Page 67 of Diamond Desire
I moved toward the door again, making up my mind. But as predicted, I was followed by the leeches that were draining me from the inside out, fucking with my head in more ways than I would have liked.
“When we found out you were alive, we killed him – he is dead, and we came for you. We wanted to show you how sorry we were and find out how you could forgive us.”Vissarion was practically yelling as he cut off my escape and got in my face, his desperation to get me to listen clear as day.
He grabbed my arm again. He fucking touched me.Again.
It was a shame for him that I wouldn’t let people yell at or touch me without consent again, especially men.
The knife in my hand sunk into his thigh, about two inches deep, before I could even think about what I was doing. The gun came into my hand a second later; the safety coming right off.
“You listened to his lies!”I hissed, unable to restrain my anger as I lifted my gun, holding it toward his chest.“You believed him, and you abandoned me. That is not something I will ever forgive, and I need you to hear me when I say that.”
“Then kill me.”He pulled the blade out without flinching, handing it to me back as he moved closer, letting the gun touch him. He was a lot taller than me, so it didn’t touch his heart, but I reckoned it was placed high enough to kill him, anyway.“Take out my heart if it will make you forgive me, angel. It always belonged to you anyway and I deserve far worse than death for what I did not save you from.”
I wasn’t an angel. I had never been one, and I never wanted to be. They were too pure and precious and kind. I was never going to be those things again.
I hadn’t been precious for years.
“You think pretty words get you somewhere with me?”I laughed darkly, even though I yanked the gun back enough not to touch him with it.“You think you can pretend to love me and have been devastated over my loss as though you can understand a single thing about it? You are a dirty fucking liar and I hate you!”
My brain kept warring between executing him and letting him finish his bullshit explanation before I did. I sort of felt like I would be mad at myself in a few weeks or something, after his death, for not hearing his side of things before I slaughtered him.
“Yeva, we might have been kids, but we know what love is. We knew that you were part of our family and that we would never want to be without – we knew that each day without you felt hollow, like we were missing a piece of ourselves that we would never be able to get back.”Daniil pushed Vissarion out ofthe way, trying to talk to me instead as though I would be nicer to him or something just because he hadn’t grabbed me.
He didn’t seem bothered that his best friend was bleeding. Kiril didn’t seem to care either. It was strange how desensitized an entire room of people could be to pain and blood. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t fucking normal.
I wasn’t even nineteen yet, and I was already fucking ruined.
“You don’t know me anymore. I am not the girl I used to be.”My voice broke.“It doesn’t matter what you came here for. I am not the girl you were friends with or want vengeance and apologies for. I’m nobody and I want nothing to do with you.”
The pair softened their anger and frustration, trying a different approach even if they still weren’t listening to what I said.
“Then let us know you,”Daniil murmured.“Let us try again and prove to you how sorry we are, even if it means nothing to you.”
It was too late. Too much. I couldn’t handle it, nor did I want to and because of that, all I seemed able to say was,“No. Get out and don’t come back.”
They went to argue, but they couldn’t. Not because of me. Or even Kiril. But because of the dark and brooding man who had silently opened the door and hovered there, frowning between the lot of us as he eyed up the bloody knife, my gun, and drops of red on the floor.
“If Yeva says leave, then you leave. Kiril will escort you back to your hotel.”Beau didn’t need to threaten or shout. His presence and aura were enough to get the reaction I had wanted and really wished people had respected.
The moment all three men vanished, two of them with longing looks my way, I instantly felt calmer. Not enough to stop my tongue from spitting venom, though, purely out ofannoyance that he had been enough to get my old friends to listen.
“You didn’t need to rescue me.”I snapped at Beau.“I don’t need your help.”
“Yes, I did,”He replied, his eyes rolling a bit at my tone.“My only regret is that I didn’t rescue you earlier, but I don’t think you’d care to listen to my apologies, and I don’t really make a habit of saying sorry to women, even children.”
Instantly, I knew he did not mean now. He meant all that time ago when I had been nothing – when I had been far worse than nothing.
“Why? You don’t owe me anything and I know you don’t like women. Everyone whispers about you and how you hate people like me. You hate us the same way I hate men, and that is not something you get over.”I bit at my lower lip until I drew blood, needing the bite of pain to take away the tension inside me as Beau waved me out of the room and indicated I should follow him.
Ironically, his hatred for my sex made me tolerate him more. He was one of the few people who understood the pain in my soul and the anger, and though I would never openly admit it; I felt the oddest sort of kindred vibe with him. Plus, he was legally my daddy now and knowing that he was not a fan of women yet now had a multitude of daughters made me spitefully amused.
“Yeva, I worked with your father for years before I met you. I am part of the reason he had money, contacts and whatever else he loved to shove into his skin and mouth.”He admitted.
“He trafficked children for money.”I snapped a little as we walked through the kitchen and toward the garage - not an ounce of me scared of what Beau wanted me for or why.
I didn’t trust him, on account of the whole man thing, but I also didn’t not trust him. It was strange.
“I didn’t know.”He said.“If I had known I would have killed him – you might not believe me on that, but I hope one day you will.”As we reached the door to the garage, he paused, hand resting on the handle, eyes on me with nothing but regret burning inside them.“I don’t do apologies and nice shit. I do violence and bullshit. So instead of me apologizing for my role in your father’s empire, I would like to offer you something instead.”