SchwartzHe stopped as he crossed the foyer of the building housing the offices of a local influential politician who was on Lucien’s payroll. A figure in a black skirt and smart jacket, her hair in a bun at the nape of her neck, seemed vaguely familiar. Slim and tall, her dark brown hair and the way she moved her head made him pause.He knew this woman, he thought, frowning.She turned at that moment and it came to him.Of course, Aiyana Laughing Water Preston, the beautiful Native American FBI agent who he had met by accident at the psychologists’ when he was undergoing counselling at the clinic of Dr. Ethan Hale. It had been immediately after the death of his beloved Fionella and she had also been there for personal reasons.***He smiled and stepped towards her. She half-turned and watched him warily. Then recognition flooded her beautiful oval face and she smiled, stepping forward, her voice husky with pleasure as she said,“James Schwartz, isn’t it?’She put out her hand and he s
Proserpina We were back at Hollowford in the mansion I had grown to regard as home. There were some changes that had been created in the structure of the house; Shah had been shot in the hallway outside the children's rooms. Lucien had had the entire place remodelled and now, the children had rooms on the same floor as he had his large penthouse suite bedroom. Ria was super excited to discover that now her father was just a hop skip and jump away. Piers commented on the view being good. Neither of them said a word about Shah and the terrible night the house had been attacked. But their unspoken glances, that strange bond shared by twins, alerted me to the fact that they remembered and mourned her in their own childish way.Lucien was planning something for our anniversary; no, not our wedding anniversary but the anniversary of the day we had first met. It had come about when I had casually mentioned it one night as I lay in his arms, stroking his hirsute chest, playing with his flat n
Proserpina I swallowed hard, my face turning pale as I met my husband’s eyes. He had the look of a man who was doing his best to control his temper. His thick fists were clenched tight as he held himself rigidly.‘Wife,’ he growled,’ I want to talk to Schwartz.’ And as I opened my mouth to speak, he said, his voice a roar,‘Get the f*ck away from here, woman. I said NOW!’I stepped back, hurt by his tone and turning, fled inside, trying not to cry.That he had judged me without listening to me hurt me deeply. After those torrid nights of passion we spent, did he still not understand how I felt about him?That for me, no other man mattered but Lucien Delano?He had watched them from the windows of his study. Somehow, he never felt comfortable when his wife was with Handsome James who was his best friend.F*ck, he could not tolerate seeing his wife with ANY man.But this day, it was different. Proserpina was looking as lovely and youthful as ever, with no makeup, her hair in a high pony
Lucien He strode into the cool interiors of the house, bellowing his wife’s name,‘Proserpina!' He thundered, 'WOMAN!’‘I think Mumma is in the kitchen' said Ria and then, clinging to him, burrowing her face in his neck, she went on in a small voice,‘I think she heard about Alfred.’Proserpina stormed out of the kitchen, her hair flying behind her like a black banner.“RIA!’ she shouted, ignoring the fact that the little girl was pretending to be asleep on her father's broad shoulders,‘RIA St. CLAIRE!’Lucien’s lips twitched despite himself.His wife looked so adorably fierce but he knew that he only had to grab her in his arms and all that violence would peter away.But Proserpina refused to meet his eyes now as she commanded icily.“Do you know what your precious daughter has done?’And then, taking a deep outraged breath, she went on,' She has broken the nose and a couple of teeth of a boy who works on the grounds…’And when Lucien continued to stand with the child in his arms, s
Sophie She stared at the phone, her hands shaking. She had just informed Worthington that she was no longer part of Lucien Delano’s household. The Boss had unceremoniously dumped her in a small apartment close to the Club. Patrick as well, much to the little boy’s disappointment.The rent on the apartment was to be paid by the Boss, she had been informed and she suspected that it had been on Proserpina’s insistence. But Sophie seethed.She hated Proserpina.Yes, she had discovered that the matter of her mother being discharged had been a mistake; she had only been shifted to the wing where a lot of physiotherapy could be administered easily. Not, thought Sophie glumly, that it would help at all. Her mother was like a vegetable. Her small shrunken body connected to a myriad of tubes, oblivious to the world around her.When Sophie visited her, she sat, holding the thin, limp and lifeless wrist, speaking to the figure who lay on the large bed, in a coma.She knew the treatment was expens
ProserpinaLucien had informed me of his intention to leave that night for Argentina. Some urgent matter had come up, he said, pressing his lips to my forehead as he prepared to leave.I hugged him tightly, wishing he did not have to go.‘Woman, He grunted, his mouth seeking my lips greedily, possessively, ‘I might be gone for a week. I do not want you to leave the house when I am away, is that clear?’He tugged at my lower lip to make his words crystal clear.I whispered,‘Come back soon. I want you to be with me when I meet the doctor.’Immediately his eyes narrowed and he pulled himself away to grip my chin,“What is wrong? Is it our son…?’ his hand went protectively to my belly.I smiled half-heartedly.I was feeling unusually weary and tired; I wanted to get a check-up. Something was not quite right. From what I had calculated and from the initial visit to a doctor I was not too comfortable with in New York, I knew I must be in the tenth week of my pregnancy.Early days yet. But t
ProserpinaI felt awful, clutching my stomach as I lay, trying to hold down nausea. It was close to midnight and I remembered belatedly that it was Valentine’s Day.Smiling ruefully, I rolled over.My husband had never bothered with such things. He would probably have looked askance at me if I had said anything about it.I sighed and swung my legs o my feet. Lucien was on his way to Argentina and I wished he had not had to go. Schwartz had called to make sure I was okay, sweet man that he was. He had been on the way to attend a charity ball.It had amazed me. The Handsome James I knew would have run a mile from such fake events.He had sounded gruffly embarrassed when I had prodded him and finally he had said, exasperated,“Okay, I am accompanying a friend who needed an escort.I had dissolved in peals of laughter at that and he had joined in after a while, chuckling good-naturedly.My curiosity had been piqued,“Who is she, James, tell me?’ I said teasingly.“Aww…stop it, Proserpina.’
AiyanaShe watched him furtively from under her lashes as she sipped her drink. He was undoubtedly attractive and the raw grief she had glimpsed in him that night years ago was nowhere to be seen.She had done some work, finding out about him before he had arrived at her room this evening. That was when she had discovered that he was the Underboss of the gang, working under Lucien Delano.Interestingly, she had also found out that the ruthless, almost heartless man who had run the mob with an iron hand, was now married and had three children. She had seen pictures of him with his wife, a younger woman, definitely twenty years younger, curvaceous and alluring-looking with smoky brown eyes and a figure that would make any man lust after her. She was sexy but seemed to have eyes only for the burly, grim-faced older man with her.To her amazement, her source had informed her that Delano was now deeply faithful to his wife, besotted being the word her source had used.Rumour had it that the