Diamonds (Den of Thieves Book 1) (17 page)

Sebastian watched her walk away. She didn’t understand. There was no going back, whatever had been done was done and he would not be able to win Daria back.

“You should head home dude, grab a hot shower and get some shut eye. You look like hell.” Bo clapped him on the shoulder.

“Thanks a lot,” Sebastian mumbled. He knew Bo as only trying to improve his mood but he really wasn’t in the mood for any of it. Cat was right. He had done all that he could have to remedy the situation, at least for the night.

Tomorrow would be a new day. A better day, he hoped.

He got up and grabbed his keys.

“Hey man,” Paul said as they crossed paths at the door.

Sebastian didn’t say a word but just pushed past and out into the cool night air.

Chapter 11

Daria opened her eyes. Every part of her hurt.

The night before came flooding back to her. Her eyes filled with tears and she rolled over and buried her face in a pillow as she sobbed.

How could this have happened to her? She had been so careful to avoid the ones who would only bring her pain and sorrow. The one man that she thought was nowhere near capable of all the bullshit that she had been trying to avoid for the last few years turned out to be the most dangerous one.

The one who lied and broke her heart.

Then there was her mother. Where had that come from? Why after all of these years had she decided to come back? So many questions she most certainly would never have all the answers to.

Even if she could find the answers she wanted how could she find it in herself to believe any of it? Things she had believed all of her life turned out to be lies.

It hurt. All she wanted to do was stay in bed and never get out of it again. She didn’t want to face the world outside. Not if it meant that she would be at the mercy of those that sought to hurt her.

As she lay there her mind came back around to Sebastian. She couldn’t believe she had fallen for his lies.

She drew the covers up to her chin and lay there staring at the ceiling, when a knock came at her door.

“Daria?” Her father’s voice interrupted

“Come in,” she mumbled and rolled over with her back to her father. She didn’t want to talk to him but she also knew that he would not go away until he said what he had to say about the situation.

She felt him sit down on the edge of the bed.

“Oh my Daria, I am so sorry this came together as it did. I never wanted to hurt you. Never wanted anything to ever hurt you.”

Daria said nothing.

“No man wants to hurt the woman that we love. Our job is to protect them. That’s all I was trying to do with you. You see your mother left us so many years ago. Just up and left me in the middle of the night. She didn’t want us and I wouldn’t give her the one thing she did want so desperately.”

“The necklace?” it came out muffed by the blankets.

“Yes the necklace. You see she had started out her life poor, and when I found her she had very little of anything, but she was beautiful Daria, just like you. She loved me, or I thought she did, so I did everything I could to make her happy. I bought her everything she ever wanted. When she became pregnant with you I was over the moon. My family would be complete.”

Daria rolled over and looked at him. His eyes were misty and he had a smile on his face thinking about the past.

“But then when you were born she started in on the necklace again. I couldn’t understand why she was always asking about it. When I told her it was yours and that it had always been passed down the bloodline, she flew into a fit of rage and walked out. At first I thought maybe she would calm down and see that she was not lacking for anything and didn’t really need the necklace because I already gave her everything she needed. “

“It never happened.”

“No I waited Daria, I waited as days turned into months and months into years. As you got older and started asking me what had happened to your mother I couldn’t bear the thought of your sweet heart breaking so I told you that she had died rather than telling you that she had left us. I never wanted you to have to feel like you were abandoned or not good enough.”

“I never felt that way Father. You always made sure I knew I was loved and that you were behind me in anything that I chose to do.”

“Just remember Daria, no matter what we do, we men do try with everything that we have to protect the women we love. Even if it means lying to them to protect them from the truth.

“What are you trying to say Father?”

“What I am trying to say is don’t be too hard on us men. We try hard and mean well.”

“So you think I should forgive Sebastian because he was only trying to protect me?”

“Well, what I am saying is that you have forgiven me even thought I lied to you.”

“That is different--” She said upright.

“Really? How is that?”

“You are my father, he is just a man.”

“Just a man? More like a man who has in the last week made you happier than I have seen in a really long time.

Daria thought about it. He had a point. Before last night she had been very happy. She already had started seeing a light in the darkness.

But it was very hard to walk away from the fact that he had been after the necklace. She said as much to her father.

“Yes but Daria, that is just how he started out, not how he ended up. He knew it was wrong and refused to do it. Not to mention he came back for you when he didn’t have to. He could have walked away from everything and you would never have known it was coming. Had it not been for him you would have had to face down your mother on your own.”

Daria said nothing but looked down at her hands.

“Daria, I am no saying this to make you feel badly. I am saying it however so that you will see both sides of the story before you make up your mind and decide that you know what is right and true.”  He leaned over and stroked the side of her face. “You know I love you my sweet child, more than life itself and believe me when I say I want nothing but your happiness. If I didn’t think it was a good idea I would not be telling you to give him another chance.”

Daria nodded.

“Do what you have to do Daria to make your heart happy. So long as you do that you will always have my blessing.”

He kissed her on the forehead as he stood up to leave.

“I love you Father.”

“I love you child.

And he left the room.

FINAL PART

Sebastian had spent the better part of the day going over his notes and filing reports that DOT would give to the police. He had been trying really hard not to think about the night before everything went down. He didn’t want to remember the good times he’d had and instead focused on the assignment and the ensuing showdown on the cliff’s edge with an almost clinical precision.

Cat and Gracie had tied to talk to him when he had come in but he had simply brushed them off, claiming he had too much work to take care of. Mercifully they took the hint had left him alone.

He just wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone. Even Jake and Paul seemed to be steering clear of him today.

He was just going over his final report before he headed out for the day when Gracie called out his name.

She was standing in the main doorway.

“You have a visitor Sebastian.”

Great, another cop or better yet maybe it was a reporter. He’d already had to field two of those calls today.

“Well send them in,” Sebastian waved his hand.

Gracie smiled and opened the door wider and in walked Daria.

Sebastian’s heart skipped a beat. What was she doing here?

“Daria! What are you doing here?” He said getting up from his chair and slamming his leg on the desk as he hurried to get out from behind it.

He winced and crossed the room to where she stood looking completely out of place. He reached his hand out to her, which she returned.

“I came to see you. The real you,” she said a small smile on her lips.

“Yeah, about that, I am truly sorry-” he started.

“I know you are.” Daria reached out a hand to touch his cheek. His pulse quickened at her touch.

He wanted nothing more at that moment than to wrap his arms around her.

“I--” he started.

She took a step closer and put her finger to his lips silencing him.

“I have thought about it and I realize how things happened the way that they did. But if the man Sebastian is anything like the man Peter then I am willing to move past this, knowing that Peter wanted nothing but the best for me in the end.”

“I am truly sorry about that Daria. I promise, if you give me this chance, I will never lie to you again. So long as I live there will never be any secrets between us ever again.”

She looked into his eyes, almost like she was searching for the truth in the words he spoke.

“I am going to hold you to that Sebastian,” she whispered

She was close enough that he could smell the faint smell of perfume; it was making him lightheaded.

“Good now that that is settled. Kiss me."

And he did.