Bling: A Diamond Doms Novel

by Ivy Nelson

  “That seems like something easy to fix. Training everyone in every department is a little cost prohibitive, but it wouldn’t be difficult to give everyone a basic understanding of each department as part of their orientation. Something beyond the basic summaries in the handbooks.”

  “The problem is, not even your department heads seem to know what’s happening in other departments.”

  Garrett scratched his chin and pulled out his phone to type something. “I’ll have to see why that is.”

  “Thank you, Isabelle. It sounds like you did a wonderful job.”

  She smiled and bit into a French fry. “I tried my best. Now will you tell me more about what my sister said? I don’t care if you wind up not being able to verify it, I just want to know what she told you.”

  He growled and ran a hand through his hair. “OK. You’re right. You deserve to hear everything. A few weeks after she was fired, she received a phone call from Darren Gunn asking her to come in after hours one night. He told her they had been watching her and her daughters and that she had seventy-two hours to complete a task for them or she would wind up like Helen Peters. At the time, she didn’t know what had happened to Helen, so she went home and looked her up and discovered she was dead. She ignored Darren’s demands at first and she received surveillance style photos of her girls in the mail with the same demand a few days later.”

  Isabelle’s eyes grew wide with horror. “Who is ‘they’?” she asked.

  Garrett shook his head. “She either doesn’t know or she wouldn’t tell me.”

  “So how does credit card fraud fit into all of this?”

  “Again, not something she would fully tell me. The answer she gave was that she tried to escape Darren’s hold and got caught.”

  Isabelle felt herself trembling with rage as she thought of what her sister must have gone through. “I feel like such an awful sister for not fighting harder to keep her out of jail.”

  Garrett moved to sit next to her on the couch. “Don’t do that to yourself, Doll. It will lead to madness, believe me. Right now, she’s probably safer in jail just like you said last week. Had you kept her from going to prison, she might well have met the same fate as Helen Peters.”

  “Fuck,” Isabelle bit out. “I just want this to be over.”

  “Me too, baby. Me too. You’ve done really well today, and I know you have to work at the hotel tonight. Why don’t you do me a favor and go home? Be with your family, get some rest. I wore you out this weekend,” he said with a wink. “We’ll talk more tomorrow—tonight if you come to my room after you get off.”

  She gave a resigned sigh and nodded. “OK. You sure you don’t want to come with me?”

  He caressed her face. “I’ve got some things to take care of that I’ve been neglecting for far too long.”

  “Sorry,” she murmured. “I’m sure that’s because of me.”

  He tucked stray hairs behind her ears. “Don’t. I love being with you. Go get some rest and I’ll get some work done. We’ve got your family reunion this weekend to look forward to.”

  She gave him a sad smile and let him kiss her on the cheek.

  The next two days were stressful, and Isabelle found herself irritated by everything. Despite the relaxed schedule she had switched to at both places, having two jobs was taking its toll and she was ready to be done with it. Being near Garrett soothed her, but she spent most of her time feeling bad for her sister. He chided her multiple times, telling her it would do no good to dwell on the past. They would do their best to help her when the danger was gone.

  Wednesday evening, she sat at home while Garrett worked late, but he promised her a phone call when he was done. At nine, her phone rang, and she grabbed it without looking at the number. Instead of Garrett’s velvet smooth voice, she was met with a robotic voice asking her to accept the charges. Heaving a sigh, she hit the appropriate number on her keypad and waited to be connected to Carmen.

  “Izzy, I’m glad you answered. Are the girls up?”

  “Yeah. Give me a sec, I’ll get them.”

  She found Catarina and Sarah in the kitchen playing a board game with her dad. “Hey girls. Your mom wants to talk to you.”

  She put the phone on speaker in the middle of the table and wandered into the living room to wait for them to finish. A few minutes later, Catarina came in with the phone. “She wants to talk to you again,” she said.

  Isabelle took the phone, checking the screen for a missed call from Garrett.

  “Hey,” she said.

  “Thanks for letting me talk to them. I just wanted to say I think your Mr. Oliver is really great. For the first time in a while, I have a glimmer of hope for the future.”

  Isabelle wasn’t sure what she meant by that but wasn’t going to question it or burst her sister's bubble.

  “He gave me a rundown of what you told him on Monday. I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that, Carmen,” she whispered.

  “Hey, don’t feel bed. I’m not completely innocent in all of this. I’m glad I have someone to talk to now, who might get me out of some of this mess I’ve made.”

  The robotic voice reminding them that their time was almost up came through the speaker.

  “I should get off of here. Thanks for the money, by the way. I didn’t expect you to put that much on my account.”

  Isabelle frowned. “I told you I could spare twenty.”

  “Then why did you give me a hundred and twenty?”

  Isabelle’s mouth dropped open. “I… may have made a mistake on the form?” she said lamely, not wanting her sister to know that Garrett must have done it.

  They quickly said goodbye as the thirty second warning sounded. Isabelle glared at her phone as the call disconnected. Garrett’s meddling was going to get old.

  As she was fuming, his number flashed across the screen and she stabbed at the green answer button.

  “You have got to stop fucking meddling,” she said, in lieu of a hello.

  “Pardon me?” he asked, his voice even and calm.

  “A hundred dollars? Seriously?”

  “Isabelle, I’m going to need a few more words. What has you pissed off?”

  “I just got off the phone with my sister and she thanked me for giving her a hundred and twenty dollars. I only put twenty on her account.”

  He sighed. “I just wanted to let her know I appreciated her cooperation. What’s so wrong about that?”

  “Nothing inherently. I just asked you to not meddle in my family’s affairs and you do it anyway. She likes you though, so I guess there’s that.”

  He was quiet for a moment. “I’m sorry, Isabelle. I didn’t think something so innocuous would upset you this way. Believe me, I dislike upsetting you, Doll.”

  She dragged a hand through her hair. It really was harmless, and Carmen probably could use the money to buy things at the prison shop to make her life there somewhat more palatable. “Sorry,” she whispered. “I don’t know why I’m like this. Your money makes me uncomfortable though.”

  He chuckled. “I can’t do much about the fact that I have money unless you want me to give it all away.”

  She giggled. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m sorry I got upset. I’ll try to see things from your perspective more.”

  “And I will strive to do the same.”

  “How are your meetings going?”

  “OK. I feel like we’re close to figuring out what Maddox is up to. Darren too. We still haven’t connected them to each other, but my gut says we will. I just emailed you some of the stuff Jax sent me if you’re interested.”

  Isabelle smiled, happy that he was including her. “Can I look at it now while I’m on the phone with you?”

  “Of course, Doll. I value your input. I hope you know that.”

  She pulled up her email on a tablet Garrett had insisted on giving her at the same time he’d replaced her shattered phone and read the notes Jax had given them.

  “Susan Arno went to prison for smugg
ling? What was she moving?”

  “Stolen electronics. Got caught driving a truck full of them.”

  Isabelle mentally flipped through the information she’d read about the woman in her research of former employees.

  “What are you thinking, Isabelle?”

  “She worked in shipping, right?”

  “That’s right. Tell me what you’re getting at.”

  She laughed. “Patience. I’m processing. It might be nothing. Did you happen to read my notes from my meetings on Monday?”

  “Shit. Not yet. I’ve been trying to play catch up on some other projects. Why do you ask?”

  “Just something Jake in sorting said. There was a drop in inventory and Darren had him shut some of his storage bays down intending to repurpose them. I have no idea what for. But the odd thing he said was that the number of trucks coming in to drop products off didn’t seem to change even though the inventory dropped.”

  “Son of a bitch. You’re right, that is odd and worth looking into. Thank you, Isabelle.”

  They shifted to discussing plans for the family reunion trip on Friday before Garrett ordered her to sleep.

  “I’ll pick you up in the morning and we’ll have breakfast before work. Goodnight, sweet Isabelle. I wish you were in my bed.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “Did you really have to send a limo?” Isabelle said into the phone as she watched her nieces freak out in the driveway, on Friday morning. Garrett’s warm laughter washed over her and calmed her somewhat frazzled nerves.

  “Relax, Isabelle. Let them enjoy it. I’m already at the jet, so get your ass in gear and get in the limo.”

  She grinned. “Yes, Sir. I’m coming.”

  “Not yet, but maybe when we get to the hotel,” he teased.

  She shook her head. “Perv.”

  Uncle Henry was feeling much better since his assault and had managed to spend three days at work this week. Now he was in the driveway, corralling the girls while the limo driver piled their luggage into the trunk.

  “Ready, Daddy?”

  Jacob frowned but nodded. Shows of wealth always made him uncomfortable.

  Henry and Jacob sat on one seat while Isabelle and the girls sat on the other.

  “There’s so much room in here, Aunt Izzy,” Sarah exclaimed.

  Isabelle’s phone buzzed and she glanced at it.

  I had the driver replace the booze with soda for the girls.

  Her heart swelled as she read his thoughtful text. How was it that someone who seemed to have no understanding of how family was supposed to be was capable of such thoughtful moments?

  She leaned forward and slid the panel open to show the girls where drinks and ice were.

  “Does he have anything stronger in there?” Henry muttered.

  Isabelle giggled and passed him her phone so he could read the text.

  Henry let out a humph, but she didn’t miss the half smile on his lips for a brief moment.

  “There’s a full bar on the plane, Uncle Henry,” she said with a wink as she held a glass steady for Sarah to pour herself a soda.

  The ride to the plane was relatively short and she was soon walking up the narrow stairs and through the plane door.

  Garrett had met them at the bottom and whisked the girls up the stairs for a tour.

  They were looking around, a bit awestruck by the monstrous jet with its luxury interior.

  “I’m sure the pilot will show you the cockpit after we take off. Private jets can still get away with that, unlike commercial airliners.”

  “I’m sure that won’t be necessary, Mr. Oliver,” Jacob said gruffly as he stepped onto the plane behind Isabelle.

  “Oh stop, Dad. Let them have a nice time.”

  Jacob just scowled. “Where am I sitting?” he muttered.

  “I’ve put you and Henry in these seats here. Isabelle, you’ll sit next to me. The girls can have the bench back by the galley so they can fight over the TV if they want.”

  Isabelle smiled tenderly at him. “For not having sisters or daughters, you seem to know a lot about teenage girls.”

  Garrett smirked. “Paul and I used to sneak over to the all-girl school when I was a teenager. I figure they can’t have changed much since then.”

  “Paul? As in the governor of Colorado, Paul Andrews?” She rolled her eyes when he gave a sheepish nod.

  He motioned for her to sit and she settled into the seat next to the window. She noted he’d positioned them in seats that were mostly away from the prying eyes of her uncle and dad.

  “You’re a lot to take in sometimes,” she said when he sat next to her.

  He picked up her hand and entwined his fingers with hers. “I don’t mean to be. I’m just trying to be myself. Not trying to overwhelm anyone.”

  She looked at their entwined fingers and smiled as her bracelet twinkled when the light from the window hit it.

  A ring would look better. The thought came unbidden and she shook her head. There was no chance of marrying a man like Garrett Oliver. For one, her family would have a cow. For another, he’d made it fairly clear in the beginning that he wasn’t looking for that kind of commitment. He wanted a date at fancy parties and her submission outside of the club.

  Before the plane took off, the flight attendant served everyone drinks and promised lunch once the plane was in the air.

  After lunch, the flight attendant came and took the girls to the cockpit. Henry and Jacob both fell asleep stretched out in their fully reclining seats, and Isabelle felt herself doze against Garrett’s shoulder.

  “Go take a nap in the bedroom, Doll.”

  She shook her head. “I’m fine here.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “It wasn’t a suggestion, Isabelle. You worked a shift at the hotel last night, you’re exhausted. Go. Now.”

  His voice stayed low and she knew she was the only one who could hear him, but she was still embarrassed. It felt like she was being sent to her room like a naughty teenager. But when his scowl deepened, she sighed and stood to make her way to the small room.

  It wasn’t long before Isabelle was sound asleep. She drifted off to the thought that she hated it when he was right.

  Garrett woke her two hours later with a gentle kiss to her forehead.

  “Wake up, Doll. We’re landing soon.”

  She rolled away from him and he chuckled, pulling the blankets away. “Come on now. Don’t make me tickle you.”

  She grumbled but rolled back toward him with a sleepy smile. “Thanks for the nap.”

  His arrogant smirk had her rolling her eyes as she sat up and slid around him to get off the bed. He stood with her and pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry if I was too stern with you out there.”

  She gave a sheepish shrug. “Maybe a little but it’s OK.”

  He smiled and trailed a finger down her cheek. “I promise to keep my inner Dom in check in front of your family, but I expect you to remember who you belong to, understood?”

  She nodded. “Yes, Sir. Understood,” she murmured when he narrowed his eyes at her.

  They returned to their seats and she noticed both girls had passed out and her dad and Uncle Henry were still snoozing too.

  “What did you do, drug their drinks?” she teased.

  He chuckled. “No. They’re just learning what traveling in comfort is like. I can’t imagine the five of you driving in one vehicle.”

  She laughed. “Road-tripping with family is fun.”

  Garrett grimaced. “You’ve met my brother. My parents weren’t much better. A road trip with family sounds like pure hell to me.”

  She felt so bad for him. Family could be a royal pain in the ass, but she wouldn’t trade most of hers for the world.

  On the ground, the girls bounded down the stairs where another limo was waiting for them. With seven in the car it seemed a little less spacious, but Isabelle enjoyed being snuggled next to Garrett despite the scowl on her father’s face.

  “Which h
otel are we staying in, Aunt Izzy? I hope it’s not the one from last time,” Catarina said.

  Isabelle shrugged. “You’ll have to ask Mr. Oliver. I let him arrange everything this time.”

  “Isabelle, please. They can call me Garrett. I barely like it when my staff calls me Mr. Oliver.”

  She nodded. “Fine. Where are we staying, Garrett?”

  “I thought we would like to be close to the beach, so I arranged for one of the beach houses.”

  Isabelle stared at him. “Seriously?” This was way too over the top.

  He shrugged. “It made the most sense. Everyone can have their own space without being scattered all over a hotel.”

  It was practical. She stared out the window as the beach came into view. It differed vastly from the mountain ranges of Colorado, but she thought they were equally beautiful.

  Soon they were pulling into the driveway of something much more than a beach house.

  “Really Garrett? I would hardly call this a beach house.”

  He smirked. “What? There’s a beach and it’s a house. Besides, there’s a direct walking path from here to the public beach where the bonfire is tonight.”

  The girls practically spilled out of the limo when it came to a stop, and Isabelle gave up trying to keep them calm. Might as well let them enjoy being spoiled for a weekend.

  “Girls,” Jacob Alvarado hollered as he climbed out of the car. “Get back here and help with the luggage.”

  “That’s really unnecessary, Jacob,” Garrett said. “I’ll help Jeff get it.”

  Jacob scowled and stood by the trunk waiting to help too.

  “Go on in, Isabelle. We’ll handle the bags.”

  She stood paralyzed for a moment, torn between duty to her father and being obedient to her Dom. A squeal from one of the girls sent her sprinting toward the house while she heard Garrett and Jacob arguing over who was grabbing which bags. Her father was going to make this trip difficult.

  “This place is insane,” Catarina said. There’s a pool table down here and a pool in the backyard. And a hot tub. There’s a hot tub. Can we get in?”