Lucien
He wiped his lips and tossed the napkin down. Looking around, he saw the satisfied faces of his guests. As usual, he thought approvingly, his Woman had outdone herself. The flavored rice, with the taste of spices, had been subtle and delicious. The chicken she had prepared to go along with it, which was called Tandoori chicken, had been exquisite and O’Connor had been in raptures. But then, he was always like that, observed Lucien, his eyes moving over his old friend.
The man’s dramatic utterances and cheerful, almost benign little goblin looks, made him a guest who could hold the attention of the guests with ease , with his many stories.
Patrick O’Connor had been in his element, flooding his eager audiences with myths from his country. Tara had listened wide-eyed as he narrated the tale of the Banshee. Right now, he was onto the myth of the Children of the Lir.
His eyes kept roving to Proserpina, repeatedly, and he seemed to wait for her to smile and applaud, a fact that did not miss the attention of the Mafia Don. Lucien Delano had seated his wife to his left and his daughter, Ria, sat on his right.
Proserpina was eating the dessert very delicately and he felt his groin tighten with desire as he looked at her soft, full and moist lips. With an effort, he shifted his attention to the dessert, again, an Indian one, Ras malai accompanied by tiny golden, crisp, sugary circles that had been deep-fried, and which were called Jalebis.
“Out of this world,’ sighed Melissa appreciatively smacking her lips.
The Don sighed. He had had too much; now he needed to get O’Connor into his study and talk business.
*
Maja gazed down the length of the table in some trepidation. Something about Lucien Delano unsettled her. The man’s cold, pale eyes seemed to see into her very soul and she felt totally out of ease.
She sighed and took up her fork, gobbling down the tasty repast.
*
When Lucien rose and tossed his napkin down, everyone stopped respectfully, to regard him.
“O’Connor, my study,’ he barked, his eyes moving to Schwartz in a silent command.
The men rose at once and so did Proserpina. ‘Send the coffee to the study, Woman,’ he growled as he glanced at his wife and then, the Boss was striding out of the room, his men following him like puppies, thought O’Connor. The Irishman bowed, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Proserpina and she felt herself flush when she saw the admiration, the quick flash of desire.
*
The fumes of cigars filled the room and Lucien ordered his men to keep the long floor-to-ceiling windows open. The muted lights around the desk threw shadows on the walls as the men murmured. Guards were patrolling the area outside and Lucien knew that no one could overhear his conversation. Schwartz sat beside the Don, his long legs crossed, fingers steepled as he leaned back and listened .
The Don had shed his dinner jacket and O’Connor had followed his example.
And as was his wont, Lucien Delano was sipping from his tumbler of brandy. He could still put away large amounts of alcohol although his intake had reduced over the years, particularly because of the influence of his Woman.
Now, his hard grey eyes narrowed, he listened carefully as the Irishman spoke.
‘ Yer one over there,’ declared O’Connor, waving his hand in the air,’ Says that the monk is planning something very dangerous.’ He stopped to sip from his brandy before going on.
‘He has linked his drug supply and distribution to the flesh trade, d’you know?’
The man raised his brows as Lucien sipped, without making any kind of reaction.
‘Trafficking young children and teenagers,’ he went on softly and saw the flicker of emotion in the Mafia Don’s eyes..
“And he calls himself a man of the cloth?’ burst out Schwartz, in shock and anger.
‘Well, well, fella…’ said the Irishman in a condescending tone before he quaffed down the drink.
*
Proserpina
The meeting was going to go on till the wee hours of the morning, Schwartz had warned me and I stretched sleepily. I was in the nursery, having just finished feeding Baby Rudi. As I buttoned up my dress and lifted the baby in my arms to burp him, I felt a pair of eyes on me. The maid had gone off to bed and the nanny who came into the nursery at night, was on her way over to the house from the cottage on the grounds.
I stopped as I met the gleaming eyes of Lucien’s guest, O’Connor.
“Ah, look at the wee babe and his lovely Mamma,’ he cooed as she entered the room. I stepped away, but the man advanced, hands outstretched as though to take my baby. I shook my head and smiled uncertainly. He reeked of drink.
As he went on,
‘Can I see the littlest Delano, now?,’ I reluctantly lowered my babe and felt his hands, as he reached out to touch Rudi. His hand grabbed my full breast and I recoiled in horror ,’ Oops, sorry,’ he beamed but the eyes were alert and dancing with devilish glee and lust.
Glaring at him, I pushed his hand away as best as I could but he came closer, hedging me in, his eyes glazed with lust as they rested on my slightly exposed breast.
Even as he stepped forward, a voice interrupted him,
“Mate, I thought you were heading to the washroom?’ and Schwartz stepped in. His expression was seemingly blank but I saw the white lines of anger running from his nose to his mouth and the fists clenched in fury. O’Connor looked at him and turned to look at me,
“Ah, Milady has many warriors. ‘
And he moved away, still smiling in a guileless manner.
I let out the breath I had been holding and almost sagged in relief. I did not want to tell Lucien for I knew his fierce, violent temper. And I also knew that getting O”Connor here was meant to get him on Lucien’s side.
Schwartz came to me, his eyes wide with apprehension.
“Proserpina, m’eudail, are you alright? Did that …?’
I shook my head and then, I was in his arms as he held my trembling form. He gently took Rudi from my arms and placed him tenderly in the cot. Then, he turned to me , his hands on my upper arms.
“Did that fellow…?’
I shook my head.
Lucien’s cold, clipped voice broke into our shared moment and I jumped. Guiltily
With a start, I realized that I was in Schwartz’s arms.
My husband stood in the doorway. His furious gaze was on my mouth and I felt my heart sink as I jerkily pushed myself out of the warm, secure circle of Schwartz’s arms.
Schwartz began to explain, earnestly, ‘Mate, O’Connor…’
But I gripped his arm warningly as I saw the frightening flash of fury in my husband’s cold, flat eyes.
“What about O”Connor,’ he growled menacingly.
I stepped before my best friend, adjusting my dress as I smiled, hesitantly.
‘Nothing, Gaston…” I said it softly and his eyes narrowed as they swept over me, cold and expressionless.
“Then get the f*ck here, man,’ he growled and then, he turned and disappeared
‘Wh…?’ began Schwartz but I stopped him
I knew that if my husband knew what O” Connor had tried to do, he would kill the man with his bare hands and I did not want that.
*
Tara
Her lower lip trembled as her friend bounded away, taking the phone with her. Maddie and she had had a spat of sorts. The other girl had insisted that she take the phone with her for the night as it was she had argued firmly, legally and by all rights, Hers. Tara had pleaded and begged but finally, she had been left with no choice.
Now she watched hollowly, as Maddie waved in a quick, taunting gesture before she sauntered out with her mother.
Ria noticed her sister, who looked as though the world had caved in.
‘Hey, baby,’ she said softly, stepping towards her sister but with a dark look at her sibling, Tara turned away and ran up the stairs, leaving her confused-looking sister standing and staring after her.
*
Piers
He lay stretched out in bed, studying the recording from the men who had begun the stakeout at Ava’s place. He could make out the woman standing by her window, staring out into space. The zoom-in feature made it possible to make out the weariness in the woman’s posture, the shoulders slightly slumped as she stood motionless. A cat had just leaped down from the window and disappeared into the bushes bordering the building.
‘Who are you?’ he thought, trailing a finger over the frozen image. For she seemed to have no friends, a loner. A Ghost
But that one look of Sanz, hobbling away after whatever had happened in that corridor, had left him intrigued. He wanted to find out more about her; she was hiding something.
*
Proserpina
Lucien had left for the Club again. He had gone soon after O’Connor’s car had driven away and with barely a nod at me, my husband had followed in his cavalcade of cars. Schwartz had avoided looking in my direction and I knew he was feeling embarrassed at having kissed me so passionately. Melissa hugged me warmly as did Grace as they were leaving. Danielle gave me a rough, quick hug while Aiyana smiled as she walked away.
And then, we were all alone and the clock showed the time to be a little past two in the morning. Sighing, I made my way back to my lonely bedroom.
*
Philippe
He reached the Delano mansion at a little after three in the morning. It was still dark and cold but he felt the familiar rush of joy as the car drove up the driveway.
The physiotherapist had told him about the exercises he was to do and he felt that the headache had reduced in intensity.
But it was the thought of meeting Ria that gave him a lighter step as he entered the dark, silent house. He wanted to see her, to give her a surprise and he had informed Tony Beston of his intention to spend the night in the Big House.
Now he trod, silently, swiftly, for a large man of his size and bulk. As he approached Ria’s door, he prayed that they would not wake Piers who had the rom beside his twin.
Ria opened the door, sleepily, her long blonde hair tousled, rubbing her eyes as she said, ‘Mumma, what time…?’And then she opened her mouth to shriek as she saw who it was. Philippe grinned and clapped a hand over her mouth and pushing her in, he entered, an arm round her, his mouth fused to her soft, warm lips as he shut the door softly behind then and locked it.
Ria was digging her hands into him, breathlessly stopping to ask,
“Why…I mean, how…?
But the feel of the woman in his arms made the Capo crazed with desire; he gripped her hair and kissed her hungrily, his free hand going up beneath her night dress to feel the warm flesh, soft and inviting.
Ria moaned and threw her head back as he pushed her backwards to the bed then, he was undoing his jeans and she greedily stroked his long, thick member, which was dripping moisture at the tip.
‘” Princess,’ he groaned like a man who was too desperate for coherent speech, and then, he was inside her willing core, ramming into her wetness for she was ready for his invasion, wrapping her legs around his waist, digging her nails into his strong back as he pounded his c*ck into her.
‘F*ck me, Philippe, she heard herself begging hoarsely, ‘Ahhh…’ she sighed and he kissed her as he touched her G-spot and she shudder with a bliss she had only heard of.
His mouth moved to her peaked nipples and he suckled at them, hard and demanding, as she feverishly rocked her hips beneath him, allowing him full power over her…