by Harley Wylde
I snorted and then laughed. “We’ll watch it together sometime, and you can show me your favorites. Then I’ll show you mine.”
“Deal.”
“Rest, baby, then take a hot bath. I need to run to town in a bit, but I’ll post a Prospect outside in case you need anything. Don’t answer the fucking door naked, Del. I swear you won’t like the punishment you get if you do. Don’t test me.”
“All right.” She smiled sleepily. “You know you’re the only one I really want looking at me anyway. It’s always been you.”
I leaned down and kissed her, then I headed into the bathroom to get cleaned up. I hadn’t lied. I really did need to go into town. When I realized that Delphine had made a mess of my clothes, I stripped out of them and decided to take a quick shower. After pulling on clean clothes, I checked on my sleeping beauty, then headed to the clubhouse. I wanted to check in with Wire before I left. Depending on what he found out, I might need to make an extra stop along the way.
When I got to the clubhouse, there were only a few bikes out front. I’d expected most of the single Reapers to be here, the party just getting started. The place was rather subdued compared to normal. I went up the steps and pushed the door open. A few Prospects were hanging around and two patched members. I gave them a nod as I went in the back to find Wire. His door was shut, but I knocked anyway, hoping he was there. I knew he had a house inside the compound and only used this room for work.
The door swung open and he motioned for me to step inside. I shut the door and leaned against the wall, my arms folded over my chest. Wire ran a hand through his hair and waved a hand at the monitors.
“Tia Lee is into some serious shit, and none of it good. From what I can tell, before she met Hwan Lee, she was hanging with the dregs of society. And not just hanging out. She’s helped with drug deals, and even set up some young ladies to fall into a certain pimp’s hands. All so she could line her own pockets.”
“And now she’s after my Delphine?” I asked.
“From what I’ve been able to figure out, she expected to inherit everything. While the life insurance policy wasn’t all that large, Hwan’s business is worth a decent amount. Even if she had gotten everything, it wouldn’t have lasted her very long. Not with the way she spends money.”
“So what are we going to do? Is this a Reapers situation or a law kind of thing?”
“I don’t have proof that she’s after Delphine, but I did find evidence of her receiving large sums of money from known drug dealers and the pimp I mentioned. I’m not sure if it’s enough for the police to arrest her, but they will definitely bring her in for questioning and will likely keep a close eye on her for a while.”
“Delphine said she thought her stepmom had hired someone.”
Wire nodded. “There was about five grand transferred to two known thugs right after the will was read. They’re likely the ones who are after Delphine. As long as she remains behind these gates, she’s fine, but you can’t keep her caged forever,” Wire said. “We could always take out those men and send Tia Lee a message.”
“Make the arrangements. Get those men here, and I’ll take care of it. Right now, I need to run a few errands in town. Text me when it’s time.”
Wire nodded. “I’ll let Torch know what’s going on, and Venom. You know you have their support. Delphine is one of us now, and we protect our own.”
I slapped Wire on the back. “Thanks, brother.”
I left the clubhouse and rode my bike into town. I checked on my shop and decided to stop by Hwan’s. With Delphine stuck at the compound, I figured someone should see how things were going. Then made a special stop at the Sensual Delights adult store. I grabbed a few toys I thought Delphine might enjoy, stocked up on batteries, and then headed back to the compound. Even though I knew she was safe behind the gates, I didn’t like leaving her. The thought of her stepmom getting her hands on Delphine made my blood run cold.
Whether my woman liked it or not, she was under house arrest until all this was sorted out.
Chapter Five
Delphine
The intensity of what happened between me and Mason on the sun porch must have drained me more than I’d realized. I’d slept through the rest of the day and into the next. Even though I’d been up and moving in the days since then, I was still feeling a little lethargic. Guess really great sex could take it out of you. Not that I’d had anything to go by except for what I’d read in books or watched on TV.
I’d fallen asleep during the day, again, and it was already dark outside. I could hear Mason banging around in the kitchen. I groaned as I pulled myself out of the bed, and I used the bathroom while the large tub filled with steamy, hot water. There was a small box on the bathroom counter with the things from my apartment that I had yet to put away, even though Mason insisted this was my home now. I dug around until I found the bath minerals I used whenever I was hurting after a long day at work at the diner, a job I’d hung on to even after I inherited Dad’s place. Or tried to. My hours had been drastically cut already.
Shit. I hadn’t called my work since I’d been here, which meant I now didn’t have a job. And I hadn’t called the tattoo shop to let them know I couldn’t be around until this was sorted. I wanted to bang my head on the wall in frustration, but knew that would only give me a headache. Instead, I added the minerals to the water, then turned off the taps and dimmed the bathroom lights. I tied my hair up in a knot on top of my head and got into the tub. I winced as my skin stung from the heat and started to turn red, but I knew I would adjust in a minute or two. Anytime I tried to fill the tub with less than burning hot water, within five minutes I was cold.
I tipped my head back and sank up to my neck in the water. The soothing scents of eucalyptus, lemon grass, and mint teased my nose. I breathed in deep, then exhaled slowly, already feeling more relaxed than I had in days. Who would have guessed that having lots of sex could make your muscles sore? Well, probably everyone who had ever had sex, but I was still new to all this.
When my fingers started to prune, I drained the water and got out. With a towel wrapped around me, I went in search of my clothes and had to dig through more boxes in the corner of the bedroom. I really needed to settle in, but I think some part of me worried that Mason would get tired of me and ask me to leave. I tried not to think that way, but after the way he’d left when I was sixteen and how broken I’d felt when I realized he was never coming back, it was hard to believe he wanted me for the long haul. Yeah, I was an adult now, but I guess I was still insecure when it came to him.
Since it was night already, I pulled out my favorite pair of panties and my comfy pajamas. As I looked down at myself, my lips twisted and I wondered how Mason felt about kittens, since my pink pajamas were covered in the balls of fluff. Sexy was not the word I’d ever use to describe my everyday sleepwear, but then I’d never had anyone to impress. I did own a few skimpier tanks and short sets, but I never wore them. So far, I’d just slept naked with Zipper, but I refused to wander the house without clothes, unless he’d ordered me to.
I found him in the kitchen setting the table with two plates heaped with spaghetti and large meatballs. It smelled divine, and my stomach rumbled in anticipation. He looked me over, but it wasn’t laughter I saw in his eyes, like I’d expected.
“You look like some sweet, innocent little girl. I suddenly feel like a dirty old man because even that outfit doesn’t diminish how much I want you. If I didn’t know you had to be starving by now, I’d bend you over the table and pull those kitten pajamas down to your knees.”
I snorted as I fought back a laugh. “Maybe you are a dirty old man if these pajamas turned you on.”
He winked. “Or it’s just the goddess wearing them. Believe me, baby, you’re sexy in anything. Although, I definitely prefer you in nothing at all.”
My stomach growled again and he sighed, then patted a chair. Looked like sexy time was put on hold long enough to feed whatever monster had taken up res
idence in my stomach. I reached for a bowl in the center that looked like it had freshly grated cheese, and spooned some over my pasta. The sauce was still hot enough that the cheese started to melt before I’d had a chance to take my first bite.
“There’s more if you’re still hungry after that,” he said. “I was going to make garlic bread, but I didn’t have enough garlic for the sauce and the toast.”
I’d just taken a bite and my eyes went wide as the flavors burst on my tongue. “You made this? Like from scratch?”
He’d mostly ordered pizza and Chinese since I’d been here, or requested food from the clubhouse and had a Prospect deliver it. This was the first time I’d seen him really cook in the kitchen, other than throwing together a simple breakfast or making sandwiches for lunch. It was also the first time either of our culinary skills had come up in conversation. Guess we’d been focused on other things, like how many times we could make each other come.
He nodded. “I got tired of eating shitty food or having to eat out, so I picked up some cookbooks and taught myself how to make a few decent meals. This is one of them. I can also make shepherd’s pie, chili, and chicken n’ dumplings.”
“I thought you couldn’t cook.”
“I suck at breakfast stuff. I can make those few dinners, and I can grill. That’s the extent of my culinary expertise. It beats going out for greasy food every night. I tried making biscuits from scratch, tried omelets, and tried waffles. I screwed them all up.”
I ate another bite, savoring just how damn good it was. “I can make breakfast. And Dad taught me to make a few Korean meals. Mine aren’t as good as his were, but they’re all right.”
“I’m sorry about your dad,” he said softly. “Hwan was a great guy, and he died too young. Not too sure he’d have liked to know you were here with me, though. I’m probably not the kind of guy he pictured with his only daughter.”
“Smart? Good-looking? Hard-working? Artistic?” I asked. “Dad saw the man behind the Dixie Reapers cut, and you know it. I know he missed you after you left, and I felt like shit because I’d known it was my fault you were gone.”
“You don’t know what an old lady is, but you remember what a cut is?” he asked, a slight smile on his lips.
“Well, you never really talked about having an old lady, but I remember calling your cut a vest the first time I saw it and you corrected me. I always remembered the stuff you said.”
“Wire found out some stuff about your stepmom. I should have told you sooner, but I was hoping he’d found out something new, like maybe she’d gotten arrested or hit by a bus. I wish I knew how she’d gotten to Hwan. She’s in some serious shit, Delphine, and I don’t think she’s going to stop coming for you until we make her. Wire thinks he has enough to have the cops bring her in for questioning, but there’s no guarantee she’ll get locked up, or that she’ll stop the hit she put on you.”
“So, what are you going to do?” I asked.
“First, I’m going to take care of the two men she hired to kill you. And I’m going to use them to send her a message. We’ll see how she reacts, and then I’ll plan my next move.”
“Just don’t do anything to get locked up, okay?”
He nodded. “There’s one other matter. Your ink.”
“Ink?” I asked, my brow furrowed. “I don’t have any.”
“I know.” His eyes gleamed. “I get to be the first to ink that virgin skin. You need a property stamp. Most of the women have them on their arms, but some prefer them elsewhere. I already have one designed for you.”
“What’s a property stamp? Is that the tattoo you mentioned before?” I asked.
“Yes, it’s a tattoo that will say Property of Zipper so everyone knows you’re mine, even if you’re not wearing a cut.”
“I forgot you said I’d get a cut,” I said, sitting up a little straighter. “Is it like yours?”
“Yeah. With a property patch on it.”
“So how big is the tattoo you want to give me?” I asked.
“It needs to be at least the size of your fist to look right, but bigger wouldn’t bother me.”
“And it needs to be somewhere visible?” I asked. “Like visible all the time?”
“Most of the women have them somewhere it can be easily seen, but it’s not a requirement. What did you have in mind?” he asked as he finished off his spaghetti.
“My left shoulder blade. You can make it as big as you want back there, and if I wear a tank top, it should be visible. I know I can’t wear one all the time, but at least some of the time people could see it.”
“That would work. Are you up for it tonight?” he asked.
“I think I am. I…”
His phone rang, and he held up a finger as he answered. He got up, speaking in hushed tones as he left the room, that made me think it was likely a Dixie Reapers issue and none of my business. I’d like to think if it had something to do with me that he’d keep me in the loop, but knowing Mason, he’d call himself protecting me.
He came back as I was clearing the table, and the tense lines around his mouth said it wasn’t good news.
“I have to go deal with a few things. I need you to promise that you won’t leave the house until I get back. There will be a Prospect outside the door in case you need something. It’s not likely anyone is getting into the compound, but I don’t want to take any chances with your safety.”
“I’ll be fine, Mason. Go do whatever it is you need to do. I’ll just clean up the kitchen, then watch a movie while I wait for you. Do you think you’ll be long?”
“Maybe an hour or two. Depends on how things go.”
I nodded. “I’ll be fine. Promise.”
He came toward me, sliding his hand around my waist, then pulled me tight against his body. His lips claimed mine in a kiss that was both possessive and full of promises. With a heated look, he left me in the kitchen and I heard the front door open and shut a few minutes later, then his bike engine revved in the driveway. I knew this would be different. This would be the first time I’d really been alone since I got here. In some ways, Mason’s house was starting to feel like home, but I was still worried about settling in too much. I didn’t understand how he could want me to stay permanently, even if he did say he was claiming me.
I finished cleaning up the kitchen, then settled on the couch to watch a movie until he got back. I heard a strange noise on the front porch, but remembered that Mason had said a Prospect would be out there. Part of me wanted to go investigate, then I reminded myself of all the horror movies where the woman goes to check out a noise and ends up dead. When your deranged step-monster was after you, you didn’t go check out weird noises. Nope, you kept your ass planted on the couch behind a locked door. Except…
My nape prickled as I realized that I had no idea whether or not Mason had locked the door. I got up to check and found the front knob locked, but I clicked the deadbolt into place too, just to be safe. Then I decided to check the back of the house. I hadn’t remembered seeing a door on the sun porch that led outside, but there had to be backyard access from somewhere. Despite the fact I’d been living here about a week, I still hadn’t had time to check out all of the rooms. Well, I’d been in just about every room, but Mason was usually between my legs. When I found the door, everything started to spin. It was not only unlocked, but it was standing wide open. There was no way Mason had left that door open.
My palms grew damp as I edged toward the door. Booted feet were attached to a prone body. I moved in closer and saw the Prospect patch on the guy’s back, and I realized my bodyguard was out cold. My heart was beating so hard my chest ached. Slowly, I retreated into the house and closed the door, although I had a feeling it was way too late. I tried to move as quietly as possible as I searched for my phone, then cursed when I realized I didn’t have Mason’s number, or anyone else’s for that matter. Not anyone who could help at any rate. Sure, I could call the police, but what were the chances they would help me while I wa
s inside the Dixie Reapers’ compound? Not to mention, that Mason and his brothers probably wouldn’t like me getting the law onto the property.
With my phone clutched in my hand, I crept toward the front door, unlocked it and opened it. No one was out front, not even the guy who was supposed to be guarding me, which meant that had likely been him in the backyard. Barefoot and still in my pajamas, I eased out the front door, scanning the darkness for some sign that I wasn’t alone. I knew there were other houses, could even see them. I just didn’t know if anyone was home at any of those places.
I bolted across the lawn, racing toward what I hoped was an occupied house. I’d nearly made it when a sharp pain pierced my upper back, and the world went a little fuzzy. Stumbling and staggering, I eventually fell face-first onto the grass, a good three yards from the house I was running toward. A woman’s crazy laugh filled my ears as my stepmother’s face loomed in front of me.
“Never send a man to do a woman’s job. Flash a little boob, lift my skirt, and it was easy to get access to you. Stupid kid at the gate would have done anything to have his cock sucked. I’ve done worse things in my life. Did you really think you could hide forever, Delphine?” she asked. “My men have been watching this place, but they couldn’t get to you here.”
“Wh-what are y-you going to d-do to me?” I asked, my tongue feeling thick and heavy, like it didn’t belong in my mouth.
“Right now? Nothing. That poison should do the trick. Don’t worry. You’ll be asleep by the time you asphyxiate.” She smiled. “I’m not a complete monster after all.”
That was debatable. The world started to grow dim, and I heard her walking away. All I could think was that I’d never told Mason I love him, and I wished I’d come to find him sooner. We’d lost so much time together, and it was all my fault. I hoped finding my body wouldn’t send him over the edge.
That was the last thought I had before darkness closed in on me completely.
