“Wonderful. Now, the routing and account numbers, please.”
She rattles them off, then drops the bat. When she comes around the desk to Diamond, she gives her a long hug as I complete the wire transfer. Loretta’s phone dings with a notification.
“Be a good girl. Do a good job.”
“I will.” Diamond hugs her back.
Loretta steps back and looks at me. “And I don’t care what Carl says. You may be rich and powerful, but if you hurt a hair on that girl’s head, I’ll find you. Me and my bat. You got that, Mr. Richie Rich?”
“Understood. Thank you for taking care of Diamond until I found her.”
She gives Diamond one more hug, then returns around the beat-up desk. When she picks up her phone, she makes a strangled sound, then collapses into her seat.
“Have a good evening.” I take Diamond’s elbow and lead her back out to the waiting car.
When I get her in and buckled up, Mama crawls from the bag and snuggles in her lap. I put my arm around her shoulders and breathe her in.
“So—so what do you want me to do for you, um, boss?”
“You call me Devlin.” I lean over and stop just short of placing a kiss on her soft hair. “And you’re going to do everything for me, my darling Diamond.”
6
Diamond
Absently I reach down toward my stomach to pet Mama. I always sleep on my side with Mama pressed up against me. I keep her hidden under the blanket. Thankfully, she’s been a cuddle bug since I found her, and she’ll stay there through the night.
I sit up when I don’t find her there. It takes a moment for me to get my bearings in the darkness, but I see the outline of a lamp sitting on a nightstand. I flip the light on, blinding myself further.
“Mama?” I call.
She meows from beside me. Well, kind of beside me. She’s on the other side of the massive bed. She’s cuddled in a ball in the center of a fluffy pillow.
“You scared me.” I give her a scratch on the head. She closes her eyes, quickly falling back asleep. I must have done the same thing earlier.
The last thing I remember is being in the car with Devlin. He must have carried me into his home. At least that’s where I’m guessing I am. I was clearly exhausted. I’ve always been a light sleeper. It must have been Loretta giving Devlin the green light that relaxed me enough to let go.
I slip from the bed, my bare feet landing on a soft white giant rug. I take a look around. The massive bedroom is done in all whites, grays, and blacks. It’s very modern and clean. Not to mention expensive looking, but a bit plain as well. I wonder for a moment if I could actually be in a hotel. Don’t get me wrong, the place is stunning, but it doesn’t feel very warm.
I walk over to the gray curtains that cover the entire wall in front of the bed and pull them back enough to peek out. I let out a small gasp of surprise when I find myself staring out of a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. The view is breathtaking. I realize I’m in a high rise above the city. It’s still night out, but the city looks lit from up here. I wonder how long I was sleeping.
Quietly, I start to poke around. First, I try the closet that’s empty before checking the bathroom that’s also pretty bare. The only reason I don’t think it’s a hotel is because none of the toiletries are labeled.
I give Mama another pet before I leave the bedroom. I step out into a hallway. Lights flick on by themselves to illuminate the floor. I realize I have two options. To my right leads down the hallway and I’m guessing toward the kitchen and such. And to my left the hallway stretches until it’s met with two double doors. One of which is open. I can see that there is a light on in the room.
I know it has to be Devlin’s bedroom. I tell myself not to go that way, but my feet move of their own accord. I poke my head inside to find it empty. The room is decorated with the same style, but this one is a lot bigger and includes a seating area with a fireplace.
Again, it's nice, but still so bare. It doesn’t give me any sort of inkling into who Devlin might be. Except for the fact that he’s rich obviously. He’s nice too. Or at least he’s pretending he is. I’m not too clear on what his endgame is. Or why he’s directed his attention toward me so quickly. He seems determined to save me. But why?
I glance over my shoulder back down the hallway to make sure I’m alone before I slip into his room. I walk over to the nightstand where his phone sits next to his watch and wallet. I should peek into the wallet, but instead, I pull open the nightstand drawer.