Diamond Revelation (5 page)

S
abre, lying on her back in the full-sized bed, stared at the ceiling fan as it spun around. It was the first time in months that her schedule had permitted her to relax. She had been reading, but now Eric Jerome Dickey's latest book rested on her stomach. She had always loved to read because she could escape into the lives of the characters. It was also something she could do alone, and Sabre had spent lots of time alone.

Victor talked in his sleep. He coiled around her like a snake warming itself in the sun, wearing only a pair of blue boxers. Sabre focused on his muscles rippling underneath his smooth skin toasted golden brown by the California sun. She ran her index finger across his forearm and instantly regretted touching him the moment he rolled over and opened his eyes.

“Hey, baby.” Victor gave her a little smile as he massaged Sabre's knee and began working his way up her inner thigh.

“Stop it.” Sabre slapped his hand off her and reached for the book she had been reading.

Victor laughed and continued the game, paying her mood little attention because Sabre was always a bitch. He kissed her gently on the lips until he felt her kissing him back.

“Why did you stop?” Sabre tossed the book on the floor and climbed on top of Victor until she straddled him. She kissed him slow and hard until neither of them could stand it and then she stopped.

“Sabre…” Victor hoped he wasn't begging. He hated the way she made him feel so out of control.

“Say, please.” Sabre tried not to giggle, but she loved being in control. Men could be such pushovers when it came to sex. Before she knew what was happening, Victor flipped her off him. He climbed on top of her and slowly traced her full lips with a finger.

“Stop it, Victor.” Sabre lay writhing beneath him. “Get the fuck off me.”

He laughed and covered her hands with his, causing her to twist and turn even more. “I love it when you play hard to get. You are so damn sexy and hot.” He watched her squirming beneath him and tried to kiss her.

“I told you to get the fuck off me, you stupid-ass son of a bitch. Get off me.” Her scream was bloodcurdling. There was a crazed look in her eyes that frightened him. She pushed him off her and he fell on the floor. Sabre ran into the kitchen and returned with a huge butcher knife and charged toward Victor. His eyes grew wide with horror as she brandished her weapon, and he frantically tried to get out of her way.

“I'll kill your fucking ass if you ever touch me again.” Sabre pointed the knife at him.

Victor rolled across the bed as she plunged the knife into the mattress with every ounce of strength she had.

“I swear I'll kill your motherfuckin' ass.”

Sky came in from shopping while Sabre was screaming. “What's going on in here? I could hear you screaming downstairs, Sabre.” She looked at Victor and then Sabre for some sort of explanation. “Did you guys have another fight?”

Victor was never so glad to see anyone in his life. He slipped into the bathroom and returned wearing sweats. “You guys need to find another place to live because you can't stay here anymore. I don't trust her crazy ass. She tried to kill me,” Victor said and bolted out of the apartment.

“Sabre?” Sky looked at her friend and was surprised when she broke into tears.

“Him touched me.” Sabre cried tears from deep within. Sky had never seen her like this…except when her grandmother died a few years ago.

Sky held her friend, watching her cry crocodile tears, and tried to think of something to say to calm Sabre down. It was then that Sky saw the huge knife stuck in the mattress. Sky pulled it out and stashed it under the bed. “Sabre, what happened?”

“I told you, him touched me.” Sabre was talking and sounding just like a three-year-old.

“Who touched you? Victor?”

“Un-huh.” Sabre sniffed and appeared to be slightly calmer.

“What are you talking about? Victor's your boyfriend. He's always touching you and you've never tried to stab him with a butcher knife before, have you?”

“No. But I told him to stop.” Sabre dried the last of her tears.

“Stop what? You're not making sense, girl.”

“I don't want to talk about it.” Sabre went into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

Sky looked at her like she was crazy. “Girl, you are scarin' me. Sometimes I think you're crazy.”

“Whatever.” Sabre slammed the bathroom door closed, and Sky shook her head. Sky thought about taking the knife back into the kitchen but decided against it. Sabre was acting very strangely.

Sabre looked at her reflection in the mirror. She wasn't ready to move. Victor lived in Hollywood and the location was great. She was saving for a condo in Malibu. She was going to have to think of something to keep her and Sky from being evicted. But what? Victor did all the cooking. He would whip up the healthiest dishes with vegetables, shrimp, or chicken. And she wasn't about to clean. That definitely wasn't an option.
Maybe I could get Sky to do a threesome.
Victor had suggested it when Sky first arrived and Sabre moved her into his apartment. Victor could get pretty freaky, but nothing he ever did in bed surprised Sabre, who was even freakier…until that morning.

Sabre cried a fresh batch of tears. Would the awful memories ever go away? “Maybe I should tell Sky,” she thought out loud. “I can't,” she cried. “I can't,” she told her reflection. Sabre jumped in the shower and scrubbed her body until her skin was sore. She had kept her secrets too long.

 

Martina Cruz, Sabre's mother, was only seventeen when Sabre was born. Tina, a straight A student, had the world in her hands. She graduated early and was accepted to every college she applied to from New York University to Stanford. Tina had the lofty ambition of becoming a pediatrician, and the Puerto Rican teen was on her way.

A pretty, dark-skinned Latina, she was sheltered from life in her Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. Marisol, her single mother, worked three jobs to ensure that her daughters had the best. Tina's older sisters attended Catholic school, college, then married well. She was expected to follow in their steps.

Tina had decided to attend Stanford when she went to a school party with a friend. There she met Darren, who was articulate, intelligent, and well read. She had never known anyone like him, and he felt the same way about her. She was his delicate, sweet flower. They were inseparable. Several months later, right before Tina was scheduled to depart for Stanford, she discovered she was pregnant. When Marisol learned that her daughter was expecting and insisted on having the baby, Marisol withdrew all support and refused to have anything further to do with her.

Tina decided she would attend New York University, have the baby, put the baby up for adoption, complete her education at Stanford, and apply to medical school. The schoolwork was more difficult than she expected, and her pregnancy was complicated. It seemed like she was always sick. She was eventually fired from her part-time job. Darren got her evicted from her dorm because they were always fighting, so Tina dropped her classes, took a leave of absence from school, and moved in with Darren, who she thought attended a junior college in Queens. It was all too late when she realized that she had been conned by a smooth-talking drug dealer.

Tina had her baby, and like most pregnant teens she ended up on welfare. Although she loved her baby girl, she wasn't ready to be a mother. Marisol refused to speak to her, let alone offer assistance. Tina had brought shame on the family. Bored and depressed, she started smoking weed with Darren, but the high wasn't enough to make her forget her problems, so she decided to try some of the crack cocaine Darren had left in the apartment. It gave her a high that took away her pain. Tina refused to cook, clean, or take care of the baby. Her sole agenda was finding a way to support her new habit.

At first, Darren helped with the baby. He even cooked and cleaned, but constant fights with Tina over sex, drugs, and money drove him away from the apartment for days at a time. Tina fled to the streets to support her habit. She would leave the baby wet, hungry, and alone in the apartment. One of the neighbors finally called Children's Services. Sabre was placed in foster care, and Tina and Darren were evicted from the apartment.

Marisol still refused to care for her young granddaughter, and Tina turned to prostitution to support her habit while Sabre was moved from foster home to foster home until Tina entered rehab, got some career training, and took Sabre out of foster care five years later.

Tina received a placement in the accounting department at the county hospital in Brooklyn. Mother and daughter moved into a decent one-bedroom. She also received money and food stamps in addition to her part-time hours. Tina's social worker tried to simplify her life so Tina and Sabre could bond, making Sabre's transition back to her mother as smooth as possible. Sabre had already been placed too many times for her five years, and she hoped this would be the last.

Sabre was extremely bright, but she didn't get along well with the other children. She thrived in kindergarten and she seemed to be forming an attachment to her mother. Tina picked her up from school every day. Together they prepared dinner, read books, played music, and watched television.

When Sabre was promoted to first grade, Tina took on additional hours at the hospital. Over time, the job became boring and routine, so she lost interest. She was either late or called in sick, missing days at a time until she was fired. Once Darren resurfaced and moved back in, Tina was doing crack again—depressed with her course of life.

Darren hung around for several years, but Sabre had little to do with him. He was always yelling because Tina was drunk or high. Sabre entertained herself with books and music in the bedroom. When Darren was arrested and sent to prison for selling drugs, Tina, alone again, sought the company of an older neighbor. Mr. Rufus was a quiet man who drove a bus. Tina liked him because he had a weekly paycheck and purchased drugs for her and a bottle of Seagram's for himself. They would spend the night getting high while Sabre stayed in the bedroom.

Since Tina had followed the family tradition of Catholic school, Sabre knew how to dress herself in her uniform for school. She received breakfast and hot lunch at school, and hoped there would be dinner at home if Tina hadn't sold the food stamps for drug money.

Sabre would never forget her eighth birthday. Tina was sober when she arrived home from school. She had bought Kentucky Fried Chicken and strawberry soda and announced they were having a celebration. No one had ever given Sabre a birthday party. It was the best night of her life. She and her mother were playing music and doing the latest dances when Mr. Rufus knocked at their door. When Tina let him in, Sabre immediately went in the bedroom. She was angry with Tina for allowing him to come over and spoil her party. She turned on the radio, but she could still hear Mr. Rufus's irritating, drunken laughter. She would know it anywhere.

It was several hours before things were quiet in the living room, and Sabre knew they had both passed out. She was asleep when she heard someone enter her room.

“Tina?” Sabre called out. “Is that you?” She felt someone get into her bed and fear raced through her young body. She couldn't stand being touched, not even by Tina.

“Your junkie mama passed out so I came in here to spend a little time with you,” Sabre heard Mr. Rufus say.

“What do you want?” Sabre moved over as far as she could in the bed. She didn't like sleeping in the bed with anyone, especially after living in a home where all the children were forced to sleep in the same bed. If she didn't get pissed on, one of her foster brothers was always pulling down her panties throughout the night. She tried to tell her foster mother, but no one ever did anything about it. She did tell her social worker and she was removed from the home. It was the last home she was placed in before she came to live with Tina.

“I came in here to spend a little time with you.” Mr. Rufus slurred his words and his breath smelled like alcohol and cigarettes.

“I don't want company.” Sabre scooted over until she almost fell out on the floor.

Mr. Rufus laughed as he grabbed her by the ankle and pulled her back across the bed to him.

“Tina!” Sabre screamed as loud as she could.

Mr. Rufus put his hand over her mouth, and she bit down hard on one of his fingers and he slapped her.

“Shut up, you little bitch.” He pulled her pajama pants down and she screamed out again for Tina. He raised his hand to slap her again and she whimpered. He traced her lips with his finger as he pulled off her pajama pants. “You're a pretty little thing. I've been waiting to get to you for a long time. It was definitely worth the wait.”

He pinned her hands down under his. Sabre twisted and turned beneath him while he touched, fondled, and licked her in places where no eight-year-old should have ever been touched. It was an abomination. Shortly afterward, Sabre went to live with her grandmother, Marisol. She never saw or heard from Tina again.

 

Sabre stood under the running water of the shower still scrubbing her skin. She had managed to push that night and Mr. Rufus out of mind until Victor made her remember. She knew if things had gone any further, she would have killed Victor when it was really Mr. Rufus she wanted dead.

T
he grand opening of The Diamond was a festive occasion. It began Saturday morning with a blood drive for Chocolate Affair, the foundation established by Nina and Keisha to raise funds and awareness for sickle cell disease research after Niki was diagnosed with the blood disorder.

“Can you believe all the people?” Nina, Kyle, and Niki were the first to arrive. Nina was wearing her pink, her favorite color. She had also dressed Niki in the same. Kyle was too handsome in a pink Nike sweatshirt. Nina had found it in Atlanta. Despite everyone warning her that Kyle would never wear the shirt, he had loved it.

He looked at the line of people wrapped around the building. “I'm impressed. All of these people up and out on a Saturday morning to give blood. Keisha really hooked this up.”

“You should see the spread Jade set up outside.” Sean placed a tub filled with an assortment of juices and ice on the floor. He hugged his brother and kissed Nina. “Everyone who donates blood gets free breakfast. It's been on Power 106 all week. They're gonna be here all day broadcasting live.”

“Great marketing.” Kyle opened a Snapple and drank it in a few seconds. “I knew there had to be a catch.”

“Uncle Sean, Uncle Sean.” Niki was too excited as she extended her arms to her uncle, and Sean plucked the little girl out of his brother's arms.

“How's my beautiful niece today?” Sean smiled and Niki melted.

“Can you believe this?” Kyle looked at Nina and pretended to be mad. “Now I know how Kirk felt when his daughter, Kyrie, was a baby.”

“Some of us just got it like that,” Sean said, and smirked.

“They just love your behind because you're a big old kid,” Kyle teased. “They think you're the same age as them.”

“Good morning, everyone.” Jade came out of the kitchen with a huge tray of scrambled eggs with cheese.

“Dang, girl.” Kyle was practically drooling. “Where are you going with those eggs?”

“Out on the deck with the rest of the food.” Jade laughed as she led the procession through the restaurant and outside. “You guys have me feeling like the Pied Piper up in here.”

Topaz and Germain looked up from making plates for themselves when the others arrived. Topaz flashed a dazzling smile and added a few slices of bacon to her plate.

“Hey y'all, good morning,” Germain greeted them cheerfully.

“I was wondering if y'all had scrambled eggs.” Topaz helped herself as Jade inserted the tray into the chafing dish.

“Can you believe these two? Out here feeding their faces as usual.” Kyle shook his head and laughed. “You're supposed to give blood first, then eat.”

“Okay, Kyle,” Germain replied a little too softly. “Aren't we looking too pretty in pink today.”

Sean, who was helping himself from Jade's mouth-watering buffet, paused to laugh at his brother.

“The doc is just hating. He knows I look good,” Kyle declared, and everyone laughed.

“Hey…. What's goin' on out here? I was wondering where all of you were.” Keisha put the covers on all of the chafing dishes. “You're not supposed to eat until you give blood. Now get in there, all of you. You're supposed to be setting an example.”

“I tried to tell them that,” Sean said as he shoveled more eggs into his mouth.

“Sure you did. That's why you got egg all over your face?” Keisha forced herself not to smile as the others howled with laughter.

Eric lifted a lid off the chafing dish. “What's happenin', people?”

“Man, your woman is tough.” Kyle was all set to spear a couple of slices of French toast when Keisha shut down the food. He took Nina by the arm and picked up Niki, who was playing with Baby Doll and Chris. “Come on, baby. Let's do this so I can come back and finish eating.”

“Baby, why don't you go first?” Nina suggested ever so sweetly. She glanced inside the club where tables and cots were set up.

“You're scared,” Kyle realized.

“I am not.”

“Are too.”

“Whatever.”

Kyle laughed as he watched his wife march up to the table, close her eyes, and stick out her arm. She screwed up her face expecting to feel the prick of the needle.

“Have a seat, Nina,” a female voice politely requested. “I need you to fill out these forms first and then the nurse needs to check your blood pressure.”

Nina's eyes popped open and locked on the face in front of her. “I know you,” Nina said out loud as she tried to recall how she knew the woman.

“Dr. Rosalyn Lawrence.” She held out a hand to Nina. “I'm Dr. Nichols's research assistant. We worked with you guys on the very first Chocolate Affair.”

Keisha's father, Melvyn Nichols, a renowned hematologist, operated the largest research center in the country for sickle cell disease.

“That's right.” Nina smiled, still thinking that wasn't how she knew the woman. “Thank you so much for traveling all the way from Atlanta. We really appreciate your running the blood drive for us.”

“No, we appreciate you. Do you know how many lives you'll save?” Dr. Lawrence stuck a needle into Nina's vein and began withdrawing the unit of blood.

“I know how important your work is. I thank God because my little girl hasn't been sick since she was diagnosed. You will always have my support until you find a cure.”

“If more people thought like you, we'd have a cure. Now that wasn't so bad, was it?”

“No, it wasn't.” Nina's BlackBerry vibrated. She checked it and smiled at the doctor. “One of my artists.”

“Are you working in music again? If I remember correctly, the last time we were together you were working on your first novel?”

“Yes, I am back in music. I'm running Revelation Music.” Nina was surprised by how much the woman knew about her. She did work with Dr. Nichols, who was one of her foundation's board members.

“That's impressive and a lot of hard work, I'm sure. You must be extremely busy.” Dr. Lawrence quickly shuffled through a stack of paperwork.

“I am, but I have an understanding husband and a lot of help.”

“Isn't Revelation Music Jamil's old label?”

“Yes. A lot of people in the business can't even remember that Revelation used to be called Suicide or either they still call it Suicide.”

Dr. Lawrence laughed. “I read a lot when I'm not working. I've always been fascinated by the music business.”

Nina took a business card out of her purse and handed it to Dr. Lawrence. “One of my artists will be showcasing here next week. I don't know how long you'll be in town, but give my office a call if you'd like to come.”

“I will be in town for a few days visiting family. If Dr. Nichols can spare me out of the lab a few more days, I'd love to come.”

“Great.” Nina smiled warmly. Dr. Lawrence put a Band-Aid on her arm. Baby Doll and Niki ran over and climbed into her lap, and Nina laughed. “Say hello to Dr. Lawrence, you guys.”

Nina smoothed Niki's hair as both little girls spoke. “This is my daughter, Kendall Nicole, but we just call her Niki,” Nina offered proudly.

“And I'm Baby Doll.”

“She insists that everyone call her that.” Nina tried not to laugh as she spoke. “Her real name is Turquoise. She's my cousin's daughter.”

“So you two are cousins?” The doctor smiled at both of the girls.

“Yes,” Baby Doll answered for them.

“Where'd you get a name like Baby Doll?” Dr. Lawrence was terribly interested in her.

“From my brother and my daddy.”

“Your daddy?”

“Yes.” Baby Doll looked directly into Dr. Lawrence's eyes.

“Humph. Well, it's a beautiful name for a beautiful little girl.”

“Come on, Niki, let's go see Daddy.” Baby Doll was bored with the doctor, so she grabbed Niki and they raced away.

“They are so beautiful with those golden eyes. They could almost be sisters.” Dr. Lawrence focused on Nina.

“They get that all the time. They're cousins who fight and play like sisters.”

Nina found Kyle outside with a stack of French toast and bacon. “I knew you'd be out here. Give me a bite of that.”

Kyle cut a square of toast and Nina opened her mouth. He grinned like a little boy as he pretended to feed her. He could barely contain himself when Nina chomped down on nothing when he quickly pulled the fork out of her mouth.

She hit him with her napkin. “You are so wrong.”

“Okay, here.” Kyle held the French toast for her again.

“I don't trust you.” Nina saw Sabre strut across the room out of the corner of her eye and focused on her. She had arrived alone and was working the party. She was terribly overdressed but looked fabulous in a Dolce & Gabbana dress that would have been marvelous for the party later that evening.

“What are you doing?” Kyle was disappointed that his wife had lost interest in him already.

Nina signaled with her eyes for him to watch Sabre, who was drooling all over Dwyane Wade. There were quite a few ballplayers in the room now who had come to the event at Sean and Eric's request.

“Isn't that your girl?” Kyle was also interested in Sabre's charade.

“Humph.” Nina rolled her eyes. “She's not my girl.”

“Did I tell you she hit on the doc the night of the Baby Phat party?”

“Sabre hit on Germain?” Nina was in shock. “You never told me that.”

“It must have slipped my mind.” Kyle watched Sabre with renewed interest as she struck up a conversation with LeBron James.

“She must have a death wish.” Nina laughed.

“The doc was clueless and she was throwing him major action.”

“It would take an army to keep Topaz off Sabre if she ever tried to hit on Germain in front of Topaz.”

Topaz walked through the restaurant. LeBron stopped talking the moment he laid eyes on her, and the smile faded from Sabre's face.

Topaz paused to speak and the cameras flashed like crazy as the NBA superstar posed with both of the ladies. Sabre had more moves than one of America's Next Top Models. Nina and Kyle were all over themselves with laughter.

“Your girl Sabre is hilarious.” Kyle shook his head.

Photographers gathered to take advantage of the photo op, and more celebrities were added to the group; Sean, Eric, Magic Johnson, and Baron Davis posed while the ladies remained front and center. Tyrese also joined Topaz and Sabre for photos. Sabre was all over herself when the handsome actor gave her his brilliant, trademark smile and said he liked her music. Topaz was about to walk away when he pulled Topaz to the side, much to Sabre's dismay.

She needs to take her old ass somewhere else. This is my time to shine and I just know that sexy ass Tyrese was feelin' me. That damn Topaz is seriously blockin' my action,
Sabre thought as she watched Topaz laugh and converse with Tyrese, who was telling her about his latest film project. He thought she would be perfect as the female lead in the movie. Topaz looked at Germain standing on the side, waiting patiently, and wished she had never agreed to take the first photograph, but she wanted to help with the blood drive any way she could. She could see Sabre through her peripheral vision trying to steal the show. It was the first time Topaz was that close to her for a long time.

That dress is totally inappropriate, but it really looks good on her,
Topaz thought. She was very familiar with the garment because it was by one of her favorite designers. She had even tried the dress on, but it did nothing for her figure. Sabre was tiny but curvaceous, and it looked absolutely perfect on her. Topaz could tell she had been working out and surmised that she probably was a size 2.
Possibly even a zero.
Topaz sucked in her stomach and stood up straight as she cast Sabre a sideways glance.
I remember when I used to be her size
.

When the last photo was taken, Topaz approached Sabre. “Nice dress.”

“Thank you.” Sabre smiled warmly at Topaz, thinking the two of them might become friends yet.

“Who'd you steal that from?” Topaz flipped her hair over one shoulder and sauntered over to Germain and kissed him.

Sabre stood there with her mouth hanging open, still trying to think of a comeback line. She watched Topaz and Germain kissing until Baby Doll, Chris, and Niki interrupted them. Germain picked up both of the little girls. A photographer took several pictures of them. Keisha and Eric joined them for more photos with their daughter, Kendra, and their son, Eric Jr.

“Look at you, Kendra. You are growing up too fast. You look just like your mom when she was your age.” Topaz pulled the ten-year-old into her arms. “Doesn't she look just like Keisha, Germain?”

Sabre tried to be inconspicuous as she watched the “Black Friends.” Jade and Sean joined the group with their six-year-old, Kobe, and finally Nina and Kyle. The friends seemed oblivious to the paparazzi, choosing instead to enjoy one another.

“Are you not talking to Nina?” Keisha whispered to Topaz. “That is so unlike you two.”

Topaz looked at Nina, who was posing in photos with Jade. “She seems to be a little full of herself ever since she became Miss Revelation Music.”

“You know how Nina throws herself into her work.” Keisha smoothed Baby Doll's hair. “She's probably just very nervous about taking over for Jamil and wants to do a good job.”

“Humph,” Topaz grunted.

“You know that's the little sister you never had.”

“You're right.” Topaz sighed. “Gurl, where is my mind? I didn't give blood yet.”

Keisha laughed. “You'd better get in there.”

Topaz passed Sabre sitting at a table alone when she headed into the club, where people were still giving blood. A nurse handed her a form to fill out and told her the doctor would be right with her. She was looking around for Germain when she heard “How's my beautiful niece, Turquoise, Topaz Lawrence?”