Page 47 of Wicked Throne

"What in the fuck was that back there?"

"You choose..."

Shrugging I looked past her. There was no way to explain the burst of jealousy I'd felt in my gut at seeing that man enter the same room as me.

"I didn't choose anything," she said.

"Oh Tesoro...I wish I could believe that."

"Are were seriously making this about you, Thierry? My father is in a hospital bed and I still have no fucking clue why. Like honestly...grow the fuck up! Your behavior is suspiciously jealous-like."

I stepped back, her words stinging and the elevator doors closed.

She was right, of course.

I was behaving like a jealous man. I didn't do jealousy very well. I didn't do betrayal very well and she needed to understand that about me.

It wasn't until hours later when I was sitting in the tub looking at the bruises on my hand, that Diamond appeared in the bathroom. She leaned against the doorway and looked me over. There was a heavy smirk on her face.

"You calmed down yet?"

"Somewhat?"

She rolled her eyes, which I noted were extremely red. She'd been crying probably and I feared the worst for her. I knew what it was like to lose my mother and so did Diamond but I was nowhere near prepared for the day that my bastard of a father was ready to leave this planet.

"That shit at the hospital was so very uncalled for," she sighed.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Oh yeah? How does that taste coming out of your mouth?"

"Like complete shit."

She grinned just a bit. "I didn't want Nathan there."

As soon as she said his name, my fist involuntarily flexed by itself.

Goddamn,I hate that man.

"Then why was he?"

"I'm going to be honest," she shrugged.

"I'm not going to fucking like this am I?"

Not sure I wanted to hear this sitting down, I got up out of the tub. Water sloshed everywhere as I reached for a towel. Diamond eyed my body but made no comment as I draped my towel along my hips.

"Nathan came by my store out of the blue. He wanted to talk but there's nothing to talk about."

Her word rolled over my ears.

I was annoyed by the thought of him in the same room.

Alone.

"I know what you're thinking, Thierry. Nothing happened. I was in the middle of telling him to leave when I go the news about my daddy. I told him what was going on and he offered to drive me."

Reaching into my dressers, I pulled on an old New York Yankees t-shirt. It had faded over time but it was still one of my favorite things to wear. It wasn't tailor-made or fancy. It was just old and familiar. I pulled on a pair of boxers next and just waited to hear the rest of the story.