* * * * *
Another few days passed and life found a new rhythm.
The Black Diamond brothers sorted out their own hierarchy. I put Flaw in charge as temporary president and he culled the members who didn’t want to walk on the right side of the law. Those we paid handsomely, made them sign non-disclosure agreement guaranteeing hefty punishments if they spoke out ofturn, and let them leave the club.
As our membership was always about diamonds and business, no one had to be unpatched or excommunicated from the brotherhood. They were just employees searching for new work.
One night, once we’d all eaten—Weavers and Hawks sharing a table in the red dining room where so much pain had occurred—I took Nila by the hand to our quarters. Once upon a time, my rooms had been called the bachelor wing, but now, they were our matrimonial suite. A honeymoon before I made her my wife.
We entered the wing. However, instead of taking her to bed, I gave her a key.
Standing at the base of a small staircase leading to a storage floor above, her black eyes met mine with confusion. “What’s this?”
I smiled softly, wrapping her fingers around the key. “The past week I’ve managed to put some of my past behind me. It’s time for you to do the same.” Gathering her in a hug, I murmured, “Time to let the past go so we can all move on and heal.”
I didn’t want to think about what she’d find up there. She had to face it. Just like I’d faced Cut.
She let me hug her, her desire for me building the longer we touched. I couldn’t put this off anymore. I’d already put it off too long.
Pulling away, I let her go, dragging a hand through my hair.
She frowned, twirling the key in her fingers. “What does it open?”
Something you won’t want to see.
Climbing the first few rungs of the steps, I held out my hand for her to follow. “I’ll show you.”
She silently chased me up the twisting stone staircase, nervousness layering her thoughts the higher we strode.
We didn’t bump into anyone. There was no fear of being caught by snooping cameras or hiding from madmen with death threats. Just an ordinary house and an ordinary night. About to do a very unordinary thing.
Nila slowed the higher we climbed. “Where are we going?”
I didn’t look back. If I did, I’d second-guess the intelligence of what I was doing. It wasn’t my choice to decide if this was wrong. It was Nila’s. “Almost there.”
When we arrived on Cut’s third floor, she faltered. “Tell me.”
Grabbing her hand, I tugged her down the plush carpeted corridor. Up here no artwork or embroidery decorated the space. These rooms were the unseen part of the Hall. The place where secrets were stored and debts were hidden for eternity.
“You’ll see.” I led Nila further down the corridor, stopping outside a room she hadn’t been permitted to enter. This wasn’t just a room but a tomb of memories. There were still so many unexplored parts of the Hall. She’d only visited a fraction of my home and most rooms were welcoming and just like any other.
But not this one.
This one housed nightmares.
The storage mecca of every debt extracted.
The carved door depicted roses and tulips, similar to the awful flower arrangements Bonnie had enjoyed. The moment the contents were cleared, Iwould destroy the door, too.
Taking the key from Nila’s suddenly shaking fingers; I inserted it into the lock and opened the door. The softsnickof the mechanism made me swallow hard. I felt as if I trespassed on things I shouldn’t, entering a realm not meant for me. “After you.”
My heart thudded at the seriousness on her face. “What—what’s in there?”
I looked briefly at the carpet, forcing myself not to drown in her sudden fear. “An ending of sorts, or a beginning, depending on how you look at it. Either way, you need to see and decide for yourself.”
Straightening her shoulders, holding onto non-existent bravery, she brushed past me.
Her eyes widened as I switched on the light, drenching the wall-to-wall cabinets of files. In the centre were a large table, a TV, VCR, and DVD player.
