When the Mafia Don got home, his Woman was awake but very anxious. The youngest twins were ill, seriously so and she was too caught up with them to do more than exchange a quick kiss, hard, brief and possessive, on her husband’s side, before returning to her sons. The infants were close to three years now, and generally behaved like young Dons themselves, trying to boss their nurses about. But when they fell sick, went back to being babies, insisting on having their mother beside them.
I’ll tell her about Gabriela later, thought the Don as he stretched out on his huge bed, wishing Proserpina was beside him, her warm, fragrant body cuddled against him…
*
Serena came over in the morning, and Bianca threw her arms around the flame-coloured headed woman, much to Serena’s surprise.
O’Grady wanted to leave for his casinos and his practice, for the date for the fight was looming alarmingly near.
Now that her university was due to open in a couple of weeks, Bianca was excited to begin her new journey. But neither of her Masters was willing to let her stay alone or go out by herself.
The young fiancee of Louis Delano was working on a case which involved visiting the seedier parts of the city. She was also due to join Proserpina Delano and Karina, who worked at the soup kitchens run by the Delano mob on Mondays every week.
When Serena suggested that Bianca accompany her, Bianca was gung-ho. She was still in awe of the Mafia don’s woman and was at a loose end. O’Grady was also happy to know that his Pet would be with Serena, the capable PI who would protect the younger Bianca.
Hours later, they were at the soup kitchen. Proserpina Delano arrived a few minutes later, with Karina in tow.
She seemed a little tired, thought Bianca as she was swept into the woman’s embrace and then, they were busy.
It had been Proserpina’s idea to begin the soup kitchen at the spot where her husband, Lucien Delano had spent his growing-up years, a seedier area of Hollowford that Bianca had never seen before. But Proserpina had been adamant and of course, the Mafia Don had given in to her. It was another matter that she was always accompanied by a posse of gunmen who only left her side when she visited the washrooms.
Now, as Bianca worked alongside Serena, Karina and the Mafia Don’s wife, she watched the people who turned up. Old men and women, the homeless who slept under the bridges or behind dumpsters…She looked again at Proserpina in admiration. The woman was a force to be respected!
Three hours later, they were preparing to wrap up and leave the people who helped Proserpina, to complete the work.
Her twins were not keeping well, Proserpina had said with a weary smile and she wanted to get back home.
Now, as Proserpina headed to the washroom, Bianca happened to glance around.
She watched, in mild curiosity as a tall figure in a hoody detached itself from the long queue of people waiting for the food and trailed after Proserpina. Puzzled, Bianca thought she noticed something vaguely familiar about the person who had gone after Proserpina, for the gunman who accompanied the Mafia Don’s woman, was waiting outside.
Ten minutes went by and there was no sign of Proserpina.
A sudden feeling of unease invaded her and Bianca began to walk to the washroom.
*
Proserpina looked up as a woman entered the small washroom behind her. Although the Mafia Don’s woman had a ready smile on her face, she looked a little perturbed when the woman who had entered stepped forward swiftly and grabbed her throat, placing a hand over her mouth, preventing Proserpina from screaming. Meeting Proserpina’s soft brown eyes , alarmed and wide now, as she stared at the woman in the mirror, Gabriella, who had been the one disguised as a homeless woman, tossed back her hood, revealing her curly black hair, and revealing her cold blue eyes.
“So, you are Proserpina, Lucien’s wife?” she sneered and with a quickening of her breathing, Proserpina realised, her heart sinking, that this woman shared a past with her husband.
She remained silent, for now, she could feel the cold metal against her neck and knew that the woman had a knife.
Lowering her face, and meeting Proserpina’s eyes in the mirror, Gabriela said nothing for a long moment. Then she murmured with a mirthless chuckle,
“You are a brave woman, Proserpina Delano.”
And then, she deliberately lifted the knife, preparing to strike when the door flew open behind them and Bianca stumbled in.
Gabriela turned, fury on her face. She had only managed to nick Proserpina’s neck , but the bleeding was profuse and Bianca flew at her, kicking, clawing and scratching the taller woman wildly in an effort to save Proserpina. Gabriella lunged out and hit Bianca hard even as the knife clattered to the floor uselessly. Bianca managed to hit the taller woman hard before Gabreilla rushed out.
The woman had earlier incapacitated the guard standing outside and the man had fallen in a heap, tasered into an unresponsive heap.
Proserpina was leaning against the wall, her eyes glazed.
Because just before she raised her arm to strike the blade, Gabriella had whispered,
“Tell Lucien this is from his former lover, Gabriella.”
*
Liam O’Grady was at Bianca’s side when he heard of the attack, and St Just reached her in a short while too.
Holding her to his chest, the Irishman growled,
“Lassie, those are dangerous folks…” he kissed her, almost feverishly while she exclaimed, laughing helplessly,
“O’Grady, I’m alright!!!”
When Piers heard of the attack on his Mumma, he promptly flew into a rage.
Hila watched him silently, her arms folded.
Piers was especially close to his mother and had always felt that she had been too soft on her philandering husband. He blamed his father for putting his mother through hell in the early years of their relationship, a fact that had always rankled in him. Now, he rose, his body trembling with rage.
“I’m going to see Mumma.,” he growled, his voice low with anger and Louis and Claude, who had been with him, rose and followed him as he strode out.
“And I shall speak to Pappa,” he added, leaving them in no doubt about what was going to follow.