Lucien
He watched his Capo enter through hooded lids, his expression carefully hidden beneath a blank mask.
His annoyance was palpable in the way he tapped the surface of his polished walnut desk with a pen and he saw the young man’s shoulders tense as he came to stand before the Boss.
The Mafia Don looked at him and then growled,
‘I will not stand by and watch if my daughter gets hurt, Capo.’
Philippe felt the blood rush to his face. He steeled himself to meet the Boss’s eyes without flinching.
‘Boss, ‘he said and his voice, low and intense, was honest as he replied simply,’ I love her.’
He did not need to say anything more. The pale, almost glassy eyes of the Mafia Don were on him, boring into him. Philippe knew how much he loved his children, particularly Ria. It was the truth though; he adored Ria, and he would never hurt her.
Lucien Delano grunted and made a slight nod to indicate that the younger man should sit.
And he went over the details of the man the Capo was about to meet.
*
Ria
She had left with her Mumma and the retinue soon after, as always riding in the car in the middle, with the bulletproof body. Pappa always made sure that Mumma travelled in his car when she was going anywhere and with the highest security detail too. As she glanced over at her beautiful mother who was lying, her head leaning against the seat looking pale, she saw that there was a tell-tale mark on her chest, just below the neckline, glimpsed when her mother did not pull the neck of her pretty outfit up, to cover her chest protectively. A love bite, thought Ria knowingly and her eyes flickered curiously over her mother’s beautiful face.
Pappa could not keep his hands off Mumma, that was clear. Was it like this between every man and woman, she wondered, gazing out at the world racing by outside, the snow coming down in soft flakes as the cars swept by; for she knew that the hunger she felt for Philippe was the same, a driving need to have him in her, to hold him, to kiss him, feel his hands on her.
She sighed, Well, it must be because she was the daughter of the legendary lover, Lucien Delano, she thought her lips turning up in a small smile. He had had a fantastic libido; all the people she knew had mentioned THAT!
And even now, her gaze wandered to her mother’s profile and she smiled. She simply ADORED her parents.
*
Proserpina
When I returned home, I went searching for Tara. The child was not practicing her music as she usually did at this time of the evening. That puzzled me. Leaving the needy baby Rudi in the car of the nurses, I made straight for her room. When I entered, I was surprised to see her laughing, and giggling, with Maddie. When had the child come, I thought, a wave of unease washing over me.
It was not that I had anything against Madeline Nord but her sly, sometimes smirking looks as she looked at us, watched us, put me off. I pinned a smile on my head as the two heads, my daughter’s blonde one and the other, the dark head, turned to me.
I stopped as I saw the hostile looks on their faces, taken aback.
*
Tara’s words caught me on the raw.
“Don’t you know that you should knock before entering, Mumma?’ she shouted, her face pink and flushed.
In a distant part of me, I wondered why she was so offended. Pretending to be unruffled, and smiling pleasantly at them, I advanced into the room,
‘ Hey sweetheart, hello Maddie, ‘ I said lightly, ignoring my daughter’s dark looks and Maddie’s scowl.
And I saw the furtive glances the girls exchanged as Maddie quickly moved the phone from Tara’s hands and slipped it into her own bag.
A sense of unease crept over me. What had they been doing?
*
I knew for certain that Magnus was on drugs; Schwartz had mentioned it when I had cornered him. My friend had looked away, almost guiltily as he admitted that the boy was getting out of hand and his mother was not able to handle him.
He was also aware that the youth was affiliated with a gang that dealt with drugs. This explained why Lucien had been cold and unfriendly when Maja had turned up with her son once.
*
Now I smiled appealingly and made to settle on the side of the bed.
‘I was a little anxious, sweetheart because you did not answer…,’ I began gently but to my shock, Tara cut me off rudely, grey-blue eyes flashing scornfully.
“You are only concerned about the babies you keep having. Like some sow.’
Maddie made a rude noise, kike a smothered snigger and I felt my face heat up in embarrassment.
The words, callous and ugly, made me flinch. This was My daughter talking? The child I had bestowed such love on?
I stood up slowly, feeling the breath coming faster but refusing to show how hurt I was. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Maddie, the smirk on her face, insulting and ugly.
It struck me that the girl was undoubtedly a bad influence on my daughter, who had always been so impressionable.
I smiled awkwardly and left.
My eyes strayed to the plate of cookies I had baked the previous day, which lay carelessly scattered on the floor. I stopped for a second and then changed my mind. I would not pull up my daughter before her friend; it would only widen this chasm between us. But as I shut the door behind me, I felt the pinpricks of tears behind my lids.
***
Tara
The screen lit up and the girls on the bed looked at the message that was appearing on the cloud, excitedly.
Tara glanced at her friend. She had called Maddie over immediately, sharing the news of her secret friendship with the girl. She did not trust her brothers. Dom would definitely snitch! As for Lou; he was also a Mumma’s boy and would tell her.