Proserpina
They say the morning after you spend your first night with your lover is a magical one. For me, it took three children and a whole lot of heartache to experience that feeling!!!
It was obvious that Lucien did not want to leave to attend to his business that day. He had come back to my room after breakfast and we had spent the time in each other's arms. There were so many things to say which lay unsaid between us. But healing would take time although I knew that the process had begun.
I gave myself up to his lovemaking which was tempered with gentleness as he caressed my rounded belly and made me cry with the exquisite feelings of joy...
***
I had cooked up a storm that afternoon when Lucien turned up with Schwartz and Shark in tow. Lucien followed me to the bedroom, his hands roving over my body as we kissed hungrily.
Ria and Piers seemed rather annoyed at lunch and I was genuinely puzzled. They had seemed fine as they went about their riotous games in the morning. Besides, they had been clinging to Schwarz as Lucien and I had left the room. I had felt Shark's interested gaze on me and Schwartz's brooding look as we headed to the bedroom, my husband and I. As I served the pilau, the Indian flavoured rice with chicken which was a favourite of Ria's, Lucien slipped his hand around my waist, cupping my ass surreptitiously as I filled his plate. I felt my cheeks flame as I looked up and met Schwartz enigmatic gaze.
Ria opened her mouth, her face stormy, cheeks pink with anger and demanded,
"Pappa, where is Mumma's kitten?'
I stared at her in astonishment.
True, the twins had been clamoring for a pet but a cat? MY cat? What was the child raving about? I asked myself in bewilderment.
Even as I opened my mouth to ask her, Lucien rumbled, slight amusement in his voice,
"What do you mean, princess? Your Mumma does not have a pet cat.'
Ria swivelled in her chair and glared at Shark who stopped eating, his spoon poised midway to his mouth.
Pointing a quivering finger at him accusatorily, Ria cried in outrage,
" But Unca Shark said so.'
And went on triumphantly, in a loud, carrying voice,
'He said, Pappa loves Mumma's pussy but Uncle Schwartz said no, Pappa loves Mumma.'
I almost dropped the bowl of rice in my embarrassment. Sensing my distress, Lucien gripped my wrist and pulled me closer, so that I was half leaning on him as he sat, his arm encircling my waist. he shifted and pulled me squarely onto his lap. I blushed, aware of the observant eyes of everyone in the room.
"Yes, Uncle Shark will be punished for telling lies.' He declared calmly. But his eyes glinted as he looked at Shark. There was no hiding the annoyance in him.
Later, aware of the amused glances of the staff the redfaced Shark scooted away soon after accompanied by a strangely silent Schwartz.
That child will be the death of me, I thought in despair as I dozed off.
^
Lucien
It was mid-afternoon and he had been deep in the real-time discussion with his counterpart in Columbia about an upcoming arms deal when Shark had walked in, looking disconcerted. He had come to the townhouse after breakfast and was planning to leave for home in a few hours' time. Now he looked up impatiently as his old friend walked in, taken aback by the look of anxiety on Shark's face. His friend generally went through life with a devil-may-care attitude that hid his damaged soul. Now he appeared stressed.
It was strange for him to appear so upset, which made Lucien wind up his call quickly.
Now, almost three hours later, he was still coming to terms with the fact that he had unleashed a violent monster that day when he had killed Dmitri's brother Ivan.
A vengeful beast who was preparing to wreak vengeance upon Lucien's family.
*
The news that Shark had just conveyed to him was alarming enough to make him want to rush to meet Proserpina again.
Dmitri had never forgiven Lucien. When the bomb Dmitri's men had placed in Schwartz's SUV had gone off killing his young wife and son instantaneously, it had been Lucien who had cold-bloodedly set about devising a plan to take down Dmitri. Knowing that for the East European ganglord, his younger brother Ivan was his life and soul, Lucien had set in motion an elaborate plan to kill Ivan.
Ivan was known for his penchant for young women, minor girls in particular. Lucien had laid a trap and had enticed Ivan to a session of rough sex involving two underage girls. But when Ivan, ever lascivious, with a reputation for sadism, had turned up, Lucien had been waiting for him.
He had killed the man himself, never regretting till now, the slow, painful and violent manner of the man's death.
He had never regretted it till today. Not even Dmitri's attempts to kill him had bothered Lucien till now. Yes, he had been maimed for life when Dmitri's men had injured him in the thigh. But apart from a permanent limp, Lucien had been indomitable.
Until today.
When he re-read the note Dmitri had left attached to the body of one of Lucien's foot soldiers, Lucien clenched his big fists in impotent fury.
The unfortunate henchman of Lucien's a youth called Paris had been collecting information on Dmitri's whereabouts. He had been captured and killed in a gory fashion. His body was left with the letter addressed to Lucien in his bloodied pocket.
***
Schwartz stood looking at him as Lucien paced up and down before the large windows that overlooked the street. He had begun to drink since he saw the note and he had not stopped. Shark was slouching on an armchair, a look of disquiet on his rather sallow face.
He sighed and ran his hand through his lank yellow ponytail and looked at Lucien again.
'I thought I should let you know immediately, Lucien', he said for what was probably the fifth time.
Lucien stopped and stood, staring down at the traffic on the street below.
Shark had brought him the news; that Dmitri was planning to get back at him by targeting his family. His children. His wife.
The note had been simple.
You have a pretty wife and a child growing in her. I have nothing to lose.
The words had made him go berserk. He had immediately called Beston to order him to increase the security detail on his family. Sita Kumar was with Proserpina, he discovered. He rang up his surprised wife who had been resting and hearing her voice, melodious and husky, a note of pleasure in her tone as she spoke to him, made him want to rush home and gather her in his arms. "Where are you?" He questioned gruffly,
What are you doing?'
She had giggled, a tinkling sound as she said in a soft voice,
' I'm feeling a little exhausted after last night, Lucien.' Her voice was breathy and she sounded shy
He grunted. Just thinking of how he had fu*ked her during the night made him harden.
'Are you feeling ok?' he asked his voice low, unused to asking such questions.
This time she laughed out loud,
"I want you with me, Lucien.' She said softly.
"Is Sita there with you?' he asked sharply. A pause.
"Why, yes,' said Proserpina sounding a little surprised. 'In fact, she came to my room a while ago and insisted on remaining here....and then after a pause, her voice sharper, Proserpina asked,
"Lucien, what is it?'
He managed to defuse the situation by asking her something else but he felt better. Sita would guard his wife. She was a trained assassin. As for his children, a few new staff members had entered his household, again, men and women he had personally chosen to guard his children. He was not going to take any chances.
Yet the news that Dmitri was preparing to target his family had unsettled him more than he cared to acknowledge. The man would never rest until he had hurt Lucien.
He kicked himself again, mentally, the scowl on his face deepening,
With Proserpina expecting their third child, he felt more distraught. The little ones had also wormed their way into his life. He looked forward to Ria's chirping and Piers solemn eyes following him. As for their mother...he felt the familiar tightening in his groin as he thought back to the night he had spent with her.
"Fuck!' he swore, ' I should never have exposed them to this...'
His friends exchanged glances but said nothing.
Finally, Schwartz broke the tense silence and remarked,
'We'll beef up the men at our house. I've already spoken to Beston. He's got his best men on the job there.'
Inspite of the assurances, Lucien had a sense of deep foreboding. It remained with him like a shadow in the corners of the large room throughout the day.
Later in the evening as he was leaving, Schwartz rang him.
'Don't forget the party I'm throwing tomorrow.' He grinned amicably.
Lucien grunted as he continued to the door, his bodyguards flanking him. He was limping slightly, a sure sign that he was annoyed.
'Make sure to get Proserpina.' Added Schwartz before he rang off.
Scowling, Lucien got into the car but he felt uneasy.