The Duke's Diamond

by Andromeda -

  "You get one of the penthouse rooms," the bellhop said, as he opened the door for Jonathan.

  Once again, his jaw dropped as he looked at the purple and gold theme, which made Jonathan think they were trying for a royal/imperial setting. Whatever they were trying to do, he liked it.

  After he had tipped the bellhop, he put his bags down and planned to unpack later, but instead, he plopped down on his bed and took out his phone to text his friend, Kole.

  J: Hey, Kole, I just arrived, what about you guys?

  K: We all are in our rooms. Where are you?

  J: P134 of the Venetian Las Vegas.

  K: Sweet! I'm P132 and Mike is P135.

  J: Lol seems like we all booked the same place.

  K: Hey, there is a party tomorrow night at this sweet club that only the elite of the elite can get in. Mike and I wanna go.

  J: Sure, why not? Good thing I brought some clubbing clothes.

  K: Sweet, I'll text you the address, mate. See you later!

  Jonathan laughed as he put his phone down before having a deep yawn.

  This summer holiday was one of triumph and celebration, as he had just opened his first law firm. It was a bit unheard of, at his youthful age of thirty; but he didn’t care. Growing up, his father had pushed him until he graduated early in every level; and passed every exam perfectly. It was hard work, as he remembered the nights he didn’t sleep but in the end; it was all worth it.

  All he wanted to do right now was enjoy his summer holiday. If he didn’t get drop dead drunk and do something dumb, he’d be perfectly fine. He was from the UK; the Brits knew how to hold their booze.

  Chapter Three: Get a pedicure, get your hair did.

  "OK, ladies, this is the last store we have to hit," Diamond told the girls behind her, as they walked down the Vegas Strip.

  Hand in hand with Dalila, they filed into one of the best salons in the city and, of course, Alfonzo had it in his pocket. It was no surprise that he was called the King of Las Vegas because he was one of the most powerful in his underworld dealings, not politics.

  Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald and Jasper all knew who to go to and what Alfonzo expected them to look like. They all knew they had to go by their color schemes and Diamond was not exempt from this. She normally went in white or sometimes silver, if Alfonzo wished it. This time, he wanted pure white, so white she would wear. Normally, he would make her take off her headwrap, but Diamond had an elaborate one she could wear at the party.

  The woman who was going to work on her, Sophia, knew of her situation and had taken care of her since the very beginning. She was also the one who taught Diamond how to cover up her bruises with the right makeup when Alfonzo and her arguments turned physical sometimes.

  “What would you like today?” she asked, as Diamond sat down in her chair.

  “I was thinking almond-shaped nails with faux diamonds on them,” Diamond answered.

  She nodded. "And your makeup? Any special parts you need?"

  Diamond glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. "Not since last month," she whispered softly, before glancing at Dalila. "I have been able to handle the worst."

  Sophia nodded and went to work her magic. After washing Diamond’s hair, she gave her light highlights and then went to work on her nails. Diamond watched as Dalila watched the Wiggles on a TV, and couldn’t help but giggle softly at her childish innocence. She wished she had that, that youth and innocence, but then again, that was snatched from her when she was barely a child herself. But Diamond promised herself when she was pregnant with her daughter that she'd never go through what she did.

  As Sophia was almost finished with her, Diamond saw that she had a missed message from Alfonzo. Knowing that he would get upset if she didn’t call him soon, she used her free hand to dial his number.

  "Hello?" she said.

  "Hey, babe," he said. "How is everything with the girls?"

  "We are almost done," Diamond answered. "Hair, nails and dresses are bought."

  "How much is it all costing?" he asked.

  Diamond mentally rolled her eyes. Of course, he was thinking about money. That's all he thought about; not about the girls he was selling. "About twenty-five hundred," Diamond answered. "Give or take a couple dollars."

  "Those girls better look good," he said darkly. "That is a lot of money. They are going to earn back every cent."

  "Yes, Alfonzo," Diamond sighed. "Look, can I go? I think they are done."

  "Fine," he said, "but I've been thinking, mi amor, and I think you can bring in a couple thousand too."

  Her heart froze in her chest. "What?"

  "You are my most beautiful girl," he said simply. "And I know you can bring in twice as much money as the other girls I have under me."

  "Alfonzo, no," she spat, trying to hold back her fury. "That part of my life is over! I have a daughter and I'm not doing that again."

  "You will do whatever the hell I tell you," he growled on the other end. "And I say you will find a high end and bring me some money!"

  "And I said no!" she almost screamed into the phone. "After I had Dalila, I swore that I'd never do it again! You promised me I wouldn’t have to do that again!"

  "Well, you better find another way to get me some money," he barked, "because it's about time you begin earning me more!"

  "Whatever, Alfonzo!" she hissed. "I have to go!"

  Diamond hung up and then pressed her forehead against her palm, trying to calm her furiously beating heart.

  Is he out of his got damn mind? I swore that after the birth of my little girl, I wouldn't turn tricks anymore and he agreed with me, promising he would never force me to do it. Guess promises aren't worth their weight in gold anymore.

  ✵✵✵✵✵✵✵

  Diamond dropped the girls off at the hotel for them to get settled and then ready for tomorrow night. When she drove home, she saw that almost all the lights were off, save two: the dining room and the bedroom.

  She was headed into the heart of the storm with Alfonzo, but she knew he wouldn’t do anything if Dalila were with her. Well, he wouldn’t try anything while she was awake. When they walked into the house, he had dinner ready, no doubt trying to get on her good side and agree with him.

  Hell to the no, not going to happen.

  After dinner, they put Dalila to bed together and then headed to their room.

  He looked at her. "Mi amore…," he pleaded softly. "Please do this for me."

  "No, Alfonzo," she said firmly. "You promised me that after the birth of our daughter, you'd never force me to do this."

  "Mi amore, please," he said, switching tactics. "Think of our daughter. You do this…you can get her a wonderful gift for her birthday coming up…"

  "Her birthday isn't for another five months, Alfonzo," she said sharply. "And my answer is still no! You can buy that gift for her if you want to."

  He sighed deeply. "I tried to be nice," he said softly.

  He swung before she could react, slapping her hard across the face, the blow so strong it knocked her to the ground. Diamond could taste blood in her mouth and had only a moment to scramble to her feet before he slapped her again, then punched her in the stomach. She doubled over, wheezing and unable to prepare herself for the next swing that knocked her on the bed.

  He straddled her, wrapping his strong hands around her throat, cutting off her air. She coughed and clawed at his hand, slapping and kicking, but it was no use; she was pinned down.

  "Now then," he said coolly as he continued squeezing. "Let me ask again: will you go to that party and find me a nice high end?"

  "Y-yes…," she wheezed softly.

  "Hmmm?" he asked, bending his ear to her lips. "What did you say, mi amore?"

  "I said yes!" she screamed as loud as she could. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

  He smirked and slowly loosened his hands. Diamond inhaled deeply, gasping in the sweet, sweet feeling of fresh oxygen in her lungs. The skin throbbed where he held her tightly. She’d have to cov
er them with makeup to be ready for the party tomorrow.

  "I didn't want to hurt you, mi amore," he said softly, "but you made me do it. Let me make it up to you."

  He began to unbuckle his pants and Diamond stiffened. She didn’t want to have sex but knew that if she refused him, then he would beat her until she was unconscious and have sex that way. Or worse…he would hold her down and take her while she was awake. Neither of which she wanted. So, she took off her clothes and laid back, her form tense, the body language clearly showing she didn’t want it. But, he didn’t care.

  Crawling on top of her, he kissed her deeply and she shut her eyes, gritting her teeth as he spread her legs. Her mind traveled to when she first met him, and at first, he couldn’t keep his hands off her for almost three years, not stopping until she was pregnant.

  When it came to their sex, she just shut her eyes and pretended to enjoy it, but that was all she could do. She would sometimes pretend to moan, groan and arch her back, but he'd never brought her to a climax.

  Probably hard to with his dick being so small.

  When he was done, and released inside her, she pretended to pant, to be satisfied, but she never was. He pulled her into his arms and buried his nose into her neck as he quickly went to sleep, while she always laid awake.

  Maybe…just maybe I can do this. Maybe if I find the right guy, I can finally get that one satisfying moment before having to go into Alfonzo's arms. But I just don't want that one moment. I want to be free. I want to live my own life. All my life I've always wanted to be an author. I've always loved to write and you don't need a college education for that. I dropped out of high school at fourteen, but I go to the library all the time and sometimes sneak on campus to the colleges here to continue my education.

  Diamond sighed and pulled away a bit as a silent tear slid down her cheek. I guess this is all I will ever be.

  Chapter Four: Evacuate the Dance Floor

  "OK, ladies, you know what to do," Diamond whispered to the girls behind her as they stood in line, waiting to get into the club. "What is my motto? We are classy…"

  "Not trashy," they answered in unison.

  Diamond nodded. "Good, now have fun too. Call me in two hours if you have a john."

  They nodded. When they reached the bouncer, he took one look at Diamond and then lifted the rope, letting them inside. Loud music pounded through the speakers, sweaty and lustful bodies grinded on the dance floor, and multi-colored lights that were almost blinding flashed before their eyes.

  This was Club Eros, the hottest club in Las Vegas, as well as the most exclusive. You couldn’t just walk into this club; you had to be invited by one of the higher-ups, or in many cases, be screwing him.

  The girls fanned out, scoping out the territory, while Diamond walked to the bar to get a drink. Dressed in a tight-fitting white dress and silver wedge-heeled shoes, her hair was wrapped up in a white headscarf that had been glittered with faux diamond designs. With nude lipstick on her lips and cat eyeliner, she truly was a sight to behold.

  It took her a couple hours to get this look, seeing as she had to cover up the bruises Alfonzo had left on her skin. He woke her up with sex this morning, always trying to use her body to apologize, but she didn't respond.

  He said he loved her, he said he loved her with his whole heart, and yet, he always placed his hands on her. Just the way her stepfather said he loved her while he raped her. He said he did it because he loved her and that was how adults showed they loved each other.

  Remembering that made her burn with anger.

  She wasn't an adult; she was a child who had no idea what was going on. She shook her head to try to clear away those horrible memories, those memories she had fought so hard to suppress. She had a daughter, a little girl she could pour her love and affection into.

  Honestly, she wished she could just run away with her, run away to a place so far no one would find them. And yet…she knew Alfonzo would find them. He had people everywhere, and she knew he would drag her back kicking and screaming, then make an example out of her.

  "Excuse me?" a deep, accented voice suddenly said behind her. "Is this seat taken?"

  ✵✵✵✵✵✵✵

  Startled from her thoughts, she turned around and saw what could only be described as sex on a stick looking down at her. He had short black hair that was in a style that could only be described as sexy-messy-wild. His grey eyes reminded her of molten silver, and they took her in, sweeping from the top of her head, and then roaming on down to her white toenails.

  "Ello there, love," he said in a deep, British-accented voice. "Is this seat taken?"

  He pointed to the seat next to Diamond at the bar, and she numbly shook her head. He smiled and took it, waving to get the bartender’s attention.

  "I'll have a Negroni," he said, then looked to her. "What would you like? I’ll buy.”

  "A Lemon Drop Martini, please," Diamond said hoarsely.

  The bartender nodded and went to work on their drinks. The Brit turned back and looked at Diamond, roaming his eyes over her and she couldn’t help but feel as if he was undressing her with his eyes. Or at least trying to. She nervously shifted in her seat and he noticed.

  "Oh, I'm sorry," he said, flashing pearly white teeth. "Am I making you nervous?"

  "A little," she confessed, as the bartender brought out the drinks.

  He smiled. "Well, then, that's not proper English etiquette, is it?" He held out his hand. "I am Jonathan."

  "Diamond," she said, reaching out to shake his hand.

  He took her hand, overturning it so he could kiss the back and then the palm. "Diamond," he murmured softly. "What a beautiful name."

  She flushed. Never had a man shown her this much attention before, and then she noticed that he was looking at something. She followed his gaze. The chunky bracelet she was wearing had moved a bit, revealing the top of the bruise it was supposed to cover. Diamond quickly removed her hand.

  "So, Jonathan," she said, trying to distract him from her wrist, "tell me about yourself."

  He looked up at her. "Well, I'm from England," he said. "Born and raised a Brit."

  As he talked, she could tell his eyes were narrowing, going over her again as if to see what other marks she was hiding. She quickly shifted her hair a bit, as if flirting, but in reality, she was covering up the makeup that concealed her other bruises. However, one look in his eyes told her that he was not fooled one bit.

  Smart man, Diamond thought. He might do. OK, Dia, think. I know you're rusty at being the seductress, but he can't be that resistant to a woman's wills.

  She finished her drink and smiled. "You want to dance?" she asked as the song “Evacuate the Dance Floor” by Cascada began to play.

  His face brightened up instantly. "Of course, I would love to."

  Holding out his hand to her, Diamond took it gently. Tingling sparks shot throughout her body as if she’d just stuck her finger into a wall outlet. He blinked and Diamond saw that he seemed to feel it as well, but he didn’t say anything. He just gripped her tighter and led her onto the dance floor.

  ✵✵✵✵✵✵✵

  His warm, large hands held her hips as they danced, moving as one to the loud, pounding music. She had to admit, he was a good dancer. She didn’t grind against him like some couples were doing. Well, she was trying not to. It was becoming a bit hard to do, as he held her so close and tight, but it was a good close and tight. Their bodies moved in perfect sync with each other and the music. Her heart pounded in her chest and Diamond was sure she could hear his, too, over the pounding bass of the song.

  "I know what you are," he whispered softly, his breath hot on her neck.

  She almost froze but forced herself to continue dancing. "What do you mean?"

  "I know that you aren't just a normal woman," he whispered. "You don't have to fool me."

  She bit her lip. For a moment, she thought he was going to leave her, and then she scolded herself for being upset at such a th
ing. She didn’t even know him well enough to be so upset.

  "So…," she whispered softly, "do you want to stop dancing?"

  He smiled and pressed his lips gently to the back of her neck. "Hell no, love," he said. "Of course I don't. I know you are a…woman of the night and it does not bother me. There is something else about you…something I admire."

  Diamond almost melted in his arms right then and there. Never had a person said such kind words to her before. Not even with Alfonzo. She then realized how much different he was from Alfonzo.

  "I want to go out on a date with you," he continued.

  "I don't just date," she whispered softly. "Because my…erm…boyfriend…wouldn't like it."

  He froze a moment when he heard her say boyfriend, but then he continued dancing. "Well, then…might I buy a date?”

  "You would do that?" she whispered in awe.

  "There is something about you," he answered. "Something I want to understand."

  Turning her around, his silver eyes looked into her amber ones and Diamond gulped slowly. His eyes transfixed her, and she couldn’t move away. For a moment, she forgot her own name, who she was, and where she was.

  All she could do was think about him.

  "How much would it cost?" he asked. "I don't care the price."

  "You wouldn't like it," she whispered, remembering the price Alfonzo had told her to tell any high end who wished to have some of her ‘time’.

  "How much?" he pressed.

  "Three thousand," she said softly, bowing her head and looking at him from under her lashes.

  He nodded and took her hand. Leading her away from the dance floor, he opened his wallet and took out several large bills. Diamond’s eyes widened as he counted out one thousand dollars and handed it to her.

  "This is in advance," he said. "So your…boyfriend knows I am serious. I'll have the other two on our date."

  Diamond nervously took it and put it in the secret pocket on the side of her dress. "When…erm…do you want to do this?" she asked.