Lucien
He stared at his woman, amazement and anger warring within him. She looked magnificent, in the full bloom of her pregnancy, her hair hanging down her back, freshly washed; he could inhale the fragrance of vanilla on her body. Her eyes were sparkling with fury and ah…those full breasts, pushing against him. His body reacted to her nearness as it always did. He was furious with her, and yet her nearness, the warm body, it did things to him.
And the realization of how much she held him in her power, made him mad with anger. He gripped her throat, relishing the pain he was causing as her face whitened.
***
Proserpina
I was shaking inwardly.
I had seen Lucien before when he was enraged but never had I seen him so furious, so uncontrollably livid. He was breathing hard, his eyes glinting and I could feel the waves of anger radiating from his big, thickset body. For a fleeting moment, I wondered, was this the same man who had made love to me, just a few hours ago? My lover, who had claimed my body, who had taken my passion to never before felt heights?
Then he spoke, his gravelly voice full of menace as he growled,
‘You f*cking c*nt. How dare you challenge me. How dare you contradict me before my men?’
I straightened my spine with difficulty, my breath coming faster. There was not an iota of softness in those grey-blue eyes that were locked on mine; his eyes were like chips of steel and I knew that he was furious enough to kill.
His fingers tightened around my neck. Was he going to throttle me? I wondered hysterically.
But then, my spirit reared itself up.
No, I would not put up with his caveman behaviour. My children had a right to live, a right to love and I was their mother; I would stand up to him. A vision of poor Philippe, being beaten mercilessly, dragged out by two men as he could not stand up by himself, came to me and I moved, involuntarily getting closer to him.
“Kill me then,’ I whispered. ‘You are the great Mafia Don, you …you are undisputed.’
His gaze sharpened. He had probably expected me to cry, to beg him …But I was in no mood to plead.
And then, I could not hold myself in control any longer.
“HOW DARE YOU CALL ME A PREGNANT BIT*H, Lucien Delano?’ I cried, eyes sparkling with the tears spilling over, tears of hurt, shame, and fury, of having been humiliated before everyone in the room.
I had my feelings as well as he did; I had my pride too.
“HOW DARE you speak about me like that.’ I spat.’ If I am a pregnant bi*ch, you are the one responsible for it, for I have been loyal to you from the time I met you.’
“Our eighteen-year-old daughter…’ he said thickly, shaking me hard, ‘ Our eighteen-year-old daughter leaps into bed with a man, sleeps with him and you feel nothing untoward about it?’
His hand tightened on my throat. I swallowed hard as I glared at him.
“How old was I when I met you, Lucien?’ I whispered, my eyes holding his,” I was eighteen too. Or have you forgotten that? ‘
He inhaled sharply. I went on, still imprisoned in his large hands,
‘You got me pregnant with the twins by the time I was nineteen. Did it stop you? Where was your moralising then?’
I stuck my chin out, and his eyes narrowed as he looked at me, coldly, breathing hard.
‘Or are the rules different for you? And me?’ I went on, goading him.
He glared at me, the hand on my throat tightening fractionally. My head was tipped up, my hands held behind my back in his other large hand. But I glared at him, my anger overriding caution.
“Careful, woman.’ He growled threateningly and the pain in my arms that were wrenched behind my back made me shout.
“Kill me then, you big brute,’ I challenged, almost screaming now, ‘That is the only way you know to deal with things. I have loved you, carried your children, waited for you, come searching for you…and all for this…?’
His hand, the one imprisoning my hands, dropped to his side, shifting, and in a sudden burst of rage, I slapped him with all my might, fiercely.
He did not react, but his fist coiled in my unbound hair painfully and I cried out sharply.
Our eyes met.
” Ah, my little wh*re.’ He said, his voice silky with menace and I shivered.’ So you think you can raise your hand on ME? ‘
His hands dug into my flesh and I cried out in pain.
‘You do not challenge me ever, c*nt.’ He snarled and I felt the force of his anger as he pulled me to him.
I do not know what he intended to do but then, with a suddenness that made me cry out, the child in my womb moved, a massive kick and I winced, unwittingly, almost doubling over with the unexpectedness and the severity of the pain.
Lucien’s hands gripped my upper arms and his tone altered , changing to concern and fear as he growled,
“Woman. What is it?’
I bent my head, the tears flowing as I mumbled between the pain for the movements were hard.
And coming faster.
As though the child within me was protesting.
“The …baby…’ I gasped and leaned against him heavily, a wave of darkness coming over me. “your … son…’
And then I groaned, clenching my fists,
“Oh, GOD!!! NOOOO…”
“What the F*ck…?’ he roared and I felt my body sway, the perspiration broke out as I clenched my fists to withstand the onslaught of the little person within me who seemed to be battering at me now.
“It’s too early…the baby can’t be coming…’ I gasped as the waves of pain began to hit me, repeatedly.
Barely aware of what was happening around me, I felt Lucien lift me and carry me to the bedroom adjoining his study, kicking open the door, bellowing over his shoulder for someone as I gasped for breath.
“Water…please…” I begged and, he was holding a canister to my mouth as I gulped greedily. And then, I dropped my head back and the world slid away as I lapsed into a dead faint