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The ManHe stood, watching as the party unfolded. He hated the way Lucien could not take his eyes off that Woman. But the Don seemed to be following her with his eyes, protectively, caring, concerned.The Man scowled.She was heavy with child, no great beauty, he thought disdainfully. And the Boss was besotted in his old age.But the other men in the room seemed to drink her in with their eyes.Her sensuous movements, even now, were like bait. Attracting men to her. He felt sorry for that fool Ramos. He had been openly lecherous and had paid the price for his folly.***He hated her.Had hated Proserpina Martinez, the little nobody, from the first time he had met her.A simpleton, he had thought when he first met her, all starry-eyed and in love with a man who was older than her. A fool. Wait for a while, Lucien will get over her, like the other women they had used. The three of them, together.But it had not happened that way.The affair had gone on for months.Then she had run away.
With an oath, Lucien clutched his chest where the bullet had pierced him as he spun around to shield his wife from the killer who stood in the doorway.A second shot rang out, hitting his right arm, his firing arm, which now hung lifelessly as the blood-stained his shirt, seeping through to the dinner jacket he wore.Proserpina mewled a sound of pain, trying vainly to staunch the bleeding, looking around helplessly for something to bind her lover’s arm as he stood, his face grey with pain and fury as he watched the man approaching them. Turning helplessly, she stood before her husband, shielding him with her body , glaring at the man who had walked in, who was raising his arm and taking aim to fire again.Proserpina“Shark!’ I spat out,’ You despicable, evil man!’He laughed, he was on a high with substance and the thrill of having shot at Lucien, effectively crippling his shooting arm.“Despicable?’ he crooned, stepping forward, pointing his gun again at Lucien,Then coldly, he went
Proserpina Shark fell to the ground, the shot having hit him dead in the center of the forehead. But I did not care to look at him, all my attention was on Lucien as he collapsed, the gun falling from his hands as he collapsed onto the floor, ashen-faced.I tried to rise but it was too much for me; hopelessly, sobbing his name aloud, I crawled to him.The blood from his wounds was flowing freely now and ina second, my hands as I cradled his poor head, were wet and sticky.Delirious with sorrow, I crooned,“Lucien, my love, no, don’t you DARE leave me.’His eyelids fluttered but remained shut.***There was a sudden burst of noise and Schwartz raced into the room, followed by the wingmen. Someone was yelling but I was only aware of Schwartz as he gently prised my hands away from Lucien.‘Hey, hey there,' he said tenderly, lifting me to my feet.“NO!’ I screamed, refusing to let go of my lover. And clutching at his shirt with my bloodied hands, I screamed,“That …that monster shot him,
ProserpinaA few days later, I was discharged from the hospital.The baby was doing well and so was I. It was only because of Shark’s beatings that I had had to stay in hospital. I had hurt my arm when I fell, and my face was now healing. It had been a livid purple in patches, but now the bruises were fading.Lucien was still in hospital, although he was recovering, albeit slowly. The doctors had assured me that he was getting better. Yes, he had initially been in danger of slipping into a coma due to the severe loss of blood. But the speedy attention he had received had helped. The bullets fired by Shark, I was informed, had missed any major arteries. The bleeding had been intense, but he was on the road to recovery. I visited him in the hospital, although he was sedated. He did not stir when we went in, the children and I. With my heart heavy with anxiety, we set off back home.Danielle had taken charge of our security, and she was thorough about it. Lucien also had a handful of be
ProserpinaDuring the following weeks, I refrained from visiting Lucien at the hospital. I had had enough of his blow hot, blow cold behaviour. We had been together in a near-death situation, and all he could do was treat me like this? Sorry, but I was done.The kids visited him every day, but I invented excuses not to go.*There was also the matter of my work. I was scaling new heights, and the Professor was proud of me, he declared. The University had agreed to fund an extension, so I was gung-ho about launching out on a different phase as well. With Baby Claude and my academic work, I made sure that I did not have time to mope over my Mafia Don, who seemed to be playing some childish game.For one thing, I had a new assistant, a cheerful young man of Chinese origin, whose parents had settled in the US before he was born. He proved to be a great help in organising the details regarding our new set-up. Alex Wu was intelligent and witty. He often came over to help me as I also had my
LucienA few days later, after brooding and generally feeling furious and angry with himself, Lucien decided to visit the house unexpectedly. He had not informed his family; Tony Beston was the only one who had been told. Leaving his trusted wingmen in the lobby, he strode into the house and the welcoming aroma of freshly baked cookies wafted out from the kitchen.Unerringly, the desire to see his wife and children led him to the large, warm kitchen where he could hear the sound of Ria chattering away. The sound of a baby’s wails which were abruptly silenced alerted him to the presence of his youngest son. But when he reached the kitchen, he stopped short, his anger shooting up at the sight he saw.A young Chinese man, presumably the incomparable Alex Wu was in the small patio leading out from the kitchen into the tiny vegetable garden that his wife had created. She had always been one to nurture, came the thought, almost automatically. The smaller man was cradling the baby and making
Proserpina We flew out of the US in a week’s time. The children had been subdued, not really understanding what was happening. I sat them down and explained that I needed to work for a while in Japan. That it was important for me. Ria interrupted me, her lower lip thrust out and quivering, her little face hot and pink. ‘Why can't you work from here? Like you used to?’ And then, her eyes glittering as the tears spilt, she went on, on a half sob, “I want my Pappa.’ Piers was almost in tears too. I sighed and stood up, reaching for Claude who took it upon himself to begin wailing at that moment. The maids stood by, guarded and expressionless while Sandy watched from a corner, her arms folded. I could feel the censure in the air. “Was I wrong in wanting to live my life?’ I thought angrily. *** It was Lucien who came to my rescue. He spent all afternoon and the evenings at the house, with the children. His eyes had a hollow look in them, a bleakness that bothered me. He gathered Ria in
ProserpinaThe children spoke to Lucien every day, twice a day. Without fail. Even if it was midnight in the US, he would be wide awake, smiling, listening to their excited chatter indulgently. He seemed eager to hear them, to see them and terribly reluctant to stop their long conversations. We barely exchanged a few clipped words. It hurt me but I carried on with a brave face.Lucien He had hated to see them go, his wife and his children. But he had wanted her to make up her mind, to explore and to live. In his heart he knew he trusted her; she would never look at another man. Now he waited for the calls from his twins; listening to them eased his loneliness in the great mausoleum of a house that was empty and seemed devoid of noise.How had he lived here before Proserpina and the children had come and made his house a home, he wondered as he sat in the huge dining hall, eating silently.The food seemed tasteless and he had snapped at Beatrice on more than one occasion over the qual
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