Page 78 of Diamond Don

Kat’s face falls. It’s such a stark change from her smiling expression that I lose my train of thought. “What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” she says, too fast. It’s a blatant lie, if for no other reason than the horrified look in her eyes.

“Kat. What’s the matter? What did I say?”

She sighs. “It’s nothing, really.”

“Yeah, I don’t buy that for a second. It’s obviously something. I can see it all over your face. Don’t waste your breath denying it. Was it something I said?”

“No. It’s a long story. It’s… complicated, to put it mildly.”

“I’ve got time,” I say unwaveringly. Whatever upset her this much, I need to know all about it so I can fix it. I won’t have anything keeping me from seeing her smile at me like that again—not if it can be helped.

“Nik, I—It’s a really, really long story. One that isn’t just mine to tell.”

This woman and her endless secrets will be the death of me. Just when I think we’re getting somewhere, the little thief reminds me of all I don’t know about her.

“I see,” I say, even though I don’t. At all.

Kat’s painfully beautiful eyes study my face. Whatever she sees there makes her sigh. She opens and closes her mouth several times, seemingly searching for the right thing to say. Eventually, eyes brimming with some powerful emotion I can’t quite identify, she says, “Nik, I need you to understand that you and I met during a very convoluted period of my life. I need you to be patient and understanding. There are certain things I have to do to keep my friends—and myself—safe.”

Her heartfelt statement gives me pause. “Kat, if you are in any type of danger, I need to know.”

“It’s not that simple?—”

“It’s nonnegotiable,” I cut her off.

She sighs again. “Look, like I said, it’s complicated. I can’t tell you all about it right now.”

My first instinct is to argue with her or browbeat her into telling me everything. But I quickly realize that would be an unwise approach. If Kat is in trouble, I need her to trust me enough to tell me what I must know to keep her safe. If I intimidate or annoy her too much, I would achieve the opposite effect.

“Well,” I say hesitantly, unsure about how to urge her to tell me everything without aggravating her. “What are you comfortable telling me, then?”

Kat blinks. I want to groan in frustration—somehow, I must’ve messed up again—but she surprises me by shockingly sharing some information.

“I guess I could tell you it’s related to the Flame of Mir. It’s the reason I took it, I mean. I had to steal it to protect A.J. and myself. She became involved with someone dangerous. Someone who realized he could use his leverage over my best friend to get me to do his bidding.”

I’m not sure what I thought she’d say. But it most definitely wasn’t that. I end up staring at her for a moment, processing her words and the repercussions of what she just told me. My mind races a mile per minute—then it suddenly stops with a screeching halt once the terrified expression in her eyes registers with me.

“Kat—” I say, unsure of how exactly to put everything I’m feeling into words. How can I convey that I’ll never let anyone hurt or scare her again? How can I assure her I’ll crush the living shit out of the imbecile who hurt her?

Kat interrupts me before I get a chance to figure out how to voice all these new and alarming feelings. “A.J. and I are still dealing with him, you know. He could still hurt us. That’s why I’m not exactly thrilled about this party. I have a feeling he might be invited, too.”

So I probably know the bastard. “Tell me his name.”

“I can’t. I told you, he could still hurt us. I can’t take the chance.”

“Kat,” I say through gritted teeth. “You’re going to tell me everything about this man right now. And then I’m going to take care of him.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Why the hell not?” I yell, unable to control my anger, even though I know that’s never the best approach with her.

“You’re not listening. I’ve already told you why. It’s too dangerous.”

“Not if I handle him for you. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Nik, I understand you’re dying to recover your diamond. I really do. I’d be livid to lose it, too. Trust me, parting with that beauty was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But I’m not telling you anything else. I have promises to keep and people to protect. I’ve told you all I can—at least for now—and you’re just going to have to respect my boundaries.” She has the nerve to shrug.

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