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Chapter 12: Nikki
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Dear Diamond Chapter 13: Ryker
There wasn't much traffic out, not that anyone would have stopped to help a woman being attacked by a Union 21 member. Even if someone had, other members were like cockroaches that scrambled when the lights came on. They came out of the woodwork to protect each other. The gang all had the ability to go unseen, even in broad daylight. Add a cloak of darkness and they were untouchable. Cops turned a blind eye on these streets-largely in part due to the fact most of them were on the gang's payroll. I, however, did not-not in this case. The crack of Sam's palm meeting Nikki's cheek reverberated in my ears. He had slapped Nikki with such force that had he not been holding onto her arm, she would have taken a nasty fall. Yet he still hadn't let her go, and she dangled precariously in his grasp. I was within striking distance. My hand shot out with laser-like precision, and my fingers wrapped securely around his throat. My palm pressed firmly against his windpipe, and with little effort, I
Dear Diamond Chapter 14: Ryker
"Ryker..." Her voice nearly shattered me. It wasn't the hostile, hate-filled tone she'd thrown my way before Sam showed. Her vibrato had been replaced with uncertainty and laced with fear. "I'll be okay." Three words gave away more than an admission would have.Taking my eyes off Sam wasn't an option. Gang members didn't play by the rules. They had no problem sideswiping a person to get what they needed. And while just about everyone else under the Union umbrella knew better than to cross my path, somewhere along the way, Sam had gotten the impression he could best me. A shift in my focus, a single second where my attention was lost, and he'd have me on the ground and Nikki in the car. That couldn't happen.A smug expression crossed Sam's lips, as though he believed he'd won. The motherfucker hadn't won shit other than my disdain and irritation. If he pushed it much further, he'd be the proud owner of a handful of his own teeth. "Yeah, Ryker. She'll be just fine." He waved his hand
Dear Diamond Chapter 15: Ryker
She was wrong. I was well aware of the implications of my decision; hence the reason vacating the premises was currently my top priority. "Nikki, we don't have the luxury of sitting around debating the merits of my actions. I need you to stand up." I stepped close enough to offer her my hand.The grey hadn't left her empty eyes. The fight I'd been privy to on the stage was nowhere to be found. There was nothing more than a shell cowered against the brick. I didn't want to have to pick her up and haul her ass onto the back of my bike, but I'd do what was necessary. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks, further marring her makeup. By the time we got wherever we were going, anyone who saw us would believe I'd been the one who had beaten the shit out of her. My impatience grew by the second, yet she didn't budge. "Nikki, seriously. Get up." I was well aware of just how overbearing my voice could be; coupled with my appearance, she was likely more scared of me than she had been
Dear Diamond Chapter 16: Nikki
I had no idea what had come over me. It appeared I'd left my brain on the stage as I'd exited my last performance. Hell-bent on escaping the tattooed god who now sat in front of me, I'd managed to land myself in his debt as well as Union 21's. As if crossing Sam, and therefore Jesse, hadn't been foolish enough, I'd ended up on the back of a menacing Harley that growled like its owner. And both did things to my panties I'd never admit out loud. My knowledge of motorcycles was even more limited than that of stripping and gang banging, yet here I was straddling a beast that vibrated between my thighs and threatened to end my life with one wrong move. While I should have been crippled by fear, all I could think about was how the monotony of the hum and the wind against my face had me flush against a wall of muscle, dreaming of all the ways Ryker could make me forget my past, abandon my present, and drown in my future. I didn't have a clue where we were heading or how long it would ta
Dear Diamond Chapter 17: Nikki
The moon allowed me to see each inked finger as it worked the strap below my jaw. It took effort to stare straight down my nose, but something intrigued me in the lines and colors that shaded his knuckles. My sight trailed to his hands and then his wrists, up his forearms to his biceps. The ink didn't stop where his shirt sleeve began. Every intricate nuance of artwork that covered his skin had been done with painstaking precision. Ryker was someone's masterpiece, and damn, I wanted to see the entire canvas.He lifted the helmet from my head and hung it on the handlebars the way it had been at the club. This wasn't a great part of town, and I wondered how he kept someone from stealing it. He didn't give me the opportunity to ask before he grabbed my hand, wound his fingers through mine, and started walking toward the building in front of us.I couldn't help but grin as he unlocked three deadbolts, yet he'd just left an expensive helmet sitting outside. Acknowledging the need for th
Dear Diamond Chapter 18: Nikki
"I know my apartment isn't much, but it's the only place I know I can keep you safe. Until I work shit out with Jesse, I don't want you leaving." In Ryker's mind, that decision had been made-not so much in my own."At all?"He slid his phone across the counter. "Not even to smell the flowers.""This place has flowers?" I shouldn't be a smartass. Not now."The lady next door has a couple pots by her front door." He placed his hands behind him on the countertop, and every muscle from his shoulders to his abdomen flexed. "I know it's not fancy, but the place is clean, and the bed is comfortable."Bed. That was singular. Taking in the space, I hoped I'd missed some of the apartment and that there was a hidden door that led to another room...with another bed. There wasn't even a couch. And as cozy as this chair was, I doubted sleeping on it would provide any actual rest. Ryker must have sensed my discomfort. "I'm not going to try to get in your pants.""Even if you wanted to,
Dear Diamond Chapter 19: Nikki
I didn't try to hide my disgust for the situation. There wasn't a thing about me that Ryker couldn't find out through Chase Silvano if he wanted to know. I'd rather him get the truth through me than lies concocted by U21. "Yeah. Ma stole drugs from him." I stopped and then backed up to clarify. "She fell victim to the promises of the Union. We've struggled most of my life. I did what I could to help, but I thought getting an education would be the solution. Ma worked two jobs for as long as I can remember. Then some thug convinced her that she could give up the long hours and crap pay.""Slinging dope in Glendale?" My story wasn't unique where I came from. It was also exactly why I wanted out. The only way to break the cycle was to stop it. I couldn't stop it if I stayed there. I pursed my lips and nodded, not that he could see me in the darkness. "She didn't do drugs. Never touched them. But temptation's a bitch. I don't have the full story because I haven't asked for it, but Ma
Dear Diamond Chapter 20: Ryker
There was no telling just how long I'd lain in bed, staring at the ceiling, before I finally drifted off last night. Now, as the sunlight filtered through the blinds I hadn't bothered to close, I woke with far less urgency than I probably should have. My fingers trailed warm, bare skin and a rare smile tugged at the corners of my lips. I barely knew the girl in my arms with her face buried in my neck, but Jesus, nothing I could remember had ever felt this good. Nikki's shirt-or rather my shirt that Nikki wore-had ridden up, exposing perfect, smooth skin. Sometime during the night, she'd taken up residence over half my body and now clung to me like a monkey on a tree. Thankfully, her thigh was just south of my erection, and I wouldn't have to explain why I'd woken up with a hard-on or her sprawled across my chest. Even with makeup smudged around her eyes and a puffy, bruised cheek, she was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. It didn't take a genius to see-hell, even a blind man c
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Dear Diamond Chapter 59: Ryker
Nikki missed graduation the following day, but I didn't think there was a single piece of her that minded. Although, when my parents left the hospital, I couldn't help but notice she seemed a bit somber. It was possible that she was tired or that the glow of giving birth had started to wane, but I still needed to check. "Babe, you okay?" I had just thought pregnancy was sexy. Seeing Nikki holding my son was hands down the hottest thing I'd ever witnessed. I could stare at her with Graham for hours and never tire of it.She smiled as she gazed at Graham, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I guess I had thought my mom would stop by." Nikki had tried several times over the last few years to get help for her mom, but Nikki couldn't force Tabitha into treatment, regardless of the number of carrots she had dangled in front of her. Nikki had believed the birth of our son-her mother's only grandchild-would get Tabitha to surface, even if it was just briefly. I'd done my best to keep her fr
Dear Diamond Chapter 58: Ryker: Four Years Later
"I'd like to tell you not to be a stranger, but you're one of the few I doubt I'll ever see again." My parole officer had been with me since I'd gotten out of prison years ago, and today was my last meeting. "Not gonna happen, man." I had never been in trouble before that raid with Chase, and I would never be in trouble again. I couldn't even smell Union 21 anymore they were so far away from my daily life.Nikki would have me by the balls if I ever got arrested again, and there was no way in hell I'd ever cross that woman. I'd only thought I was in control when we were younger, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Looking back, claiming a girl who wasn't mine was the best decision I'd ever made. She'd turned me into a man I was proud to be: her provider, her lover, and her best friend. And sooner rather than later, she was going to add father to that list. As I left my PO's office, I couldn't help but think of all that would happen in the next couple of days. Nikki would gradu
Dear Diamond Chapter 57: Nikki
His silverware clanked on the plate, and he wiped his mouth with a paper towel. "What did you misunderstand about what I said in there?" He used his thumb to point over his shoulder toward the bedroom. "None of that meant you wanted me to move in." It kind of had, but I needed to hear the words because I was a girl, and girls needed copious amounts of confirmation."I told you I wanted to wake up next to you, go to sleep next to you. How is that going to happen if you live somewhere else?" He had a valid point, but I still needed more. It couldn't, although I wasn't ready to concede since I hadn't gotten what I wanted. "I don't know."Ryker turned toward me, and with his hands on my hips, he angled me to face him. "I know it's unconventional, and I'm probably out of my mind for suggesting it, but it's not like my life has followed the straight and narrow. I want you here. Every day. In my bed. In my home." That was hot as hell and almost had me convinced."And what am I sup
Dear Diamond Chapter 56: Nikki
Basking in the afterglow of two mind-blowing orgasms, my stomach growled. It had gotten late, and the two of us had skipped eating in favor of savoring each other. Somehow, even the lingering smell of burned garlic bread tempted me out of bed. I rolled over onto my side to face the man who'd just rocked my world...twice. "Are you hungry?""Famished." He pulled me onto his stomach, and if I weren't careful, he'd have me chasing peak number three.I giggled, like a school girl, and my cheeks flushed with heat. "I meant for food."He leaned up to kiss me, grabbing the back of my neck with one hand and my ass with the other. "Trust me, I could dine on you all night long." The pinch of his nails digging into my skin jerked me into an upright position, right on top of his growing erection."If you're up for round three after we eat real food, then I'm game, but right now, I'm starving." I patted his chest and rolled off of him. "I still have to cook the noodles, but I managed to make
Dear Diamond Chapter 55: Nikki
My mouth watered, and my heart raced. I shouldn't want him, not after what I'd been through last night, but damn, I was desperate to be caught in his web. No matter how hard I tried to drag my eyes from his skin, I couldn't let go. Ryker snapped his fingers to get my attention. "Nikki...""Huh? Yeah." That was hardly a recovery to be proud of. "What's up?" At this point, I would look like a moron regardless of the turn this conversation took.He didn't bother to reach into the drawer to grab clean clothes. Instead, he sauntered toward me. As much as I wanted to meet his eyes, to get lost in their hypnotic gaze, I couldn't stop staring at the package between his legs. And the longer I looked, the bigger and harder and more erect it got...until it lay flush with his stomach, and he was close enough for me to feel the warmth of his breath. His fingers met my chin and lifted it. Reluctantly, I tore my stare from his sex."You were apologizing?"I'd forgotten that was what I'd in
Dear Diamond Chapter 54: Nikki
I jumped up and down, fanning the dish towel as close to the smoke detector as I could. What had started off as a sweet gesture had quickly morphed into a kitchen nightmare. At this point, I prayed the shrill beep stopped before the fire department arrived. I'd opened the door and continued to try to get the acrid-smoke smell to dissipate, but thus far, I hadn't been successful. A thick fog hovered in the air, and I coughed with every other breath I took. With no furniture to speak of, coupled with my height deficiency, it was difficult to get near the contraption on the ceiling to get it to shut up."Nikki!" Ryker's voice erupted into the frenzy just as the front door slammed shut behind him. "What the hell?" The anger on his face shattered the final shred of composure I'd held onto. His pinched brows and cerise cheeks spoke volumes that I didn't want to hear.My shoulders slumped as tears dripped from my chin. "I can't-" "Babe, why does it smell like burnt ass in here? Where d
Dear Diamond Chapter 53: Ryker
The buzz of my alarm continued in my dream until I realized I wasn't asleep. I just didn't want to get up. I'd slept like the dead for what little time I'd actually logged. I silenced my alarm and peered down my nose at the dead weight settled on my chest. Neither Nikki nor I had moved all night. Her hair flowed over my arm and spilled onto the mattress, and her tank top had ridden up, exposing the skin on her waist. I wished I had the time to stop and explore all the milky flesh that taunted me, but as it was, I would be late if I didn't get going. I managed to slide my body out from under the goddess in my bed without waking her. Even with dark hair, she looked like an angel as peacefully as she slept. The urge to touch her, to make sure she wasn't a figment of my imagination, was strong, so I settled for a kiss to her forehead. She rolled to her back, and I felt like a pervert watching her tits move with her. The swell spilled out the sides, and at the hint of a nipple, I adjuste
Dear Diamond Chapter 52: Ryker
Every sentiment she uttered rang true in my own life, only I hadn't been smart enough to keep everyone at bay. My tie to Chase ended up completely derailing me, and I'd never been able to get back on track. However, I still wanted the same things Nikki did. "I didn't mean to sound ungrateful for what you did, Ryker. It just meant more to me than it did to you." She'd managed to get my attention with that statement."How so?" This time, I pulled back, making certain she could see the dismay in my expression.Nikki swallowed and took her time before saying anything else. "You're safe here. The Silvanos will always have your back. But now that I'm on their radar, if I do anything to you, or you discard me...it won't be so easy for me to recover." I couldn't tell what exactly she meant by that. The only thing I knew with any certainty was that I was hungry and tired, and I had to be at work in the morning. This wasn't the time to have this conversation, especially when I couldn't
Dear Diamond Chapter 51: Ryker
I needed more than a ten-minute ride to clear my head. Leaving the Warehouse, I hadn't been able to shake Jesse's words or what I'd implied in claiming Nikki. It was more than just getting her out of the current situation. I never wanted her in danger again. I didn't even want the stench of the Union to rub off on her, and the only way I could ensure that was by having her at my side. But I'd stayed clear of relationships with women my entire life. Not because I batted for the other team-hell no. If the day ever came where one won me over, the game of life in Dacon ended. I had too many connections to the Silvanos, and any female in my life would be tethered by those ties as well. It was a greater burden than a help. Yet from the moment I'd laid eyes on her, I couldn't shake the need to protect her. She'd fought it. Hell, she was still fighting that shit until I had shown up at her apartment tonight. If I'd had to give an account of what took place once I had knocked on the door
