A few days before

The underground fight club was being revived. It had been Lucien's idea and he had decided he would regularly take part in the fights. But reality struck hard. Once a week was definitely out and this was because of the huge protests from Proserpina.

His woman hated the thought of beating up anyone, even for a game, a gamble, in the ring. She was more a Buddhist than anything else, he thought fondly, watching her now as she turned her large brown eyes to him, shock and disbelief on her pretty face.

"No, Lucien!' she cried in dismay, staring at him in horror when Schwartz had accidentally brought up the matter during dinner one night.

''Please, tell me you are not going to fight anyone!' The alarm in her voice, the note of desperation made him feel guilty.

The Boss watched his wife, saw the look on her face and knew he should have prepared her for the news beforehand. But she was such a gentle soul, he had been loath to tell her. He wanted to protect her from the world outside their house,

Now she stopped midway between spooning food into baby Claude's mouth and the little fellow let off an ear-splitting, lusty roar.

Schwartz shook his head and grinned,

"Delano mate, he's got your temper.'

***

It had all begun at the dining table.

Schwartz often came to lunch and stayed on to leave after dinner. There was a room for him in the house and on many an occasion, he stayed overnight, comfortable in the knowledge that he was regarded as family. A man could get addicted to Proserpina's cooking.

That night it was California roll, a dish that the Mafia Don and the kids loved. His Woman prepared the dish in such a delicious way that, Lucien could never have enough of it.

Ria had been eating the sticky rice with relish and she had stopped to stare at her parents, moving her eyes from one face to the other as she chewed the crabmeat pensively.

"Pappa? Are YOU going to fight? Seriously?'

Her voice held awe and some excitement and Lucien smiled at her. He adored his daughter, she was clearly his favourite. She took after him and she always sat beside him at mealtimes, narrating every single incident that had happened during the day.

Now her pale blue-grey eyes, so like his, were round as saucers as she stopped eating to look at him in wonder. The thought came to his mind, unbidden, that she would definitely take over his empire in the future, with a whole lot of toughness and spirit.

Her twin, Piers frowned in some distaste. He was a soft-hearted child, forever tending to injured birds and stray animals who ventured to the formidable gates.

Lucien glared at Schwartz who had the grace to look sheepish,, but he went on with his meal nonchalantly, shamelessly asking for seconds while Lucien looked at his Woman.

Proserpina looked hurt, her soft mouth turned down at the corners and she avoided looking at him for the rest of the meal.

He knew he would have to pacify her and he knew just the way.

***

Every Friday. That was how he had planned it.

He had begun his career as a fighter years ago before becoming a feared arms dealer, the Don who ruled the West Coast. He had killed men on more than one occasion, barehanded as well, had even shot dead his best friend who had threatened to sell his woman.

But this time, he had a reason for entering the ring.

The sound of hip-hop music in the background, the ring girls prancing around in their skimpy outfits, the sound of crowds roaring cheering, the iron smell of blood and sweat as he had beaten his opponents, hitting them till the others had to intervene. Those were his memories of his career.

Yes, he was older today, the look in his Woman's eyes as she stared at him told him that he had a lot to lose if he failed.

But as a famous fighter had once remarked,

"… it's a place to kill beef and release aggressions"

Yes, he had a great deal of aggression to release.

But damn it, he had a reason.

The crowds who visited his club were people who enjoyed such sport. He would give it to them.

And he wanted to draw in Dmitri.

But for that, he would need to bring in Dana.

Dana.

The woman who had been one of his first lovers when they were little more than teenagers. The girl who had been as much of a sexual predator as he had been in those days. They had enjoyed the fierce, sometimes kinky sex they had shared and had quenched each other's appetites, kinky as it had been then. Dana had kept turning up even after she had moved on to become a porn star, starting as a very junior artiste, to becoming a star in her own right.

Now she was ageing, despite all the surgeries. They had kept reuniting off and on for physical trysts for some years.

She had been willing to sleep with his partners too but always made it clear that she preferred to be shagged by Lucien although he was rough. His lips twisted thinly. Yes, they had had threesomes when Shark was alive although Schwartz had never seemed too keen.

She had always gravitated to Lucien. Even when they had fallen asleep, the three of them, Shark, Dana and Lucien-the Mafia Don would come awake to her servicing him , her thick lips wrapped around his member, drooling as she sucked him off greedily, while Shark used to watch enviously.

"We are two of the same kind, Lucien and I,' she would purr, 'and we will be together when we are old,'

But once Proserpina had entered his life, things had changed. He could not think of another woman in bed with him; it was only His Woman whom he desired to hold, to claim; to feel the kind of sexual satisfaction that she gave him, to feel her soft body opening to him when he rose to claim her, whenever he wished.

Lucien Delano had changed, drastically.

He knew that he could not be without his Woman.

Ever again.

But he needed to have Dana with him now.

He wanted to use her knowledge to find out where Dmitri was holed up.

He did not want to hurt Proserpina but his need to protect his family was greater.