by Shara Azod
He didn’t bother going back to the area where three Chevalier spouses could still be heard demanding to get in to see Jean-Paul. He had already cleared the way before the kidnapping; now he had even more motive to deal with the man on his own.
Walking into the small room, he had the officer stand next to the door as he approached the man who called himself Bull.
Jean-Paul wasn’t shackled; there was no furniture in the room. He didn’t move as Edward walked toward him, then stopped inches away.
“I could knock your head off with one swing.” Jean-Paul wasn’t scared, but then he wasn’t as bright as his partner.
“You think so?”
Why was it that those who relied so heavily on brute strength oftentimes were so very, very dumb? Jean-Paul swung, slowly. It was a simple thing to duck, kicking out a leg to allow the oaf’s own momentum to send him crashing to the ground. Edward stood and waited patiently as the Cajun climbed to his feel, letting out a roar, and charged. At the last possible second, he moved aside and Jean-Paul crashed headfirst into the brick wall. He was slower to get up and turn around this time. Edward waited, briefcase in hand, watching the other man’s feet carefully.
“I bet you think you’re so smart, don’t you? You can’t keep running, rich boy.” This time when Jean-Paul swung, Edward blocked and dealt a blow to his kidneys. Jean-Paul dropped to his knees, and Edward landed a fist to the side of his temple. As Jean-Paul fell, he leaned down into the heavyset man’s face.
“Perhaps you should learn how to fight before attacking?” A swift kick to the bandaged knee had Jean-Paul screaming. “I would gladly kill you, but there are three other gentlemen waiting to have a word.”
“I’ll get out eventually, one way or another,” Jean-Paul groaned. “You and your bitch better watch your backs.”
“No, Bull, you won’t be getting out, ever. In fact, this will be your last day on earth. But before you go, I would like to thank you for signing over your properties to Delilah. It is a really sweet wedding present.”
Jean-Paul was too confused to put together what Edward was referring to, and he frankly saw no reason to enlighten him. It wasn’t as if he would be alive to see the forgeries and contest them. Nodding to the officer at the door, he left by the back entrance. The Chevalier men would have their fun time with the infamous Bull, and then he would suffer a horrible accident while being transferred to general lockup. The man had no family to protest or claim the body. No one would care enough to go looking into what really happened.
Epilogue
“You’re so beautiful, baby,” Edward murmured, his hands snaking around her back to slowly unzip Delilah’s wedding dress.
It had really happened. She was really Mrs. Delilah Prichard, the wife of Edward Prichard. As of ten this morning, she was really, truly married. Now a mere hour after saying “I do,” they were about to consummate the vows they’d made to each other.
Even if she didn’t quite believe it to be true, he certainly made her feel beautiful.
He peeled the dress from her body slowly, stopping to kiss her shoulders, her neck, her lips. She wanted to scream out in frustration as the dress began to feel too heavy and suffocating. Her body ached to feel the cool breeze of the night air, to feel the touch of his wonderfully large hands. He was treating the process like he was unwrapping a precious gift and didn’t want to rip the wrapping paper; all she wanted to do was to rip the wrapping away and get closer to him. Every brush of his hand made her burn with need. She longed to rub her body against his bare skin like a cat. By the time he had her down to her underwear, she was a whimpering, quivering mass of nothing but nerve endings.
“Oh, baby, is that all for me?” he moaned.
A needy sob was her only reply. Edward settled himself between her legs and licked her; one languorous stroke over her bare pussy had her arching into his waiting mouth. Delilah felt as if she was surely going insane. Her hands clutched the sheets frantically as he licked, sucked, probed and then pulled back. If his goal had been to drive her crazy, he was succeeding beyond all expectations.
“Please, oh God, Eddie please!”
She knew she was begging, but she didn’t care; she needed him now! He took his own sweet time before finally sliding up her body. As soon as she felt his probing length searching for an opening she angled her hips to try to force him inside.
“Oh, damn!” Edward exclaimed as his tip disappeared inside.
As he moved deep inside of her, he held her close, his arms pulling her against his searing skin. Delilah knew it was crazy, but she felt the connection deeper this time.
As if they were truly bonding on a much more profound level
“Baby, you are so tight, so perfect,” he murmured, kissing her everywhere he could reach with his lips. “You were made just for me, sweetheart. Oh, God, we fit together so good! Look at me, baby.”
His eyes trapped her own as he moved in and out in languid strokes. Sex with Edward was always fantastic, but this time was special. She felt so complete, so right.
As his movements became more urgent and less deliberate, she found herself moving with him, her hips rising to met his every down stroke. With every plunge he hit that special place deep inside her, setting off a series of minor explosions.
“Yeah, baby, like that,” he encouraged, his gaze still holding her prisoner. “Take what you need.”
Her fingers dug into his skin frantically as the dam burst, sending her flying into a million little pieces
Much later Delilah lay in the circle of her husband’s arms, wondering what tomorrow would bring. God, she hoped and prayed she never let him down.
“You’re thinking too hard.”
Delilah hid her smile against Edward’s bare chest. It seemed as if she’d always been in his arms, like she belonged there. And just a mere week ago she’d feared she’d never see this day. When Bull had grabbed her in the boutique, she really did think she would die. She’d rather die than have the grotesque asshole’s hands on her.
“No, I’m just grateful.”
Bull was dead; he’d died in an accident during a jail transfer. Delilah didn’t know the details, but she had seen the body. Red was facing a multitude of charges that, if he was convicted, would send him away for the rest of his life. She’d gotten a strange letter from him stating how truly sorry he was, and how he would never be able to make up for the things he and Bull had done. It was especially odd given that until Edward, she’d stayed out of both men’s way most of the time. There were so many other women out there who deserved that apology much more than she did. Weirdly, Bull and Red had signed over the strip clubs to her.
She hadn’t had time to deal with it. The last week had just been a whirlwind of activity. When she got back home, she would try to find a way to turn both places into something positive and useful for the community. Angelique had a foundation dedicated to rebuilding devastated areas of New Orleans. She had promised to work with Delilah on it, after everything had died down a little.
Not only had Katrina dragged her through preparing for the wedding, even going so far as to insist she and Aubrey come down as witnesses. The same day she was attacked, she found out she was pregnant. It really shouldn’t have come as a shock, but she honestly hadn’t been expecting it. At first, she’d worried that maybe Edward really wouldn’t be as accepting as he’d earlier claimed.
Edward ran his hand lovingly over the area that housed their growing child.
He’d treated her like she was spun glass since finding the pregnancy test in the bathroom. She had honestly never seen a man so happy to be expecting a baby.
“You’ve made me so happy, baby. I love you so much.” The pronouncement gave her chills. She would never tire of hearing him say that.
“And I love you too, Eddie.” Delilah didn’t even try to hide the smile this time.
“How can I help it? You’re irresistible.”
esistible