“Don’t get mad at me because you don’t know how to float,” she says, snorting out a laugh.
I close my eyes, inclining my head back. “Amarie.”
“I’m just saying, I didn’t think you could look any worse off, but here we are. I swear, you weren’t even gone from work for that long this time. The other employees are starting to get pissed off that they keep allowing you to disappear for large gaps of time before coming back.” When I open my eyes again, she’s sitting on the barstool in front of me, her legs crossed at the ankle. She’s wearing a pair of the tightest leather pants I’ve ever seen today and they only seem to add to the devilish look that she sends me. Her lips press together and she cringes. “You may want to be careful, I don’t put it past one of those jealous bitches to push you down when you’re not paying attention.”
How did we even get to this point in the conversation?
I don’t know.
“I’m tired,” I tell her, blowing out a breath.
Everything feels heavy, my head, my heart, my soul.
She watches my face carefully and her shoulders relax slightly. She reaches out, patting my shoulder lightly. “Well, maybe it’ll be getting better soon.” Her eyes flicker over my shoulder as if something interesting has caught her eye. “He’s been popping up here a lot lately, he tries to be inconspicuous but I’ve noticed him, he doesn’t quite blend in.”
“Who?” I ask, not wanting to turn around.
Her lips quirk downward. “The Seven Quad guy, Dox’s son, I believe.” Her eyes flicker behind me once more before returning to me. “I’m pretty sure he’s been looking for you, because he keeps disappearing after he dips his head in. And you said that’s who’s been informing you of the situation with your mom, yeah?”
“Yeah.” I finally turn around and my gaze instantly locks on Diamond. He’s looking in my direction but his gaze is over my shoulder. I turn my head around but the only person who’s in my line of sight is Amarie.
That’s probably who he’s staring at.
Amarie is strikingly gorgeous, like a model, so I’m not surprised he can’t take his eyes off of her. Amarie lets out a little hum before she hops off the stool, her heels clicking against the ground. “I’ve got to get back to work,” she says and when her eyes briefly glance over Diamond, I feel like she isn’t telling the whole truth.
But I don’t bother bringing it up, moving in Diamond’s direction instead.
I don’t know where Amadeo is located, I just pray that he isn’t looking right at me or doesn’t know who Diamond is.
I know the latter is unlikely.
Diamond’s eyes bounce over my face when I approach him and his eyes narrow slightly. “You look bad, is that why you’ve been gone so long?”
“It doesn’t matter.” I wave a hand at him. “What do you want?”
“A little harsh today, aren’t you,” he says before grabbing my wrist and pulling me to a corner of the club.
I lean my back against the wall, watching him. To say I feel tired is an understatement, it feels like my eyes can barely stay open and my head is throbbing.
“You wanted more proof so I got something for you,” he says after a moment and his face moves around the club as if he’s looking for eavesdroppers.
There’s no one by us.
And I don’t see Amadeo, even though I know he’s prowling around the club somewhere around here.
I don’t feel excitement or apprehension as Diamond pulls out two pieces of paper from that spy jacket he’s wearing again.
I feel nothing.
Until he opens his mouth.
“Now, don’t get mad at me for keeping this from you. I thought it best to not let you know until I knew if you were really dedicated to this.” He waves the papers around. Pulling his phone out, he turns on the flashlight and hands it to me. “Figured it’d be best you see this one for yourself.” He holds the papers out as I aim the flashlight at them. My eyes move over the words on both papers, darting back and forth.
Again and again, I look.
And every time I match up words from one document to the other I think that I’m crazy.
When my eyes meet Diamond’s sparkling ones, I think I just may be.
I look back down at the papers.
Cynthia Elizabeth Hawthorne.
Maddox Elijah Hawthorne.
Father: Randal Hawthorne. Mother: Louise Hawthorne.
I feel faint as I look back at Diamond.
He smiles. “Guess I should start calling you cuzzo.”