Diamond (Rare Gems Series) (8 page)

“
I was wrong. On a great many levels, but saying the things I did hurt you all, and I’m profoundly sorry for that.” He got up and shoved her in a chair before getting her cup of tea and setting it beside her plate. “I don’t know how this will work out, but I’d very much like to live here until we can find a place of our own. There are a great many houses around the area that are—”

“
You’re not living here.” Blair flushed and lowered his voice as he continued. “I mean you can visit, but I don’t think it will work out with you living here and us being on opposite side of things with this vegetable tray.”

“
Have you sold the idea yet?” Blair looked at Sapphire, then back at Thad before he shook his head. “Good. I would very much like to go back to the drawing board with this. I don’t mean your end, but on my end. I want to start a production company here that would mass produce the containers as well as the fluid containers that Sapphire and I talked about before.”

“
You think that just because you saved Diamond that you can simply waltz right back in here as if nothing happened?” Blair sat down and slammed his cup on the table, sloshing coffee everywhere as he continued. “It doesn’t work that way, buddy. I have my reputation to uphold, as well as Sapphire. You can’t be seriously thinking we’d want to work with—”

“
How many people would you hire for startup?” Blair huffed at Sapphire when she cut him off. “Think about it for a minute. Where will we be if he decides to move to Texas and takes my sister with him? Or better yet, what will happen to the others of our pack if something doesn’t happen soon with the job situation here?”

“
I can’t go to Texas.” Everyone looked at her. “I’m not sure we’ll be able to make this thing between us work out, but I’m not moving again. I don’t want to…. What if things don’t work out between us? Then I’m stuck all the way across the United States and no one to help me come back.”

“
You’re not going to have to worry about this between us. I realize what we did yesterday was big, huge really, and I’m not going to let you get away from me again. I’ll make this work.” She was shaking her head at him when he continued. “We’ll make this work. And as soon as possible I want to be changed…converted, I think they called it.”

She sat there playing
with her food as the rest of them talked. Argued really, but she didn’t listen in. He wanted to make this work, and she was afraid he would too. Diamond didn’t want a mate that would hurt her when he was pissed off, nor did she want one that thought he could dominate her either. When his hand touched her thigh, she stilled.

We need to find us a home so that when you make me scream out my climax
, I don’t have to worry about others hearing me.
Diamond felt her body heat at his words.
I’ve also made a few calls before coming down here. There are two bondage shops, as
well as a club here in town. I’d very much like to take you there tonight. I want you to enjoy my dominating you as much as I do. I want you to keep an open mind and let me show you what pleasures there are for us. Can you do that for me?

And if I don
’t like it, will you drop me again like I’m a diseased animal?
The words were out before she could stop them, and when his hand squeezed her thigh, she looked at him as the others stepped out of the kitchen. She wondered how they knew but right now didn’t care.

I
won’t do that to you ever again. I swear to you. But if you don’t like what we do in the bedroom, I’ll understand, but I’m betting you will. Very much so.
Thad turned in his seat and took both her hands and spoke aloud to her. “You came hard last night because you let me dominate you. If you don’t want this lifestyle, we can make love like other couples. But once you let me show you, you’ll see.”

Would she? Did she really want to?
He leaned in and took her mouth for a slow and very thorough kiss. When he cupped the back of her head and pulled her closer, she was suddenly sitting over him on his lap. He never stopped kissing her as he lifted her tee-shirt up and cupped her breast. Moisture pooled between her thighs, and she tried to squirm around so that he wouldn’t smell her.

“
Don’t do that.” His hand between her legs had her rolling her hips up to meet him. “I’d very much like to lay you over this table and eat you.”

“
They’ll hear us.” Diamond didn’t recognize her own voice as he continued to torment her nipple through her bra. When he leaned her back and she touched the table, he lifted her bra up and took her breast into his mouth, and she knew she was going to come like this.

“
Don’t even think about it. If you come now, I’ll take you to our bedroom and paddle your ass hard. When you come, it will be because I say you can.” Diamond was nodding even before he finished. When he pinched her breast hard, she looked up at him and realized what he wanted.

“
I’ll not come until you say I can or you’ll take me up and paddle my ass. Master.” He nodded at her and went back to her breast. The more he nibbled on her nipple the harder she wanted to say fuck it and come anyway. But the thought of disappointing him was right there, and she found she didn’t want to do that either.

When he lifted his head from her
, she wanted to beg him for relief, but he only helped her stand and held her hand when she wobbled slightly. Sitting back in her chair, she tried to be upset with him but found she only felt proud of herself.

“
What are your plans for the rest of the day?” She tried to think if this was part of his plan when he lifted her chin up and looked at her. “Sex is the only time I’ll ever try to control you. I will want you to be willing to have sex with me anywhere I want, but for now we’ll work on a home for us. Once we are in the bedroom, I’m your master, otherwise we’re just a couple trying to make things work.”

“
Why?” He looked at her strangely. “Why do you want us to be a couple now when a week ago you were disgusted with me…with what I am? The sex with you is great, but not worth you changing your mind in a few months when I’ve fallen in love with you.”

“
Because for the first time in my life I want someone to fall in love with me. And I want that to be you. I’m not saying I love you now, but I do care for you. A great deal, as a matter of fact.” He took her hand into his. “I’ve said this to you before, but I want you to hear it over and over until you believe me. I’m sorry for what I did to you. Sorrier than I’ve ever been for anything in my life. I want you to forgive me because you believe me, and I know that that’s a long way in coming. If ever.”

\
Chapter 8

Ward Galloway looked around the plane, trying to figure out why he’d been sitting in coach instead of in first class. There were empty seats as far as he could see, but the stewardess told him his ticket wasn’t upgradable and for him to please stay in his seat. He supposed he shouldn’t have irritated her so much and he might have been able to convince her that he was first-class material.

“
Would you like something to drink, sir?” Ward looked up at the women who had been standoffish to him earlier. “We have beverages as well as a few snacks.”

“
I’d like a bourbon and coke please.” He waited for her to tell him no, but she only quoted him a price. “For a bourbon and coke? You’ve got to be kidding me. Who pays that much for a drink on a goddamned plane?”

“
Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to lower your voice and to keep your language cleaner. There are children on this flight that wouldn’t like to hear that from someone they don’t know.” In other words, she was telling him that she didn’t believe that the kids hadn’t heard it before, just not from him. “Now, would you like the drink or not?”

Testy and a bit on the short side
, her voice could have chilled the bowels of hell. Ward shook his head but decided for as much trouble as they were giving him on this damned flight he’d get what he had coming to him.

“
What do you charge for a regular soft drink? And I don’t mean a little tiny glass, but the whole can.” Ward smiled at her and didn’t even bother trying to charm her any longer. He was right, and she fucking well knew it.

“
I can’t leave you the can, sir, because in the event of turbulence we don’t want the can to be bouncing around hitting someone.” She started to move on, but he grabbed her arm. He realized his mistake the moment she turned back to him.

It was over almost before it started.
The stewardess by day and sumo wrestler by night had him flipped out of his seat and on the floor before he could say a word. Then when she banged his head against the hard cart she’d been pushing up and down the aisle, Ward knew all sorts of pain. She was going to kill him and throw him from the plane. He just knew it.

When one of the
pilots came back and “helped” her pick him up, dropping him three times and banging him against whatever he could, Ward was put in a seat in the very back of the plane and the big man sat next to him. This was not going to be a good flight after all, he thought.

“
You should know better than to touch anyone without permission.” The man popped him in the face with his elbow as he started to stand. “Oh, sorry about that.”

Ward didn
’t for a second believe he was the least bit sorry, but said nothing. He had a feeling if he opened his mouth for any reason, there would be a fist in it and he’d be bleeding from more than just his lip. When he was left alone, he waited for the cart to make its way toward him because he wanted some ice. The stewardess just went right by him without a word, and he turned to yell at her when the man returned to stand next to him again.

“
Problem?” Ward shook his head at him. “Good. See that there isn’t from now on or so help me I’ll make sure you end up on a plane going in a place that is best not visited by pansy-assed pricks like you.” Ward decided that he was going to have a word with Morton when he saw him next for booking him on a plane with a bunch of assholes.

Ward had heard from his friend Morton
eight days ago. He’d told him to come to Texas and see what his brother was up to. Ward hadn’t heard from Thad in almost ten years, so really hadn’t cared all that much about him or what he was up to, much less enough to travel all the way across the United States to check it out. But Morton had insisted that Thad had had a change of heart and thought it would be great if he came out and surprised him.

Fat chance
of that happening. But the ticket had shown up the next afternoon and a quick call to Morton had confirmed that Thad had not only sent it but had insisted that he come for a long visit. He had his suspicions but didn’t say them to Morton. Thad and he had never gotten along. But Ward had hopped on the plane the next morning and now here he was flying across the States to see his long-lost brother. But now he couldn’t get in touch with Morton.

Calling his office
had given him no information, and when he’d called his house, there was someone there who started asking questions almost as soon as he answered. The man had wanted his name and address and why he was calling, but Ward had hung up. Something about his tone made him think that something had happened to Morton, and it wasn’t good.

Thad had made him leave his house all those years ago
because he’d caught him doing something that had offended him. Ward didn’t understand then and certainly didn’t understand any better now why Thad had such a problem with what he’d been doing. It wasn’t as if he didn’t have all kinds of money.

“
You’ll not get another dime from me. Not now and not ever. I’m finished with you.” Thad had had him cuffed to the chair in the big conference room in the Galloway building like he was nothing to him. “And as for all the money you took, you’ll pay it back or I’ll press charges.”

“
Are you fucking kidding me? Where the hell would I get that kind of money? And if you think I’m selling my stuff, you’re nutty as a fruit fly.” Ward had jerked on the cuffs around his wrists. “Get these things off me. You can’t treat me this way. I’m a Galloway.”

No one had moved to
release him and he jerked on them again. Thad asked the others to step out; three men that had guns at their waist as well as dark glasses that hid whatever they were thinking about what was going on.

“
As of this morning, everything in your apartment has been removed. That includes the clothing you had there and all the jewelry you purchased with my money.” Ward tried to lunge at his brother but only managed to hurt himself and have Thad laugh at him. “You were caught, why don’t you admit it?”

“
Caught at what? Taking a little off the top?” Ward hadn’t waited for his brother to answer because he really didn’t care what he’d had to say. “You make more money in one week than most people make in a lifetime. What the hell do you care if I take a few extra bucks? You’re supposed to care for me. I’m your little brother. Doesn’t the Galloway name mean shit to you?”

“
It was nearly five million dollars over an eight month period, and you’re lucky that I don’t have you up on charges.” Thad had stood and towered over him as he looked down at him in more ways than one. “You’ll be escorted out of this building and put onto the streets. The money you have in your pockets is all you’ll ever see from me again. The credit cards are now closed, as are the bank accounts and all other privileges that you seemed to think were your own personal playground.”

Ward hadn
’t been tossed out of the building, but it had been close. When he’d asked about his car, the security guard had flipped him a quarter and told him to call a cab. He’d walked back to his apartment to find that not only had they taken all his nice things, but his underwear as well. What the hell had his brother done with his underwear? It had taken him calling in a great many favors, as well as getting into the stash he’d had hidden in another place, to get back to where he thought he should have been, but it had never been the way things were. And now he was flying back to see him.

Ward was going to play nice. For a time
, anyway, then he was going to stick it to his brother good. No one fucked with Ward Galloway and got away with it. Especially when it came to his lifestyle and his image. Image was everything.

The plane landed an hour later.

Ward had been staying with a friend of a friend when he
’d gotten the call from Morton. It couldn’t have come at a better time, either, because he was pretty sure he’d worn out his welcome. His so-called friends were telling him to get a job and to start helping out with bills and such. Not to mention it would be nice if he paid back what he had borrowed from them. This was going to be his ninth move in the past year, and it seemed to him that his pickings were getting slimmer and slimmer each time. But he had his list, and it wasn’t to pay any of them back. It was to tell them what he’d taken from them without their knowledge.

Pulling it out now
, he looked it over. It was a list of what he felt were crimes against him. He’d started out with a list of people he was going to pay back for all the help they’d given him, but it wasn’t long when even those people had ended up on his other list. The list that kept running totals of women who wouldn’t let him fuck them. Also, he had a list of men who had snubbed him at parties he’d crashed, as well as when he’d ask to borrow money. When one of them had asked him when he was going to pay them back, he’d only stared at the man. Did they really expect Ward Galloway to pay people back? This was just not done.

Standing in the terminal
, Ward looked around for someone who would pick him up. There were all sorts of signs being held up with names printed on them, but none for him. Ward moved to the front of the airport and out into the driving rain. He shivered in his suit, wondering where the hell he was supposed to go now.

He had cab money
, but he wasn’t going to spend it unless he had to. And that possibility was looking stronger and stronger with each passing minute. Going back inside, he went to the terminal and had Morton paged. It was a big airport and maybe the old fucker got lost in there. After forty minutes of waiting and two pages for him later, he knew that he’d been forgotten. Time to take a cab.

But to where?
Ward was going to stay with Morton until his brother invited him to stay with him, or at the very least gave him enough money to get a house or something. He didn’t want a large house, just ten or so bedrooms so he could party when he wanted. And he needed enough to pay for the help it would require to keep it up. And he wanted pretty, fuckable bitches too. Ward didn’t want to have to clean up after himself. Having fuckable bitches cleaning up after you was what having money was all about.

He was slipping in the dirty cab when he pulled out his phone again and called Morton
’s house. This time no one answered and he decided that he’d simply go there and wait. And if Morton didn’t show up, he’d make due until something better came along. Besides, tomorrow he was going to see his brother. Then things would be just the way they should be for him. Ward Galloway was going to be something. And his long-lost fucking bastard of a brother was going to make it happen for him. Even if he didn’t know it just yet.

~~~

Thad walked around the site twice. There was something so appealing to him to start a fresh project. And this one was going to be huge. The amount of people that would need to be hired for this portion of the business was going to help the area out and make it so he could keep his hands in his business. He looked up when Blair walked toward him.

“
The land is being held by the bank, pending the judgment against the owner. He bilked nearly ten million from the bank on this deal, so you can imagine they’re just a little skittish about letting it go without proof that this time the deal is going to be solid.” Thad could understand that and waited for him to continue. “Along with the five hundred acres, there are the three partial buildings that I would simply tear down, as well as an additional seventy-five acres that has a house on it. The house is in good repair, if only needing a few updates. It’s been sitting empty for nearly two years, with the exception of the staff that has been living there because they’ve had nowhere else to go. The bank decided that them staying there was better than leaving it empty.”

“
And they own the house too?” Blair nodded. “Can I get it as a package deal? And if so, how far are we going to be from the main house you live in?”

The property was perfect for
what he wanted it for even though it was a little bigger than he’d wanted. But if things went well in a few years, he could bring the plant in Texas up here and have it all under one roof. When Blair didn’t answer him, he looked at him.

While Blair hadn
’t been rude, he’d not been all that friendly either. Thad could understand that as well. He’d hurt them, all of them, and he was going to have to work very hard to get at least some of that friendship back. When there was still nothing from him, Thad spoke.

“
I’m going to make this work with Diamond and the rest of you. I know that you have no reason to believe me, but—”

“
I don’t.” Well, that was blunt, Thad thought, but didn’t say anything as Blair continued. “You hurt her again and they’ll never find the body. And I don’t mean because I’ll toss you in a deep hole. I mean there won’t be anything of you left to find. Not even a bone fragment. I will tear you to little pieces, then let the others have at you.”

Thad shivered at his words
, knowing that he wasn’t kidding at all. “I know what I’ve done and what I’ve said. You’ve no idea how much…you coming out here with me today means a great deal to me after the way I treated you. I will make this work. I’m doing my best to convince Diamond of it as well, but, like you, she’s not going to forgive me right now.” Thad looked out over the buildings and the land. “I had a long talk with Jane last night after Diamond went to sleep. She was telling me that I was lucky you hadn’t killed me the last time I was here.”