King Of The Diamonds

Chapter 21 | inside

How Is It, He Wondered, That Such A Feral Beast Could Live Underneath Her Skin; How Cold And Empty Her Eyes Could Become?

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"Oi, King."

I tense up as Alec jogs over to me, the other Diamonds just spare us a quick look before getting all of their shit out of the car. We were getting ready to meet them just a block away from where we parked, the midnight sky undoubtedly promising us all that at least one person would die tonight.

But it wouldn't be one of us.

"What?"

"If anything happens, you need to look after your little girl-"

I cut him off, "I've already heard it all off Rochelle, you don't need to remind me."

"I don't just mean take care of her." He inhales deeply, "You make sure to tell her stories of her crazy aunts and uncles. And make sure that she knows that we wouldn't have chosen to leave, and despite us not being there physically, we do love her so much."

"Why do you both always speak as if you're going to die?" My eyebrows furrow at the bizarre realisation that both Rochelle and Alec spoke as though they would both certainly perish.

He grins knowingly, "She'll tell you the story eventually. But, right now, all you need to know is that we all have made a promise to reunite Bodhi with Reagan and Brett with you. We're willing to do whatever we need to to make those promises happen."

"I understand." I don't but fuck it. "I'll tell her all the mad stories of the Diamonds."

He chuckles, "We'll be alright, all of us. Just keep control of your lot."

"Easier said than done." I laugh for a moment before it morphed into a frown. "JAYDEN!"

I walk over to my brothers and sister, my stare solely fixed upon him. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Giving Eli a blade, our so mighty leader. What does it fucking look like?" He rolls his eyes, the sarcasm in his tone unmistakable.

But before I manage to lecture him on Eli fighting, I notice Rochelle Quinn watching me from across the parking lot. Almost as if she was daring me to start an argument that she would involve herself in and win.

"Right." I back down, biting my tongue.

"C'mon." Rochelle gestured for me to stand beside her as we marched to the location where we decided to meet.

It doesn't take long for each force to meet. We stop walking, our eyes catching Reggie and Brandon's figure standing amongst the battlements. The abandoned, derelict land surrounded us, the one area of the Southside that lay as a constant reminder of how easily a building, a home, can be torn apart.

Brett and Bodhi were stood a little further back, their hands trapped behind them as each of the boy's had two of the Devil's bitches guarding them.

"Bring him forward." The words that slipped from Reggie's mouth were so soft that I almost missed them.

Almost.

Bodhi was dragged forward, his head down so we couldn't see his face. Reggie grabs his hair the moment he's close enough to reach, pulling his head up so we could see the full extent of his injuries.

He was unrecognisable.

Cuts and bruises, split lips and black eyes.

I don't even want to imagine the state of his body under the worned out clothes.