by Tigris Eden
That was the only answer she could come up with. She looked over at the table and decided she’d give him a piece of bread first. It wasn’t as dry as it looked, but crusty on the outside with white powder on top. The inside was actually soft and had a unique smell to it. There was also something creamy and smooth on the tray. She thought if she dipped the bread in, it would add flavor. It didn’t help that her stomach rumbled with hunger, or that her mouth watered to taste what her fingers were holding.
Nadya was going to feed him and hope he’d give her what was left. She slowly dipped the bread in the creamy concoction, making sure it wasn’t completely covered, and then brought it to his lips. His mouth opened but he didn’t move forward to take the piece from her hand, which could only mean he wanted her to do it for him. She brought the bread closer until it touched his lips.
His mouth covered not only the bread, but also her thumb and index finger. The inside of his mouth was hot to the touch. And soft. He pulled back slowly, never breaking eye contact. Something in the pit of her stomach buzzed at the act of feeding him. It wasn’t a bad feeling, but it was alien. She waited for his nod before going back to the tray, never breaking eye contact with Diamond. Every so often he’d make a sound at the back of his throat. The sound of a feral animal tamed by the hand feeding him.
She was about to feed him his fifth piece of bread when he grabbed her by the chin.
“Very good. Now it’s your turn. When I feed you, I want you to do the exact same thing. Don’t break eye contact. Chew slowly, make sure you lightly touch your lips to my fingers as you pull back. Relax, even if it doesn’t feel right. You need to learn to let go. When you find a patron, it may be someone you are not visually pleased by, you must remember to enjoy the simplest of things so that they become…more.”
“Are you going to kneel for me?”
“Hell, no. I don’t kneel for anyone, and neither will your patron.”
She watched as he went for the can. The label was already peeled away, leaving behind a silver container rimmed with rust in the dents. When he lifted the top, the smell was the first thing to hit her senses. She’d never tasted what was inside before, but her mouth certainly wanted to try it.
Diamond sniffed as well and mumbled, “Peaches.”
He dipped his fingers into the can. He pulled out a golden slice, slick with juice. She didn’t know what to expect when her lips met the slippery piece, but what she got was pure heaven. There was a slight tang, and then a flavor so full, so sweet, Nadya couldn’t help but moan. She shamelessly sucked on Diamonds fingers, trying to get more of the flavor. The saltiness of Diamond’s hand added to the glorious taste saturating her tongue.
Her eyes closed and a sound she’d never heard before vibrated beneath her chest and crawled up her throat, giving life to her already ravenous appetite. Her body swayed forward as Diamond yanked his fingers from her mouth, uttering a curse.
“That’s enough for today. You can eat the rest.” His voice was different. Broken. But Nadya tried not to focus on the sound of his voice. He’d said she could eat the rest of the sinfully delicious slices of sugary sweetness. She dove in with gusto, not caring that she was acting like a wild animal. She sucked down slice after slice until there was nothing left. She picked up the rust-infested can and tipped it up over her mouth to let the thick juice slide down her throat. Any she missed, she made sure to get with her fingers. The foreign sound from her chest continued until the last drop of juice was gone.
“Fuck.” Diamond’s voice brought her back to the present. His hands were tight fists atop the arms of the chair. The towel wrapped around his waist covered a very aroused male. This was not what she’d expected from a man like Lavarious Diamond. He’d said so himself. She wasn’t his type.
Nadya made a vow to herself: she’d use everything she had in order to get exactly what she wanted. If it meant cozying up to Diamond, she would.
Chapter 8
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 lik
e 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 tell
ing 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.
