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
Sophie She glared at her reflection. Her red hair looked frizzier than ever. Paddy was being difficult. In fact, he had simply not been able to adjust to returning to Hollowford and living in the small apartment which was otherwise in a good locality, furnished and spacious.Sophie knew he was pining for Proserpina and the kids. They had welcomed him as part of their family. Proserpina had been in tears when Paddy was forced to stay back when the Delano family were leaving in their fancy aircraft. She had hung back, looking pleadingly at her husband, begging him to allow Paddy to accompany them. But Lucien Delano had stepped forward and pulled his wife to his side, making her leave without Paddy.As for her mother, Sophie stared outside at the sidewalk. The old woman was never going to recover. The nurse had politely suggested that she sign the forms asking for the ventilator to be removed. Yet Sophie held back. Every day without fail, she visited her mother and sat, holding the comat
Proserpina I waited in the doctors’ clinic, feeling my anxiety grow. The doctor who had been with me through my pregnancy with Claude was not available; he was out of station said the nurse politely. Instead, I was directed to a woman who looked at me over the top of her spectacles severely. She had white hair in a short, neat style and thin, unsmiling lips.When she began to examine me and asked me the regular questions, I could see she was taken aback to know I had had three children.She looked at me again, sharply as though to be certain I was not joking.Frowning, she looked at my face and said,“You are rather young…you must have had your first child …’“My twins.’ I said softly. ‘My first children are twins.’Her frown intensified as I was led to the room where the ultrasound was done.She gave me another rather incredulous look and began to watch the monitor screen.She looked puzzled and snapping at the nurse, she asked for a second Ultrasound to be done.I bit my lip hard as
SophieShe slid into the washroom booth hurriedly and dialled the familiar number."Pick up, damn you, she mumbled, aware that Danielle had been alert while she watched Sophie leave.Worthington picked up almost immediately.“Yes my pretty little bird?’ he said solicitously,’ What do you have for me?’She scowled. She hated him but her sister needed her. There were times in the early morning when she came awake, her arms round Paddy who inevitably crept into her bed, citing nightmares, when she asked herself what she was doing.The knowledge that she was in some way or the other, contributing to the downfall of the people who had helped her so generously, ate into her.“My Lady and all the Saints,’ she would whisper, ’I am sorry. Forgive me, please...But Sondra means more to me…’*Now she stiffened and replied,“I think the Boss is arranging something special for himself and his wife on the 16th of this month.’There was a moment of silence. She pictured Worthington, tugging at his th
Proserpina I left the hospital, my heart full of joy and some trepidation. How would Lucien react?My buddy Grace had reacted by throwing her arms around me and sobbing in joy. I made her promise not to tell her lover Danielle till I had spoken to Lucien, at least, to make sure he did not get to know from her. I wanted to surprise my husband.We returned home. I was barely aware of the drive. When I got down from the large SUV, Beatrice was at the door, wringing her hands. Claude was toddling around, searching for me and he gave a war cry when he saw me and hurtled down the corridor at full speed,‘Child?’ asked the old woman who was not just a housekeeper for me.I hugged her and whispered, ’I think I am going to have another set of twins, Bea!’She tightened her arms around my shoulders and we stood there, clutching each other.Beston’s light cough alerted me to the fact that I was standing in the doorway and he wanted me safely inside the house, with the door shut.I gave him a daz
ProserpinaI looked into the grey eyes of my lover, the love of my life, my husband.He was studying me, his eyes filled with a soft, wondering expression. A look I had never seen on his face before.I sat, perched comfortably on his lap, surrounded by my children. Resting my head against his shoulder, I sighed in contentment.Little Claude had waddled over and was keeping a small plump fist on my thigh, to proclaim that I was HIS mom and not anyone else’s. Piers was leaning against me, and Ria? As always, her father had an arm around his favourite child, his daughter.I sighed, a feeling of restfulness growing in me and traced the hard jaw, rough with stubble; he had not shaved and the grey of his beard was evident. Daringly, with a finger, I began tracing his thin lips the mouth that could reduce me to a blubbering mass…A rumble from his chest reminded me that we had three interested pairs of eyes on us and I had better stop teasing him or there would be consequences.I shivered in
Proserpina That night I lay snuggled in the bed waiting for my husband to join me in bed. He had rushed away soon after dinner when we had been sitting in the living room. He had been sipping his customary after-dinner brandy and had insisted on pulling me onto his lap much to Claude’s chagrin.Claude was a law unto himself. He decided his bedtime and tonight, he wanted to stay with us. So my family was spread on the floor, on the rich carpet, my children and the dogs- we had three by now and Piers was petting them while Ria leaned against her father’s shoulders, chattering away. Claude kept surreptitiously trying to pull the puppy’s tails and Piers was getting quite annoyed.My husband stroked my waist, his hands gentle and I kissed his cheek.*We would have sat there for ages if he had not received a call. A messageHis face darkened as he looked at the phone. It was his private one. I knew it had to be either Schwartz or Danielle.I stood up, reading his expression rightly. Heftin
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