Proserpina
I stood under the hot sprays of water, scrubbing my skin. The purple outfit that Melisa had got me lay in a crumpled heap in the laundry basket. I was weeping; the disgust I had felt when that man put his hands over me, rubbing his erection into me… I almost puked again. Sobbing, I rubbed my mouth, hating him for having done what he had done.
I felt violated and I sobbed again, leaning against the wall.
Lucien’s Son. For the love of God, he had touched me and molested me.
I leant against the wall, sinking to the cool wet tiles, burying my face in my arms and sobbing wildly.
*
Lucien
He heard her before he entered the bathroom. Her loud cries, like an animal in distress, came from the shower cubicle and without a thought, he stored in. He was dressed, his jacket getting drenched immediately but the sight of his woman curled into a piteous ball as she sat, weeping inconsolably, made him feel as though someone had put a hand inside his chest and wrenched his heart, squeezed it. He moved to her, ignoring the way his shirt was getting wet, clinging to him. Tearing off his expensive jacket, and tossing it on the ground he bent to scoop up his woman in his arms, tenderly.
*
Proserpina
It was the feel of a pair of warm hands around my waist that made me jump, almost scream in fright and then, I realised Lucien had come up before me. I tipped my head to look at him, my eyes streaming. He had not taken off his clothes, he just held me and said softly, crooning almost,
‘Little one, Woman…’ I threw my arms around him and sobbed harder, letting out all the pent-up grief. Gently, he lifted me and carried me out where he wrapped a towel around me. I heard him muttering,
“F*cking thing, how does it work?’ as he pulled out the hair drier and I gave a small giggle of hysteria. He met my eyes in the mirror and shakily, I began to dry my hair as he stood watching me. I managed to stand up, the towel slipping to my feet and turned to him. Lucien’s eyes glinted as he gathered me in his arms.
‘Just hold me, please,’ I whispered, my voice trembling with the sadness I could not hold back.
My lover lifted me up in his arms, his eyes on my large, wobbling breasts as he carried me to the bedroom and laid me down gently.
I knelt on the bed, aware of his hot eyes devouring my nakedness and whispered,
“Lucien, you are wet.’
*
He grunted and peeled off his clothes. Then he pulled me to his warm body and lying down, held me, gently stroking my hair as I lowered my head to his chest, my shoulders shuddering.
‘Shhh…woman…’ he growled hoarsely,
‘You are safe …he can never hurt you again. I shall see to it.’ I raised my wet eyes to him and shook my head sadly,
‘He is your son, Lucien. But he…’ my lips trembled and I bowed my head, unable to go on.
He gripped my shoulders and spoke thickly.
“Look at me, woman. Cole will never set foot in our house again.’
Shivering with the cold and my fear, I met his eyes, the hard grey-blue eyes, blazing in determination. At the same time, I became aware of his fists, the knuckles bleeding and broken.
I stared at him as I guessed at what had happened. Lucien was silent, his eyes on my face as he held me.
I slumped in his arms then, crying softly and he lay down flat on the bed, gently holding me to his body. He was as naked as I but I was too wrung out to think of anything.
‘Sleep, woman.’ he said hoarsely, kissing the top of my head and I trembled, the chill in my bones too deep to go away. Snuggled against his warm body, I slept.
*
Sometime during the disturbed sleep, I woke up, screaming, my body bathed in sweat. I had dreamt that I was back in the cell where Dmitri had held me captive. Oleg was beside me, his hands on my body, kissing me roughly and then, Oleg’s’ face became that of Shark. And then it changed to transform itself into Cole.
The hands that held me, soothing words that were whispered in my ears, made me come awake.
‘Sssh… Proserpina…Woman…’ I opened my eyes. Lucien was holding me and the dim lamp of the bed light flooded his face. Lucien looked old and grey and he was holding me, soothing me.
I turned to bury my face in his chest, still shaking.
“You were having a nightmare.’ he said gruffly. I nodded, unwilling to share my darkest fears with him.
We lay like that, silently. He stroked my arm, his thick, rough thumb gentle in its caress.
When he spoke, his voice was low.
“You remember the night you saw me. With a man. I killed him.’
He spoke in a flat voice. I struggled to sit up, pulling the sheet over my full breasts as his eyes touched them
‘I …remember…’ I said softly.
‘The man had infiltrated our …group.’ he went on, his eyes on my face, I moved away, slightly, sitting cross-legged, the sheets bunched around my body.
‘He had been providing information to Paval. And his nephew. Dusak.’
I stiffened.
How could I forget those men? The men who had tried to kill Lucien. The evil monk, brother of Dmitri Rudenko.
I sighed wearily.
‘It will never end, will it, Lucien?’ I said, staring out of the window bleakly.
He suddenly jerked his body upright, rolling onto me and I gasped in surprise.
“No woman. It is part of my life. But I expected you to understand…When you looked at me…’
He stopped, breathing harshly, his eyes blazing and suddenly, I understood what he was trying to say. His intense gaze willed me to understand.
“I had no choice. I want to protect you. Protect my children. And if anyone comes in between, I will f*cking kill them.’
Our eyes were fixed on each other as I let the words wash over me. Finally, I understood the behind the brutality, the crassness of his reaction that day; he had been trying in his barbaric manner, to protect us. And I had judged him without knowing the full story.
My powerful Mafia Don had felt betrayed because I had been shocked and disgusted…My reaction had hurt him more than he could say.
He moved away and sat, rubbing his face with his large fist.
Suddenly, I felt the love in my heart swell.
Wordlessly, I crawled over to him and reaching out, I held him in my arms, tracing the harsh lines on his face, his mouth, and his stubbled jaw.
“Woman,’ he said hoarsely, ‘I cannot live without you…I cannot bear to see you hurting.’
And he went on,
‘ I went to the Townhouse because I could not …’
He turned to me, his face showing the turmoil.
‘Woman, I … I cannot think of … you judging me. This is what I am. I am too far gone to be able to become a good man, the kind of man you deserve.’
I shook my head wordlessly.
Lucien was begging me to understand him.
‘I love you,’ I whispered and reached out to him.
With a groan, he gently took my mouth in his, his tongue tangling with mine tenderly.
I pushed him away and placed his hand on my slightly rounded stomach. Lucien grunted and said roughly,
“I never thought I would breed you again, woman.’
The slight astonishment in his voice made me smile. I gurgled in laughter as I felt his manhood stiffen but he made no move to take me, just held me, stroking my back. We lay in each other’s arms and I drifted off to sleep again, tired but feeling safe as the dawn crept across the sky.