Proserpina
Lucien was beside me in a minute. Dimly, I felt his arms around me, and I leaned into him.
I was getting too tired for these emotional ups and downs, said a faraway voice in my mind as I breathed in and out, focusing on bringing my laboured breathing under control.
“Wife, WOMAN!’ he growled, but I could hear the concern in his rough voice, ‘Proserpina.’
I held his arm, clutching it, leaning into him as I whispered, and opening my eyes to find his drawn and worried face beside me. A large hand was on my swollen belly, protective and concerned.
“Go on.’, I said in a firmer tone.
‘
His eyes met Claude’s over my head, I could sense it though I had not lifted my head. Raising my head, my lips brushing against his harsh jaw, I said,
“Lucien, please.’
I had swivelled around to look at him, appealingly, my eyes riveted on his, begging him not to hide anything from me.
He kissed me gently on my mouth lingeringly, almost in an apologetic manner and grunted.
“Woman, she is with Philippe. They are staying the night at a safe house.’
My body shuddered despite myself.
Safe House.
The words sounded ominous.
Claude was breathing hard. He sat forward, his grey-blue eyes dark and alarmed.
“Pappa, I mean, Sir.’
His younger voice, so similar to that of his father’s resonated with suppressed anger as he spoke,
‘Why didn’t they just come here? Why didn’t you send me or Piers?’
His face was tight with anger at being questioned but Lucien answered in a clipped, authoritative manner.
” Are you questioning my decision, boy? Do you doubt my Capo?
Claude flushed at the blunt reprimand and opened his mouth but once again his father cut him off sharply,
‘Would you be of any use with your injured arm?’
My son hung his head, his neck red with embarrassment as he mumbled his agreement.
Lucien’s voice was clipped as he continued,
‘I wanted all of you here, safe at our residence.’
Then he went on, his voice brooking no interruption whatsoever as he said,
‘As for Piers, I needed a cool head here, someone who can monitor and manage affairs without losing focus.’
I was leaning into Lucien’s chest. “But why didn’t ‘t they come here immediately, Lucien?’ I said softly needing to feel his strength, the muscular feel of his broad chest behind me.
He buried his face in my hair for a minute, as though steeling himself to go on.
‘Woman, Dusak’s men are out there, on the roads, searching for her.’
***
Proserpina
‘Searching for Her?’ I echoed and then, made a huge effort; I pushed myself away from Lucien and stared at him, getting shakily to my feet. Claude had also jumped up in shock and fury, his large fists tightening as he faced his father.
‘What did you mean? I said in a brittle voice, breathing faster in alarm.
Lucien rubbed his face tiredly.
Addressing Claude he said in a cold voice,
‘Boy, get me another drink. Yes, on the rocks.’
I wanted to stop him from drinking so heavily at daybreak but the pounding in my head made me helpless with anxiety.
When Claude returned silently with the tumbler, Lucien rose and taking the whiskey, he crossed to the windows, his back to us and began to speak, sipping from the tumbler at intervals. His broad shoulders were tense, the large muscles bunched.
‘Dusak Rudenko as he now calls himself has had an unhealthy obsession with our daughter for some years now; one of my informers, who was later killed by his men, passed on the news before he died.’
With a soft gasp, I sank onto the sofa. Claude was beside me, placing his large hand on my shoulder, supporting me. I could sense the fear and disquiet I was experiencing, radiating from his large body as well.
I sat, cold and unmoving, my heart racing.
‘He wants Ria and he is in pursuit of her.’
Shaking my head, I whispered, “No, no, NO!”
And then, rising to my feet awkwardly, I walked to him and gripping his arm, I forced him around to look at me.
Furiously, I cried,
“You knew? Since when? Lucien Delano, tell me, damn you! Since when has my daughter been in danger, you…you insensitive brute?’
Lucien gathered me in his arms, forcing me to stay still as the tears flowed down my cheeks.
‘For some time now, Woman.’ he answered, his words rough with regret, ‘ I did not want to make you upset.’
And as I began to protest, trying to shake him off, he went on, his voice hard.
‘The Capo is with her and he will make sure that she returns to us, safe and sound. I trust him.’
All of a sudden, the fight went out of me. Ria was our daughter, Lucien’s and mine, and I knew how he loved her. He would never let her be harmed.
The waves of weakness flooded over me and feeling helpless and weak all of a sudden, I clutched my stomach in despair.
*
Lucien pulled me into his arms, forcing me to sit down on his lap, cuddling me to his broad chest.
Claude was beside me, kneeling, his hands on my knees, the bandaged arm resting on my lap.
“Lucien, bring her here, please. Bring our baby back, soon.’
I whispered, beseechingly, turning my face up to his craggy, cruel face, ‘Please…”
*
Ria
Sometime during the night, Ria came awake with a start. She had been dreaming that she was once more a child and Philippe was turning cartwheels. Smiling, she nuzzled into the soft jacket, warm and comforting, that covered her and then her mind clicked into action.
She was not at home, where she slept alone in a queen-sized bed.
This was not a dream. She was in the arms of the man she loved but who had refrained from touching her in any way that was deemed remotely inappropriate.
With a start, her eyes flickered open and she looked around the darkened room. And saw that the warm presence she had felt was Philippe’s arm draped across her waist, tucking her to his body.
For some time she lay, luxuriating in the feel of his arms. What would it be like, she thought dreamily, to wake up and feel this way every morning of her life? To turn her head and look into his eyes…
Reality clocked in and she sat up abruptly, thrusting his protective arms away.
And immediately wished she had not. It was bitterly cold in the small room.
“Good morning to you too, Princess,’ came his mocking voice in the darkness and she rounded on him, cheeks red with embarrassment.
‘You can move a little away can’t you?’ she snapped. And rudely muttered under her breath,
‘Big hairy ape.’
He grinned in the dark. The Capo had been awake a while ago and had also gone out a few times to check on his men as she slumbered blissfully. But each time, he came back to the room, to gather the sleeping figure in his arms, to hold her close and drop soft kisses on her golden hair.
Damn, but the woman was driving him crazy.
He had also used his uncle’s little bathroom once to jerk himself off. A man had to keep his sanity while he had been sleeping next to the woman he worshipped and lusted after while refraining from touching her, f*cking her as his hard and erect c*ck kept demanding. Now he smiled to himself. The strawberry fragrance of her skin still clung to his arms and he had been looking at her face as she slept happily, a small smile hovering about those plump lips, the hint of her dimples beginning to appear at something she had been dreaming about.
*
She stood stiffly, glaring at him and he rose in one lithe movement.
‘Let’s get on the road then,’ he growled, shrugging his broad shoulders uncaringly.
Wrapping her arms about her waist, Ria gulped. How did the wretched man manage to look so sexy, first thing in the morning? His unshaven jaw only made her feel a wetness between her legs, a longing to know how it felt to be kissed by that wide mouth, and have the bristly beard rough against her skin.
She stopped as she saw the wry look on his face as she stood, hands on his hips, watching her.
“Princess?’ he said softly, more of a query and she felt her face flame as she knew he had guessed at her thoughts.
Tossing her head regally, she snapped,
‘Where is the washroom?’
Philippe grinned. he knew from her antsy look that she had been thinking along the same lines as he. But he would wait, oh, yes. He was going to wait till she came to him of her own free will.
He grinned at her and she slashed a look of annoyance as she stormed past him along the passageway, following his indications.
*
Paddy
The figures approached the hospital where the adopted son of Lucien Delano lay, inert and oblivious.
The men waited outside as they studied the layout of the small, non-descript looking building.
‘Too heavily guarded, ‘texted one of the men to his handlers.
‘Shall wait for a chance to enter and finish the job during the change in guard.’
‘Blow up the place,’ came the terse response.