Page 7

Diamond

While sitting on a bench in a local park, Diamond answered his vibrating phone, seeing it was Tomb calling.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“Are you coming in today, Diamond? Could do with a hand in the garage. Reno called in sick. He caught something from his kid and has been spewing all night. I’m backed up with three cars in the bays.”

“Yeah, I’ve been seeing to maintenance over at the Dyson. I’m on my way now.”

It was true, but the maintenance checks were quick because the manager he hired for his apartment community was excellent at her job.

For the past two hours, he’d been playing stalker.

It was fucking ridiculous because he could take over from Titan at any time without explanation. However, he remained seated across the street from where Titan had taken Joelle Snow a while back. It was Friday, and she finally made it to the mysterious appointment she had rescheduled.

The man protecting Joelle was someone he trusted. Titan never needed someone breathing down his neck, so Diamond acted stupid without cause.

He saw her leave the Escalade, carrying a tote bag, wearing pink leggings and a long white coat with fur on the hood. She climbed the porch steps to the brownstone house and has been in there ever since.

Was it a boyfriend’s place?

There was nothing in the info from Judge Snow to say his daughter was working, so it couldn’t be job-related. She was likely grabbing lunch with a friend. Didn’t all the fancy girls do that? Just wasting time on nonsense.

He’d picked up on her facial expression the other day and knew he’d hurt her with his assumptions. There’d been a flicker of fire in her eyes like she’d been ready to rip him a new asshole, but then it fizzled out, almost as if Joelle had reined herself in. She’d told him what she thought of him by showing him to the door in that rich person’s haughty way.

Chuckling, he walked down the stairs that day, appreciating her controlled behavior.

There’d been no more issues with the Snow family.

He waited ten more minutes, but Joelle didn’t emerge from the building, so he tossed the empty takeout cup into the trash can and headed to his parked bike. Returning to the MC compound, he worked alongside Tomb for the rest of the day, fixing engines and bodywork.

With his back aching and his belly chewing on itself, he needed a hot shower and something to eat when the garage shut and the last customers had collected their vehicles.

“Fuck, I could eat a whole cow,” Complained Tomb, washing up next to Diamond in the double sinks. “You wanna come home with me for burgers, D? Nina is working late, and I’m not picking her up until nine.”

“It beats cooking something when I get home, thanks. I’ll follow you.”

“You don’t wanna ride backpack with me?” the asshole joked with a massive grin on his weathered face. Diamond flicked him with the wet towel. “Not even if you begged me. I’ll grab a six-pack of beers on the way.”

“Good man.”

They broke off, and each went their way. Diamond changed out of his work overalls and left them in the garage. Before switching on the engine, he straddled his bike seat and checked in with the secured group chat with his guys.

Everyone had checked in and said their clients were back home and the following shifts would take over soon.

Though Diamond was interested in seeing all the reports, his eyes shifted down the list and automatically searched for a particular one.

TITAN : Snow #4 is secure.

That meant she was at home.

He considered texting back and asking where she’d gone earlier, but refrained. Knowing if she was visiting a booty call wasn’t his job, even if the growl in his throat begged to differ.

Just as he switched on the engine, he heard another bike approaching and turned his head to see Axel and his old lady coming through the opened gates. Diamond waited, and Axel parked in his president’s parking spot. Scarlett jumped off, handing the half-bucket helmet to Axel.

“Hey, Diamond! We’re going to have a Christmas movie marathon in the movie room. Do you want to join us?”

Axel glared at his wife. “No, he doesn’t.”

Diamond chuckled. The rude translation was Axel didn’t want company because he had plans of the dirty kind with his old lady he didn’t want an audience for.

“Hey, you be nice.” With a blushed grin, she chastised and bopped a finger on Axel’s chin. “I’m freezing. I’m heading in, and I’ll get set up.”

Diamond noticed the prez watched his woman going the whole way inside before he turned around.

“Spoiling your woman tonight, Prez?”

He sighed, but didn’t look too harassed. “We have a perfect TV at home where it’s warm, and the roads aren’t slick as fuck, but she insists the screen is better here at the club.”

“You built her the movie room, Axel...” Diamond reminded him. “And installed all those candy and popcorn machines.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He admitted with a smirk.

By the time Scarlett had come to them, she’d lived a whole life of missing out on ordinary shit people took for granted. She’d hardly known anything about pop culture, so Axel had been indulging his woman with movies, TV shows, music, and traveling.

“I better get inside before she’s filled a bucket with enough candy she’ll be bouncing until New Year’s Eve.”

“Enjoy Jack Frost and all the Ho! Ho! Ho!”

Axel waved over his shoulder, striding inside to spoil his woman. Even if he did it grumbling, no one took it seriously. He’d rip the Eiffel Tower out by the roots if Scarlett mentioned she wanted it for bathroom decor.

Diamond rode off to have burgers and beers with his buddy.

* * *

Joelle

“Ahhh, wine and cake. There’s nothing better than this.” Molly sprawled out lengthways on Joelle’s couch. Fuzzy socks were on her feet, a glass of Moscato d’Asti was in her hand, and a platter of sliced vanilla cake, liberally frosted, sitting on the coffee table.

Joelle’s other friend, Sadie, was at ease, sitting cross-legged on the floor with Joelle.

“Sex is better.” Remarked Joelle, her smiling lips touched the rim of the glass. Both girls looked over and nodded.

“That’s a given. But right now, nothing is better. The baby is home in bed, and my gorgeous hunk of a husband is in his gaming room, probably having an epic battle with a twelve-year-old from Boston. And I’m sipping wine.” Said Sadie, toasting to the air. “Cheers to no longer breastfeeding, and Mama can drink again.”

“Cheers to your free tits.” Molly toasted. “Although, the way Dan looks at them, they won’t be free for long.” She snickered.

“Be nice,” Joelle said. “Dan’s a cop. He deserves her tits for the service he gives to this country.”

The wine couldn’t even be blamed for their joking since they were on their first glass. It was an impromptu get-together. They’d become so few, as was life when people had adult responsibilities. Her friends were happily married, and now Sadie was the mom of a beautiful fifteen-month-old girl, Joelle’s goddaughter.

Getting together now happened infrequently. Mostly, they talked over the phone, so having them over was a real treat.

“Did you bake this cake?” Molly asked, pushing a pillow-soft piece into her mouth and moaning at how delicately sweet it tasted.

“Did it break your teeth? Then, no, I didn’t bake the cake. I did, however, request it. So it’s like I baked it.”

Molly laughed. “I should have known that. You burn everything.”

“Remember, she nearly burned down your first apartment, Mols? When Joelle thought she could make toast under the broiler.”

“That was years ago,” she protested at their laughter. “I’ve excelled in toast making since then. I even do bagels sometimes if I’m feeling fancy.”

Sadie flashed her a smile. “You’re going to make someone a beautiful wife someday.”

“Is that what you do for Dan? Make him toast?”

“Nah, she gets on her knees and asks to see his baton. Oh, Officer, I didn’t mean to break the law.” Mocked a laughing Molly.

Sadie didn’t deny it, which made the three of them laugh even more.

The rest of the evening continued in a similar fashion.

They shared several bottles of wine. They gossiped about everyone they didn’t like, including Molly’s witch of a mother-in-law, and finished the cake platter. When Joelle walked them down to the front door, where a town car was taking them home, she was ready to soak in the tub and then fall into bed.

Making her way to the bathroom, she switched on the faucet for hot water and dropped in a scented bath bomb.

As it filled up, the lighting became warm, and her music started playing. She sighed, satisfied, and sank into the comfortable water until it reached her chin.

Dozing, sometime later, the music on her phone dipped out as a text pinged through, and then the music kicked in again. Joelle sat up and grabbed the phone from the stool by the bath. If Reeves was texting after midnight for a ride home again, she’d break her brother’s neck.

But when she opened it, she saw there was a string of texts from a number that wasn’t in her contacts, but it was a local area code.

UNKNOWN : Are you alone?

UNKNOWN : I know you’re there.

UNKNOWN : I see you, pretty.

UNKNOWN : Sweet dreams.

“Ugh, what a creep.” She muttered, pulling a face. Even having an unlisted number, the weirdos crawled out of the woodwork. Joelle didn’t know who it was, but she wasn’t about to acknowledge them. If she did, they’d keep harassing her.

Joelle’s thoughts turned toward a particular biker once she was curled up warm in bed. However, she soon banished him out of her mind, deciding to watch an episode of her vampire show.

She no longer had any interest in that guy.

Fictional men were more reliable.

Good riddance to her short-lived crush.