and changed, looking elegant and handsome.Still, with an arm around my waist, Lucien bellowed,‘I want all of you to bless these youngsters, for t
Parwiz Mousa was a slim man with yellowing, nicotine-stained teeth. He was dressed in a suit but nothing could take away from the look in his eyes, the cold, dead look of a killer.He walked steadily, making his way out of the auditorium amidst the commotion that erupted when Delano’s boy smashed the jaw and the nose of Basheer the Basher.The killer had no interest in the fight; he had been asked to take out the Mafia Don’s wife and kidnap the older daughter. But neither task looked possible now; not after he had spotted the Israeli woman he had raped all those years ago. Hila Zaidi had been an agent of the Mossad then; when she had been captured because of a plan involving a leak in the agency, he and his men had meant to kill her after torturing her for a few days.Unfortunately, she had escaped when a few of her companions returned to rescue her. The woman who had put up a spirited fight throughout her captivity. When she was free, she had single-mindedly chased and succeeded in k
Mousa came to a halt when he saw the wall ahead of him. Cursing robustly, he spun around and came to an abrupt halt.Hila Zaidi stood at the end of the dimly lit corridor, the backlight framing her still figure. The sounds around them had dulled, for they were in the North Wing, an area housing just the offices of Lucien and his close associates. But Mousa had not known that. He had fled from Hila, knowing that she was tailing him relentlessly.For a long moment, neither of them said a word. Then she began to move forward, slowly, taking her time, like an animal stalking her prey.She had all the time in the world. Her face was blank, impassive. Not the expression of a person who had finally sighted the man who had tortured and raped her brutally, the most savage and cruel of all the so-called fighters.Mousa drew himself up to his full height, his lips drawn back in a sneer as he spoke,“Hila Zaidi. Well, well, well, so you are here, eh?’She was unarmed, he thought, doing a quick ca