K Diamond rolled his eyes and repeated in a mocking tone, “I don't understand why you would let anyone bet that much. Especially a vet—strange how nobody ever comes around here asking me that question when the guy wins. And who cares if he's a vet? Half this damn island got service on their records. Your father ain’t special.”
The urge to punch him was riding me so hard, but I couldn’t let myself lose my temper. These guys were too dangerous, and my father’s life was at stake.
So I just thrust the bag filled with my life savings at him. “Here, it’s everything he owes you.”
This was all the money I’d saved up over the last two years, ever since Brad’s father announced that he would sell his ramshackle surf school when he retired at 60. A few hours ago, I’d fought off tears as I painstakingly withdrew it from my account in blocks of cash.
But K Diamond barely spared the small duffel a glance.
“Count that,” he said to someone over his shoulder, pointing at my duffel.
K Diamond stroked a hand over his knuckles and winked at me as one of his guys stepped forward to take the bag from me. “So, what are you? You mixed? Like, Black and Chinese or something like that?”
Even if “what are you?” wasn’t one of the most loaded things you could say to a biracial person, I wouldn’t have bothered to answer his question.
I wasn’t there to chitchat, and I was very aware of the rival Suit Gang still standing there, like a Saints Row video game on pause. I did not want to extend the time I had to spend here with a beside-the-point Q&A.
Unfortunately, K Diamond’s slimy gaze stayed on me. “You a dime piece, ain’t you? You got a man?”
I clamped my lips. At this point, I couldn’t trust myself to so much as open my mouth without cussing this dude straight out.
Unfortunately, K Diamond took my lack of answer as an invitation to keep asking me questions. “Where are you working? One of the hotels? Bet you would make more here.”
He stepped forward. So close, I could taste the overbearing bro scent of whatever cologne he was wearing. Then he grabbed my face and looked me over like I was some kind of product he was thinking of buying. “Yeah, put you in some makeup and heels, and you could rake in that good-good kala.”
He was all up in my face and touching me. Revulsion turned my stomach. All I wanted to do was shove him away. But…
He's dangerous, I reminded myself. Probably carrying a gun.
So I forced myself to stand there. To tolerate his touch.
But I couldn’t keep the strain out of my voice as I asked, “Is he done counting the money yet?”
K Diamond threw me an irritated look—guess he didn’t like that I refused to answer any of his questions. But he released my face to ask the guy counting my money at the bar, “Is it all there?”
“Yeah,” the guy answered, filling me up with relief. But then he added, “Everything except the interest.”
My stomach dropped. “What interest?”
“Five percent starting the first of the month after payment’s due,” K Diamond answered with a shit-eating grin. “Your dad didn’t tell you that before he sent you out here to me?”
No, of course, he hadn’t because my dad didn’t send me. He didn’t even know I was here. As proud as he is, I doubted he would have told me what happened if I hadn’t walked in on the aftermath of his beatdown.
I inwardly cursed. That playoff game was back in June, and now it was August.
“Five percent a month?” I raised my eyes to do the math.
But K Diamond cut off my efforts with, “Five percent a day.”
A day? My stomach dropped with a sickening thud.
I once again tried to do the math, and this time K Diamond let me do it without any interruption, as the Future, J. Balvin remix of MC Fioti’s “Bum Bum Tam Tam” played overhead. The song wasn’t the only thing issuing booms. My head just about exploded when I realized the interest basically doubled the amount I just paid him.
The world swirled around me, and my breath shallowed.
These assholes! I shook my head. “That's not fair. We don't have that kind of money.”
“Not my fault your dad made that bet knowing he didn’t have enough money to pay up.” K Diamond cackled like the troll he was underneath that stupid tracksuit. “But tell you what, baby. Don’t you worry, I’m going to show you how to pay me back.”
Horror clogged my throat like a huge gulp of salty ocean water. Was he…? Was he insinuating that I’d have to pay him back with sex? Like a hooker?
Not just insinuating.
As if to answer my unspoken question, K Diamond leered at me and grabbed me again. But this time, his hands landed on my ass. He pulled my crotch into his and humped his hips against me while cackling over his shoulder at his guys.
