Knox's Stand (The Last Riders 3)

“Come here.” His arm went around her waist. “I’ll watch until you’re inside.”

“Okay.”

“Later.”

Diamond nodded her head, stepping away from his warm body.

She went up the short flight of steps to her apartment. Putting the key in the lock, she unlocked the door and turned on her lights then turned and waved to Knox, who waved back before leaving. Diamond went inside her apartment, locking the door behind her and then stared around the white, emotionless room.

She realized then that there was no going back to the vacuum she had turned her life into. Knox had awoken the emotions of desire she had buried deep within her that day she had caught her father cheating on her mother.

Going into her bedroom, she took off her clothes and went into the shower. She let the water get warm as she turned around and caught sight of her body in the full length mirror she kept on the back of the bathroom door. Her breasts and neck had faint marks Knox had left behind. He hadn’t been rough and had never caused her any pain, but the marks seemed to reinforce the possession he had taken over her body.

Turning away from the mirror, she got into the shower, hoping it would wake her up. She hadn’t slept much this weekend and she had a feeling it was going to be a long day.

* * *

The motorcycle drove steadily up the mountain road, taking the curves at maximum speed. He passed Rosie’s bar on his way back to the clubhouse and the patrol car beginning to pull out of the parking lot. Seconds later, he saw the flashing blue lights in his rear view mirror. Slowing down, he pulled carefully off the road.

He turned off his motor as he watched the sheriff get out of his car. The thought struck him that he was walking slower and his face had become more lined since the last time he had seen him just last week.

“What are you doing out so late?” The sheriff greeted him with the gruff question.

“Couldn’t sleep.”

“Knox just passed ahead of you; something going on that I need to know about?” The sheriff always tried to stay alert to possible trouble involving The Last Riders.

“No.”

The sheriff stared at him silently, patiently waiting for more information.

“Nothing’s going on. Knox took his woman home and was going back to the clubhouse,” he explained, knowing he would worry.

“Anyone I know?” he asked curiously.

“Diamond Richards.”

The sheriff whistled. “Never would have guessed that one.”

“You’re looking tired.”

“I am. I’m a deputy short.” The sheriff sighed, raising his hand to rub his eyes. “When Cash asked me to come up here and check on Beth and Lily, I never expected to stay this long.”

“I know.”

“Rach wants to travel. Lost one wife not listening to what she wanted, don’t plan on getting another divorce in this stage of my life.”

“She won’t divorce you, maybe stop cooking for you, but she wouldn’t leave you.”

“I asked Lucky, if I retired, if he would take over,” The sheriff said, looking up the dark road ahead.

“What was his answer?”

“He told me to shove it.” The sheriff didn’t try to hide his disappointment at wanting to turn the reigns of the sheriff’s office over to someone he could trust.

The sheriff turned the conversation back to the reason he had made the stop. “Penni stopped by to see us; she was pretty upset about you calling her to jump on her ass.”

“She doesn’t need to be going to parties, and she damn sure doesn’t need to take Lily with her.”

“Go home and go to bed, Shade. You’re looking tired yourself. You’re not going to find what you’re looking for on this mountain road.” The Sheriff turned to walk away, but then turned back “And slow your ass down.”

“I will. Night, Dad.” Shade started his motor, pulling out onto the road.

“Night, son.”

* * *

Diamond stayed busy the next two weeks, going over the list of names that Beth, Lily and Winter had given her at the wedding. They had told the truth; the list was overwhelming in the number of men Samantha had intimate contact with. They had even made a separate category for those names she had a brief relationship with.

Several of the men had moved out of town, became married or could care less that Samantha had been murdered. The woman had no friends that she could find and Diamond was becoming increasingly worried that she wouldn’t be able to come up with a viable alternative suspect to switch the focus off Knox.

She stared out her window that faced the back of the church and provided a view of the parking lot. The sight of the church never failed to bring feelings of guilt about her relationship with Knox.

She had spent every night of the last two weeks either in his bed or hers. He would wait until dark and pick her up on his bike to take her to the clubhouse or he would knock on her door and they would stay at her apartment for the night. She refused to allow herself to think about the time he was at the clubhouse without her.

She got up from her chair and went to her window, lowering the shade so the image of the church wouldn’t be staring at her accusingly.

As she returned to her desk, her cell phone rang so she looked at the caller ID. Sex Piston was calling her. Diamond didn’t answer, dodging her sister yet again. She hadn’t been able to bring herself to talk to them since that disaster of a dinner.

She sighed, making her mind up to go over tomorrow night and face them. She would apologize and paste one of her fake smiles on and then stand by them with gritted teeth as they married.

Her cell phone rang again. Picking it up, thinking this time it might be her mother, she saw that it was the Commonwealth’s Attorney calling.

“Hello?”

“Di, this is David.

“What can I do for you this morning?” Diamond was dreading further bad news on Knox’s case.

“We’re dropping charges on Knox. The official autopsy and toxicology reports finally got back from Frankfort. Apparently, Treepoint needs a new coroner because he missed the mark on this case.”

“What did the autopsy show?” Hope had Diamond clenching the phone tighter in her hand.

“Samantha Bedford had a genetic kidney disease. The coroner said it was unbelievable that she had lived as long as she had with the shape they were in. I talked to the grandmother; none of the family or Samantha had any idea that she was sick.

“Besides that, the doctor said the hit on her head wasn’t hard enough to kill her, that her kidneys shut down. Even if we can prove the assault on her, which led to the trauma to her head, a good lawyer would get him off because of her condition. You’re an excellent lawyer, so I’m not going to waste the state’s money until we can prove without a doubt it was Knox she had the altercation with. Our office is going to drop the charges.”

“Thanks for calling me. I’ll give Knox the good news.” Diamond couldn’t hide her excitement.

“Don’t get to complacent, Di. If I can find some way to prove he was the one that caused that head injury, I’ll prosecute him for involuntary manslaughter.”

“Understood.” Disconnecting the call, Diamond was elated that Knox wouldn’t be facing a trial in the near future, but she continued to be worried he would have the specter of Samantha Bedford hanging over his head until they did find out who she’d had a fight with after Knox left her that day.

She pushed in Knox’s phone number.

“Yeah?” Knox answered with his grumpy voice.

“Where are you at?” Diamond tried to tone down her excitement, wanting to surprise him.

“Having lunch at the diner with Razer and Viper.”

“Can you come to my office when you get done, I have some good news.”

“Be there in five; we’re done here.”

“Okay. Bye.” Diamond could hardly wait to see his reaction.

She walked into her front office, smiling at H

olly. “You can go to lunch.”

Her secretary returned her smile. “I take it you’re having a good day.”

“The best.” Diamond couldn’t restrain herself, she hugged her startled secretary.

“Want me to bring you something back?” Holly offered.