Page 50 of Tormented Diamonds

I hit my feet, the bars of my demons’ cage rattling. “They were fucking trafficking humans?”

Her chin trembles. “Dad said he pulled his gun and confronted them, but Dagger threw his own ace of spades.”

The ultimate fuck you.

I know what she says next will change everything—my life, her life,ourlife.

“He never held my life over my dad’s head, Gianni. He held my innocence.”

Goddamn it. God-fucking-damn it.

I pace the room, the roars getting louder, the demand for blood stronger. “He threatened him with the fear of those being yourscreams.”

Do it. Let them out.

Before I can, my phone lights up with a text from Anton.

I’m in the lobby. We need to talk.

Any other time, I’d tell him to go fuck himself, but I need air. I need to get a hold of myself before I free something I can’t put back.

But I’m also not leaving her alone.

Pulling up another contact, I type out a quick text.

I have to take care of something. Come to the sixth floor, room 6441.

Becca watches me closely as I return to her bedside. “I have to go downstairs and talk to Anton. Sera will be here in a few minutes.” I lift my hand, intercepting her inevitable protest. “I know you can take care of yourself, but so can I. So, don’t fight me on this, all right?”

“All right.”

“Good. By the way, where’s your father?”

She winces. “I convinced him to leave Providence. I didn’t think it was safe for him, so I got him to agree to stay at a co-worker’s cabin in the Poconos.”

“That’s probably for the best.”

“You’re not pissed?”

Not if it gets George Reese the fuck out of my way.

“You followed your survival instincts. How can I be mad at that?” Determined to distract her, I lower my head and crush my lips against hers. It works. She wraps her arms around my neck, deepening the kiss while monitors all around us wail in protest. I almost say fuck it and crawl in bed with her, but she needs to heal, and I need answers. So, I pull back,her little whine hitting me straight in the dick. “Try to rest. When I come back, I’m taking you home.”

She scrunches her nose. “What about the test results?”

“Screw the test results. I’ll pay Dr. Fuckboy to make a house call if need be.”

“Dr. Fuckboy?”

“Don’t care enough to know his actual name,” I mutter, as my phone ignites with an incoming text. “Probably safer for him, too.”

I glance down. It’s from Sera.

On my way.

Giving her one last kiss, I turn to go, making it halfway out the door before I hear…

“You didn’t know about any of it, right?”