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.