Mister Diamond

by Chance Carter

  “I will,” I lied, because I knew that I was going to have to risk it big time if I wanted even the smallest chance to save Dallas.

  “What am I looking for, anyway?” Jake asked. “Once I finally get on here, that is.”

  “Anything that could be used as evidence to implicate Preston in dirty dealings with the cops.”

  “And you’re just going to balance this information against what?”

  I still hadn’t figured out that part. If all went to plan, I would take my offer to Preston, and it would be juicy enough for him to accept. One wager—if he won, I wouldn’t pass on whatever evidence I had to higher authorities. If I won, I would, and I’d be taking Dallas with me. Those were the kind of stakes Preston wouldn’t be able to pass up, and they would also provide me a little security in case he decided to play dirty. The only thing I couldn’t figure out was what we would bet on.

  “All I can think of is that we bet on the outcome of a fight,” I said. “Me against him, or whatever guy he prefers to fight in his place.”

  “Now that’s crazy,” Jake said over the top of his computer screen, still tapping away.

  “I can’t think of anything better. I refuse to leave this up to chance, and a fight is the only thing that Preston will think he can win. And he’ll be wrong.”

  “What makes you so sure?”

  “Because unlike Preston, I have something that I’m fighting for. He doesn’t have a heart so it won’t be possible for him to put his whole heart into it.”

  We were interrupted by a metallic crash coming from downstairs. The back door.

  I shot up from my seat and went to the door, but Jake called out and stopped me.

  “I’ll get it. If it’s someone looking to beat you up, I’ll say you’re not here.”

  I let him go first but followed down the stairs to the stock room, intending to stay close in case anything bad happened. Jake cracked open the door just enough to stick his face through.

  The voice was familiar. “I need to speak to Shane.”

  What the hell was Paul doing here?

  “He’s not here,” said Jake, going to close the door.

  I stopped him. “Let him in.”

  Jake shot me an incredulous look, but I merely nodded. He reluctantly stepped back from the door and opened it for Paul. He was the last person I expected to seek me out, and I couldn’t help my curiosity.

  “Did Wes send you?” I asked.

  Paul laughed. “Wes would fucking kill me if he knew I was here.”

  “Go on.”

  Jake closed the door behind Paul and stood behind him with his arms crossed, like he was ready to jump in and remove him at the first sign of trouble. It was the first time I’d seen Jake try to be tough and I found it endearing.

  “Look, we may have had our differences, but I’ve got my differences with the Gromleys too, and they’ve gone too far this time.”

  Fear gripped my throat.

  “Is Dallas okay?” I asked, panicked.

  “For now. Preston gave her an ultimatum—marry Wes, or he’s going to kill her father and you. In other words, she’s getting married in the morning.”

  I wouldn’t believe it if I didn’t know how fucked in the head Preston was. That kind of cruelty could only come from the twisted blackness he called a soul. Anger flooded my veins, and I had to stop myself from crashing a fist into the cement wall.

  “Anyway,” Paul said a moment later when neither Jake or I had spoken. “I just wanted to let you know. You’re up to something, and whatever it is, it’s now or never.”

  He turned and walked around Jake to the door. A second later he was gone, and the silence in the airy back room compounded in my head and made me want to scream.

  Jake spoke first. “Shane, I’m so sorry man, but there is no way I can get you anything that quick. Even if I worked all night, there’s just no way.”

  I barely heard him. My mind buzzed with the realization of what I had to do. It might not work, but I had to try.

  Some part of me had always known it would come down to this.

  “I’ll offer them something else instead then,” I said quietly.

  “But what?”

  I chewed on my lip. “I’ll challenge Preston and Wes to fight me for Dallas and Randall’s freedom. And if I lose...If I lose, I’ll forfeit my own life.”

  Chapter 33

  Dallas

  This was hardly the way I pictured the night before my wedding. I always thought there would be champagne, sneaky kisses from my husband-to-be, and a feeling of elation that I’d snuggle into like a cloud on my way to sleep.

  Instead, I had one warm bottle of beer, an incredible hatred for my husband-to-be, and a feeling of nausea that hit me like a bus the second I moved more than an inch.

  It was cruel to lock me up in my room while I “made my decision” when everyone knew there was no decision to make. Preston was all about the appearance of fairness without ever playing fair. He just wanted me to wallow in my misery. Meanwhile, I couldn’t even say out loud that come tomorrow, my living nightmare would become as permanent as the contract binding me to Wes. Marriage had come a long way since the days when women belonged to their husbands by law, but mine would be like stepping back into the dark ages. And there would be no getting around giving Wes my body. He would finally get everything he wanted.

  I wished for Shane. I wished that he could save me, that in one fell swoop he could erase all this horror from my life and replace it with the joy I felt in that meadow. But what could he do? Nothing. Preston had finally won. Every last piece of myself that I’d been smuggling under the radar these past three years would soon be obliterated, along with all my hopes for a better future.

  The handle turned on my door, and I curled my knees up to my chest in bed. I expected Preston, coming to gloat, but wasn’t surprised to see Wes instead. Goodie.

  “Hey,” Wes said.

  The aggression that commonly laced his words was absent. I didn’t trust it.

  “What do you want?” I snapped.

  Wes walked over to the bed and sat down at my feet. I pulled them closer to my butt and took an angry swig of beer, trying to communicate with my body language how unwelcome he was. Not that it would do any good.

  “It doesn’t have to be like this,” he said. His tone was almost gentle.

  “Like what?” I asked. “Against my will? Unless you’re planning to give me a lobotomy, I’m afraid it does.”

  Frustration wrinkled his brow, but he smoothed it out. “I could give you everything, Dallas. It could be a happy life.”

  “I don’t want everything,” I shot back. “I want my freedom.”

  Wes angled his body toward me and rested a hand on my knee. Ice stabbed through me. I clutched my beer bottle harder. If I couldn’t stand for him even to place his hand on my knee, how the hell was I going to have sex with him without vomiting all over the place?

  Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad. It would serve him right.

  “I love you, Dallas. Let me. Give in to me, and you’ll see how good we can be together. I know that it seems bad now, but everything I do is because I know what’s best for you.”

  I was appalled at his gall and smacked his hand away. He let it fall beside my legs, but his jaw ticked. I didn’t care if I was pissing him off. If this was my last night as my own person, I was going to take full advantage and not waste a single moment.

  “You have no idea what’s best for me!” I said. “You don’t even know me!”

  “I don’t know you?” He stood and glared down at me. “No, I know you Dallas. I know all about you.” Leaning down, he shoved a finger into my face. “It’s you who doesn’t know me. You never tried to get to know me, never cared, no matter what I did. It’s your fault that your father’s in so much debt with mine. If you had been less of a bitch, I wouldn’t have had to tie you to us like that.”

  I’d always suspected that Preston had screwed my dad over, and knew that Wes had e
ncouraged him to make the arrangement we had once I already rejected him. I had no idea he had been working against me this long.

  “Are you saying that my dad is in debt to your family because you were sad that I didn’t pay more attention to you?” I asked in a low growl.

  Wes stood to his full height and sneered. “I did what I had to do to. I loved you, and when I heard that your dad borrowed money from mine, it seemed too good to be true. My dad wants what’s best for me, and he saw how much I cared about you, so he convinced your dad to take on a couple of bogus investments. I was going to forgive it all, Dallas.” The hardness in his eyes melted and he crumpled to his knees beside the bed, wrestling my hands into his grip. “As soon as you fell for me I was going to be the big hero and make it all go away. But you never even gave me a fucking chance.”

  I could hardly see from the red clouding my vision. My hands were freezing, even in Wes’s sweaty grip, but my face burned like the sun. I yanked my hands free and climbed around Wes to stand in the middle of the floor.

  “You’re sick,” I told him. “And you know what the worst part is? There were times when I thought you seemed almost human, but clearly, you don’t even know what human is.”

  Wes stood and stepped toward me. I stepped back, but I didn’t slow down.

  “I feel sorry for you Wes, I really fucking do. You never stood a chance with a father as cruel and manipulative as yours. You were twisted from the day he first held you, and because of that you’ll never know what love really is.”

  Wes’s muddy eyes softened for a second. His hands fell to his sides, and he seemed almost ashamed. The mirage vanished a moment later, and steel returned to his gaze. He set his jaw, contempt written in the lines of his face.

  “Get some sleep,” he muttered coldly. “You’ve got a big day ahead of you.”

  He stormed from my room and slammed the door. I listened for his receding footsteps and, once I was sure he was gone, collapsed to the floor. I tucked my knees to my chest but refused to cry.

  Chapter 34

  Shane

  I rode straight up to the front door this time. I didn’t care if all of Preston’s goons heard me and came running. This time, I wasn’t hiding.

  Rob was waiting at the front door. Once I took off my helmet, and he knew it was me, he slammed his knuckles hard against the door to alert the others.

  “This time I’m going to kill you!” he bellowed.

  I chuckled, dismounting my bike. “I think it’s sweet that you think I’m here to see you.”

  Rob’s expression turned murderous. Two other men stepped out onto the porch and flanked him, crossing their arms over their barrel chests and mean-mugging me like the authentic tough guys they were.

  “I want to talk to Preston,” I announced.

  “It’ll be the last conversation you ever have,” Rob snapped.

  “Then I’m sure you won’t mind letting me through.” I hopped up the steps and stood in front of them, smiling as though my charm would ever work on them.

  Rob’s lips twitched into a cruel sneer. “As much as I’d love to pound you into the dirt where you stand, I’d much rather see what Preston has in store for you. Come on in.”

  He grabbed me by the upper arm as the other two patted me down for weapons. Finding nothing, they nodded to Rob and he dragged me inside. I noticed that the inside of the house was bursting at the seams with tacky Saint Patrick’s Day decorations, from green tinsel on the walls to buckets of green bead necklaces overflowing in the entryway. The word tacky didn’t cover it.

  Soon I found myself in front of Preston’s imposing office door. Rob banged on it and called out, “Special delivery.”

  “Come in.”

  Rob pushed into the room and shoved me forward. I caught my footing and stood upright, taking in the scene. Preston was behind his desk, and Wes sat in front of it. They each had a tumbler of amber liquid in front of them, and a cigarette smoked from the ashtray. Both of them looked surprised to see me, but that surprise soon morphed into interest.

  “Looks like somebody heard the news,” Preston purred. “Funny, because I don’t remember sending him an invitation.”

  Wes got up and faced me, fists drawn in tight at his sides.

  “If I thought he would come, I would have sent one. Shane, you are just the man I want to see tonight.”

  “How fortuitous for us both,” I drawled.

  “Where did you find him?” Preston asked.

  Rob chuckled. “He came right up to the front door. Said he wanted to speak with you.”

  Preston’s eyes flashed with interest. Just like Paul said, the man was bored.

  “You want to speak with me? How interesting.” He gestured for Wes to sit down, then pointed to the other chair. “Please. Sit.”

  Before I could even start moving, Rob was pushing me toward the empty seat. I pulled myself free from his grip and walked forward of my own accord. What part of me wanting to be there did Rob not understand?

  Once seated, Preston clasped his hands on the table and flashed a set of straight white teeth. “You’re here to save poor Dallas, aren’t you? Or, at least, you think you are.”

  He looked over at Rob and Wes in turn. “It’s all very Romeo and Juliet, isn’t it? Except of course that Juliet’s going to live and marry someone else and Romeo’s still going to die.”

  “I want to make a wager with you,” I stated.

  Preston’s attention returned to me, and his smile deepened. “A wager? Go on then; you have my attention.”

  I cleared my throat and stared him boldly in the eye. “One fight. You and Wes versus me. If I win, Dallas and her father are free to leave and their debt is forgiven.”

  “And if we win?”

  “You can kill me.”

  Preston studied me for a moment and then burst into laughter. His menacing eyes, the color of torched wood, filled with glee. “I can kill you? Who said I need your permission to kill you? I could kill you right now and save all the hassle.”

  “True,” I acknowledged. “But I think you’d enjoy it more if you beat me soundly and in return I gave in completely. Admitted defeat. Fuck, I’ll even pull the trigger myself if that’s what gets you off. Killing me now, on the other hand...” I shrugged. “Where’s the sport in that?”

  Preston leaned back in his chair, hinges creaking. He twiddled his thumbs in his lap and stared blankly at the space above my head.

  “You’re not actually considering this!” Wes said in a voice laced with disgust. “Just kill him!”

  “Why, Wes?” I asked. “You afraid to lose?”

  Wes curled his lip, face turning beet red. He was afraid to lose. He was close to getting everything he’d ever wanted, and me and my little suggestion were the only things in his way.

  Before Wes could rummage up a reply, Preston slapped his hands on the table and stood.

  “Very well, then. If you’re delusional enough to think that you can win against my son and me in a fight, then I’ll indulge your madness long enough to show you just how wrong you are.”

  I rose and squared my shoulders. “Good.”

  Wes shot to his feet and rounded the desk. “Dad, this is stupid. Just kill him now.”

  “Shut up, Wes.” Preston beckoned Rob. “Go get Dallas and Randall and meet us out front.”

  We walked out to the driveway, which soon filled with faces as Preston’s friends and employees gathered to satisfy their curiosity. My heart was pounding almost painfully, but I forced it to slow. This was just like any other mission, where the threat of death always hung low above my head. I wasn’t a teenager anymore, and I wasn’t afraid.

  I was a soldier.

  Rob returned with Dallas and Randall, whose expressions quickly deviated from surprise to horror.

  “Shane!” Dallas called, trying to break Rob’s grip and run for me. He was too strong.

  “It’s okay!” I smiled. “I know what I’m doing.”

  “He doesn’t,” Pr
eston cut in. “In fact, my dear, you’re about to watch your boyfriend die.”

  Dallas screamed and struggled, kicking and gnashing her teeth in an attempt to get to me. It broke my heart.

  Before I could say anything else, Preston stepped into the middle of the assembled onlookers and spread his arms wide. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have for you today an extraordinary form of entertainment.”

  The crowd cheered.

  “This idiot over here has challenged my son and me to a fight. If we lose, Randall and Dallas are free from us forever. If we win, this match will turn from fight to execution.”

  The cheers were soon interspersed with whispers, either of excitement, revulsion, or curiosity. I didn’t recognize most of the people there. I wondered how many of them had ever watched a person die.

  “Can I have a second to talk to Dallas before we do this?” I asked.

  Preston shrugged. “I’m a reasonable man. You can have thirty. Starting now.”

  Rob released Dallas and she ran for me, slamming into my torso and squeezing her arms tight around me. In the background, Preston began to count down.

  “30, 29...”

  “Dallas, listen to me.” I cupped her face in my hands and looked deep into her eyes. “I love you. I love you more than anything.”

  “25, 24...”

  “Don’t do this,” she whispered.

  “I have to try. I’m so sorry, Dallas. I would go to the ends of the earth for you and maybe today I will. If I don’t make it out of this, I want you to stay safe.”

  “20, 19...”

  “Do whatever they tell you to do,” I continued. “But never stop trying to get out and never lose your spirit. As long as you stay strong, they can’t touch you. Not where it matters most.”

  “11, 10...”

  “I love you,” she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. “I love you so much. I’m so sorry, Shane.”

  “You have nothing to be sorry about.” I ran a thumb across her cheek. “Loving you has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” I split into a comical grin. “Plus, how many men get the chance to die for the woman they love?”