Finally! Here's the last full length chapter of the story but don't worry, cause there is an epilogue to follow! You guys are the greatest. This is for those of you who have been wonderful enough to stick with me through all the infrequent updates. Much love!
The epilogue won't be too long so I should have it up shortly. For those who want more fluff, I've reserved all of it for the epilogue. So it'll all come soon enough. Thanks again!
Upon hearing the most God-awful racket one could listen to early in the morning, Serena stuffed her face in the pillow and blindly reached for her cell phone. However, the little devil's device proved to be sneaky as it evaded her grasp, continuing to make an obscenely loud screeching noise. She was just about to hurl a pillow at the source of earsplitting agony when she identified the ridges of her phone precariously perched on her night stand.
Squinting in dim light of the room, Serena quickly recognized the phone number and answered.
"Hello?" She mumbled incoherently into the receiver.
"Where are you, Serena? We've been waiting for half an hour already!" Rei fumed over the phone as her piercing voice filtered into Serena's delicate ears.
"Umm...I'm in bed?" Apparently, that wasn't the answer Rei was looking for.
"You're what? How could you still be in bed?" Grimacing, Serena held the phone a safe distance from her ear as Rei proceeded to go off into one of her infamous tirades.
"Geez, Serena. I knew you use to sleep in and were always late when we were in high school but this is ridiculous! You knew we had planned to have lunch together at noon! I have the right mind to march right over there this very instant and..."
"Wait! Is it noon already?" Ignoring Rei's furious yelling, Serena pushed a button on her phone that lit up the screen and revealed the time. Staring at her in the darkness of the room, the bright, bold, blocky numbers of the digital clock declared the source of Rei's ire.
It was 12:37.
Oops.
Putting forth her best effort to sound nonchalant, Serena flippantly apologized. "Sorry, Rei. I guess old habits die hard. Don't worry though, I'm on my way." Inside, Serena was screaming at herself for oversleeping...again.
"Yea, you better be or I'll..."
"Love to stay and chat, Rei, but I should go. See you at Lita's!" Without allowing Rei a single word edgewise, Serena promptly closed her cellphone, hopped out of bed and dressed at lightning speed, lacking only her purse and keys. Non-too discreetly, Serena emerged from her bedroom and practically tripped as she discovered a make shift cocoon, made of blankets, entwined on her couch.
The only indication of a living being inside of the couch cocoon was the breathing motion of the blanket as it moved up and down and the little tuft of blonde hair peeking out from the top.
Serena snorted at the sight.
It had been a week since she had learned of Diamond's manic escape and ever since then, Mina had sworn not to leave Serena's side til the authorities had found him. True to her word, Mina took an extended leave from work to spend every waking moment with Serena and watched over her at night, even though Malcolm and Zachary continued to keep close proximity.
Serena had been flattered by the gesture and commended Mina on her bravery. No matter how foolhardy it might have been.
Still, the designer couldn't help but feel guilty that this had all been a result of her doing.
Suddenly, a jolt in Serena's pant pocket reminded her that her other friends were waiting for her. Had she been allowed more time, Serena would have doused the cocooned Mina in water and dragged her to Lita's to eat with the girls. But Serena didn't have the heart to disturb Mina, especially after all that she had done.
Tiptoeing around the livingroom quietly, Serena grabbed her purse and keys and took great care not to stir the peaceful blonde as she slept.
Locking the door behind her, Serena bounded out the front door and ran to her car just as she answered the cell phone. As if on cue, a sleek, black Range Rover a few houses down started its engine the moment Serena climbed into her car.
"I'm on my way as we speak, Rei. It's only been ten minutes. Give a girl some time, will ya?"
Serena panted as she fought with her seat belt.
"Uh...Serena?" An unsure, tenor voice questioned from the other end of the line.
"Sapphire?" Surprised, Serena's phone slipped from the cradle between her ear and shoulder. Thankfully, she was able to catch it before it was lost beneath the dark recesses of her driver's seat.
Bashfully, she acknowledged her error and apologized. "I'm so sorry Sapphire. I thought you were Rei. She's called me a few minutes ago to hound me for being late."
He laughed lightly but the sound felt empty and hollow, a withered version of the quality his laugh use to possess.
That didn't sound like the Sapphire she knew.
"Is something wrong, Sapphire? You don't sound like yourself." That was a vast understatement but Serena humored him, listening intently to what he had to say.
"Well...there's nothing wrong really but nothing's right either. A detective with the police department called me early this morning to inform me that they had a lead in finding Diamond through the use of his credit card. They were able to track him all the way to California. They already alerted the police department in California but still no sign of him. However, a pedestrian claims she spotted Diamond at the LAX airport. No one has been able to validate the claim but the police are checking all surveillance cameras in the airport." His voice reeked of frustration and weary. She imagined Sapphire had lost days of sleep from the self-implied fault he warred within his conscious.
"Oh..." At the moment, nothing else seemed appropriate to say. Instead, she concentrated on the road in front of her to avoid reacting to the news. How could she rightfully allay his fears when she couldn't even handle her own?
The uncomfortable silence was slowly killing Sapphire with the remorseful conviction he felt in his heart. "Serena...I swear I'm doing everything in my power.."
She interjected before his tangent spun off into painful lengths. "Sapphire, please. Don't be so hard on yourself. For now, the police, Malcolm and Charlie seem to have a good handle on the situation. Try not to worry so much, ok?" He grunted reluctantly into the phone but conceded to her request.
"I suppose you're right." He wasn't convinced but it was enough to keep her centered.
"I know I'm right. So don't try to argue with me." Serena gently chastised. Sapphire meant well; he just occasionally let his personal emotions get the better of him.
With real gusto, he laughed heartily, making Serena tingle with delight. "I won't, trust me."
"Good! So how about you emerge from your place of hiding in that hotel room and come have lunch with me and the girls?" The invitation wasn't spurned from pity or even empathy. It was Serena's cheap excuse to try and set Sapphire up with Lita.
The hesitation was brief but it wasn't lost on her. "Hm, I'm not so sure."
"Don't feel obligated to come. I just thought it would be nice to have all my friends in one place together." Serena's voice was laced with disappointment that was hard to mask.
She was a certified mastermind at persuading others into her bidding; though, it was an ability that she used with caution.
"Well, I guess I could make an appearance, if only to keep an eye on you." Sapphire's calm demeanor belied his excitement. Serena had to repress the urge to do a jig in her driver's seat.
Serena glanced in her rearview mirror to double check her security detail. Sure enough, a black Range Rover trailed several feet behind her as she made her way to Lita's café.
"You won't be the only one..." Serena swore she could see inside the car as a careless Zachary leaned his head out the window and irritated Malcolm.
"What's that?" His innocent query seemed all too conspicuous. It was hard to deduce at this point if Sapphire was pretending to have not heard her.
"Nothing. Just talking to myself." Serena more-or-less insinuated the end of the discussion.
"Right, well I guess I'll see you at the café. Bye!" Serena heard a dial tone before she could even open her mouth to speak. For a moment, she held her phone away from her ear and stared at it, almost sure that Sapphire did not just hang up on her.
But alas, the phone taunted her by repeating the single note of high pitched irritation.
Nearing Lita's, Serena noticed the mass amount of cars littering the parking lot of the small café, undoubtedly the work of the lunch hour rush. Banging her hand against the steering wheel, she grumbled about the lack of parking near downtown. Fortunately, Fate decided to smile upon her as a car a few feet away began to back out of their parking spot conveniently located at the front of the café.
Never losing sight of the parking spot, Serena waited patiently as the small car slowly reversed and drove away from the curb. And right as she was turning to park in the vacant spot, a small, hot-rod of a car zoomed in front of her to steal it.
Infuriated and fully ready to ensue in some physical violence, Serena laid on her car horn, cussing in a way that would have made her brother turn six shades of red.
Perfect.
Much to her chagrin, Serena had to circle around the premises twice in order to find a free parking space within walking distance of the café. Unfortunately, Malcolm wasn't as lucky. As the Range Rover began the its third round in a quest for a parking, Serena waved sympatheticly and muttered a wearisome 'good luck'.
The Range Rover stayed in full view as Serena started walking across the parking lot but the black vehicle soon disappeared around the corner into traffic. As she steadied her pace, Serena tried to appear somewhat presentable, straightened her shirt and shoving her keys in her purse.
To focused on not stumbling on the concrete and bracing herself for Rei's wrath, Serena disregarded her surroundings, including the scraggly, dirty blonde haired man approaching her direction.
Offhand, Serena managed to acknowledge him, smiling slightly and then going about her business without a second glace. He did seem vaguely familiar but no one she immediately recognized.
Thinking nothing of it, Serena passed by the man casually and was halted when without warning, he reached out and grabbed her arm.
As Serena stood there confused and frightened, a menacingly toothy grin crossed the man's face as he triumphantly exclaimed, "Gotcha!"
Exhausting all venues, Diamond had finally reached a dead end. He managed to track Serena all the way back to her suburban-esque hometown but had failed to find her. As days passed, Diamond's obsession had become maddening, taunting him with innocent and illicit images of his former flame.
He crossed the country in car, plane, and train in his hunt, even taking drastic measures to alter his appearance when he learned the authorities were hot on his trial. Thinking about it made his scalp itch with irritation from the dye and made the stubble on his cheek far more uncomfortable than usual.
He growled impatiently, weary with the prospect of forfeiting yet knowing that he was right on the brink of finding Serena. His journey had led him to this measly excuse for a town, a far cry from the hustle and bustle of New York City, were he was now unceremoniously trapped. He had little money left and he couldn't risk drafting his account at this point as the authorities would be sure to capture him.
So he continued to wait it out. And even though, no indication of Serena had yet to manifest, Diamond had spotted Sapphire once already. The dark haired brother didn't counter his fairer-haired sibling but it had certainly been a close call. Sapphire had been exiting a small bakery and café located in a busy district of downtown while Diamond scoured the premises further down the same street.
Diamond would have followed him but recanted on the idea. Sapphire was smart and it wouldn't take him long to notice a shady figure who looked very similar to his brother following him around. And though Diamond was positive Sapphire had not noticed him in the least, seeing his brother ignited a paranoia in Diamond that served to add more chaos to his depraved mind.
Consequently, Diamond began to hallucinate about things that weren't there and created fabrications of the mind that blurred the lines of reality and fantasy. He could swear that people around him were always eyeing him suspiciously and began to wonder if they recognized him and were going to alert Serena.
He even saw visages of Serena at the most inopportune moments, beckoning him with her seductive smile and her angelic scent. Still, he tried to manage a somewhat normal demeanor.
For though his sanity had all but disappeared, he still maintained his pride and stubbornness and therefore, refused to give up. So he continued to torture himself, biding his time walking aimlessly down the main streets of downtown.
Scanning the scenery in vain, he viewed nothing of interest or even remotely exciting. After hours of meandering, he conceded to the dullness of the busiest part of the town and decided to look else where for his prey.
Until he saw her in the distance.
With all the grace and beauty of a phoenix rising from the ashes, Serena emerged from a small car looking glorious and every bit the blonde-haired, blue-eyed vixen he remembered. A devilish smile erupted across his lips that lied along the lines of vicious more than playful.
She had to have seen him.
She had waved in his general direction, calling him to her with her siren song of raw sensuality and appeal.
Completely transfixed, Diamond didn't bother to look around as he ran across the street and shoved other passers-by out of the way, nearly being run over by traffic twice.
Within feet of her, he slowed his pace and strode over to her, appearing confident if not slightly arrogant and completely threatening.
With her sparkling eyes, she teased him, holding his gaze for a few seconds, smiling knowingly and then breaking eye contact just as easily. Diamond felt his blood boil with the thought of possessing her once more. Obviously, from all her subtle indications, she wanted it just as bad as he did.
As she grazed his arm purposely tormenting him while passing by, he felt a heady rush of satisfaction flood his very being as he caught her in his web, the realization of his goal finally fulfilled after countless, expended hours of searching. After the grueling agony of being denied her touch for so long, driving himself beyond reason because of her rejection, his obsession doubled in that instant along with all the rage and misery he had been lamenting over for months.
"Gotcha!"
Utterly confused and at a loss for words, Serena made a move to pry her arm from the man's tight grip but failed. As fear prickled the hairs on the back of her neck, she addressed the strange man in an attempt to calm his out lash. "I'm sorry? You must have the wrong person."
"Of course I have the right person. I could never missed you." Startlingly, his voice was convincing. He began to upset Serena when his grip didn't loosen and when his eyes glinted with a hint of danger.
"Listen, I don't know who you are but...I'm not the person you're looking for." She tripped over her words, betraying her nervousness. She swallowed hard to clear her voice and hopefully, gain back her bearings. "This is just a misunderstanding."
"How dare you say such a thing to me when I've been to hell and back looking for you!" His eyes flashed an iridescent spectrum of emotions. Serena jerked back from the incriminating tone of his voice, clearly uncomfortable in the situation.
That accusingly angry voice sounded way to redolent to be coincidence.
Blinking several times, Serena noticed aspects of her accuser that hadn't registered til now. Even though the man had short, unkept dirty blonde hair, his facial hair was quite lighter, much like a silver color. His facial features had a distinct bone structure that she had seen before. In fact, if his hair was chin length and a lighter platinum blonde color, he would look just like...
"Oh God." Mortified, her limbs trembled in earnest.
It had finally dawned upon her that this was no random stranger.
It was Diamond.
"I finally have you." He twisted her arm so she pressed against him intimately. As she struggled futilely, Diamond raised his hand to stroke her hair in a possessive manner. "And now, you're mine."
Glancing at his watch once more, Darien shifted in his seat in the booth as he continued to wait for Serena's arrival. Rei mentioned passingly the other day that her and the girls had planned to have lunch at noon at Lita's and by complete coincidence, Darien decided to dine there around the same time.
At least, that was the story he was sticking to.
However, being as observant and every bit nosey as Lita could be, Darien's lingering presence, his eavesdropping on their conversation, and the way he kept looking longing out the window didn't escape the gourmet chef. She even had to audacity to question him at one point.
"Hey Darien! Are you ok?" The mischievous curl of her lips lead Darien to believe that it was more than just an innocent query.
"Yea, I'm fine. Thanks. Why do you ask?" She baited him with the question so he acted on it in order to figure out her true motives.
"Cause you seem awfully distracted by something...or someone." She raised her eyebrows in a suggestive manner.
Evidently, he didn't act as indifferent as he believed. But his practiced detachment from situations enabled him to maintain an impenetrable poker face.
He played off her comment with a sly remark. "Now what makes you think that?" If he thought he could get away with it, he would have flirted with Lita to distract her line of questioning. Instead, he settled for some friendly banter.
"Because you've only had one cup of coffee and you haven't taken a sip. And you've been here, let's see, almost an hour now." Lita crossed her arms and shot him a straight look that dared him to call her bluff. However, Darien knew better than to cross that line with Lita. She was a black belt in several forms of martial arts and could easily take out a man more than twice her size.
And Darien wouldn't doubt for an instance she would "persuade" him to tell her the truth if he denied it.
Therefore, he relented fragments of the truth.
"There has been something on my mind for quite some time and I can't seem to let it go." A shadow descended over his face, voiding his features of emotion as he kept the remainder of his musings to himself.
Lita leaned closer to him, silently urging him to continue. However, Darien instantly shut his mouth without another word, knocking back a big gulp of his cold coffee to avoid any more conversing.
Thankfully, a belligerent Rei raved on about a certain blonde's lack of common courtesy as she impatiently wrung her napkin in her hands. "I swear one of these days, I'm gonna wring her neck for being so ditzy. If I didn't know better, I would swear the blonde has seeped into her brain!"
Poor, meek Amy did her best to keep Rei under control but to no avail. "Calm down, Rei. You know how Serena can be. I'm sure it was an honest mistake. She'll be here any minute now."
"And I'm gonna let her have it when she does!" The raven haired woman shouted as she nearly came out of her chair, consumed by her passions.
As Rei created a fuss that disturbed the other patrons of the café, Lita found herself reluctantly dragged away from the engaging chat to tend to her overzealous friend.
Darien compelled himself not to grin as a red hued Rei sputtered quite conspicuously in her chair. The woman's fiery spirit hadn't dulled even after all these years
As amusing as it was to watch the girls, Darien let his vision drift in distraction to the traffic outside the café. Out of the corner of his eye, a flash of something blonde and brown running across the street caught his undivided attention.
Curious, Darien watched as an odd man sprinted frantically into the road to the parking lot not too far from Lita's café.
For only a split second, Darien's dark blue eyes registered a small blonde woman walking in the general direction of the café from the lot but he paid no heed to her as he stayed focused on the man. Though Darien couldn't see the man's face well, there was something about the man's body language and figure that recalled an eerie sense of deja vu.
A fraction of unease gnawed at his subconscious as Darien witnessed the man switch from a full run to a mild jog. The man, an uncouth, suspicious looking character, suddenly came in contact with the young blonde woman in the parking lot and proceeded to confront her about something. Darien rose slightly from his booth seat as he continued to indulge his voyeuristic urge, desperately trying to get a better glimpse of the woman and man. However, their visages were skewed by the man's back as he turned away from Darien's line of vision.
The exchange had started uncomfortably as the tactless man handled the small woman with a rough arm and as the moments ticked by, the man was only becoming more agitated.
Knowing it was none of his business, Darien fought with himself to ignore the domestic dispute but the persistent malaise he felt would not relent. Sure enough, the woman appeared to be pushing the man off of her but the man would not be denied. The man's grip seemed almost brutal as he tugged her to him furiously. And as the dainty woman turned to run, Darien could see her face clearly.
There, bathed in sunlight and her hair wildly tumbling about her shoulders, was Serena. Her face was frozen in horror and her body contorted in a painful way as her assailant twisted her arm.
Without thought, Darien jumped from his seat amidst stunned patrons and ran out the door of the café. Taking notice to Darien's odd behavior, Rei followed his lead and moved to the door window where she could watch from afar.
Instantly, she knew something wasn't right and Serena was in potential danger.
She suddenly became crestfallen and took on a deathly serious tone. "Amy, I think you should call Zach. This doesn't look good."
Serena didn't dare breath, much less say anything else. She simply pivoted her feet and maneuvered her body as far from Diamond as she could.
"Ah, my sweet Serena. How I've missed you." Diamond's voice was tainted with traces of reminiscence as he distracted himself playing with strands of Serena's hair.
Swallowing hard, Serena's could do little to find the smallest portion of processed thought in her head. So she settled for basic instincts. Putting the pressure of her entire weight on the balls of her feet, the blonde designer moved to jerk herself free from her depraved ex's crushing grip and run. However, Diamond had more strength than she anticipated and as she pulled her forearm from his biting grasp, a small cry left her throat when he yanked her back abruptly.
"Now, what have I told you about fusing? You wouldn't want to upset me now that I've finally found you." His tone was light and playful but Diamond's menace could be clearly read between his words.
As her heart raced in blind panic and an overwhelming dread rose in her throat, Darien arrived in the nick of time, rushing to the spot where Diamond and Serena stood locked in a wordless fight.
"I wouldn't lay a hand on such a lovely lady if I were you." His statement was plain but held a arbitrary warning that was meant to intimidate. Serena released a breath of relief upon hearing Darien's familiar voice.
If anyone, Darien could save her.
Diamond turned wild eyes on his opponent, ready to unleash a terror-inducing reaction that would remind the man to mind his own business.
"And just what the hell do you think you're...Darien?"
Blinded by the surprise of his name leaving the stranger's lips, Darien's mind backtracked in a mad rush trying to remember the man. "I'm sorry, Do I know you?" Though, the distraction successfully discouraged Darien's confrontation, Darien's tone of malevolence never diminished over the course of their exchange.
"I, uh, didn't expect to run into you here. I mean, it's been what...10 years or so? You've changed quite a bit since I last saw you. Me and my fiance were just having a bit of a domestic disagreement. Nothing to worry about really..." The man continued to ramble on a nervous, nonsensical bout but as he talked, Darien gradually pieced together the puzzle.
Course, Serena mouthing words like "It's Diamond" and "help me" helped significantly as well.
"...I mean, you know how woman can be. Even if you change, you can never seem to make them happy."
Diamond lied through his teeth about his relationship to Serena, ignorant to the fact that Darien knew of his recent escape from incarceration. Course, Darien hadn't bother to keep tabs with his family since being disowned and Diamond was well aware of that. Except for Sapphire, Darien had virtually no contact with any of his family and hardly anyone knew that they still conversed.
However, the clincher was Diamond didn't know that Darien knew Serena and that's where Darien had the upper hand. So he calculated a plan.
"I understand. Listen, why don't you two come with me and allow me to treat you to lunch. I mean I have yet to meet your fine fiancé and we have much to discuss. " It took a great deal of restraint not to emphasis his disgust and ire he held for his cousin. In fact, referring to Serena as Diamond's fiancé left a bitter taste in Darien's mouth.
Terrified as she was, Serena didn't dare make a peep. Her wide, dilated eyes regained focus at the suggestion of being around a larger group of people. If Diamond were to take the bait, Darien could buy enough time to get a hold of Malcolm and Sapphire.
A taller, moving black object parking a few rows from where they were conversing caught Serena's full attention. She inclined her head just enough to recognize that it was indeed Malcolm and Zachary. She had never been so elated to see two men in a Range Rover in her entire life.
"I don't know. We have so much to do." Serena could sense Diamond's reluctance as tangibly as she could feel his grip on her arm tightening to an unforgivable degree.
So in retaliation, she took drastic measure to play her part as the dutiful (ex)girlfriend. "Oh, but Diamond, I'd love to sit and chat for awhile. Could we please?"
His eyes softened "You know I could never deny you, my pet." He lifted a hand to gently stoke her face, but the move appeared more dominate than loving. Serena's skin crawled with the volatile feeling.
Darien clenched his fists to his sides, praying that he could get Serena away from Diamond before he did something they all regretted.
With the car parked and engine cut off, Malcolm lied out of sight in the shadows of the car interior, quietly assessing his prey for the next move. Erect in his seat and alert to everything within the surrounding area, He said nothing, didn't blinked, and seldom breathed.
Course Zachary couldn't blame him.
Zachary's breath had been caught in his throat the instant Amy had called with the dire news. And now as he witnessed the reality of the scene unfolding before him, he was still struggling to get his breath back.
Without warning, Malcolm turned blazing steel-colored eyes onto Zachary, his tone grim with no signs of optimism.
"Call the authorities. Tell them we found Diamond and need immediate backup."
Barely able to speak, Zachary felt like his mouth was chalked full of cotton, dry, scratchy, and uncomfortable. Malcolm stared at him expectantly, burning holes through him with his intense, no-nonsense aura. Squeaking past his uncooperative tongue, Zachary managed to give an answer to Malcolm's satisfaction.
"You got it..."
Be it morbid fascination or the fear of what was to happen next, Zachary couldn't tear his gaze from the three figures engaged in -what was sure to be- a bizarre encounter.
Unconventionally, Malcolm faced Zachary square on and flashed him a conniving half-smile. "Don't wait up for me." Zachary had never seen the man smile since he meet him.
And he had to admit that it gave him the creeps.
Discreetly, albeit lightning fast, Malcolm opened his driver's door and slipped down the length vehicle to land in a stooped position next the car. Captivated in awe, Zachary's eyes didn't deviate from the platinum haired man as he expertly wove between the parked cars to Diamond's position.
One would swear the man was trained for a situation like this.
However, his attention went immediately back to his task the moment Diamond started to man-handle Serena. Zachary fumbled with his cell phone for only a second as he dialed the police. "Yes, I'd like to report a dangerous man in the downtown area. His name is Diamond Elman and I believe the police are looking for him..."
As Serena lightly touched the back of Diamond's hand to guide it away from her face, Diamond suddenly became aggressive and malicious and grabbed her chin in his hand.
Serena squealed in terror, unprepared and unaware of what this crazed man would do to her if she disobeyed.
"Don't hurt her..." Darien could no longer wait for Malcolm or keep his facade of apathy as Serena's anguished cry nearly broke him. He moved closer to the couple as he steadied himself to bowl Diamond over and free Serena. Yet seconds before he could initiate his plan of action, a bad sense of timing lead an unsuspecting man into the mists of turmoil.
Eyeing the friendly face in the distant part of the parking lot, Serena didn't bother to contain her relief and emotions, blurting out in a moment of weakness.
"Sapphire!!"
Sapphire had a bright smile plastered on his face as he exited his car but as he did a double take of the woman who had called him by name, his complection fell ashen.
A crazed man in a trenchcoat had Serena in a painful position and looked as if he was about to release all the hounds of hell upon her.
"S..Serena?" He already knew the answer to his question but voicing the reality of it help him cope with the possibility that Serena was in grave danger.
The man caught Sapphire's eyes with his own and sneered in envy, so afire with betrayal that his face distorted unrecognizably.
"I should have known you'd be here, brother. You always did want her as your own. But you can't have her, she's mine!" Diamond shouted enraged.
Sick with the opinion that she was an object to be owned and feed up with Diamond in general, Serena shot back tartly. "I am not a possession to be kept, especially not yours!"
Diamond retaliated by spinning Serena in front of him by wrenching the arm he was still holding. With her arm securely stretched behind her, Diamond threw his other arm around Serena's shoulders so she had limited movement.
"Careful what you say, my pet. We wouldn't something unfortunate to happen to that pretty mouth of yours." He breathed gleefully icy and eerily into her ear. The enunciation of his words made it perfectly clear that he would not hesitate to use force on Serena if need be.
"D..Diamond...We don't have to do this. Please, can't we just talk about it?" Still stuck in a haze of disbelief, Sapphire stuttered senselessly, fearing for Serena's safety.
"I think he's past the point of talking, Sapphire." Darien was the only one who maintained his rationale and understood that Diamond's level of dementia was past the point of no return.
For the length of a heartbeat, Diamond remained firmly planted on his two feet, holding Serena hostage, and thumbing the sharp object inside the lining of his coat.
It took Darien only half as long to size up Diamond and foolishly carry out a diversion.
Darien lunged with the force of half his weight into Diamond, reaching to pry Diamond's arms away from Serena. In that instant, Diamond unveiled his weapon of choice, a small dagger from the confinements of his coat.
Secretly hoping to hit him, Diamond slashed the air in front of Darien as a warning but clipped Darien's side with his crude thrusting and jabbing.
A panicked scream emerged from Serena, not as a cause of Darien's actions but from the red liquid she saw splatter against the pavement. But as blood poured from the wound on Darien's side as he moved forward once more and Diamond backed away cowardly, Serena felt the leverage of her arm give way.
Diamond must have let go of her forearm in the mists of arming himself with his dagger.
Serena used his neglect to her advantage by jutting her arm forward and swiftly elbowing Diamond in the stomach with all her might.
Losing his breath and balance, Diamond inadvertently released Serena as he doubled over pathetically, dropped his blood soaked dagger, and crossed an arm over his abdomen. Frustrated, the troubled blonde man growled low in his throat primitively and muttered a slew of curses and obscenities at no one in particular.
Free from the madman, Serena ran to Darien, grazing his side in concern, and used her hand to apply pressure to his wound to stop the bleeding. As Serena fingered the wound gracefully, She noticed the gash had cut enough to bleed but nothing that would cause serious damage. However, Darien showed no signs of being fazed in the slightest by his wound. His posture was the one thing that betrayed the infliction of the cut as he leaned the injured side of his body away from Diamond.
Gently, Darien laid a hand on Serena's shoulder and pushed her behind him, out of harm's way.
Anxious, Serena fisted her small hands in the back of Darien's shirt to hold him to her. At least this way, she may be able to prevent him from fighting Diamond again and risk being killed.
"Why you little slut! You're a real piece of work, you know that?" Diamond struggled just to straighten himself but failed miserably. So much like the wretched creature he truly was, he stayed hunched over painfully and propelled his scathing remarks from a safe distance. " If you're not running away to fuck my brother, you're off with my cousin."
No one said a word. They knew Diamond was just speaking out of self-righteous defeat and the humiliation of being made a mockery.
With all the arrogant petulance of the wealthy world for which he had been breed, Diamond scornfully leered at Darien. "You're not fit to be part of the family. You never were." Even as he stood hunched, the blonde maniac kept eyeing the dagger on the ground.
"I never wanted to be." Darien's retort was quick, confident, and every bit the truth.
And for some reason, the showmanship of Darien's self-assurance and witnessing Serena cling to him desperately, ignited a ripe jealousy within Diamond. Devoured by his demons, Diamond roared loudly, seized the dagger off the ground, and launched himself at his cousin, ready to finish what they had started.
Suddenly, as Diamond leaped forward, he reared backwards once more as an iron grip held him in place and started to choke him.
Hearing her ex gasping for breath had Serena lifting her head high enough in order to see the cause of Diamond's distress. "Malcolm!"
Malcolm appeared as if he had melted from the shadows themselves and surprised Diamond from the behind, bending Diamond's arm uncomfortably until he dropped the dagger and putting him in an expert choke hold. Zachary wasn't far behind. He jumped out from beside a car and lightly kicked Diamond's dagger out of reach.
And as Diamond did his best to try to throw Malcolm off, police sirens could be heard fast approaching. Diamond tripled his efforts, frantically trying to free himself but to no avail. Malcolm was too stubborn to yield.
As policemen surrounded the parking lot, the Sheriff shimmied up his pants and belt in a very authoritative manner and made his way to Malcolm. Just as the man was within reach, Malcolm relented his hold on Diamond as the tyrant fell to the pavement.
"Officer! Thank God, you're here! This man was trying to kill me! You saw it, didn't you?" The Sheriff hauled Diamond up by his upper arm non-too-gently and cuffed him.
"I sure did, son. Hey, Andrew, take Mr. Elman in and be sure to read him his rights." The sheriff bellowed comically, albeit slightly cynical. He turned to Malcolm gratefully and held out his hand for a shake.
"I'm sure we'll be sending Mr. Elman back to New York shortly to be indited. But I appreciate all your efforts, Malcolm." Malcolm lightly grasped the other man's hand and nodded politely.
"Of course." He elected to say nothing else about the matter now that it was over.
A near by ambulance had appeared on the scene and soon an EMT was helping Serena steer Darien to the back of the vehicle.
"Now, let's have a look at that." As the EMT directed Darien to lift his arm and take off his shirt, the EMT began to busily apply anti-septic and bandages. "Well, the cut's not too deep but you're going to need stitches. We better go ahead and take you to the hospital."
Putting his shirt back on, Darien rejected the offer. "No thanks. I'll have her take me later." He pointed at Serena who watched slack jawed at Darien's muscles flexing while he teasingly put his shirt back on.
She coughed, full of mirthful annoyance. "What makes you think I'll take you?"
Smiling, Darien taunted."Because I asked nicely."
Serena laughed lightly but sobered almost immediately. "I...um. Thank you, Darien. I don't know what I would have done without you."
Darien reached out and cupped Serena's face in the palm of his hand. When he spoke, his voice sounded strained and serious. "Serena, I couldn't have..."
"Serena? Darien?" Sapphire always found the most inopportune moments to interrupt. Sighing, Darien combed a hand through his thick, dark locks in agitation.
"Sapphire! Thanks again, for all your help." Indebted to him for all his loving support and aim to protect her, Serena perched on her tiptoes and laid a peck on his cheek. Sapphire had the grace to blush like a schoolboy.
As Serena, Darien and Sapphire strolled and chatted with police about their statements, Malcolm stood nearby and spoke very few words to a talkative officer. However, after speaking with steely eyed man, that same officer allowed Serena's friends to bypass the road blocks.
Amy was the first spot and track down Serena. "Oh Serena, we were so worried!" Ecstatic, The fair-haired designer squealed and embraced all of her friends in one big hug.
With tears in her eyes, Rei was still ranting but this time, for a different reason. "See what happens when you're late? Don't ever do that again, Sere! God knows what could have happened!"
"But Darien helped. You didn't." Serena crossed her arms and pouted, hurt by Rei's comments.
"Are you kidding? We had to restrain her just so she couldn't leave and make things worse." Lita smirked, slapping Rei on the back genially.
"I could have taken him." Offended, Rei muttered to herself in spite.
Out of nowhere, Malcolm appeared like a ghost, hovering over the group quietly and protectively.
"So Malcolm, I saw you talking with the Sheriff earlier. Are you neglecting to tell me something?" Serena sauntered up to Malcolm, putting him on the spot, and attempting to evoke an answer from him.
"If I remember correctly, I'm under no obligation to tell you anything." Malcolm bluntly told her, staunch and tenacious.
"Oh...true. But then again, I don't have to get my information from you." She grinned mischievously. "I always have Charlie."
With a quick survey, Malcolm changed subjects immediately. "Where's that blonde friend of yours?"
"Oh, Mina? Don't worry about her. She's at home, asleep." Serena waved her hand, indicating that it was standard behavior for Mina and clearly no big deal.
Darien decided to show up at that moment and wrap his arm around Serena's shoulders. "Ladies, if you'll excuse us. I think we have an appointment at the nearest hospital."
"Wait what?" Confused, Serena was startled by the Darien's sudden appearance.
"Unless Serena would prefer for me to continue to bleed all over my good shirt?" Motioning to the rip in the side of his shirt and the bandage that was being seeped through with blood, Darien used the arm he had playfully wrapped around Serena to tug her in the opposite direction.
"Fine! I'll catch up with you guys later." Grinning, Serena said her goodbyes and ventured on her way with Darien away from earshot. However, Serena was fumbled with the response her head was clamoring for. It wasn't easy to think straight when Darien was squeezing shoulder provocatively like that.
"And just when did I agree to take you to go get stitched up?" She contemplated pinching him on his good side but decided not to injure him anymore. She would just wait til he healed and then he was fair game.
"I was hoping we could discuss that over dinner at my place." Darien stopped mid-step and pivoted on his foot, coming face to face with Serena and holding her close to him.
Oh boy. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. And Darien's warm chest certainly felt like it was chiseled from the finest marble.
Swallowing a bit more blatantly than she would have admitted, she managed a half-hearted, silly answer that sufficed. "Well, I guess I could keep tonight open since I do have a very busy schedule."
"I'm sure you do." Darien's head tilted in curiosity as his eyes diverted to her lips.
Nervous and antsy, the designer quickly proclaimed in an awkward manner. "At least, let me call Mina first!"
There was a lot of explaining to do once she talked to her blonde bombshell friend.
Laughing, Darien placed a small kiss square on her lips. "Whatever you want." Flustered but giddy, a beaming Serena held on to Darien as she lead them to his car.
For the first time in a long while, Serena's heart flooded with true, uninhibited happiness.