Page 27 of Diamond in the Rough (The Diamond Trilogy 1)
Hell. I don’t know how to answer that. I could scale a fifty-foot wall or defuse an IED. But I can’t tell this woman that she’s going to be tortured. Can’t explain that I’m supposed to watch. That I’m supposed to withhold information while she screams. “Maybe.”
“This man attacked me in the woods. Adam saved me.”
Christ. She sounds almost grateful. “Did he tell you what he does for a living?”
There’s a pause that makes me wonder if he did. “No.”
“He deals in blood diamonds. The kind that are sold in the mall that are certified conflict-free? That’s not the kind he sells.”
“Then why are you working with him?” she asks, almost defiant.
“I told you I’m not a good person. And I’ve made mistakes. Trusting Adam is one of them. Don’t make the same mistake, sweetheart.”
“It doesn’t matter whether I trust him or not. I’m still trapped here.”
It does matter because there are worse things than hurting a body. There’s harming her spirit. I don’t know how the bastard managed to kidnap her and earn her trust in a short goddamn time frame, but it feels like he’s done it. “Does your stomach hurt?”
“A little.”
“Brave girl. I’m sure it hurts like a motherfucker.”
She lets out a surprised huff of laughter. “Yeah, I guess that’s right.”
“How does the story end? The one about the tooth fairy?”
A long pause. “The only way it can.”
“The boy dies.”
“Yes.”
Yes, she says, her voice trembling. She could lie about her stomach hurting, but she’s about to cry about the death of a fictional character. She’s so soft, this woman. So gentle. And the world is so goddamn sharp. She’ll be ripped to shreds, and there’s nothing I can do about it. “The story wasn’t really about him, though. What happens to the girl?”
“She doesn’t die, if that’s what you’re asking. She destroys her room in her grief. Teeth rain down on the city below. It risks the exposure of her world. This, the elders tell her, this is why they don’t get close to the humans. They’re so fragile. Only their teeth are strong.”
“And this is a children’s book?”
“I told you. It’s mostly teenagers.”
“Even so, it feels kind of depressing.” Does she know that she’s the human boy in the story? She’s not the tooth fairy who lives with a rage so deep it feels like a physical wound. Or maybe I’m wrong about that. Maybe she’s full of a beautiful, feminine rage.
“Life is depressing. One day you’re writing and drinking tea. The next day you’re trapped in a dark cell with a strange man, wondering if you’ll live till morning.”
My throat tightens. Yes, there’s rage there. Maybe even enough to keep her alive. God, I want her to stay alive. I should be willing to let her die for the mission, but more and more I’m not sure if I can. Seconds tick by while I struggle with the remnants of my morality. That tooth fairy in the story of hers wouldn’t hesitate. If she could have saved the boy’s life, she would have. Even if it meant exposing her world. And so I make the promise, based on the lessons in a children’s book. “If there’s any way for me to protect you,” I say, “to save you, I will.”
A soft snore is the only reply.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Holly
A monster with sharp teeth gnashes at my side. He’s eating me, and I’m sobbing, begging for someone to help me. A man stands to the side, holding the leash of the monster. He shakes his head, looking almost sad. “Who let you go off on this vacation without a guide?” he asks.
I wake up from the dream sweaty and panting. My side throbs from where the iron cut into me. There’s a tension in the dark room that tells me it’s morning.
“North,” I whisper, somehow needing his presence.
“I’m here.” His voice is alert. And wary. Something is happening. “When they come in, don’t argue with them. Don’t fight. Understand? That will only make it worse.”
He says this with the same urgency as he told me to run. You run like the fucking wind. Don’t stop for anything, understand? No matter how much it hurts. Those instructions made sense. These don’t. Who’s coming in? Why shouldn’t I fight? What will be worse?
Then the door bangs open.
Adam comes down the stairs, his step almost cheerful. “Good morning, ma petite. And hello to you, North. I had such a good time playing with you both yesterday. I think we’ll all enjoy the games today, non?”
North lets out a growl. “Go fuck yourself, Bisset.”
There’s a sharp sound, and then a large lantern illuminates the space. Adam grins, which looks almost demonic since he’s right above the light. “Don’t worry, I’ll give you some fun too. It’s not every day I have both a man and woman at my disposal. Like two life-size dolls.”
