Dear Diamond

by Walls, Stephie

  I clutched my chest when my heart threatened to beat out of it. Words caught in my throat, and my surprise hit my face around the same time I bolted upright.

  “Sam? What are you doing here?”

  “Looking for Tabitha, but you’ll do.”

  My mother’s sinister wake-up call had turned into my own.

  I used my heels to push toward the far end of the sofa, farthest away from the door and the man lurking near it. I couldn’t believe I’d been stupid enough to leave the deadbolt unlocked. I knew better than to be so careless. Even if Ma hadn’t had anyone after her, this wasn’t the type of place where people waved at their neighbors and brought by freshly baked cookies.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” My voice cracked, giving away my fear. All the vibrato I’d had in front of Sam, the nerves I’d portrayed, they all left in that one statement.

  His sinister laugh did nothing to calm my racing pulse. This was exactly why Ryker hadn’t wanted me to leave his safety net. And now, there was nothing I could do. I hadn’t even brought my phone in with me. It sat tucked away in the confines of the SUV on the street.

  “You can come willingly or with a fight. Regardless of which way you choose to play this, you are coming with me.”

  I shook my head, either in denial or disbelief; I wasn’t sure which. “Ryker and I are meeting Jesse tonight.”

  He stepped toward me. “Looks like your appointment has been moved up.”

  I scurried to my feet, but with nowhere to go, it was unlikely I could get by him, much less outrun him even if I had. “No.” Like that was going to save me. “Call Jesse, he’ll tell you I’m supposed to come tonight.” I didn’t know if that was true or not. I assumed it was since Ryker had told me we were meeting the king pin of U21 at ten, but for all I knew, Ryker was the only one expected at the Warehouse tonight.

  Sam didn’t halt his approach despite my arguments. And when his fingers wrapped around my bicep, I knew my options were to go willingly and hope he didn’t hurt me along the way, or fight, knowing he wouldn’t hesitate to make an example of me.

  I pulled at his wrist, attempting to get him to release me. While I hated either choice, the first was my best option. I might be in for a miserable few hours, but Ryker would show up at the scheduled time, and he was my only hope for getting out of this alive.

  “Let me go.” I ground out the command with zero results. “I’m not going to fight with you. Damn. I just don’t need to be manhandled.” I finally pried my arm from his grasp. “I’m not interested in everyone around here seeing you treat me like one of your pawns—or worse, your whore.”

  Sam held up his hands. “Fine. But you only get one warning, Nikki. You try anything stupid, I won’t hesitate to do what I need to. If that breaks bones or leaves marks, it’s on you.” His words were honest, even if they were infuriating.

  I ground my teeth together and spoke through a clenched jaw. “Understood.” My best bet was to keep my mouth shut. It had a tendency to override my ass with checks it couldn’t cash. Now was not the time to try to be a hero.

  I let go of my pride and followed Sam out the door.

  13

  Ryker

  When five o’clock rolled around and I hadn’t heard from Nikki, I tried to call her to see if she wanted me to pick up something for dinner or if she wanted to go out. I wasn’t in the mood to cook. By the time I got home and showered, I’d have no desire to spend another hour working in the kitchen. It’d been a long day with more shit to show up in the shop than I cared to work on, and I just wanted to unwind before we met up with Jesse. When she didn’t answer, I assumed she’d gotten bored and fallen asleep.

  I should have known better.

  I came around the corner in my complex and immediately noticed the empty spot where the SUV sat this morning when I had left. I shouted a string of expletives that couldn’t be heard over the roar of my bike, but they made me feel better just the same. One day. One fucking day. I asked her to sit tight, not do anything stupid for one goddamn day, and she couldn’t follow that simple request. I ripped the helmet from my head after putting down the kickstand and raced inside. Not that there was any point. She wasn’t there, which I already knew, and she hadn’t bothered to leave me a note to tell me where she had gone.

  I tried her cell phone again but got the same result as the first time I’d called. Nothing. I left her a message, but something in my gut told me she wouldn’t get it. Nikki was the kind of girl to go off the rails, but she wasn’t stupid. Or maybe I just wanted to believe she wasn’t. Leaving my apartment, regardless of the circumstances, had been a dumb move. I sat on the edge of my mattress and ran my fingers through my hair, ready to pull out every strand. If anything had happened to her, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself. I’d put her in the situation and never should have left her alone. Jesse wouldn’t have hurt her if I’d let her work out her shit with him on her own, but getting involved had cranked it all up about ten notches…and not in a good way.

  If I put out feelers to find her and Jesse didn’t have her, then all I would be doing was alerting the Union that she was alone and unprotected. If I didn’t and they did have her, then every minute that ticked by kept her in harm’s way. Neither was a good option, and it left me torn as to what my next step should be. The best thing I could do was wait for a bit and hope she’d only run to the store or some other equally harmless place.

  At six o’clock on the dot, my phone dinged with a text. Jesse’s name appeared on my screen, but where there should have been words, a tiny image appeared that I couldn’t see without opening the message. I dreaded it. As soon as I did, he’d know I’d read the text, and I’d have to face whatever he had up his sleeve.

  The moment her face lit up my screen, a roar tore through my throat that could have woken the dead. The animalistic growl reverberated off the walls of my empty apartment, but it did nothing to keep her safe. Without any makeup on, it was easy to see she’d been crying. Her nose was red and puffy, but the hatred that shone in her eyes told me she was more pissed off than hurt. If anyone else had sent me the image, I’d laugh at the situation she’d put herself in. But with it being Jesse, there was nothing to smile about.

  Me: What do you want, Jesse?

  Ticking him off probably wasn’t the best thing to do, and letting him know he’d unnerved me wouldn’t serve Nikki in the slightest. He had to believe I was as indifferent as he was. This was business in his world; I had to keep him thinking it was in mine, too. At least until I could physically put my hands on her. Then if I needed to make it personal, if I needed to lie through my teeth, I’d do whatever I had to in order to get her the fuck out of there.

  Jesse took his sweet time responding, and when he finally did, it was clear the message was for me. I’d crossed a line, and he aimed to teach me a lesson.

  Jesse: You.

  Me: When and where?

  Jesse: The Warehouse. If you don’t want to see her hurt, I’d suggest you make it here in record time. You overstepped on this one, Ryker.

  Overstepped my ass. He had over-fucking-stepped the day he let me go to prison for shit I didn’t have a damn thing to do with. He had let me rot in a jail cell for four fucking years with his grandson to save his own ass. Fuck. Him.

  Me: There better not be one hair on her head harmed when I get there.

  Jesse: That’s a bold statement for someone without any backup.

  I wasn’t getting into a pissing contest with Jesse Silvano. He’d made me a promise, and I intended to call his ass on it. If I needed to do that in person, then so be it. Either way, his beef with Nikki would be done today, and he could take this shit up with me. I nearly threw my phone across the room, but with it being the only form of contact I had with Jesse, and therefore Nikki, shattering it against my dresser probably wasn’t the best idea. Instead, I stomped toward the door to my bedroom and threw my fist into the drywall next to it. It would hurt later, but right now, the adrenaline kept the pain a
t bay.

  There wasn’t a lot of daylight left when I got back on the Harley. I hated to go near the Warehouse at night, especially with a target on my back. For all I knew, Jesse had people looking for me, waiting for me to pull up. I hadn’t heard from Chase since all this shit began, and that didn’t bode well for me. My best friend had never gone that long without reaching out, not even on his fucking honeymoon. He was well aware of what was going on, and he’d chosen to stay quiet…at least on my end. I’d been loyal to him since we were kids. I’d given up my life to save his ass. And this was the thanks I got.

  I fumed from my apartment until I pulled into the Warehouse parking lot. For people with power oozing from every orifice of their body and more money than most people made in ten lifetimes, one would think they could come up with a name more original and better suited for a huge gang than the Warehouse. I had friends as a child with clubhouses more aptly named. God, I hated everything these motherfuckers stood for. My disposition didn’t get any sweeter when I got off the bike, nor when a jackoff in a suit opened the door to escort me inside.

  “Mr. Silvano is in his office. He’s expecting you.” The unidentified man who’d let me in didn’t accompany me upstairs. Instead, he pushed the button on the elevator and then resumed his post at the entrance to the building.

  Sam waited for me on the other side of the metal doors on Jesse’s floor. “Ryker.”

  “Sam.” I followed him down the familiar hallway. Even as a kid, I’d known there was nothing good about this place. Despite its opulence inside, there’d always been a sense of doom that hugged me until I left.

  Now, standing outside Jesse’s office, I couldn’t see through the glass, but I was certain the beauty who’d riled up my nerves and driven me near the brink of insanity was on the other side. I could sense her presence as stupid as it felt. From the day I’d first laid eyes on her, I could feel her in a room. Today was no different. Except today, I not only knew she was near, but I could smell her fear, and it ignited rage in my belly that I had to force down to keep it from exploding out of my mouth.

  My eyes located hers the instant I crossed the threshold into Jesse’s office. They were pooled with tears, and when she mouthed the words, “I’m sorry,” I nearly lost my shit. Not on her, but rather on the buffoons flanking her sides. They’d intimidated her, made her cower in a corner, and I saw red. I’d deal with the idiocy of how she’d gotten into this situation once I had her out of it.

  “Nikki.” Her name wasn’t a question on my lips, it was a command for her presence.

  She stood, but the guy on her right pushed her down. “Ryker…”

  I turned my attention toward Jesse. “This is bullshit, Jesse.”

  The same guy who’d pushed Nikki down quirked his brow and took a step in my direction. Jesse held up his hand to stop the man’s progression. He obeyed, but I kept sight of him from the corner of my eye. I was keenly aware of the location of every person in this room. Not counting Nikki, I was outnumbered five to one. But when she whimpered, I gave up the ghost of restraint.

  There were seven steps between her and me, and each one took an eternity to cross. When I reached her, she stared up at me, pleading through the navy blue eyes that had grappled me from the stage of Swank. She took my outstretched hand, and this time, Jesse allowed her to move. I pulled her to my side, hugging her tightly against me.

  “Are you okay?” I whispered into her ear, and she nodded but didn’t make a peep.

  “Ryker, you go back a long time with the family.” It was like a scene from The Godfather. “You knew better than to handle things this way.” Jesse took the seat behind his desk and propped up his feet on the corner. “Son, if you needed something, all you had to do was ask. But taking what doesn’t belong to you, is stealing. You know the rules.”

  I nearly choked on laughter. “Stealing? Since when did a human being become property for someone to claim?”

  Jesse lit a cigar, taking his sweet time answering my question. It was all part of his game, his tactics. He knew I was on fire, and he wanted to let me burn. The more relaxed he was, the more agitated he expected me to become. But I’d spent years learning the art of patience. I’d also listened while others talked. He’d put my queen in the place to protect her king, and I was about to put him in checkmate.

  “Her mom owes you, not Nikki.”

  He flicked his ashes onto the floor. “Ah, but our little friend here offered to take that burden.”

  “We both know Nikki didn’t know the terms. No one ever does.”

  “Diamond should have asked more questions.” He flicked his eyes from me to her. “Never sign on the dotted line without reading the entire contract, sweetheart.” He suddenly sounded like Hannibal Lecter, but instead of “Clarice” getting under my skin, it was the term of endearment he’d bestowed on a woman I shouldn’t have any emotional tie to.

  Nikki tensed at my side. Now was not the time for her to go rogue, and I prayed she kept her mouth closed.

  Jesse continued before I could. “Please, sit.” He waved his hand to the chairs in front of his desk as though we were guests here to work a business transaction. Cordial Jesse didn’t exist. “We have a couple matters to discuss.”

  “I’ll stand.” I hated the way Jesse maintained control over the situation, and I couldn’t find a way to reel it in. We were on his turf, in his office, with his crew. Nikki and I were intruders.

  He flicked his cigar again. “Here’s how I see things. Diamond—”

  “Nikki,” I corrected.

  Jesse snickered. “Call her whatever you’d like. She agreed to a payment plan that she hasn’t made good on. That’s problem number one. Tabitha continuing to raise that dollar amount is issue number two. But the reason you’re here, issue number three, is that you impeded her ability to adhere to our understanding.”

  “Maybe if you taught your people to handle women with a little more respect, we wouldn’t be sitting here,” I ground out with a smile on my face. “How the fuck do you expect these girls to dance when your guys are roughing them up because they don’t respond fast enough to their ludicrous demands? And since when do you have Sam picking them up to make payments?” I folded my arms over my chest to hide the fact that my hands shook with rage. “You don’t do it with any other girl. So why Nikki?”

  I already knew the answer, and it was the same reason he had me here now. He wanted her as a side piece and was pissed she’d turned him down. Being with me only added insult to injury. Jesse Silvano always got what he wanted, and Nikki Wilson didn’t give a fuck who he was—she’d turned him down.

  “Diamond is special.” He spoke to me, staring directly at her. “And she’s in the service of the Union.” Jesus, he sounded like a psychopath.

  I’d known the man my entire life. Never had I heard him sound like a lunatic as if he’d fallen off his rocker. If I could have sunk my fingers into his eyes, I would have gouged the motherfuckers out just for looking at her. That wouldn’t get either of us anywhere, though. I took a deep breath and threw down what we all knew I was here to say. “I’m calling in my mark.”

  Nikki hadn’t made a peep and stood just far enough behind me that I knew she was there, but I couldn’t see her face. I’d kill to have her in front of me so I could witness the emotion cross her cheeks and see her irises change color.

  Jesse sat up, putting his feet on the floor. His eyes narrowed on Nikki. “This is how you want to use the debt of the Union?” His tone not only depicted his surprise, but there was an element of disgust behind it as well. He returned his attention to me. “Ryker, son, sit.” The grandfatherly man I’d known for years addressed me versus the drug lord who’d been talking since I walked in.

  I turned to glance at Nikki and tilted my head toward the seat on the left. I took the one on the right.

  Jesse snubbed out his cigar in the ashtray and then leaned his forearms on the desk to get closer to me, and suddenly, he sounded like the Godfather; my head was sp
inning with the different personalities he could assume and how quickly. “You did a great deal for my business when things went down with Chase. We both know that. And I told you when you got out that I’d make it up to you.” He cocked his head toward Nikki without breaking eye contact with me. “Is this really what you want to waste that level of service on? A tart with a crackhead for a mom?”

  “Look here, you jackass—”

  I grabbed Nikki’s forearm, although not with any force, just to get her to stop speaking. Which, she promptly did. “You and I both know Nikki’s different. And yes, this is how I want to use my favor. But I expect a lot. I gave up my life for Chase, and that repayment comes at a heavy price.”

  He leaned back into his chair and placed his hands in his lap. His brow furrowed slightly, but more in concentration that agitation. “I’m listening.”

  “I didn’t take her and hide, Jesse. Sam threw my girl on the ground. No man would tolerate that shit. You’d no more let one of your men manhandle Camilla than I would.”

  The wrinkles on his forehead went from a furrowed brow to a raised one. “She’s no Camilla.” Jesse’s wife was more important to him than the club itself, and everyone in U21 knew it beyond a shadow of a doubt. He would have killed anyone who came near her with malicious intent and tortured anyone who dared touch her.

  I took a deep breath and held his stare so he would see the seriousness in my words. “She’s my Camilla.”

  “That’s a bold statement, Ryker. You’re awfully young to think you’ve found that level of companionship…especially for a man who doesn’t do relationships.”

  This was the downside to having grown up around the Silvano family and having them watch my back since I’d gotten out of prison. Jesse knew I hadn’t been dating Nikki because I never dated anyone. He also knew how I felt about relationships—they got men killed. If the Union had beef with a man, they went after his wife.