Sleep was non-existent. Diamond tried, but his brain was chock-full of unnecessary images of Nadya going to town on the can of fruit. After excusing himself, he’d gone straight to the pantry and made a note of how many cans there were. If she was as into those peaches as she seemed, then he could only imagine what she’d do with him and the sticky slices. Stop. That wasn’t a place he was going. Not with her. To be turned upside down and inside out over a female eating peaches... Fucking ridiculous. She was a product. Something to sell. Nothing more. Even if, after the auction, he could partake, he wasn’t going to. She was a danger to his good sense. He could never forget that.
Nadya was the type of woman who’d see stars at the slightest hint of kindness. She’d get ideas. The wrong kinds of ideas. He had no intention of filling her head with fantasies, which was why he put the thought of her out of his mind and made his way back to the room. He found her asleep on the lower half of the bed’s platform. She’d pulled her clothes back on and wrapped herself in one of the comforters. The only thing peeking out from beneath the blanket was her silky black hair.
Diamond went to the master bed to get some sleep. The next part of their journey would be troublesome. Amethyst was out scouting, and when she wasn’t around, her girls tended to get carried away. He knew there would be trouble. Passing through the park was the quickest way to get the group to their destination. Zira didn’t like him or the males in his company. She was partial to females, and one in particular. Thys. Zira was only loyal to Amethyst and Amethyst was loyal to him.
He should have stayed back at the Quarry. But Nadya was too big of an investment to go off with Lip and Lindy, just to have one or the both of them fuck it up. Plus, they would have killed each other. There was movement down on the mattress at the foot of the bed. Nadya whimpered in her sleep, and from the sounds of it, she was scared. Diamond edged towards her. His intentions, he thought, were clear. He’d just wake her up. What he got for his troubles was a knuckle blade at his throat. Two things went through his head as he felt the blade pressed tightly against his Adam’s apple. One, how the hell had she moved so fast, and two, where the fuck had she gotten the knuckle knives?
“You can put the blade down, Adya. It’s just me.”
Her breathing was erratic, and although the room was dark, it wasn’t pitch-black. A beam of light from the moon found its way through the spaces between the vines and highlighted her eyes. They were wild, and her pupils were large. She scanned his face before lowering the blade.
“Sorry about that.”
Her voice was remorseful, but it wasn’t enough to shut the lid on his anger. His hand reached out, snatching the blade from her. With his other hand, he grabbed her by the throat and yanked her forward, banging their foreheads together.
“Do that shit again and you won’t have any fingers. You’re in my bed. You don’t bring instruments of death with you. With me, you’re safe. That’s one thing you can be sure of.”
“That won’t always be the case and you know it.”
She was right.
“Right now, you don’t need it. He knew his fingers were tight around her throat, but not enough to restrict her airway. “If you ever pull a stunt like that again, next time, I’ll take your life.” Diamond tossed the blades onto the table next to his side of the bed. “What was the dream about?”
Nadya pulled the blanket tighter around her before answering. “I don’t remember.”
“Your eyes and your body say otherwise. You remember something.”
She hesitated, and that was all the answer he needed.
Fuck. Don’t do it, his conscience warned.
Diamond ignored the part of his brain that normally led him in the right direction. He told himself it was just this once. She needed to learn to relax. Clients wouldn’t pay for jumpy merchandise.
“Come up here on the bed.”
“But you’re up there.”
“The bed is big enough for the two of us, Nadya.”
There was no movement for long moments. When it seemed like an eternity had passed, she finally moved. Slow and steady. He motioned to the other side where she could lie down. Stiff as a board, she got into position, her eyes wide and looking up at the ceiling.
“Relax. I’m not going to do anything. Maybe if you’re lying here beside me, you won’t have any more dreams.”
“Maybe,” she whispered.
Diamond made sure to put enough distance between them. He could be overbearing at times, but this wasn’t one of them. He wanted her to relax and feel safe. He was just starting to drift off when she started talking.
“I don’t know who I am. No memory of my past. What I do remember is the day I woke up and every day after that.”
Fuck.
He hadn’t expected her to want to talk. And he really hadn’t expected her to say anything like that. When he didn’t respond, she kept going.
“Anna and Dominika aren’t my real family, but they took me in. I owe them my life.”
Diamond should be pissed that she’d lied to him. He’d known she was hiding something, but this wasn’t what he’d expected. He actually respected her for her loyalty to those not of her blood. There weren’t enough loyal people in the world. For her to give up so much for people who weren’t her family meant something.
“Every now and then, I’ll remember something, snippets, but as soon as the memory appears, it vanishes and I’m left in the dark again.”
This is exactly why he didn’t sleep with females in his bed. They liked to talk, even if wasn’t about a bad dream. They just wanted to make conversation. For fuck’s sake. Just say something, man.
“You’ll get your memory back when your mind is fully healed.”
He didn’t know if what he said was true, but it sounded good.
“Right.”
He felt the bed move. Knew she was now in his space, and probably looking to him for some sort of comfort. Diamond reluctantly turned in her direction, and was relieved when there were no tears streaming down her face. Such was the norm for most women who still hoped for a better future. But there was something different about Nadya. He could see it in her face, her resilience, her strength. She knew there was nothing better than what she could get or do for herself. Smart girl. That he realized was her beauty—that even in the darkest of situations, she’d survived. To her, that was beautiful. She wasn’t as naïve as he’d first thought. She was playing the hand dealt to her. Trying to show the people who’d taken her in gratitude and devotion. Why else go through all the trouble to secure their safety. She could have left at any time.
“You’re doing the right thing.”
She nodded her head but didn’t say anything else.
“You really don’t remember the dream?” he asked again, not really caring if she told him or not. But at least he gave off the idea that he could actually care.
“It was about my father, I think. I’m not sure because I can’t see his face. The man in the dream. I can only hear his voice. He’s disappointed in me. Thinks I’m weak.”
“That’s fucked.”
“It is, but that’s life. I also dreamed Rory was with him.”
“Rory?”
“The guy I was with. I met him when I was with Anna and her daughter. Our courtship was sweet, and simple. But he left.
Rory’s loss, my gain.
A lock of hair fell over her eye, and Diamond pushed it back before he thought better of it. Nadya froze, uncomfortable just as he was by the act.
“What happened to Rory?”
“He became infected.”
Her eyes tracked Diamond’s face. Searching for an answer he knew wasn’t there. She closed her eyes then re-opened them and spoke.
“He left Inwood. I tried to go after him, but the trail went cold. He’s out there somewhere, or he’s dead. I hope it’s the latter. Rory wasn’t the type of man who wanted to purposely hurt others. He was the type to help. And encourage others to do the same.”
So her man was a do-gooder. Those were just as bad as Ragers. Do-gooders instilled false hope in people. Tried to make them believe there was a bright side to life. There wasn’t, because if there were, he would be living the fucking dream. Instead, he was making do with what he had. Indulging in whatever the hell he wanted. None of it included a sliver of hope. He knew exactly what was what.
“Get some sleep, girl. We got a long day tomorrow. If you’re anxious to get to your people, you’ll turn around, shut your mouth and close your eyes. I got watch over you, and if I say no dreams, no more fucking dreams. Sleep easy tonight. I got your back.”
She nodded, turned, and settled in for sleep.
Diamond turned and did the exact same thing. He knew he’d sleep lightly, just to be sure she didn’t wake again. But he wasn’t going to admit that to anyone. Not even himself. Not really.
V
Nadya woke tangled in suffocating heat. She was trapped. Her body went on high alert. She tried to move and found she couldn’t. Either she was dreaming, or something was squeezing her a little too tightly. The sun from outside was barely breaking through the blackened clouds. She tried to move again, but a deep growl vibrating at the back of her neck stopped all movement.
“Where are you going?”
Diamond.
It was Diamond wrapped around her like a blanket. Sometime in the night, they must have invaded each other’s space. Or maybe it was more like he’d invaded her space since she was still on her side of the bed. She was not going to panic.
Nope.
Panic was the furthest thing from her mind. She was more confused than anything else. He didn’t seem the type to cuddle. Nadya was definitely not the cuddling type. And he wasn’t the kind of male who seemed to want a woman in his bed. Yet the arms around her chest constricted as he yawned. He untangled himself from her body and sat up. He didn’t say anything. Just got up, threw on his shirt, and stuck his feet into his boots. It was like the two of them tangled up together was a normal everyday occurrence.
“Get your shoes on. I’ll make sure the others are ready to go. We’ll grab a quick bite and then head out.”
She didn’t get a chance to say anything; he’d already walked out the door. Diamond was back to being his brooding self, the mood from last night gone. She stood, slid her feet into her boots, and walked over to the door to grab her pack. She also grabbed the knuckle knives he’d taken from her last night. She couldn’t handle nice, caring Lavarious Diamond. Irate, yelling, and always ill-tempered Diamond, she was used to. The male who had talked with her last night wasn’t real.
The door opened and Lip popped his head in.
“You about ready? Diamond wants to move out in five.”
“Yeah, just need to get my pack and the rest of my things.”
“Make it quick, girl, and don’t try to steal anything from in here. I’ll know if you do.”
He tapped the side of his nose.
“You can smell it?”
“I can smell a lie from a mile away.”
If that were true, he would’ve pegged Lindy from the start. There was something not right about her, and Nadya still believed she’d tripped on purpose yesterday. Wanting to slow them down.
“You either need a better nose or a better lie. I’m no mind reader or anything, but I can see a lie when it’s staring me in the face. I sure as shit can spot when people are fake.”
“You saying something about me, girl?”
Thought I just did.
“If the pants fit. But maybe you need to take a closer look at Lindy. Your senses are way off base if you can’t smell her shit from a mile away.”
That put a smile on Lip’s face.
“I’ve been saying she’s dirty for years, but Lavarious has a thing for pussy. Especially repeat pussy. Nothing I can do about that. She puts out, and he takes it whenever the mood strikes.”
“Then he needs to check his compass. It’s way off.”
Lip let go of a deep belly laugh.
“I like you. I’ve been telling the boss man about her for years.”
Diamond’s voice came through the other side of the door where Lip was standing.
“Tell me what?”
“That you need your head checked for dipping your stick in Lindy’s rat trap.”
Nadya would have laughed, but Diamond cut them both off with a sharp command.
“Let’s move out.”
V
It smelled like rotten eggs outside. Diamond tightened his jacket, ensuring that the inside flap did its job properly. Stitch had designed it so he didn’t have to wear a facemask. It filtered the air. But it still allowed for a little of the smells to sneak past. Distracted by last night’s act of random crazy, Diamond made his way out to the front of the building. Last night was a one-time thing. He never allowed a woman to sleep in bed with him, and the one time he folded, he’d woken up wrapped around her like a shield. He could have been a dick about it, blamed it on another dream she hadn’t had, but it seemed pointless trying to dodge the obvious. He was drawn to her. Had been even before the peach exhibition. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly when she’d piqued his interests, but it had happened sometime between the slaughterhouse and his residence.
Diamond told himself it was because she was a capable fighter, and she seemed loyal. He admired her for that. But the truth of it was, he admired more than that. She was a survivor. Dealt a shitty hand and still made it work to her advantage. Tamp it down. She’s a product. And as long as he kept seeing things clearly, he’d have no problem reconciling his feelings and keeping them separate from his intentions. She’d be sold to the highest bidder, making him a killing in Wave and bringing in a steady flow of resources. Nadya Stroya was a commodity, nothing more. He wasn’t going to let a series of thoughts detour his plans.
They were making good time. There was nothing out of place as they walked the quiet streets of the city. This side of town was clear of Ragers. Zira and the girls had seen to that. She and her group of women occupied a large park. With constant patrols, this side of town was safe. Any signs of Ragers, Gearheads, or inner-city gangs…the girls handled it quickly and quietly. A lot of his clients lived on this side of town, as well. As they walked, they passed buildings that used to be museums, but were now occupied by those who were well–off. They were the ones who didn’t live within range of the Towers. This part of town closely resembled the Mainland, only their living quarters were aboveground.
The smell of bread and yeast assaulted them as they passed a large bakery situated beneath a larger building. Stitch’s father lived here. The man was known for his breads, and with very little resources, he made the best damn bread balls ever. Two of Zira’s girls were guarding the door. They saw Diamond’s group approaching and drew their weapons.
“Don’t take another step. State your business.”
“I don’t need to state shit.”
One of the girls, tall and svelte with long dreads tangled with some type of animal’s fur, tilted her head to the side, trying to decide whether or not to shoot.
“You’re trespassing.”
“That’s not possible, being as I happen to be the one funding your way of life.”
“Reka, shoot his ass, he’s a liar. He’s not Diamond, no way,” another female said, this one dressed in a long-sleeve shirt ripped at the shoulders, longer on one side than the other. Stich’s signature work. The asymmetrical hem allowed them to hide more weapons. The woman wore short jean shorts with ripped stockings held up by pins with the top. Her boots had seen better days.
“How do you know I’m not Diamond?”
Both girls looked to the other before the one called Reka spoke.
“Diamond’s seven feet tall with fangs for teeth. Thys said he once killed a Rager with his bare hands. You don’t look like you could harm a roach. And you’re short.”
Well, didn’t that just sting his pride?
Nadya coughed, trying to hide her laugh. Lip hid nothing as he bent forward to catch his breath. He was laughing so hard; Diamond wasn’t sure he’d be okay. Lindy had one hand on her hips and used the other to check the comm device as if searching for someone out in the universe who had a lick of sense.
Diamond had killed a Rager with his bare hands. The other shit was a myth. He wasn’t seven feet tall, but rather six-four, and as far as he could tell, he had regular teeth just like everyone else.
“You really believe that bullshit?” Lip spoke, taking a step forward, arms outstretched in surrender. “This is,” he pointed in Diamond’s direction, “Lavarious Diamond. We’re passing through on a matter of importance to get this untouchable snatch reunited with her family.” He pointed to Nadya. “The bitch with the comm, that’s Lindy, Diamond’s personal overused snatch, and I’m Philip Tyson, also known as Lip, the right hand to your Sovereign.”
Reka, unfazed by Lip’s speech, decided she wasn’t going to try and reason with them at all. Her gun already raised, she let her bullets fly. One whizzed by Diamond’s head, the other hit the ground. Nadya was the best prepared for the chaos. A dagger flew out of her hand, sailing through the air and lodging in Reka’s shoulder. Reka dropped her gun, and the other female with the dreads took over, lighting up the pre-dawn sky with her rounds. Diamond dove to the ground, Lindy went down next to him. Lip and Nadya got to cover and rolled out of the way as the other woman geared up for her next round of assault. Diamond needed to get out more. Let people know who the fuck he was. The next time he spoke with Thys, he was lighting her and Zira’s asses up for filling the girls’ heads with their bullshit.
Both girls sprinted out of sight, and Diamond knew the gunshots alone would have alerted the other women, who regularly patrolled the streets this close to the park. He was just trying to get from point A to point B. What the fuck was so hard about that?
“Lindy, get Zira on the comm and tell her ass she’d better meet us at the bakery in ten minutes. And you code red that shit so she thinks some serious shit went down.”
“Serious shit did go down, Diamond. The bitches shot at us,” Lip hollered from his spot behind an old, rusted-out vehicle. Nadya was up in a tree. Diamond hadn’t even seen her go up there, but there she was, mid-way up on a thick branch.
“There are about six of them coming our way,” she called down from the tree. “If we’re going to get to this bakery intact, we need to move now.” She jumped down from her perch, picked up her backpack, and made her way towards him. “I hate to even ask this, but how long has it been since you’ve been outside of the Quarry?”
Too fucking long.
He was getting old. Turning bitch.
Fuck.
He was still on the ground. Looking up at a pair of boots and grey-blue eyes. Nadya bent forward and offered her hand to help him up.
“I don’t need your help.”
“I know that. Just being nice.”
“Well, don’t be. I got this.”
“I know.”
She stood back, and the four of them made their way inside the bakery. Diamond didn’t have to knock; Stich’s father Zool had the door open.
“Lavarious? What are you doing out there? I heard gunfire.”
“Yeah, Reka and whoever the hell the other one was, shot at us.”
“Reka and Bev? Oh, that’s bad.” Zool shook his head while moving out of the way to let them in. He was tall with long, silver hair that he kept up in a tight bun. It looked weird, considering the old man had a widow’s peak. His goatee needed serious trimming, and he was covered from head to toe in flour. “Those two are idiots. I tried to tell Zira I didn’t need them to stand sentry, but she insisted. You know how the girls are. They go on these crusades to clean the streets and get carried away. Anyway, I was making some bread, care to join me?”
“We’re good. Nadya, if you want to try some of his bread, you can. It’s the best in the city.”
She looked to him, eyes wide in confusion. Lip looked shocked, as well.
“What?”
“You want me to eat?”
“If you want?”
“Why does she get to eat? What about us?” Lip interrupted.
“Who the fuck cares who eats. If you want to fucking eat, eat.”
“I’m good.” She winced as she said the words, and Diamond watched her closely as she looked around the shop. She didn’t look hurt, but after Bev had tried to spray them to death, she may not have gotten out of the way fast enough.
“Adya, come here.”
Her head swiveled around at the use of his nickname for her and her body locked with annoyance.
Nadya made her way over to him, and he watched her for signs of injury. The pulse at her neck beat rapidly, she was sweaty, and her hands had a slight tremble. Her pupils were large saucers. Something was wrong.
“Where were you hit?”
“Hit?”
“Where. The. Fuck. Were. You. Hit?” he yelled, his body shaking with fury. He didn’t have time for this shit.
“Diamond, man, calm down.” Lip tried to take control of the situation, but Diamond ignored the male.
“I’m not hit.”
“Then why did you wince? Your pulse is racing, you’re all sweaty.”
Lip took off her backpack and started to check her for signs of injury. She didn’t move, she didn’t do anything. She just stood there. She didn’t even flinch.
“Well?” Diamond asked.
Lip looked even more confused. “There’s nothing. Maybe she’s crashing, or she’s like, I don’t know, a junkie?”
She moved then, jerked out of Lip’s hold and pulled her jacket back on. “I’m not hit. Get over it. Excited after the fight is all. My body starts to produce too much adrenaline. I just have to wait it out. I’m not hurt. You’d know if I was hurt.”
That hadn’t happened at the theater.
“How do you know all this stuff?”
“Didn’t I mention I volunteered at a hospital before they were all shut down? The doctor I worked with had a lot of texts for me to read. I also know how to use a library. You know the place that holds books.”
Smartass.
“You mean; you don’t burn them for fuel?” Lip asked.
“Some of us tried to stay educated, Philip.”
“My name is Lip.”
Their back and forth was interrupted when Zira came barreling through Zool’s door.
“Why the fuck is Reka bleeding, Zool? Diamond is on–”
“I’m already here, Zira. You want to tell me why your girls have an image of a seven-foot-tall, fanged-tooth male as their version of me?”
“It’s just what Thys tells them so they don’t get any ideas. I think it’s because it’s been so long since any of us have seen you. The rumor got out of control and the legend just kind of grew.” She winced before shrugging her shoulders.
“Reka is bleeding because she shot at us, and Bev, her ass should be dead. She tried to lay waste to my entire team. If it hadn’t been for Adya, who knows what would have happened.”
“You have a new girl? Thys never told us.”
Diamond was confused. There was no reason to think he had a new girl or any girl. He claimed no one.
“No, Zira, she’s a new recruit and will be working for me at the Quarry. I need you to put the call out. We’ll be traveling through the Den. I don’t want any more mix-ups.”
Zira turned and headed outside where there were at least fifteen other women. All dressed similarly to Reka and Bev. Diamond and the others followed. Bev and Reka were among the group. Reka glared at Nadya, who winked and gave Reka a head nod before asking, “How’s your shoulder.”
“Fuck you, bitch.”
“Shut up, Reka,” Zira hissed. “Get the word out. Diamond and his crew are passing through the Den. If any of you shoot, or even spit in their direction, you’ll have to answer to not only me but Amethyst, too. None of you bitches want that.”
There were murmurs, and Bev stepped forward, her eyes downcast. “Diamond, sir.”
“Save it. I don’t want to hear whatever bullshit you’re trying to sell me.”
In a situation like this, with anybody else, he would have ripped into the female, even struck her. But the reality of the situation was simple, she was doing her job. Something he’d have to commend Thys for after he chewed her ass out for lying. However, he probably would have done the same thing.
He didn’t acknowledge Bev or any of the other females.
“We’re moving out.