Page 66 of Lunar Diamonds
Drake shook his head, his expression revealing hints of a deep-rooted sadness, as if the mirror cracked for a moment, revealing parts of himself he didn’t want anyone to know about.
“It started after a drunken night of sex,” he said. “I didn’t know who she was because I didn’t care. That night wasn’t about anything else other than blocking out…” he hesitated, eyes downcast. “Things.”
The silence that followed was awkward. No one said a word.
“I took her back to my flat in Norwich,” Drake carried on. “After we did it, she hit me with the bond. I was so elated at the time, for obvious reasons, my defenses down. I barely noticed until it was too late. I only agreed to the engagement to spare my neighbor’s life.” He didn’t elaborate on that.
“She was that good in bed you lost your head?” Isaac asked.
Erin threw him a glare.
He shrugged. “Yes. And she’d also found me through clients. I find things for people, on the quiet, to protect myself.” Moreof that sadness broke through. “That was six months ago. She wanted me to find the Aurora triplets, the diamond part was a bonus.” He cracked his knuckles. “I didn’t mean to tell her about those.”
Erin folded her arms in her lap. “Does anyone from House Kingwood know where the other diamonds are?”
“No. You have my word.”
“But they did know about the one in my ring,” I contributed.
“Yes.” He explained the plan to charm me and bring me back to the Kingwood’s hideout—a plan he’d thwarted with his own. That he’d watched me from afar, getting a sense of my routine, my energy.
So, what? I looked like an easy ride? A sucker for any hottie who smiled at me the right way? And what’d been the backup plan? Clonk me over the head?
Dammit.
A tremor rocked my belly when he took a pause. “What do the Kingwoods want me for?”
Things could have gone so badly for me tonight if he’d been, well, a different kind of guy.
“I don’t know, I’m sorry. And I have no idea where they are or what their plans are. They move around all the time.”
“You were driving, though,” I said.
“Rhianna likes me to drive. She says it makes her feel special.” I watched his throat bob. “At a certain point, I must yield and wear a blindfold. I’m sure we always backtrack, but that’s how she does things.”
“Really?”
“It’s how she likes it.”
“Weird power-tripping,” Isaac said.
“Yes.”
The poor guy. How messed up. The more I listened, the more my sympathy extended toward him.
He’s really not the bad guy…
Erin jumped back in. “There are only two ways to break a shadow bond without ending your life. The first is Rhianna breaking it, or by switching the bond to another. Changing it. A spell was added to the grimoires shortly after the creation of shadow magic to counter it.”
Thatwasn’t part of my limited magical knowledge.
“Exactly,” Drake answered. “I’m hoping for the second option.”
Color me confused.
“Help me and I’ll help you,” he added.
Erin took her time to answer, creating more awkward silence. “And who would you be bound to? Riley?”
