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Chapter 42: Nikki
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Dear Diamond Chapter 43: Nikki
I pulled my key from my pocket and stuck it in the deadbolt. The turn was ominous, and I expected something dramatic on the other side. But when it opened, the place had been picked up and restored to as much normalcy as one could expect after the hurricane that had blown through here two days ago. I had a difficult time wrapping my head around the fact that I'd only been in Ryker's care since Friday. The door shut behind me with a click, the weight of the metal closing it on its own. "Ma?" I called out, although I could tell she wasn't here. The television wasn't on, the lights were all dark, and the place was still. "Ma?" I tried again as I moved through the living room and then down the hall.Everything had been put back in its place, which surprised me. Ma wasn't the greatest of housekeepers. That and the cooking always fell to me. She tried, but when she worked more than one job, she was tired when she came home. I didn't mind helping out then. She'd even picked up my room an
Dear Diamond Chapter 44: 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 kicks
Dear Diamond Chapter 45: Ryker
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 i
Dear Diamond Chapter 46: Ryker
"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 attenti
Dear Diamond Chapter 47: Ryker
"Wait." Jesus, she was fucking gorgeous, but I wanted to tape her damn mouth shut. "What did you just agree to?" I could tell without looking, Nikki was addressing me, not Jesse. And Jesse was amused by her outburst when he chuckled from across the desk."Just like Camilla..." he muttered under his breath and sat back to watch the show with a gleam in his eyes and a smirk on his lips.Nikki moved to the edge of her seat and turned my direction. "Was that some weird mating ritual that just happened? What the hell, Ryker?" She swatted at my arm to get my attention. I flinched, unsure of how to handle the situation to my left while the man in front of me snickered at her apparent disagreement with my statement."I'm not a piece of property for you to claim," she sneered. "I can handle my own problems."I shouldn't have engaged, but I couldn't stop myself. "Oh yeah? Is that what you've been doing? Handling your problems? Jesus, Nikki, you have no idea what you've committed yo
Dear Diamond Chapter 48: Nikki
I wasn't his to claim. I didn't belong to anyone, much less someone affiliated with Jesse Silvano. And to top it off, Ryker had stayed behind for God knew what in that office. "Just let me go," I hollered at the man who still held my bicep after we'd walked into the lobby. I jerked away with little effort.The man held up his hands in surrender. I didn't stay to figure out what happened next. I wanted the hell out of Dodge, and the only way to make that happen was to start walking. I wasn't far from my apartment. When I burst through the doors at the Warehouse, the wind outside hit me with brute force. It was colder than it had been in days, and my jacket did little to ward off the bite of the night air. It had been daylight when Sam dragged me in there, but after hours of waiting on Ryker, the sun had dipped low, and darkness had taken its place in the sky. I hated being on the streets at night. Even after my shifts, Jerry always dropped me off. I groaned at the thought of my bos
Dear Diamond Chapter 49: Nikki
"You're prettier than your mom said you were." His lip curled, and I became the object of his desire."Ralph," my mom moaned his name. The guy below her never stopped moving, and her breath hitched when he hit a spot she seemed to rather enjoy-I nearly vomited. "Leave her...alone." She was geeked out and wouldn't be of any help.Ralph-I assumed was the man who now stood between me and my escape-was a brute. In any other circumstances, he might have been considered good looking. I assessed him, not out of curiosity but rather self-preservation. He was stacked from his thick neck to his tree-trunk thighs. I backed away, trying to put distance between me and what appeared to be my mother's pimp, but he'd narrowed the gap between us with each step he took that were twice the size of mine. To get to my room, I'd have to get past my mom, and to escape through the door, I'd have to get by Ralph. Neither option held much promise, and the closer he got, the more I froze. At the same t
Dear Diamond Chapter 50: Nikki
Once I'd cried all the tears my eyes would form, Ryker leaned down, placing his lips to my ear. "Get your shit, babe. All of it." There was no room for discussion in his tone. He'd given an order, and I didn't dare disobey...not this time. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head, and I inhaled the scent of lemons before letting him go. I felt the weight of his stare as he tracked my movement down the hall, and just before I stepped into my bedroom, I made eye contact with a man who should have scared the shit out of me. His eyes were narrowed and stormy and his jaw set in a hard line, but somehow, I found security in his broodiness. I held his stare for a beat, and the connection I'd felt to him on the stage-before I'd even known his name-wrapped me up like a warm blanket. I didn't wait for him to tell me again to get moving and disappeared into my room. Ryker didn't try to keep his voice down as he kicked Ralph out, nor did he quietly close the door when he slammed it. And as he
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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
