Diamonds
a Den of Thieves Novel
By Allison Cosgrove
Diamonds © 2015 by Allison Cosgrove
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.
First edition June 2015
ISBN-13: 978-1512209068
To The Faithful.
Thanks for waiting for this one.
Chapter One
Daria scanned the room. She wasn’t completely sure she knew what she was looking for but she knew there was something about the room that bothered her. She couldn’t quite get her head around what it was.
Looking around at the guests in their finery she sighed; typical Greek gathering. No particular reason for a party but everyone seemed to think it was a lovely way to wile away an afternoon. Food, drink and gossip.
Everything seemed to be in order but she could not understand why she felt as though someone was watching her; however, upon scanning the room there was no one no matter how discrete she tried to be.
“Penny for your thoughts my child,” the warm voice came from behind her and brought a smile to her face.
She leaned in slightly to speak softly to her father, “There’s something odd going on tonight.”
“Odd? Whatever do you mean? Everyone seems to be having a good time,” chuckling as he gestured to the guests before them.
“Well, yes, I know that.”
“Well then what do you mean?”
“I’m not sure, it almost feels like someone is watching me.”
“That’s wonderful!”
Her dad had been trying to set her up with any given number of men. Most of whom she had either grown up with and they felt more like brothers than potential husbands or they were so far from what she wanted in a mate that their attempts at courtship were almost laughable.
“Dad--”
“Daria please, you know how I feel about these things. It’s no good for you to be alone in this world.” He led her across the room to a table where drinks had been set out for the guests.
“But I am not alone, Daddy. I have you.”
“You make my heart light, child, but you know I am not getting any younger and you know that I want to be able to spend some quality time with the grandchildren you are going to be giving me one of these fine days.”
She glanced over at him. He seemed so happy when he spoke of having grandchildren. She didn’t want to disappoint him but at the rate she was going she was never going to find a man she could settle down with, let alone have children. She was already twenty-seven and the window for having children was quickly closing in on her.
She glanced across the room again. The feeling of being watched was getting stronger.
“Relax Daria. There is no need to worry about who is watching you. I am sure there are a number of eligible young men in this room right now who would love nothing than to have a moment of your time.”
“Father, it’s not that I am worried about it; I know there are plenty of fish in the sea as you have told me many times before.”
“Then what is it that makes you worry so?”
“I’m just afraid that there are none in this room who will make my heart sing. Just like Mother’s did when she thought of you.”
Her father got that far off look on his face but didn’t say a word.
“I’m sorry Father, I didn’t mean to bring that up.” She put a hand on his shoulder
“I know you didn’t.” It was his turn to heave a heavy sigh.
Her mother had died shortly after she was born; Daria did not remember her at all. From what she had found out over the years her mother had not wanted kids, but her father had.
Her father had never remarried, not even gone on a date. He had waited for her all these years.
“You know, I’m sure she loved you.” She put her arm around his him and lay her head on his shoulder.
“I know.”
She felt increasingly worried about him. He was getting more and more withdrawn the older he got. If he didn’t have these parties every so often he would barely see anyone. The parties themselves were nothing more than matchmaking opportunities for him to try and find her a suitable husband.
“So what do you think of John Winters?” he asked nodding at a blonde haired man across the room.
“I haven’t thought about him at all to be quite honest.” Daria mentally rolled her eyes.
Her father was forever the matchmaker. Trying to hard to find her a husband
“Sweetheart, you know are going to have to chose someone eventually.”
“Oh father--”
“Don’t give me that. You know time is running out”
“You make me sound like I have an expiry date on me or something.” Daria laughed and took another sip of her drink.
“No my sweet, but even the finest of wines will turn to vinegar if you don’t care for them.”
Daria sighed; she had heard this conversation so many times before that it was at the point where she could almost guess what was coming next.
“I know father. I know you want to see me happily in love--”
“Grandchildren. I want grandchildren,” her father said taking her arm and leading her around the room.
“Yes Father.”
“Look around the room my sweet. Surely there is someone in this room that makes your heart sing.”
Daria looked around the room. It was filled to the brim with important people. To her important people were boring and had no sense of adventure. She wanted a love to sweep her off her feet. The eligible men in the room were safe and successful. The men were perfect fit for what her father wanted but they were a far cry from making her heart sing.
She told her father as much and he frowned. She could see that he was clearly stressed out about the whole scenario so she quickly changed the subject to one of the older ladies on the other side of the room and a tidbit of gossip she had heard.
“You know that we are not done this conversation my child.”
“Yes I know Father, but please, enough for the evening, alright?” She smiled and laid her head on his shoulder.
“Always did have control of my heart didn’t you?” He kissed the top of her head.
Sebastian had spent the better part of the evening just watching her. She was simple yet stunning. Her brown hair gently fell in waves over her shoulders.
“Mr. Turcott?” The woman standing in front of him cleared her throat.
“I’m sorry.” He smiled.
He couldn’t for the life of himself remember her name but he knew that she was someone of note to have been invited to this party. Perhaps he would get her number later on in the evening and pay her a visit at some point.
“I was asking what you thought of the city’s new plans for the construction of a new city hall.” She looked impatient with him. Not that he blamed her.
“Oh yes!” He smiled, “I think it will be a nice addition to the city’s infrastructure.”
The woman nodded.
“It will be a shining light in the middle of the city,” she beamed and took a sip of her drink.
“Yes it will.” He glanced over at the object of his true attention.
She was still in conversation with an older man that Sebastian assumed was her father but the look on her face said she was quickly tiring of whatever the man was saying. He wished he were closer so that he could rescue her from whatever it was.
The nameless woman in front of him continued to prattle on about how h
er late husband’s company would be the one two break the ground on Lake City’s new town hall and how prestigious it was for them to have won that contract.
None of which interested him in the least. He tried to glance at the clock on the wall but she finally caught him looking.
“Do you have somewhere to be?” she huffed, “I wouldn’t want to keep you from something important.”
“I do, but I didn’t want to be rude.” He smiled warmly placing a hand on her arm.
“Well you were. I don’t even believe you were listening to a word I have said.”
“I was listening. Just my mind was otherwise engaged. I do apologize.” He flashed a grin, “If you want we can discuss this in a more private setting.”
She locked eyes with him, clearly trying to see whether he was indeed sincere. He did his best to show his sincerity but he found his mind wandering back to the other woman.
“I don’t know if that will work for me Mr. Turcott.” She abruptly turned on her heel and walked away without another word.
He sighed; so much for seeing her another time. Older woman always made the best marks for him. They loved his sweet smile and the little attention he lavished on them went a long way. It was an entirely different thing to have a younger woman as his mark.
He couldn’t focus on the loss right now. He had something bigger in his sights and he could not afford to misstep with that.
He moved smoothly through the finely dressed but crowded room, nodding and smiling at the men and women around him. Although he knew none of them personally he enjoyed the look on their faces as they tried to place where they might have met him before. He especially got a thrill from watching the husbands of the various women he made eye contact with. Their expressions varied from shock to anger depending on the age of the wife.
“I know you from somewhere.” A man in a nice suit put a hand on his arm, essentially stopping him.
Sebastian looked at the man. The other man had a familiar face and could have been at any one of the many parties he had be a guest at.
“I’m not sure. Maybe?” Sebastian smiled and tried to pull away. He didn’t have time for this.
“No, I am sure I know you from somewhere. Don’t you have a cottage up on Fisher Lake?” The man pressed.
It hit Sebastian then. He had been laying groundwork for another job a few months ago and it had involved a resident of the gated Fisher Lake community.
“I did but I sold it.” He smiled and tried to leave again.
“Sold it? I don’t remember hearing about any residents leaving our community.” The other man’s eyes narrowed.
“Oh I didn’t make a big deal about it.” He watched as the woman he was following moved to another part of the big room, once again placing a large amount of people between them.
She glanced in his direction, as if she could feel his eyes on her. He tried to smile but she had already turned away again.
“Yes but you know how small that community is. Everyone knows everyone.”
“Oh I know and tongues will wag,” Sebastian smiled and felt his heart skip a beat.
He did not have time for this and he could not blow his cover. He needed to get away from this man and fast.
“Yes. They do.”
“I am terribly sorry. I would love to catch up but I have someone I need to see before they leave,” he said again making a move to get away from the conversation.
“I’m sure you do. But one question before you go. What property did you say you owned there?”
Sebastian’s brain stalled as he fumbled for a moment as he scrambled to remember the story he had been using at that time. So much time had passed that he had all but forgotten.
“I was up on Melbourne Road, Lot 85 I believe. Listen, I really need to go--” He pushed his way past the other man and didn’t look back.
Thankfully, the man didn’t try to stop him again and said nothing more to him.
His heart was hammering in his chest. That was far too close of a call for his tastes. He really needed to get on with what he needed to do before someone else came up to him.
Daria glanced back over her shoulder. The man was still behind her but it was clear that he was making his way across the room in her general direction.
She smiled, turning back away from his direction. Men always had the bad habit of chasing after her. The only bad thing was she never enjoyed it when they did that. Nor did she enjoy chasing them. That left only a small amount of men who would interest her.
Most of them were married or hopelessly in love with some cause or another.
Still she couldn’t help but wonder who the man was. A businessman? A Nobel from another country?
She hoped not a reporter. She had met more than a few of those in her day and they never ceased to get under her skin.
She glanced back again and he smiled at her but then he was stopped by another man.
He was handsome no doubt about it. Longer hair, dark blond, slightly unkempt and not clean-shaven. So probably not a reporter. They tended to be a little more clean cut than this one appeared to be.
A businessman? Or the son of one.
That had to be it. He had to be a son of someone important.
Not exactly the sort of man she wanted either. Most of them were spoiled beyond belief and their idea of their own importance was so inflated that they became almost intolerable at times.
She watched him slide away from one of the many businessmen that wandered about the room. He moved like someone with a purpose, a man on a mission.
And he was coming straight towards her and her father.
Her mind raced. She tried to come up with some excuse to escape or reasoning why she did not want to talk to him. His deep blue eyes locked with hers as he closed the distance between them and her mind went blank.
“Hi,” he smiled.
Daria wanted to turn around and walk away. She had no use for this type of man but something held her grounded to the spot.
“Hi,” she breathed, her eyes still locked with his.
Her father cleared his throat.
“Hi. I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Petros Sotir and this is my daughter Daria.” He reached out a hand to the younger man. “And you are?”
“Peter Turcott.” He said returning the handshake, “Pleasure to meet you.”
“And Mr. Turcott, have you been enjoying the party?” Her father was giving him the standard lines she had heard all too many times.
Her father did not like this man at all and was eager to be rid of him.
“And what do you do?” her father asked.
The man, Peter, looked at her and she could feel the heat of his gaze.
“Do?” He replied absently tearing his eyes away from Daria.
“Yes. What do you do with yourself?”
“Oh, I’m in acquisitions.” His response was brief as if he did not want to continue conversing with her father.
Not a good sign for him.
“Really, what firm?”
“Private acquisitions.” The emphasis was clearly on the ‘private’, which only made Daria’s heart flutter again.
“Yes, I understand but with what firm?” Her father pressed. She knew that he was hoping to trip up the stranger.
“My clients wish to keep their anonymity,” he answered smoothly with another one of those smiles.
“Of course they do.” Her father’s eyes were dark.
“I was wondering if I could trouble you for a moment of your daughter’s time.”
Daria felt the heat of irritation rise up.
“I’m sorry. I have things I need to do.” How dare they speak as if she wasn’t even standing there?
Peter went to protest but her father stepped in, putting his hand up to silence him.
“I think you have your answer.”
“Yes, of course.” He smiled and stepped back to let them pass.
Their eyes met again but she was too fired up for those eyes
to have any effect on her.
As she followed her father, making her way past Peter he grabbed her arm.
“I’m sorry if I upset you in any way. It wasn’t my intention,” he said leaning in to speak quietly in her ear.
His breath was hot and his cologne had a subtle musky scent.
“I’m sure you didn’t,” she whispered back pulling her arm away and continuing after her father.
“He is hiding something,” her father said once they were out of earshot.
“Like what?” Daria sighed, he was suspicious of anyone who came near her but she was curious as to what he was thinking this man’s intentions were.
The conspiracy theories over the years were entertaining.
“Well for one he didn’t want to tell me who he worked for.” Her father shook his head, “People like that make me suspicious.”
“Anyone who talks to me for any undefined reason makes you suspicious.”
“Yes there is that too I suppose.” He smiled taking her hand, “You know how I feel...”
“Yes I know. You worry about me too much.”
“Some days I fear it’s not enough.”
Chapter Two
Getting close to Daria was going to be harder than he thought. Her father seemed to be the proverbial guard dog. Not that he blamed the man. His daughter was beautiful.
He watched her walk down a hallway with her father. The gentle sway of her long hair as she walked had him mesmerized.
Giving himself a mental shake he tried to refocus his thoughts on his game plan. As beautiful as she was he was here for a reason and admiring her beauty was not it.
Being careful to keep behind them and out of sight he followed Petros and Daria as they made their way away from the party towards the back of the house.
“I am starting to get tired,” he heard her say.
“Alright sweetheart. Why don’t you go lie down and I’ll go see our guests off. I’ll come and say goodnight once they have left.”
Diamonds (Den of Thieves Book 1) Page 1