Diamond In The Rough

Part 26  (Genre:Romantic Suspense)
A story of chances, stealing, and love inside a city & man where all hope is gone. Can one woman change his destiny? Or will loneliness take over and leave him hopeless?

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It took only a few seconds for her to wrap her head around what he had just revealed. Rob had just admitted raping someone. Something she had never known any man to admit even when they had factual proof they had done it.

“That’s why you went to jail?” she asked.

“The first time,” he said tenderly stroking over her stomach as if it brought more comfort to him than it did her.

“How many times had you been in jail?”

“Two times. The second time was my temper when I beat her brother almost to death.”

She took his hand and kissed the palm. “And that’s why you’re so worried over hurting someone again?”

He nodded and added, “Or losing control. That’s even worse.”

“And did you know this person you raped or was it a random act.”

“It was my first time. I got over excited and I didn’t stop when I should have stopped. Hell, I couldn’t even hear straight until it was over and there was blood and she had… “ He looked remorseful. “She never forgave me and when I got out of jail, her brother made sure I didn’t forget what I did to his sister until I just couldn’t take it anymore. I got mad and told him in uncertain terms to please stop bothering me.”

“And you served again?”

“Yes, but not as long as I did before, but only because she found Jesus and wanted my freedom, but at a price.”

“The medicine?” she assumed.

He nodded and moved his hands down to her stomach again. “I was one of the first medically altered men in the country to accept the program to allow chemicals to change my behavior.”

“You don’t need medicine to change.”

“You don’t know me Diamond. You’re only feeling things-“

She cut him off, “I don’t easily succumb to my emotions, Rob. I just know you’re stronger than you know and realize about yourself.”

“Enough about me, Diamond. I’ve heard the speeches. I’ve heard the talks and right now I don’t want to think about it.” He slightly squeezed her hand to inertly tell her not to go on. “Just as you’re touchy about the last night with your uncle.”

Defensively, she said, “I’m not touchy.”

It was his turn to look at her skeptically. “Oh really? So your stiff upper lip and demeanor isn’t touchy?”

“There’s nothing to speak about, Rob.”

“Oh really? You really expect me to believe that when one day you’re catching the bus and the next day you’re driving around in a seventy thousand dollar car. You don’t think your half-brother will think something too?”

“I don’t care what Rufus thinks and that car was my mother’s. I told you my step father asked me to come home to claim all she owned so Rufus wouldn’t get his dirty hands on her assets. Plus I catch public transportation all the time in New York and it was futile to rent a car here when I had to be unimpressive to get some work done here in the city for my step father.”

“Some work.”

“Before he died, he asked me to do some things for him. Deliver some items to some people. Arrange some mail to be delivered he was trying to finish before he entered the hospital and settle some things with his lawyer.”

“Like what?”

She went over to her purse and pulled out a wrinkled sheet of paper. He looked down at the list and surmised that none of the things she had been asked to do would lead to anything of his past. Most of the errands consisted of running around Downtown Detroit handling legal business and property situations.

Rob handed the paper back to her. “And that’s all you were asked to do?”

“I told you, Rob, he never said anything about any diamonds. Only –“ A knock interrupted what she was about to finish saying.

They looked in the direction as if the door was about to burst open.

“You expecting company?” she asked..

“Only the police for beating the shit out of your brother.”

Wiggling under his to prompt him to move, she corrected him, “Half brother.”

He let her get up already missing her closeness under him and wanting more.

She quickly found her clothing and shoes that had somehow disappeared from her body.

“Clean up and I’ll handle this,” he ordered.

When she was safely ensconced in the bathroom as he straightened himself up, Rob went over to answer the door.

Nick’s annoyed looked greeted him and Rob wanted to curse because he knew this visit was not going to go right at all.