Chapter Twenty-One

M issing? You searched everywhere for her?” Lou asked.

Shay couldn’t believe Angelique had disappeared in the tunnels. But Ryder had confirmed it.

“We trekked all the way back to the cave-in. No sign of her. It was like she vanished into the goddamn walls.”

Ryder looked exhausted, dragging his hand through his hair, dark circles under his eyes. Shay had never seen Ryder look worried.

But he wasn’t just upset. He was angry.

“That is most unfortunate. And definitely suspicious.” Lou sighed. “But we’re happy to have you back.”

“Damn glad to get out of that dark hole. I just want to know why and how Angelique disappeared.”

“So do I,” Derek said. “You don’t think she’d make an escape on her own, do you?”

Ryder shrugged. “It’s not like I know her all that well. But I don’t think so. And where the hell would she go? There were no exits down there.”

“That you know of,” Lou reminded him. “Maybe she did, and was just waiting for an opportunity to get alone and take one.”

Ryder stared at Lou for a few seconds, his glare intensifying. “Shit.”

“We don’t know that to be a fact,” Shay said. “Someone could have taken her.”

“Or she could be working with the Sons of Darkness. Great. And I told her everything.” Ryder shook his head. “I should know better than to trust a damn woman.”

“Gee, thanks,” Gina said, arching a brow.

“Present female company excluded,” Ryder grumbled.

Lou held up his hands. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. Any number of things could have happened. Yes, Angelique could be working with the Sons of Darkness, or they could have taken her when Ryder left her alone. We don’t know.”

“I’m going to take a shower,” Ryder said, stalking out of the great room.

“He’s pissed,” Nic said.

Shay nodded. “Most likely at himself. But if Angelique is with the Sons of Darkness, he didn’t tell her anything she didn’t already know, did he?”

“Other than alerting them that we’re after the black diamond,” Dalton offered.

“I highly doubt that’s a secret to the Sons of Darkness.” Lou stood and paced the great room. “They know we’re here. They know what we’re after. Nothing Ryder said to Angelique would be a surprise to the demon Lords.”

The front door opened again and everyone turned. Shay knew immediately who the man was. Late fifties, salt-and-pepper hair, but very fit; the resemblance was still there.

He looked a lot like Ben.

“Uncle Bart,” Nic said, moving toward the man.

Bart’s eyes widened with concern as he wrapped Nic into an embrace. “Dominic. We’ve been so worried about you.”

Nic stepped back after a quick hug. “I’m fine. I’ve been working. Lost my damn cell phone, and you know the things don’t work in the caves anyway.”

Bart shifted his gaze from Nic to the rest of them. “Of course. I’m glad you’re all right.”

Nic made the introductions, claiming they were all potential diamond buyers, with Lou as the head. Shay knew Bart wasn’t buying into it, but the charade was playing out on both sides at the moment.

“So happy to meet you all. Welcome to Diavolo Diamonds,” Bart said, greeting them each individually with an enthusiastic handshake.

“His hands are freaking icy,” Gina whispered to her after Bart moved away. “Just like a demon’s.”

Shay nodded, resisting the urge to wipe her hands on her pants.

Bart turned to Nic. “I heard you had a cave-in. Anyone hurt?”

Nic shook his head. “No. Two of our guests fell into one of the abandoned tunnels. One recovered. One still missing.”

Bart arched a brow. “Missing? How can that be?”

As if he didn’t know. Shay wanted to ask him where Angelique was and if she was part of all this, but bit her tongue.

“We don’t know. Security said they’d keep searching, but it’s a mystery. There wasn’t any other exit.”

Bart laid his hand on Nic’s shoulder, but looked at Lou. “I’m so sorry about this. I assure you our people will do our utmost to find your friend.”

Lou nodded. “I’m certain you will.”

Returning his gaze to Nic, Bart asked, “How long will you be staying, and what are your plans for our guests?”

“A couple days. They would like the tour of the mining operation.”

Bart nodded. “Of course. I’ll be happy to assist.”

“That’s not necessary. I’m sure you’re busy. I’ll see to my clients, as I always do. But thank you for the offer.”

Nic’s demeanor was stiff. Shay could feel the tension pouring from him as he faced off with Bart. The room was soon filled with it. Would Bart call him out now, in front of them and here at the house?

But Bart gave a curt nod. “As you wish. If I can help in any way, give me a call.”

“Are you heading back to Sydney?” Nic asked.

“No, I have a few matters to attend to at the mines, so I’ll be here awhile longer.” Bart turned to Lou. “It was a pleasure to meet all of you. I look forward to seeing you again.”

After he left, Shay exhaled, feeling the taut energy drain from the room.

“Damn,” she said to Nic. “He’s intense.”

Nic shrugged. “He’s always like that. Pain in the ass, too.”

“In what way?” Derek asked, coming up beside Nic.

“Very in-your-face kind of guy. Probing, curious, always prying into my business. Kept very close tabs on my clientele, my projects, my trips. He always had to know what I was doing, who I was going to be with, where I was going and when I was due back. Damned annoying.”

“You’re a critical component to the Sons of Darkness, Nic,” Lou said. “Bart is no doubt charged with keeping track of you.”

Nic dragged his hand through his hair. “I don’t know anything about that. I always assumed he didn’t trust me to do my job, and it annoyed the fuck out of me.”

“Has his observance of you escalated recently?” Lou asked.

“Hell, yes. Even worse over the past couple months. I received urgent calls from him asking me to cancel all my appointments and return to Sydney. He wanted me to work some special project with him, said it was vital I appear at the mines.”

“You said no,” Derek said with a smirk.

When Nic’s expression mirrored Derek’s, Shay couldn’t get over the similarities between them.

“I said no. I don’t answer to Bart. I run my portion of the corporation and he doesn’t tell me what to do. And when I need downtime, I take it. Which is why you found me surfing,” he said, turning his gaze to Shay.

Why did Shay get the feeling this was all preordained? That they were in this place right now because they were supposed to be? That maybe Bart had Nic right where he wanted him, despite Nic’s refusal to toe the line?

She shuddered as a vision tried to appear.

Not now. She didn’t want to deal with it, and pushed it away by rubbing her temples with her fingers.

“Shay, what’s wrong?” Gina asked.

“Nothing. Just a little headache.”

Nic wrapped his arms around her. “You’re getting a vision, aren’t you?”

“No. I’m trying not to get one.”

“Isn’t that kind of counterproductive to what we’re doing here?” Ryder asked as he reentered the room.

She shot him a glare. “Easy for you to say. You don’t get them.” She concentrated hard on eliminating the incessant call of the vision. This one was relentless, and making it go away was doubly hard since Nic was touching her.

“Shay, let it happen.” Nic’s voice, the feel of his skin on hers, was soothing, lulling her into a sense of comfort and ease. She so wanted to let go, to relax and do what he asked. But still she hesitated, knowing what awaited her on the other side.

“I can’t.” She shook it off, blinked and pushed out of his grasp. “I just can’t go there.”

God, she hated that weakness within herself, the fear that if she went with the vision, it would show her a future, an ending to all this that she didn’t want to see.

An end to Nic. Or a complete demonic transformation that would require his destruction.

No, that she didn’t want to know about. She wouldn’t deliver that kind of news to the demon hunters. She wouldn’t betray Nic that way.

Lou stood in front of her, frowning. “Tell me what you’ve seen before.”

She looked at Nic, who nodded. “Go ahead. Say it.”

“Nic surrounded by demons in a cave. I’m there, too. He and I are trying to get out, at least in some of the visions, but lately—”

She hated this, hated telling them. Nic’s gaze was calm and encouraging, letting her know it was okay.

“The last one I had, Ben was there beside Nic. Nic turned demon, and came after me. He told me I belonged with him, that he wanted me to become like him. I left the vision after that, so I don’t know what happened—and I haven’t allowed any more.”

Nic knew Shay wanted to protect him, but she couldn’t. Not from this. He turned to Lou and Derek. “Is that what’s going to happen to me? Is Ben going to reappear and make me like him?”

Lou shook his head. “We won’t let that happen.”

“Lou’s right,” Derek said. “I fought it. You can, too. Just because Shay can see what might happen, doesn’t mean it will. We’ll change it.”

Change the future? Could that even be done? Everything that had happened in Nic’s life over the past few days was so far-fetched he didn’t know what could and couldn’t happen anymore. But he did know one thing for sure. He moved to Derek, pulled him away from the others, and kept his voice low. “I don’t want to live that way. I don’t want to become like those…things. Like Dad. If it comes to that…you’ll take care of it, right?”

Derek gave a sharp nod. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Thanks.”

Nic started to turn back toward the others, but Derek held on to his arm. “But it won’t come to that. Trust me.”

Powerful emotion swept through Nic as another memory swept across his mind. He and Derek, outside on a tire swing that flew over a lake. Nic was scared to do it. He could swim, but he’d never catapulted into the lake before.

“Come on, Nic, just swing and jump.”

“I’m scared.”

“Don’t be a sissy. It’s easy.”

Derek stood waist-high in the water, having already made his jump. Nic wanted to be like Derek. He looked up to his big brother.

“I’ll be here to catch you if anything goes wrong.”

“You promise?”

Derek smiled at him. “Trust me.”

The memory evaporated, but remained locked in Nic’s head.

“I remember you,” he said, looking up at the adult Derek. “A tire swing by the lake.”

Derek grinned. “You were always afraid to jump.”

“You told me to trust you. Did I jump?”

Derek nodded. “Yeah, you did.”

And Derek had been right there to catch him, just as he promised.

Would he be there for Nic now? He wanted to believe his brother.

His brother. God, he couldn’t believe how much his life had changed in the course of a few short days. This was all real. He had no doubts now.

Derek really was his brother. The memories were starting to come back. He couldn’t deny them any longer—didn’t want to, in fact. All the years lost. Why had Ben done this to him, to both of them?

Too many questions. He had to have patience, knowing eventually he’d have the answers. Now wasn’t the time.

“I had faith that you would watch over me then,” Nic said. “I still do now.”

It was time to go to the mines and see this through.

Bart stood and waited for the dark-haired beauty to enter his office, waving off the two guards who’d accompanied her.

Aboveground and in the human world, he had to act differently. Pleasant, cordial. She wasn’t aware yet of who she was dealing with.

The woman entered and he smiled, tamping down the excitement at seeing her. She had no idea who and what she was, or what she would become. Ah, the pleasure of manipulation. One of the things he enjoyed most.

“Sit down.”

She remained where she was. “I don’t have much time. I’d rather stand.”

“As you wish. Have you found it yet?”

“No. But I’m close. I’ve found diamonds very similar to the one you’re looking for.”

“I’m not paying you to get close. I’m paying you to find it.”

“And I will. But if you keep calling me into these meetings it will delay my progress. Can I go now?”

She really was a lovely little spitfire. Raw and untamed and rather wild-looking. He’d like to keep her for himself. Too bad that wasn’t possible, all things in this matter being preordained.

“You do realize there’s a deadline, and a bonus in this for you if you find it before then.”

She crossed her arms, her long tapered fingers tapping against her skin. “Like I said. You’re wasting my time here.”

Bart fought back a laugh. Oh, yes, he was definitely going to enjoy her. In as patronizing a manner as he could muster, he said, “My apologies. Do go back to work. I’ll look forward to hearing from you very soon.”

Her eyes flashed fire. She pivoted and left his office without another word, anger and frustration emanating from her. He inhaled it, absorbed it, along with her sweet scent.

Soon, everything he desired would be under his control. Power, his place in the hierarchy.

And the lovely woman who’d just stormed from the room.

Angelique didn’t frighten easily. Bart scared the crap out of her. Now that she knew who and what he was, she was beyond wary.

When his men pulled her out of that tunnel—or rather dragged her forcibly out of that tunnel, claiming she was being “rescued”—she knew better. She was being kidnapped and forced into slavery.

She didn’t even have time to scream for help. They’d yanked her by the arms and jerked her through some secret passage—how had she and Ryder missed that before? The wall had immediately closed in front of her, shutting her off from Ryder.

Without a word, they’d spirited her away to Bart’s office in the mines. She’d protested and claimed they’d left Ryder there, but Bart told her Ryder had been rescued by the Diavolo security team, and that Bart needed her back on the job she’d been hired to do—finding the black diamond.

At first she’d thought about telling him where to shove it, but knowing what she did about him, about what the black diamond meant to him, she’d reconsidered. She knew they weren’t going to let her go, anyway. If she told Bart that she knew who he was, he’d dispose of her, or maybe turn her into one of those…creatures.

She’d made a critical error in judgment accepting this assignment. She didn’t work for the bad guys—that was Isabelle’s territory, and frankly, she was surprised Isabelle wasn’t lurking around here somewhere trying to find the black diamond herself. Angelique still wasn’t convinced Izzy wasn’t here. She hoped not. That’s all she’d need to top off what had turned out to be a real mess of a project.

Nevertheless, she’d screwed up. It was her responsibility to make it right. The only way to assure the Sons of Darkness didn’t get the black diamond was for her to find it and keep it away from them.

So she kept her mouth shut, played dumb, and thanked Bart for the rescue. She told him she was ready to get back to work, that finding the diamond was essential and she was looking forward to presenting it to the museum.

He’d bought her sense of urgency. After all, she was an archaeologist with a love of history. A find like the black diamond was important to her.

Now if he would just leave her alone long enough to do it.

Unfortunately, she was now guarded. That she hadn’t expected, but she’d find a way around that problem when the time came.

First, the black diamond. It was so close she could smell it, could feel the tingle of the find vibrating in her bones. Though it wasn’t some kind of magical talent, she had a sixth sense about these things. She knew she was in the right place. Wandering around this cave with Ryder, she had felt something quiver inside her. The way the walls looked—dark, like glittering coal. It was here, she knew it.

She was going to find it, and very soon.

Once she did, she’d figure out a way to get the black diamond into the hands of the Realm of Light.

She’d prove to Ryder that she wasn’t in this for money, or power. It was important that he know she was on the side of the good guys.