Owning the Mafia Don

Lucien

He charged down the corridor, dispensing bullets like they were toffee, his face dark with anxiety. He only wanted to get to the woman he loved.

Suddenly a man jumped into their path, firing straight at them.

Lucien felt as though he had been punched in the chest by a massive hand and he crumpled , grunting. Immediately, he felt hands jerking him to his feet and dragging him into a room.

Aiyana, the sweat running down her remarkably composed face, spun around and leapt into the corridor, returning the fire. The man went down in a heap.

Danielle was peering at Lucien as Beston scrabbled to pull off his jacket and vest. There was a terrible ache in the area of his chest but he realised that he had been saved because of the bulletproof vest he was wearing.

He tried to wave away the people who were with him.

‘Let’s go on,’ he barked and pushed himself upright, where he stood, swaying shakily, and intent on getting Proserpina to safety.

As he stepped out, his gun in his hands, Beston shielding him on one side, another of the men guarding the other, Aiyana appeared at his right shoulder.

‘Delano,’ she said, almost panting as she ran to keep up with the burly man,

‘ You need to stay alive to get her out of there.’

She fired almost absently at a man who had sent a volley of bullets their way. Beston indicated that they should duck into a doorway as they needed to take a quick decision.

The corridor branched out in two directions and the billowing smoke made it near impossible to decipher where the woman they had come looking for, had been kept as a prisoner.

‘Let Beston and me do the leading.’ said Aiyana, her hard black eyes filled with angst.

‘You need to stay alive to take her back.’

It was then that Lucien noticed that Aiyana had been hit on the shoulder. There was a rapidly spreading dark stain on her black jacket.

His eyes narrowed but she dismissed the unspoken question he was framing with a wave of her hand.

‘That’s nothing. Just a skin wound.’ And looking across at Beston, who was as unflappable as ever, she jutted out her chin and tilted her head to the right.

The big bearded man grunted impassively.

He would head along the right side while she would move to the left. Lucien scowled.

‘What…?’ began Lucien, bristling at being side lined, when Danielle, who had been muttering abuses under her breath, snapped,

“Boss, you just took a hit on the chest. Your Kevlar helped you or you would be dead.’

And then as he glowered at her,’ Let the FBI here go to the left. I’ll be with her. The other men will stay with you. ‘

And she glanced at the others for confirmation.

“Right, guys?’

Lucien readied that it was necessary to delegate the responsibilities now. He was hurting in the chest but he would not sit around. He grunted and said,

“Aiyana, let’s head left then.’

When Danielle opened her mouth to protest, he barked,

That’s MY woman is there, damn it! She’s suffering because of ME!’

No one said a word but Beston stepped to the door.

” Sting, Lee and Jarvis will be with you. I shall take Das and Stevenson with me.

The rest of the boys’ he nodded at his men, seven of them, as big and silent, as loyal as him,

‘They will create a distraction.’ he raised a burly arm, signalling to his men.

Lucien nodded. The pain in his chest was intense but he knew he would not stay behind.’

‘Let’s go.’ he rasped thickly and they stepped out, firing.

***

Proserpina

My act of bravado, of spitting n his face, earned me a stinging slap. I cried out as I tasted blood. My lip was cut. Oleg wore a heavy signet ring which had struck my mouth flat on.

Xenia stopped Oleg, tugging at his arm, totally discombobulated.

“Come on, you!’ she screamed, almost hysterical with fear. The whites of her eyes seemed to shut out the rest of her face. Her make-up was running, her hair was in a mess and she looked old and frightened.

The force of his blow had left me weak and I could barely stand. One of the men had come forward to force me to my feet while another supported my heavy body. I could feel my stomach had shifted lower…

Yet I was impervious to my pain and discomfort. All I could do was marvel as I sagged in Oleg’s arms while he dragged me forward roughly,

THIS was what my lover could do to a person?’

Despite the pain in my belly as the spasms became more fierce and closer apart, frequent and severe, ignoring the rapid swelling of my cheek and my cut lip, I smiled hazily at the people around me.

The smile of anticipatory joy on my face must have infuriated him for Oleg slammed his fist into my face and I blacked out.

***

Lucien

Aiyana felt the ache in her arm increase with every step.

She knew that it was more than a flesh wound but she was not prepared to make a fuss of it and stay behind.

Her mission was to free the woman who had been kidnapped and put up for sale by these monsters and she would be damned if she did not do it.

Thrusting her square, firm chin out, she walked ahead, swinging her weapon, firing. They had taken up precious moments when divesting Lucien of his Kevlar vest to check if he was wounded. All of them had made sure that their weapons held enough rounds to continue.

She hefted her heavy M4 carbine and walked forward determinedly.

***

Danielle, who was bringing up the rear with one of the men, called out.

“Boss, hey Boss!’ and when the others spun around in alarm, she screamed,

” I can see folks coming out from the room behind us!

And then she screamed again as a grenade was lobbed towards them.

They rushed ahead, narrowly missing the explosion. But Aiyana cried out as she caught her arm on the wall. Her shoulder was now painful and heavy. She could barely lift it.

But sheer willpower made her grit her teeth and turn to meet the concerned eyes of Danielle.

A look passed between the women. But neither said a word.

Danielle looked like a scarecrow, her white-blonde hair with a blue streak, sticking out in clumps about her head. Her expression, normally cool and unperturbed, was wild.

But she reached across and squeezed Aiyana’s good shoulder.

“Sister.’ she mumbled softly.

Aiyana sent her a look, and then they were out again, moving faster, as they knew that they had to find Proserpina immediately or they would all perish. That would include the woman they had come to find.

They rounded a corner and came to an abrupt halt. Oleg stood there, holding a gun to Proserpina’s head, a macabre smile on his face. His big muscular arm was at Proserpina’s nape, Two other men held up the little woman who was not able to stand without support.

Lucien gave a grunt as he saw his wife.

She looked small and half dead, her ashen face haggard with pain and suffering.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

She was being held up by Oleg and another man, her face was bruised, a black eye developing rapidly. Her lip was bleeding.

She was looking straight at Lucien, her eyes riveted on him. he could make out her mouth, those plump lips, twist into a smile.

Her familiar dimpled smile. He felt his heart would burst.

For she was looking into his eyes with such faith and love, he felt himself choking.

Oleg’s cold murderous growl brought him back to the present.

“I will shoot her.’ said Oleg in his cold, heavily accented English