Chapter Thirteen, Lionel
The morning sky was still dark as I turned onto the gravel drive leading to Leroux’s mechanics.
An independent garage in the middle of Diamond Grove.
The headlights of my car cut through the thick shadows cast by towering pines, their branches twisting together overhead.
The drive had been long. Hours of empty roads and silence, but I didn’t mind.
Night drives always gave me time to think, to plan, and this trip was no exception.
My head had been buzzing with thoughts and ideas, and now I felt calm again. In control.
The shop came into view as I crested the hill to find the sprawling cabin-like building that looked more at home in the woods than it would in any city.
Three massive garage doors lined the front of the shop, their windows dark, while the second-floor apartment above glowed faintly with light.
A thin curl of smoke rose from the chimney, twisting up into the pre-dawn air.
The place looked peaceful. Almost cozy, if you ignored the fact that the people who lived here could end you without a second thought.
I pulled into the gravel lot, cut the engine and stepped out with my knife firmly in the back of my jeans, not in my hand.
My boots crunched against the stones as I approached, taking in the organized chaos of the shop that looked so clearly well loved.
Spare parts and tools were scattered near the open door, along with a few vehicles in various stages of repair.
One of them—a sleek, black sports car—was the focus of a tall, tattooed man leaning over its open hood, who stared at me as I headed his way.
His hair was tied back in a loose bun, grease smeared across his forearms and streaked along the side of his neck.
He was wearing a tank top that clung to his broad shoulders, and his cargo shorts hung low enough on his hips to reveal the tattooed curve of his hipbone.
He looked exactly the same as when I’d last seen him in London a few months back—grumpy, guarded, and ready to snap someone’s neck at the slightest provocation.
He was also still pretty. Far too pretty for a toy that was not mine.
As I approached, his hazel eyes flicked up to meet mine. His expression shifted immediately, his mouth tightening as his hand moved to the small of his back, brushing against the gun tucked into his waistband. He didn’t draw it, but the gesture was clear enough.
I let a slow, sharp grin stretch across my face. “That’s no way to greet a friend, is it Lionel?”
His scowl deepened, his fingers twitching near the gun. “Lincoln,” he snapped. “You know my name is Lincoln.”
“Ah, right,” I said, tilting my head in mock apology. “My bad.”
He glared at me, and for a moment, I thought he might actually be stupid enough to pull the gun. Instead, he straightened up, wiping his hands on a rag tucked into his pocket.
“What do you want, Atlas?” he said flatly, his tone edged with irritation. Anyone would have thought he didn’t like me. Heavens knew why.
I’d only threatened to murder his girlfriend once. And it wasn’t like I’d actually followed through, so really, what was his complaint?
“I’m here to see your queen,” I said, my grin widening. “Is she home and up at this hour? Or does she need more of her beauty sleep?”
Lincoln’s eyes narrowed further, but he jerked his chin toward the apartment above the shop. “Wait here. I’ll get her.”
I watched as he walked away, his shoulders stiff. He disappeared through a side door that led to the stairs, and I couldn’t help but chuckle softly to myself. The last time we’d met, he’d been just as grumpy, though I had to admit it was almost… endearing.
I enjoyed when people were mean to me. It made it so much more fun to wind them up and mess with their empty brains.
While I waited, I glanced around the lot again. Counting all the things I loved about Heaven in my head until I was bored of my internal voice, and just stood in silence. Fingers twitching. Foot tapping against the ground.
I wanted to go home. Get back into bed. I wanted to spread my girl’s thick thighs wide and wake her up when I filled her with my cum and made her happy.
The sound of the door creaking open drew my attention back to the stairs. Lincoln was coming down first, his expression still sour, but he wasn’t alone.
Sapphire followed behind him, her bare feet making no sound as she stepped onto the gravel lot. She was clearly tired and annoyed at being woken up, but that only made me smile harder.
She was another person I enjoyed infuriating. It made me laugh when she got mad and cursed in Spanish. She reminded me of Silver that way.
Sapphire’s silver hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, her icy blue eyes sharp and unyielding as they locked onto mine.
Scars crisscrossed her skin like battle maps, the most prominent slashing over her left eye and another visible across her throat.
She was wearing an oversized man’s T-shirt; the hem brushing her tanned thighs, and though her posture seemed relaxed, there was no mistaking the danger coiled beneath the surface.
The moment she saw me, her mouth twisted into a scowl.
I raised a hand in a lazy wave. “Hi, princess. Did you miss me?”
She spoke fluent Russian, and I spoke her native Spanish. But both of us seemed inclined to stick to English for the blonde monster who hovered behind her, refusing to do anything but play bodyguard and frown.
“Never,” Sapphire said flatly, crossing her arms as she stopped a few feet away. “What do you want, Atlas? I hope it’s important enough to take me out of my bed.”
The subtle threat in her tone made my grin widen. “You know, one day, you might actually be happy to see me. We could be best friends and have sleepovers and everything.”
“Not likely,” she said. “If you came into my bedroom in the darkness, I’d shoot you. I wouldn’t be braiding hair and giggling.”
“Shame,” I snorted. “But I do have something you’ll want. Information. About the gangs in Cherry Hill and every city near it. You can have it… for a fee.”
Sapphire’s lips curved into a sharp, humorless smile. “A fee? I thought I already owed you for London. Or is your brain so empty that you forgot this already?”
“You do owe me,” I said, my tone light. “But consider this an extra incentive other than your life debt.”
Her smile faded as she narrowed her eyes at me. “What do you want, Atlas?” She asked again, clearly not interested in playing my games.
I stepped closer, lowering my voice slightly as I shared information I had discovered, that I hadn’t even shared with Gio yet.
“There’s going to be a war. The De Luca family plans to come here—all of them.
Every faction. Every piece of the empire.
They’ve been planning to take over Cherry Hill, then spread out to the nearby cities. ”
Sapphire arched an eyebrow, unimpressed. “And?”
“And,” I said, holding her gaze, “I want you to back us when it happens. Back me.”
She let out a short, humorless laugh. “Back you? Why should I care if the De Luca family steps into my city? I’ll end them like I’ve ended every other gang that thought they could bring their evil here. Their empire means nothing to me.”
Her words were sharp, cold, but I could see the flicker of emotion in her eyes when I spoke again.
She was putting on a front because she had to. But I knew the way to pierce her armor in just the right way.
“You should care,” I said quietly, “because it’s not just about their empire. It’s about Silver.”
Sapphire froze, the shift in her expression almost imperceptible. “Silver?”
I nodded, stepping even closer. “You keep your people safe, don’t you? Well, my people include some of yours. Heaven is friends with Ruby, and Silver… she’s important to us both. You’d protect her, wouldn’t you?”
For a long moment, Sapphire didn’t say anything. She studied me with that cold, calculating gaze of hers, weighing my words, deliberating. Finally, she let out a slow breath.
“I will help you. But you still owe me a favor. Information on things I didn’t care for before now isn’t good enough.”
“Name your price.” She could have anything she wanted. The power of the Red Diamonds was more than enough to help curb some of the worst tendencies of the De Luca leaders, and I knew Sapphire was honest.
If she said she would help, then she would. It was easy.
“I need the location of James Mercer.” She said. “Find him and I’ll consider your debt paid.”
My head cocked. “The Jackals guy?” She nodded at me as I mentioned the son of a recently deceased gang leadr. “No problem. Once this De Luca mess is dealt with, I’ll find your man. Alive or dead. Your choice.”
“Alive.” She almost hissed, and I wondered what the man had done to anger her so much.
Alive meant she wanted to torture him. Violently. For months on end until he begged for death himself.
Then she wouldn’t offer it. I knew that without a doubt. She’d play until she was done, and only then would she consider ending the bastard’s soul.
“Fine with me.” I offered her my hand.
“Then you have a deal.” She shook my hand firmly. “When the De Luca family makes their big play, call me. My Red Diamonds will keep them in line.”
I grinned harder. “Pleasure doing business with you, princess.”
She scoffed, but didn’t pull away from me until I let go.
As I turned to leave, I caught Lincoln glaring at me from the corner of my eye. I couldn’t resist winking at him, and his scowl deepened in response as I said, “See you around, Lionel.”
With a dark laugh, I climbed into my car, the engine roaring to life as I pulled out of the lot. The woods swallowed the road ahead, but for the first time in a while, I felt a flicker of hope that the danger wouldn’t be so bad in the end.
The deal was done. Sapphire was on our side. And for now, that was enough.