Lucien
He had guessed right, he thought, fury coursing through his veins as the cavalcade of cars roared down the streets. She had run to Handsome James, of course. The terse message from Schwartz informing him about her desperate plea for help had confirmed his suspicions.
Handsome James Schwartz; Her Best Friend as Proserpina laughingly called him.
Lucien felt the familiar waves of jealousy flooding him. He knew that he, her husband and only lover, was older than her by a few decades, a fact that made him more savage in his lovemaking with her. To make her see that he was still the virile man he used to be. When he took her, he plundered her body, leaving love bites on her lush breasts and throat so that the world would know she belonged to him, only to Lucien Delano.
Not that she had complained ever; Proserpina was the ideal submissive in bed. She followed his orders, obeyed him and her body was his to play with, he thought, feverishly. But he was astute enough to know that her body was not the only thing about her that held him in thrall; her strong spirit, her loving nature…all of that and more. The sense of peace and love she radiated, the light to his darkness.
F*ck, but he loved her, she was like a passion. And her presence, calm, gentle and loving, had transformed him. He was now a better man, as many of his old associates commented in surprise.
And you withheld something that has driven her into the arms of the man who has loved her all along, taunted the voice in his head and he wanted to reach out and thrash Schwartz for being the man he was; loved by Proserpina in a way she would never care for him.
He groaned as he thought of the past few months.
Keeping himself away from her had been torture, especially when she came to him, smiling, love shining from her eyes.
He had rejected her brutally. Lucien Delano did not deserve such love; not after the betrayal, he had subjected her to.
The pain, the hurt in her eyes when he had thrust her away cruelly, had made him cringe. But the truth was that Cole Brandt was his son. A son born of a mindless sexual orgy, in the days when he and Shark and a few other like-minded companions used to f*ck women in a group. James Schwartz preferred not to join them although Shark taunted him, thought Lucien, his lips twisting derisively.
Lucien clenched his giant fists. The lake house where Schwartz had taken her to, was up ahead. He simply wanted to get there and explain to Proserpina.
*
Proserpina
Schwartz took my hands in his. My hands were cold and limp as I stared into his eyes.
He began to speak earnestly, all the while aware of Melissa glaring at him frostily, a protective arm around my shoulders.
Aiyana had come closer, settling like a sleek cat on the couch near me.
“Cole Brandt.’ he sighed and went on, ‘ That is the young man you saw in the townhouse, hen.’
Aiyana made a rude sound but Schwartz snorted.
‘You remember when you ran away when you found out that you were pregnant with the twins?’ he said gently, a large elegant hand resting on my knee. I stared at it, I could not meet his eyes, weeping as I was.
Melissa’s arm tightened around me and she held me.
‘The Boss was like a crazed man. At first, he indulged in a lot of …uh…activities.’ he said it with, hesitation.
Aiyana interrupted him impatiently.
“Stop being such a prude, James. Lucien Delano went on his usual sexual rampages; all the things he did before you came into his life and he stopped all those orgies for good,’ she snapped, earning herself a look of anger from Schwartz.
‘Can I get on with it?’ said Schwartz coldly. She gave him a look and turned her face to the window.
‘Well… he and Shark…’ he began again but Aiyana rose to her feet and began to pace. She stopped before me, her black eyes penetrating as she said,
‘Proserpina, Shark supplied the women. You know of course, that he had a handful of whores he used exclusively for himself and the Boss.’
Her voice was mocking as she said it. “Our man here was not so much into orgies,’ and she touched Schwartz on his shoulder as he hung his head, dark with anger and shame.
‘ To cut a story short, Lucien must have knocked up the woman, her name, one of her names, was Bethany.’
I sat stiffly, my hands clenched, the nails drawing blood from my palm. Melissa hugged me as though she would take the pain from me herself, while Schwartz gently pried my hands open, tenderly.
‘Bethany did a runner when she found out she was pregnant; Lucien’s buddy, Shark was preparing to go after her.’
She waited for a beat and went on, her eyes unblinkingly fixed on me,
“He wanted to use the child as leverage and blackmail your husband; but…’
She shrugged eloquently and did not go on.
I had been with Lucien when Shark had shown his true colours. He had tried to kidnap me, to sell me into the flesh trade but Lucien had shot him and killed him.
My cold hands were being massaged by Schwartz whose eyes were on my face, anxious and concerned,
‘She was able to hide in Columbia, Brazil and Mexico but she continued to sell her body; she was a drug addict, you see.’ said Aiyana in a bored voice.
“She did not try to contact Lucien?’ I said softly, dully, ‘Did he not know?’
Aiyana pursed her mouth before she said,
‘The FBI has dossiers on your husband. No, she was not interested in seeing him again. And we know that she never contacted him.’
And her eyes were on my face, as she said gently,
‘Lucien Delano had absolutely no clue about this young man he had fathered.’
I nodded dumbly. If that was meant to make me feel better, it failed.
Aiyana went on.
‘But Bethany died a few months ago.’
I frowned. So how…?
Schwartz raked his hand through his hair and continued,
“That’s when, her sister stepped into the picture: Britney, who…uhh…used to be…uhh… close to …Lucien once…decided that Cole Brandt should meet up with his father.’
What he wanted to say was that she had been one of his numerous lovers when he was on a sexual rampage, during the days when he was switching partners like shedding clothes, I thought bitterly.
In a moment of rage, a long time ago, I had called Lucien a man-whore. yes, he had been one.
Leopards do not change their spots, I thought now, cynically.
*
Even in my state of befuddlement, I was puzzled by one thing. Looking at Schwartz, I asked softly,
‘So this woman… she never tried to get in touch with Lucien till now?’
Schwartz sighed, rubbed his knuckles against my cheek absently and said,
“No.’
Melissa, who had been listening quietly, jumped up, looking furious.
“And how do we know this really is the Boss’ son?’ she asked, bristling, her anger directed towards anyone who had hurt me.
Aiyana shot her a pitying glance as Schwartz spoke after a pause, avoiding my eyes.
“He …uh… did a …’
I completed the sentence, as a bitter, hysterical laugh welled up in me.
“Of course! A DNA test!’
I stood up and walked to the window on the other side, away from the road, staring out at the lake. Hugging myself, I stared into the distance. It was sunset and the colors on the water were magnificent as they reflected the sky, lilac, lavender, pink and a smudge of red. I sighed. And then we collectively turned to the door as the sound of vehicles roaring up the drive grew louder and louder.
Lucien Delano had come looking for me. Instinctively, alarmed, I turned to Schwartz who had come up behind me.
“I do NOT want to go with him, James, PLEASE!!!’ I said, begging him. I clutched the front of James’ pristine shirt and shook him.
Schwartz placed his hands on my waist and said softly, appealingly.
‘Mo luaidh My darling, you do not have to go anywhere that you do not want to…’
Suddenly the door flew open and Lucien strode in, followed by his gunmen. He looked haggard but he still had the power to make me ache for him. His shirt was rumpled, his face shadowed with two days growth of beard but he still was the most attractive, the most virile man I had ever seen.
The only man who had the power to make my heart beat so wildly.
And I hated him for the reaction he could draw out from me so effortlessly.
His face turned dark with fury as he saw me, almost wrapped in the arms of his best friend and I turned away, turning my face into Schwartz’s shirt, shivering. Yet, I could feel the intensity of my Mafia Don’s stare, burning into me.