Page 130 of Diamond In The Rough

Uninvited.

Finally, she brings her eyes back to me and swallows. “I’m sorry to have been a bother, Mr. Malone. I won’t intrude on your club or life anymore. Though I felt it prudent to inform you of Joseph Wilkes’ pending threat. I understand you to be your brother’s protector.” She glances at Felix again, though only for a beat. Just for a single second. “I know you take your duty seriously, and having information, but not sharing it with you, didn’t sit right with me. Wilkes is on the prowl. Intel doesn’t specify which club he’ll hit, but my suspicions led me here. Be sure to stay out of the street. Watch your backs. Maybe do something remarkable every now and then so I can catch you on the news.” She swallows. Gulping, so the movement in her throat becomes visible. “I wish you well. I wish you forgiveness.”

“Forgiveness?” My eyes narrow to dangerous slits. “From you?”

“From yourself. I know you better than you realize, so I’m aware of your self-inflicted punishment since we last saw each other.” She straightens her spine and juts her chin forward, pride and challenge and a million other expressions burning in this strong woman’s eyes. Then, reaching up, she fingers her necklace pendant and breaks my heart all over again. “I know you, Micah. I know what’s in your heart, and I know you need to find peace within yourself more than anything else.” She drops her hand and grins. “Thanks to you, I’m not afraid of the dark anymore.”

“You’re—”

“Aware there are worse things in this world.”

“Let’s go.” Roscoe’s hand circles Tiia’s slim bicep. His fingers wrapping all the way around until they touch again. Then he sets my temper aflame when he tugs her back a step. “It’s time to go, Ipo. We’re done here.”

“Blink twice if you don’t want him around.” I lean closer when she starts to turn, searching her eyes in desperation. “Just let me know if you don’t want that in your life. I’ll fix it.”

Her jaw trembles, though her lips curl into a sweet smile. “You would kill him for me? To rid a pushy man out of my life?”

“I would make you safe.” I can’t say I’d slit his fucking throat and toss him into the river to become fish food out loud. They’re Feds, after all. And I can’t protect anyone when I’m on the wrong side of iron bars. “Just tell me you want it done.”

She snickers, soft and watery and so fucking pathetic, the sound tugs at my heart. “I love him, Micah. I don’t want to be out of his life. And I especially don’t want him out of mine.”

“Ipo.” Another step. Then two more. “It’s time to go.”

“You just gonna let your girl leave with another man?” Felix stomps around to stand where Tiia was a moment ago. “That easy, huh?”

“She’s not safe in my life. It’s better she goes with him.”

“She’s never going to be safer than when she’s with you!” He steps to the left when my eyes follow her trim back. When she stops by the door and peeks back my way. He tries to steal my view, but I see only her. The way she looks over her shoulder one last time. Then as her expression falls.

This isn’t a fucking Hallmark movie where I chase the girl out of the club and declare my love and dedication. This isn’t one of those stories that gets packaged with a pretty bow.

This is me and her, and we’re complicated even when she’s not a Fed and I’m not a Malone.

“Micah!” Felix slams his hand to my chest, demanding my attention. “You want something, you go and take it. Have I taught you nothing?”

“I want her.” I draw a deep breath when she disappears through the door, and exhale again, searching for new strength to remain standing now that she’s gone. Again. “So I let her go. She deserves to fly. Free and safe and?—”

Even above the din of a club pounding with music, I catch the squeal of tires in the street outside. The shouts of fear and screams of terror. Then the brrrrrt of bullets discharging from illegal fully automatic weapons.

“Shit!” I grab the back of Felix’s head and slam him to the floor. My instincts to protect my brother first and foremost, too deeply ingrained for me to do anything else. But as everyone else in the club drops, I remember the trio who walked outside.

The one who walked out of my life.

“Tiia!” I spin on my heels and sprint toward the doors. Bullets continuing to spray the outside of the club, a hundred rounds in under a minute that leave glass shattering and brick spraying.

“Micah!” Felix roars from somewhere behind me. His protective instincts as sharply defined as my own. “Micah, down!”

“Tiia!” I dart through the doors and skid outside, only to find bodies littering the sidewalk. So many of them, all who came out tonight only to party. To drink. Socialize. Love.

And now, they’re dead or dying.

“Ipo!” Roscoe’s cry of devastation draws me to the left. His broad body has dropped to his knees and folded over a woman who bleeds. The destruction left behind is enough to destroy what little heart I still had left. “Tiia!” He slams his hands to her chest. “Wake up!”

“No.” My stomach hollows out. While terrified partiers run in every direction, and guards bound into the night now that Wilkes’ car is gone, I turn and charge toward Tiia. My gun in my hand, though I don’t recall taking it out. My heart in my throat, certain it’ll block my airways and kill me anyway. “Oh no, no, no, no, no.” I grab Roscoe’s collar and throw him to the side, then I scoop her up, bleeding, broken, and gone. I hold her in my arms and search… for help.

For somewhere to go.

Someone to fix this.

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