Delaney groaned as she stood under the hot water of the shower. Her whole body hurt and she could barely get her clothes off but she did it. She just stood there, head bowed and she let the water rain over her. She wasn’t sure she could raise her hands to wash the dirt off herself. Memphis had offered to help her but Delaney shook her head. Now she wished she had accepted his help. Every muscle in her body hurt.
The door slid open and Memphis slipped inside with her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and gently pulled her back to lean on him. She groaned and started to fuss but he whispered in her ear, “Hush now, I’m just here to help, so keep your hands to yourself honey and let me help you.”
Delaney sighed hard. “Ok.”
Memphis reached for the shampoo and lathered it into her hair. She groaned as his fingers massaged the sore spots and the dirt was washed from her head. When she rinsed the soap from her hair, he grabbed a washcloth and the soap and began washing her body clean.
He groaned as he ran the washcloth over her breasts and the rest of her body. He kept her back to his front but his hands were all over every inch of her. “Dayum baby, I could do this the rest of my life.”
She moaned and whispered, “And I think I would let you. This feels wonderful.”
“I can make it feel even better, and someday I’ll show you,” Memphis promised as he nibbled on her ear.
She turned in his arms and looked up at him. “Could that someday be today, right here and right now?”
“Why today and now?” Memphis asked her as he studied her face.
Delaney closed her eyes and put her forehead on his broad chest. “I just want to feel something good before this all goes to shit on us. I know my dad and I know my brothers, they aren’t going to give up on getting what they consider their due. They won’t care that they have no rights to this place anymore. And they won’t care that you guys have lived here for so long. In their minds this place still belongs to them.” She shook her head. “This place was never theirs to begin with, it was always grandpa’s house, and he’s still very much alive. Our great grandpa used to tell us stories of the good old days when the world was his oyster and he could do whatever he wanted. Where he could just take what he wanted and screw the consequences. Those were the lessons he taught my dad and my brothers. Now they think the laws of God and man don’t mean anything to them. My time is running out and I want to experience something good before I die.”
“What do you mean before you die?” Memphis cocked his head as he stared at her.
Delaney looked at him and said, “By standing with you and your men I stand against them. They can’t have that even though they have treated me like a second class citizen my whole life. Like grandpa, this is my line in the sand and my father will never accept it. If it’s the last thing he does, he’ll shoot me for my defiance.”
Memphis growled at this.
She raised her hand and placed it over his mouth. “I know this and accept it. But have no worries, I don’t plan on just standing there and letting him do it. I will fight back, but before that happens, I want one good memory to have in case he wins the battle. What I’m asking you is if you will give me that much?”
Memphis dragged her fingers away from his mouth and leaned down to crush her lips with his own. The kiss sparked a wave of intense pleasure in both of them and Delaney wrapped her legs around his waist to get closer to his heat.
Memphis groaned and shut off the water then opened the door. Grabbing the towel, he began drying the parts of her he could reach then he tossed the towel to the floor Marching out of the bathroom into his bedroom, he placed her on the bed and joined her immediately. She wrapped her legs around his waist again and that put his cock right where it needed to be. He could feel the heat from her core but he could also feel how wet she was already.
He dry humped her and covered himself in her juices, all the while kissing her, building the waves of pleasure crashing over them both. Then he found her opening and he surged inside her. His mouth covered hers when he tore her barrier and then he paused and looked down at her face. A tear spilled down her cheek but she shook her head as if it didn’t matter, but to Memphis, it did matter and he began to move slowly. Giving her time to get over the pain of his intrusion, he nibbled down her neck and to her chest.
When he got to her nipples, she whimpered and shifted her hips. “More, I need more.”
Memphis pressed a little deeper and Delaney cried out, “Yes!”
He felt her clench her core muscles and it was his turn to groan as he pressed even further into her. Then he began pumping faster and harder. Delaney moaned as she climbed the walls of the abyss.
Each stroke took them higher and higher toward the top as Delaney raised her hips and ground her core against him. Memphis lost control while plunging into her. Delaney gasped and flew off the top of the abyss, arching her body as she exploded in his arms.
Memphis felt a familiar zing at his spine and he poured himself into her, filling her with his hot seed, he roared then he crushed her mouth with his own to complete his journey.
When he broke the kiss, they both needed air and he flopped down beside her on the bed.
Delaney turned her head and smiled. “That was sooo,” she whispered. “So much more than I ever thought it could be.”
Memphis gently brushed her hair away from her face. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what? That at twenty four I’m still a virgin? A loser that couldn’t find anyone to take her V card?” She mocked in whispering tones. “Well maybe, I didn’t want to just give it away to anyone. Maybe I wanted my first time to be special with someone I could care about. Maybe I thought too much of myself to throw it away before I met someone I felt I could trust.”
Memphis smiled at her reasoning. “I’m not complaining sweetheart, I just wouldn’t have hurt you like I did had I known. That was a gift a woman can only give once in her lifetime and any man that gets it, is truly blessed.”
Delaney stared at him for a moment then whispered, “You think so?”
Memphis nodded. “I know so, honey. And you were right, that was incredible. I’ve never felt anything like it before but I have a feeling it will always be that good between us.” He leaned in and gently kissed her. “And I can’t wait to find out.”
“Me either,” she whispered back.
Memphis looked at the cut on her forehead. The cut there was bleeding again and he frowned. “Well, it looks like you need to see Grave Digger again. I guess I forgot you were blown up a little while ago. Hell, I forgot everything except for my own selfish need. I’m so sorry.”
Delaney shushed him by putting her fingers over his mouth. “Hush it Memphis, I wanted what happened to happen too, so both of us forgot. Just know one thing…”
“What’s that?”
“I don’t regret what just happened and I won’t regret it if it happens again.”
Memphis moved closer to her and before he kissed her he growled, “Oh, you can bet it’ll happen again and fairly often if I have anything to say about it.” He kissed her deeply and it felt like a sealing of them being together from now on.
When he lifted his head again, he stared at her forehead and sighed. “Come on better let Grave Digger look at your head.”
Delaney sighed in exasperation. “I’m okay.”
Memphis smiled. “You’re better than okay darlin’ but he’s gonna look at you anyway.” He rose up off the bed, heading over to his dresser to grab a dark blue pair of pajama bottoms and a clean t-shirt. He turned and saw her sitting there staring at him, his ass in particular. He grinned and asked, “Like what you see?”
Delaney nodded and raised her eyes to his. “Yup, sure do.” She smiled. “Dang, I never knew a man could have such a hot ass.”
He shook his head. “Well, I sure as hell never knew that either.” He chuckled as he tossed the clothes to her and said, “These will work for now.”
Cocking her head at him, she asked, “Can I wear your underwear as well?”
Memphis shivered at her suggestion, it was so personal, but he loved it. Grabbing a pair of boxers, he tossed them at her then grabbed some clean clothes for himself and began getting dressed.
When he was ready, he turned to her and saw her rolling the bottoms of the pajamas up to better fit her and he grinned. He held out his hand. She put hers in his and together they left the room.
As they reached Grave Digger’s infirmary, they saw him pull a sheet over a dead man’s body and face.
Grave Digger looked up when they walked in and he slowly shook his head as he stared at Delaney.
Delaney sneered. “Don’t ask me to feel sorry for that killer. Cuz my give-a-damn button is broken right now.”
Grave Digger stared at her. “I’m not lamenting the fact that he’s dead but rather what a waste of a life, that’s all. I didn’t know him at all and probably didn’t want to, but he’s too young to be dead right now.”
“I didn’t know him either but he made one poor choice after another. He chose to work for my brother, he chose to try and sneak in here to get the advantage over us. To do business with a knife or a gun, to hurt people.” Shaking her head she said, “He made wrong choices in life. What did he really expect? That the men here would just allow him to do the deed without fighting back?” She snorted. “Not bloody likely pal, not bloody likely.”
Grave Digger slowly shook his head then looked over at Memphis. “They found the old man’s diamonds while you were gone. Leon is not a happy man right now.”
Memphis ran his hand over the back of his head. “Well, fuck a duck.” He growled. Glancing over at the window, he noted the sun was up now and the new day was here. He looked back at Grave Digger. “She needs that cut on her head looked at.”
Grave Digger paused. “Why? I stitched it already.”
Memphis cleared his throat and replied, “Maybe it needed another stitch or two.”
Grave Digger motioned her over.
Sitting on the bed, Delaney sighed.
Grave Digger looked at it. “Two of the stitches came loose.”
Delaney tried to explain it, “I was showering and tried to get that caked dirt off.”
Grave Digger shook his head, but said nothing as he got his tray out and restitched it. Placing a bandage over it, he swung his glare to Memphis. “Now, try to take it easy will ya? I can’t keep fixing your …mistakes.”
Memphis had the good grace to look sheepish.
Finishing, Grave Digger stepped back. “Ok, go on and play, kids. But not too rough now.”
Memphis rolled his eyes. “Yes dad.” Grabbing Delaney’s hand, he tugged her toward the door. “Come on, we better check out what the guys are up to now.”
Taking her down the hall, they arrived just in time to see the last of the gold bars being hauled out to an armored truck. He went over to Click and asked, “We still got company out there?”
Click nodded then looked up and grinned slightly. “Yeah, they are still there, just not as many anymore. With the three caught in the cave tunnel and the three we got in the caved in area, there are only two we really need to watch for. That is until your brothers get here. We saw one guy place a phone call and we can assume the brothers are on their way here as we speak.”
Delaney shook her head. Then turned and watched the gold being loaded. “Let’s hope the gold reaches the plane ok and before they get here then.”
Memphis snorted. “I hope they know better than to challenge Leon Vincinti but your brother doesn’t really seem that bright.”
Delaney broke away from him and went over to where her grandfather was sitting. She knelt in front of him and looked at his weathered face. “Are you okay, Grandpa?” she asked him gently.
Alfredo looked at her and tried to smile but failed miserably. “Baby girl, my dad made so many mistakes in his lifetime, mistakes he died knowing I would be the one to face the music for. Now I have to watch as his own deeds finish off the rest of my family.” He shook his head and prayed, “I hope wherever he ended up it was hell and he’s stuck in the flames of burning forever.”
“Grandpa, come on…” Delaney sighed.
Alfredo looked at her with tears in his eyes, “Che cosa? I lost one son to a man no one can identify and now, I’ll lose another to his own stupidità, him and two grandsons, maybe three by the time the law is done with Vincent. They listened to his wild tales and even wilder stories. He glorified the life of the mob when in reality, it’s not something to glorify. Life can be good if you care to live it, but even the mob has its own rules and my father liked to break those rules. Rules are in place for a reason and if you break them, you pay the price for doing that. My father never paid that price but now my family will pay for his foolishness.”
Delaney took the older man’s hands into hers. “Grandpa, you once told me everyone makes choices in their life, good or bad you can choose the life you want to live. Maybe great grandpa told them stories and made them want that life but they made that choice on their own. They will make that choice when they come here, and they will come here, they almost have to now don’t they? But if they come looking for a payday they will be disappointed. Their payday just walked out the door didn’t it?”
“Si it did, basta uscire dalla porta, young lady.” Leon’s voice growled from behind her.
Before he could say anymore, Click called out to let everyone know, “Incoming! Coming in hot and fast.”
