Diamond (G Street Chronicles Presents The Love, Lies & Lust Series)

by Mz. Robinson

  “Take this.” He reached behind him and pulled a .45 out the waistband of his pants, then handed the gun to me. “If she gets up or even moves, use it. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  I nodded and held the weapon loosely in my palms. I sat on the edge of the bed, watching Lisette intently.

  She moaned several times, then finally opened her eyes and stared at me. Her eyes traveled down to the gun, then back up again. “Do you even know how to use that?” She laughed hoarsely.

  “Wanna try me and find out?”

  “You talk hot shit for someone who’s scared of the gun in her own damn hand.” Lisette laughed again, then pulled herself upright against the wall. “Look at you shaking, Diamond. We both know you couldn’t take a life if yours depended on it.”

  “You don’t know anything about me or what I’m capable of,” I snapped firmly.

  She ran her hands through her disheveled hair, then smirked, rolling her eyes. “How’d you end up with someone like Leon anyway?” she questioned. “What was it? His charm? Security? The money?” She raised her eyebrows, then nodded her head. “That’s it, isn’t it? The money. El dinero.”

  “I’m with Leon because of something you can’t possibly understand. I love him,” I said defensively.

  “Do you love him enough to die for him? Hmm? Because that’ll happen eventually, you know.”

  I sat silently, allowing her words to soak in and fuck with my head. Since my marriage to Gator, she was the first person who’d ever made a real attempt on my life, and I was worried that she might not be the last. What if she’s telling the truth? What if this is just the beginning? Were Mama and Daddy right? I shook the thoughts from my mind; there was no way I was going to allow the woman to toy with my emotions. The broad had just attempted to kill me, and she was the last person on Earth I wanted any advice from. “I’ll take my chances,” I said.

  “Stupid girl,” she snapped.

  “You claim your brother was murdered for crossing Gator, yet you come here and make an attempt on my life?” I asked sarcastically. “And I’m the one who’s stupid?”

  “My fate was sealed years ago. When death comes for me, I’ll look it in the eyes. My only regret will be that I didn’t finish what I started here today, that I didn’t get the chance to avenge my brother’s death.”

  “How do you know Gator was responsible?” I questioned, annoyed with her accusations. “What proof do you have?”

  “Because I know Leon,” she stated.

  I listened as Lisette shared, detail for detail, the story of how she’d met my husband on one of his trips to New York. She’d been connected to a dealer who was fronting Gator his supply at the time. She and Gator had formed a special friendship, and eventually, she introduced him to her brother. “Your Gator and my brother Tabious formed a partnership that later led to Gator acquiring his connects in the Caribbean…”

  I listened in silence as she explained that Gator had ordered the hit on Tabious when Tabious came up short with money he owed Gator after an unfortunate robbery.

  “My brother was set up,” she said. “Leon knew that, but he had his life taken anyway. He denies that he ordered the hit, but I know he did it. What happened to loyalty and familia?”

  “I’m his family,” I told her. “You and your brother were nothing more than employees.”

  “Employees?” she repeated, with a hint of anger and insult in her voice. “I took Leon to another level. Without me, those prissy-ass little American boys he calls an army wouldn’t have made a dime outside of that country mark on the map that the two of you call home. Your husband was nothing but a nickel-bag hustler when I met him. I made him a boss.”

  I didn’t know what bothered me more: the fact that the woman knew so much about Gator’s organization or that she’d obviously had a personal relationship with him. I knew my husband was involved in illegal operations, but I had no idea how he ran things. I had never had any reason to ask about it, and Gator had instilled in me from day one that the less I knew about it, the better, but hearing Lisette ramble about his dealings touched a soft spot inside of me and ignited a bit of envy. There was nothing worse than feeling inadequate because another woman knew my man and his money better than I did.

  Jonah returned to the villa carrying a black bag filled with plastic zip-ties and other items necessary to restrain Lisette. After securing her hands and feet, he covered Lisette’s mouth tightly with a rag, then hoisted her up on his shoulders and carried her out through the balcony doors, where the limo was waiting. I watched as he dropped her on the floor of the trunk, then closed the door.

  “I’ll be back,” he stated, walking around to the driver side door.

  “I’m coming with you.”

  “Diamond—”

  “I’m coming,” I said firmly.

  Jonah shook his head in disapproval while walking around to open the passenger side door for me.

  “What are you gonna do with her?”

  “I’ll take her somewhere where no one will hear her or find her till I speak with Gator,” Jonah answered, keeping his eyes on the road.

  “What do you think he’ll say?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “What do you think he’ll do?” Gator had told me he would never hurt a woman, but I knew there was no way he would let Lisette walk away without consequences or repercussions either.

  “Diamond, the less you—”

  “I know, I know. The less I know, the better,” I said, raising my hand to let him know I didn’t want to hear it.

  The two of us made the rest of the trip in silence to a secluded part of the island, where there was a boathouse. The shack looked unstable and appeared to have not been used in years. I stood outside searching the darkness with my eyes, looking for any possible onlookers while Jonah carried Lisette inside. A second later, I stepped in the doorway and watched Jonah as he tied Lisette to one of the dusty wooden beams. Lisette stared at me, clearly attempting to say something. “What is she trying to say?”

  “Who cares?” Jonah said. “Let’s go.”

  Lisette’s muffled screams grew louder.

  “Wait,” I said, watching her. “Pull down the gag.”

  Jonah hesitated briefly, then finally did as I requested.

  Lisette looked up at him and smiled. “I just wanted to tell you that you hit like a bitch,” she said, grinning.

  Jonah bent down to eye level with her, then whispered something in her ear.

  “I look forward to it,” Lisette taunted.

  “Anything else?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she said, redirecting her attention to me. “My answer is yes, Diamond.”

  “Yes what?”

  “Yes, I fucked your husband,” she said.

  “You’re a liar,” I said calmly.

  “Diamond, do you really believe that?” she asked. “If you’d like, I can describe his dick, from the base right up to the r-shaped birth mark just below the head.”

  I could hear my heart beating in my ears as my pulse began to race. I knew she was telling the truth. There was no reason for her to lie, and her description of my man’s penis was spot on. “And you’re telling me this because?” I asked, attempting to mask my anger.

  “Because I can,” she laughed. “Because I know it’ll will haunt the shit out of you, knowing that another woman was with your man.”

  “Burn in hell.”

  “I’ll save you a seat,” she answered smugly.

  I turned and left out the door, then stepped down the ramp leading away from the house. I trudged through the warm sand toward the road, where Jonah had parked the car. With every step I took, Lisette’s words replayed in my head. A loud pop sounded from behind me, and I turned in the sand, then stared at the rickety boathouse. Jonah stepped out the door, then jumped off the landing, into the sand. I noticed a light glowing behind the boathouse window, and in the next second, a burnt-orange flame burst through, shattering the glass, indicating that the
boathouse was on fire. The flames spread rapidly, engulfing the structure. The thought that Lisette was inside the blazing inferno didn’t affect me one bit.

  “Let’s go,” Jonah demanded.

  I caught the swift scent of gasoline as he walked by me. “I thought we were going to wait for Gator.”

  He looked at me under the glow of the moonlight, with an unreadable expression on his chocolate face. “I’ll deal with the consequences later.”

  I followed behind him, gazing at the stars in the sky, as my lips curled up in a small smile.

  Chapter 6

  The next morning, I was awakened by the sound of my bedroom door slamming loudly. I hopped up, pushing my disheveled hair out of my face while focusing my eyes on the door.

  Gator stood by the bedroom door, dressed in a light gray suit and a pair of matching alligator shoes. He was overdressed for our vacation, my first clue that something was wrong. “Shower and get your things,” he ordered. “We’re leaving.” Although he didn’t raise his voice, the stern look of disappointment in his eyes spoke volumes, telling me he knew what had taken place the night before.

  I tossed the covers back, then climbed out of bed. I stood naked on the floor, my eyes locked with his. “She said you were lovers,” I angrily spat. “Care to explain?”

  “Shower and get dressed, Diamond…now,” he barked. He gave my body a quick onceover, then walked out of the bedroom door, closing it behind him.

  I had no doubt that Lisette had been speaking the truth; Gator’s failure to respond was nothing more than an admission of his guilt. I decided I would address the subject at a later time. I showered, slipped on a fitted, above-the-knee tank-dress and a pair of open-toed pumps, then packed my bags as fast as I could before exiting the bedroom.

  Jonah was sitting on the living room sofa, listening to Gator’s instructions to stay behind and handle damage control.

  “Find out who in the hell gave Lisette the heads up on Diamond’s arrival. Start with the club manager. Make sure yours and Diamond’s abrupt actions haven’t put us under any scrutiny. The last thing I need is to be in the damn spotlight,” Gator advised. “Rakeem will take you wherever you need to go. Once everything is clear, call me. I’ll send the plane back for you, and all you’ll have to do is load and take off.”

  “Sounds good,” Jonah said, looking from Gator to me. “Sorry, Gator. I tried to tell her—”

  “We’ll discuss this later,” Gator said, ignoring his apology and shaking his head in disgust. He turned and looked at me, then shook his head again and took the luggage from my hands.

  I followed him out the front door of the villa and climbed into the car. The two of us rode in silence from the villa to the airport, where Gator had a private jet was waiting to whisk us away.

  * * * * *

  I stared out the window of the jet, cringing from the sight of the dark and gloomy clouds that were hanging in the sky. Splatters of rain hit the small window as the plane rocked and shook lightly.

  When the pilot announced that we’d be arriving at Huntsville International Airport in approximately an hour, I looked out and noticed a distinct change in the appearance of the sky. I loved to fly, but I avoided doing so during inclement weather. Birds were born with wings, and they don’t fly in bad weather, I thought. Hell, if flying’s in their nature and they stay their asses out of the air, then I should too.

  “Are you okay?” Gator asked, commanding my attention. He was sitting in the leather seat across the aisle from me, with one ankle resting on his knee; it was the first time he had spoken since we’d left the island.

  “Yes,” I said, looking at him.

  He cocked his head slightly to the side and stared at me. “You lie,” he said confidently.

  “Why’d you even ask if you already know the answer?” I asked with attitude.

  “Why would you bother lying when you know I already know the answers?” he retorted with raised eyebrows.

  “Good question,” I said. “I guess lying to each other is something we should both avoid.” I sighed, then rolled my eyes.

  “Come here, Diamond,” he said, extending his arms to me.

  “Why?”

  “Because I asked you to,” he said. “Now come here.”

  I hesitated, then finally eased out of my seat and walked over, welcoming his embrace while easing down on his lap. No matter how pissed I was with my husband, I always felt safe in his arms, and the stormy weather had me scared as hell, in desperate need of his comfort. I can be pissed off again when we land, I told myself. But this feels damn good for now.

  “Is this better?” he asked, wrapping his arms around my waist.

  “Yes,” I answered, resting my head on his shoulder.

  “Diamond, I’m not angry with you,” he said, “but what were you thinking? You brought a woman you knew nothing about into our private circle.”

  “I was lonely,” I confessed, “and since it was our anniversary, I wanted to—”

  “To teach me a lesson?” he concluded. “Baby, that little temper tantrum and rebellion almost cost you your life.”

  “Is that why you’re mad, or is it because Jonah killed her?” I asked sarcastically.

  “I told you that I’m not mad at you. I’m just upset things had to take such a dramatic turn for the worst and that you were in the middle of it.”

  “I assume you’re referring to the part when your disgruntled lover tried to kill me,” I said, raising my head.

  “You’re right about the attempted killing part,” he said, “but Lisette and I were not lovers.”

  “But she said you fu—”

  “Yes, we slept together years ago, when we first met, but it was a onetime thing and nothing more.”

  I gave him a disbelieving smirk.

  “Fine. You got me. I can’t remember how many times we slept together,” he confessed, “but the point is, it ended before I met you.”

  “It better have.”

  “You have my word.”

  “She also told me she put you in contact with your connects in the Caribbean,” I said. “Was that true?”

  “Yes.”

  “And her brother, Tabious, was once your partner?”

  “I wouldn’t call it a partnership,” Gator said. “Yeah, he worked for me, but he wasn’t my partner. There’s a very big difference.”

  “Fine. So he worked for you,” I said, annoyed. “Either way, you had a connection with her brother, too, didn’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you kill him?”

  “No,” Gator said firmly, “but I ordered it to be done.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he crossed me,” he said flatly, as if it was nothing at all. “He faked a robbery in an attempt to beat me out of what he owed me. I couldn’t allow him to have a free pass, Diamond. In my line of work, it would have been a sign of weakness, and weakness is a death sentence. At the very least, it leads to hostile takeover.”

  I nodded my head in agreement and understanding. “Lisette knew a shitload about your business, much more than I’ve ever known. Do you know how that made me feel?”

  “Yes, she knew some things,” he said. “I won’t deny that, but it was to be expected. The brunt of our communication was business. I’ve never disclosed much about my business to you because the less you know, the safer you are.”

  “I understand that, but do you know how it made me feel when I heard another woman telling me all about my man? Gator, we vowed to share our lives, all the ups, downs, and in betweens. When she told me that, I felt like an outsider.”

  “I apologize for that,” he said, rubbing my back. “I’ve never wanted you to feel like anything other than number one in my life, because that’s what you are. But, Diamond, baby, you’ve gotta remember that I vowed to protect you at all costs, and that means more to me than anything.” He kissed my forehead softly, then tightened his grip around my waist. “It doesn’t matter how the money comes or the methods
I choose to deliver it, as long as your needs and wants are supplied.”

  I silently scolded myself for being so childish and silly. Gator had enough stress to deal with without me acting like a jealous teenage girl. Besides, no matter what Lisette had once meant to him, I was still winning, living and breathing and enjoying the fruits of my husband’s labor. “You missed our anniversary,” I reminded him, “but I guess that’s okay. There’s no telling what would have happened if Lisette had seen you there with me.”

  “I apologize again,” he said. “If I’d have been there, she never would have gotten her grimy hands on you. I don’t know what I would have done if something had happened to you.”

  “I’m fine,” I said honestly.

  “I’ve got a couple surprises waiting for you at home,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.

  “Make-up gifts?” I laughed.

  “Yeah.” He chuckled. “And we can plan another trip if you’d like, we can go anyplace you wanna go.”

  I pondered his offer, then shook my head. “I’d rather have a party,” I said.

  “Then a party you shall have,” he said. “When?”

  “Tomorrow night,” I said.

  “Hmm. That’s pretty short notice.”

  “I know, but you’ll make it happen,” I said confidently. “Won’t you?”

  “Of course I will,” he said. “No worries.”

  “Now, tell me…what had you so caught up that you missed our anniversary?” I questioned curiously.

  “Not what,” he said. “More like…who.”

  “Who then?”

  “I located an old friend,” he said, “one who incidentally owes me a bit of money, a gentleman by the name of Kelly. I paid him a visit, but then something else came up that I had to attend to.”

  “Did you get your money?”

  “No.” He sighed. “However, I’m sure it won’t be long before I do.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, then closed my eyes.

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too,” he said. “Get some rest now. I’ll wake you when we land.”

  * * * * *

  An hour later, Gator nudged me, gently letting me know we’d arrived in Huntsville. I stretched, then stood up and peeked out the window of the aircraft. Dark clouds were looming in the sky again, and heavy showers of rain were falling in sheets. Despite the nasty weather, I was truly grateful to be on Alabama soil again. It was always good to be home.