Diamond by Tigris Eden Page A

and she’d be fine.
    “What about what I wore here?”
    “Burned. It was infested, I’m surprised you’re not diseased-looking under all that dirt. You have a few scars and bruising, but that seems to be it. What do the symbols on your hips mean?”
    Nadya didn’t have an answer for him. Not one he’d want to hear. Instead of the truth, she lied.
    “Just some ink I had done a few years back.”
    “That’s not like any ink I’ve ever seen before. Looks like part of your skin, and it shimmers like gold.”
    It did? She’d never noticed.
    “Got it in Tribeca from some Bionic. He said it was all the rage.”
    Nadya changed the subject. He knew she was lying, but he didn’t call her on it.
    “What about weapons?”
    “What about them?”
    “We’ll need some if we’re going out there. I know around here you think everything is safe and secure. Out there, well, it’s a completely different ballgame.”
    “Lady, do you know who the fuck I am?” He waited a beat before continuing his man-speech, and Nadya would have napped if she could. She knew full well who he was, but she didn’t think he understood what was really out there. He hadn’t surveyed his self-proclaimed kingdom in some months. Shit was bad. Ragers roamed the night. Not in full attack mode, sure, but they were organized now, tactful. Attia’s people were out there searching for her. Nadya knew they were, and hoped like hell they hadn’t gotten ahold of Anna and Dominika. There were Gearheads, and people on the verge of going Rage. If you added in the inner-city gangs, Diamond’s city had long ago skipped the out-of-control stage, diving headfirst into chaos. There wasn’t a guarantee any of them would come back alive. Not if they weren’t prepared, and especially if she wasn’t properly armed with weapons. “I’m Lavarious Diamond, we’re going armed up. Not even an hour ago, a bitch tried to blow my ass up. I’d be a fool to think I can go out there and shit not happen.”
    Well, at least he was smart. She hoped.
    “I’ll need a weapon, as well.”
    “You’ll only get a knife. A small one at that. I’m your weapon. Lip and Lindy will be my weapon, and so help me, woman, you even think about running off or trying to play who’s the better fighter while we’re out there, I’ll take your pinky finger. Get me?”
    That’s it? A pinky?
    “Why the pinky? Why not the whole damn hand?”
    Emerald choked on his laughter, trying to hold it in. Nadya decided right then that she liked the large male.
    Diamond’s eyes narrowed into slits. He may have even been trying to hide a smile. She could see the laughter in his eyes, but he refused the emotion. Diamond was like an android, life-like in many ways, but when it came to emotions, mechanical and forced. Maybe he didn’t want people to think he had a sense of humor. Or, she was reading way too much into his persona. She was kind of hoping it wasn’t the latter, because if it were, it meant he was dead serious. He’d cut off her pinky if she tried anything he felt was in direct violation of what he ordered.
    “Shut up and get dressed.”
    Emerald winked at her before leaving.
    Lindy smirked but otherwise kept her mouth shut. And then she left, too.
    After one last look, Diamond left as well, leaving her with Nordas and the girl with the purple braids.
    “Love it when he goes all dark and moody,” Nordas said while handing Nadya some clothes.
    “Why is that?” Nadya asked.
    “Because, if you’re lucky—which you’re not, at least not right now—he’ll fuck you until you can’t walk. That’s how he works the aggression out of his system. Takes one of us and gives it to us so good and so dirty, we’re literally able to take two days to ourselves. Two whole days of just rest and relaxation from all things.”
    “Oh.”
    Nadya didn’t know exactly how to feel about the woman’s comment. On the one hand, she’d rather it be one of them than her. But she wondered what would it