Threat
Proserpina
I looked into the grey eyes of my lover, the love of my life, my husband.
He was studying me, his eyes filled with a soft, wondering expression. A look I had never seen on his face before.
I sat, perched comfortably on his lap, surrounded by my children. Resting my head against his shoulder, I sighed in contentment.
Little Claude had waddled over and was keeping a small plump fist on my thigh, to proclaim that I was HIS mom and not anyone else’s. Piers was leaning against me, and Ria? As always, her father had an arm around his favourite child, his daughter.
I sighed, a feeling of restfulness growing in me,, and traced the hard jaw, rough with stubble; he had not shaved and the grey of his beard was evident. Daringly, with a finger, I began tracing his thin lips the mouth that could reduce me to a blubbering mass…
A rumble from his chest reminded me that we had three interested pairs of eyes on us and I had better stop teasing him or there would be consequences.
I shivered in delight at the thought of the consequences.
‘Woman.’ He growled threateningly and kissed me full on the mouth. I giggled when he raised his head after having been kissed thoroughly by the father of my children.
“Pappa, when will you stop kissing Mumma and talk to us?’ asked Ria crossly, her small fists on her hips, golden braids wagging.
And as Lucien turned to her, his eyes lighting up as they always did when he looked at her, she went on in a bossy tone.
“We do NOT want a silly, wailing baby like Claude.’
She stuck out her tongue at him and he promptly tried to hit her.
Piers giggled and rested his hand on my shoulder.
“What do you say, son?’ said Lucien turning to Piers.
The child tilted his mop of golden hair and frowned, thinking.
I shook with laughter but Lucien tightened his arm around me, his large hand moving to my breast and I felt warm.
“Son?’ he prompted.
‘Hmmm…said Piers, ever the diplomat.
‘Maybe another girl and boy like us, Pappa?’ he said
Ria immediately clapped her hands in glee.
“Yes! I would have a sister!’ she cried and began to dance around the kitchen, singing, ‘I want a sister, a sister, a sister!’
Lucien growled.
‘Hmm…I would love to have another little girl.’Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.
And dropped a swift, hard kiss on my mouth.
Ria danced back, her eyes gleaming as she chirped,
“But you would love me more, right Pappa?’
He kissed the golden head of curls with such tenderness in his expression, I felt my chest tighten. Ria looked up at him, adoration all over her pixie face.
‘May we always be as happy…’ I prayed silently.
***
Lucien looked at his wife at dinner as she moved around, making sure the children ate their salad, seeing that Claude did not spread all his food on his high chair. Even with the maids in attendance, she insisted on doing everything, he thought fondly, his eyes riveted on her full, curvaceous figure and smiling, beautiful face.
She seemed to glow with happiness, he thought reflectively as he attacked the Texas sheet cake with gusto.
‘Damn, but it was simply irresistible.’ he thought as he went for a second helping.
He would have to watch his weight. He had another fight scheduled for this weekend and he wanted to be in form.
When she looked up and met his eyes, she frowned and swayed over to him, an unconsciously seductive roll to her hips as she moved.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you like…’ she began.
Gripping her waist, he hauled her soft body to his and said,
“Why the f*ck did you do all the cooking?’
Her eyes widened in alarm but he reached up, nipping her lower lip and said,
“You should be resting!’
Proserpina threw her head back and chuckled, a throaty laugh that made his c*ck stiffen in lust.
Lowering her head, she murmured, softly, biting his earlobe gently and he stiffened, his body growing tense with longing.
‘I have carried three children in my belly before this…Boss.’
He noticed the small chain with the diamond pendant around her neck, the one that nestled safely between her plump breasts.
The diamond key.
The sign that she belonged to him and only him.
He grunted in satisfaction and her face coloured s she saw him looking at it.
“I never take it off, Master, ‘she whispered teasingly, gently moving her mouth over his hard cheek and pushing his arms away as Claude let out a strident wail.
Moving, she began to serve the children dessert.
Beatrice appeared in the doorway, hands akimbo and scowled.
“And now mebbe you can quit being Flo Nightingale and eat some food yourself?’ she snapped in annoyance.
Proserpina circled the table to hug the old woman.
Lucien watched her, never taking his eyes off his lovely wife. She was radiating contentment.
He wanted her to remain like this, happy and fulfilled.
His c*ck hardened. Yes, tonight he would make love to her. Not use her like he usually did, in a storm of passion.
A sudden feeling of unease crept over him.
He shook it off determinedly.
No, he would ensure that his beautiful wife remained safe and happy always. But the feeling of foreboding remained, lurking within him.
***
In a location far away, a man sat, studying the pictures he had received on his phone.
Dmitri Rudenko.
His thinning red hair barely covered the bald patches on his head. His lanky frame was folded onto a comfortable armchair. The room was large, the furniture dark and the blinds drawn. Dmitri avoided going outside. He knew his life was in danger.
His life was in danger because of his nemesis and arch-enemy, Lucien Delano.
He swivelled in the chair. His thin, cold face hardened.
He had been waiting for the day when he could get back at Lucien Delano.
Finally, he thought, he had all his ducks in a row.
He smiled thinly. Worthington had said that used the phrase, ‘All the ducks are in a row.’
He had a mole in Delano’s fancy gentlemen’s Club. Some fool woman who imagined that after she had served her purpose, they would release her sister.
The sister had been a third-rate porn star in Worthington’s X rated movies. The kind who was raped mercilessly by many men at a time, an act that was captured on camera for the audiences who liked that; thrashed and beaten, and all the while she was dr****d to the teeth.
Some people were stupid he thought, stroking his scanty red beard.
The woman’s sister was long dead. She had been killed during the course of a filming.
Not that anyone had cared. Her body had been dumped in the river and a new woman had been brought in to replace her.
Now he twisted his lips and studied the pictures again.
The woman in the photo was lovely, and she was also very alluring.
Sexy. He smiled. Very sexy. Large breasts, large hips and a look of untouched innocence, of purity.
She was smiling brilliantly at the Security head who had been trying to ask her to get into the house.
Safe from cameras.
Safe from snipers.
He smiled, a curl of his thin lips.
But not safe from him.
Dmitri Rudenko had no use for women. He preferred boys. Young boys.
The younger, the better.
But…he tapped the screen thoughtfully, a smile spreading on his thin, sallow face.
He had planned it carefully.
This delectable-looking woman would be much in demand, he mused, tapping the picture on his screen.
She would also be in demand because of who she was. The wife of one of the most powerful underground Dons.
There were many men who hated Delano. They would be happy to get back at him through his most priceless possession.
HIS WOMAN.
He smiled again, a cruel smile.
Lucien Delano had kept this one protected and safe for too long.
Too bad, thought Dmitri Rudenko