Page 71 of Midnight Revelations

We all knew he was wandering off to see Poppy. “Maybe he should just stay at my apartment with Poppy?” I suggested.

“If it keeps him off the streets, then I can’t see why not,” Xavier replied.

Something bothered me if Oliver liked his fiancée. “Why did Oliver agree to an asset?” I asked Aaron.

“He had no choice. If you pick a bride, you get one thrown in for free.” Aaron stood, his stance saying he was ten years older than he was. “It was the reason I decided to stay single. That sort of shit doesn’t interest me.”

We all walked slowly back to the studio, but my mind remained in the park. I rested against my bike as Aaron went inside.

“Do you think Dad was going to present the sister as a wedding gift to show what happened if you defied him?” I asked.

Xavier gave me his full attention. “We both know Matteus. He loves his power games. It wouldn’t surprise me.”

“What worries me is that his leverage is gone over the family. So what’s he going to do now?” Jordan replied.

“I already have everyone on lockdown, but we need to up our security,” Xavier said as he stared at the sky.

That meant that I needed to get Lucrezia out of the country. “I agree, especially with all these revelations after Malcolm.”

We all left together but branched off after a few minutes. I had promised to take Lucrezia to pick out her latest round of stones for her new collection. How the hell was I going to convince her to leave when I wanted her to stay? She wouldn’t go without a fight or an incentive. Either way, I was heading toward a frosty reception.

***

Chapter Twenty-Three

Lucrezia

The diamonds sparkled up at me, but there was no doubt that this many uncut stones could only mean one thing—blood diamonds. My stomach knotted at being in the same room as them. Dragged from the earth in horrendous conditions, the people forced to work even as some of them died to harvest these stones to pay for a conflict. I knew there was still an underground trade, but never expected to find one.

I heard the roar of his bike as he parked it in the garage. My heart pounded a tribal beat in my ears at the thought of having to ask Ash where these came from. I set my eyepiece down and tried to steady my breathing.

Ash strode in, his hair sticking up from hauling his helmet off. “You ready to go?” he asked.

I picked one of the stones up. “Where did these come from?”

He groaned and closed his eyes. “You do not want to know because everything is fucked up already. If they’re what I think they are, I’m going to have to find a way to surrender them.”

“Where did they come from?”

His eyes met mine and I saw the pain there. He didn’t need to answer.

“Maybe you should get your father to return them since he brought them into the country? Is he trying to launder them through my business?” I was halfway to leaving the room, when his hand on my arm stopped me.

“You know I would never involve you in anything like that. The guys know where they came from, but don’t ask me to taint your soul.”

“I don’t want them in our home,” I replied in a small voice.

“They’ll be gone in a few hours. Let me put them away and we’ll go and sort out your latest collection.”

Ash had bought me a helmet and leather jacket so I could ride on the back of his bike. After rolling his eyes at my shoes, boots were the next acquisition. I didn’t want to see where he put the diamonds, so I busied myself pulling my boots and jacket on. There was no way anyone would suspect it was me in this disguise. Ash arrived in the garage a few moments later. He grinned at me dressed to ride on his bike. My stomach still wasn’t used to it.

Ash pulled my helmet on and secured it before climbing on the massive metal monster. I clung to him, my grip probably bruising him. We weaved through traffic for a few minutes and stopped next to an old canal. The buildings around it were abandoned long ago. A few ducks swam along the water’s edge.

Ash climbed off and held his hand out to me, helping me off and removing my helmet.

“Has Seth moved his factory?” I asked.

“No.” Ash shook his head. “We need to talk, and I often come here to think. There’s no one to disturb me but the local duck population.”

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