A/N: soooooooooooooooooo sorry for the wait guys! I got distracted and I kinda forgot to finish typing this :p But I'm back and I hope I don't disappoint you with what I have to write (:

Chapter Twenty

They had been watching the house for the past fifteen minutes and finally the front door of the Diamond house opened. James felt his breath get caught in his throat and his bones turned to lead. Even from a distance he could tell his dad still looked the same- tall, built, and scary. The brunette boy involuntarily gripped the curtains so tightly his knuckles turned white. Vaguely, he felt Kendall rub his back between his shoulder blades. Neither boy took their eyes off of the man across the street.

Brian Diamond didn't seem to notice Kendall and James watching him so intensively. He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a pack of Marlboro, putting one of the cigarettes between his lips, and then he pulled out his car keys. Kendall pressed his face closer to the window, not wanting to miss a movement. He barely blinked as he and James watched Mr. Diamond get into his car and back out of the driveway. James swallowed and moved behind the curtains, hiding himself from his dad, but Kendall stayed in his spot. The black car drove past Kendall's house and the blonde boys kept his eyes on it until it disappeared down the road.

"Let's go." Kendall breathed and took James's hand in his. The two boys stealthily bolted across the street and stood in James's yard, looking at the house before them. "How do we get in?" Kendall asked.

James licked his lips nervously. "Uh, my bedroom window probably never got fixed… we can probably climb in through there."

Kendall nodded wordlessly and ran over to the large oak tree that had been growing outside of James's bedroom since before he was born. The tree was large and tall enough to let the boys climb up it and get inside of James's old bedroom. Kendall placed his foot on a low branch and grabbed one right above his head. With a deep breath, he hoisted himself up onto the higher branch and continued upward until he was perched outside of James's bedroom window. As he was pushing it up, James started up the tree. Moments later, both boys were inside.

James's eyes darted nervously around his old room. It was still pretty much the say as he left it - unusually clean (his dad was always easier on him whenever he kept things clean). He subconsciously crossed his arms around his middle, hugging himself tightly.

This action did not go unnoticed by Kendall, who put his hands on James's shoulders. "Trust me, it's all going to be ok." he said softly. "We're gonna get the money and then we're getting out."

"Kay." James mumbled, and then took a deep breath. "Uh, let's check his room."

Kendall nodded and the two boys left James's room, and went down the hall until they were standing outside Mr. Diamond's bedroom. Kendall glanced at James, who turned unnaturally pale and started to wring his hands together. Kendall touched his back. "I can look in here by myself." he told him. "You can check downstairs. You know, save us time."

James exhaled, the color returning to his face. "Alright. Just be careful not to mess up too much stuff."

"Got it." Kendall placed a kiss on his cheek before the brunette boy disappeared downstairs. Kendall turned the gold knob and entered Mr. Diamond's room.

The room wasn't very big; just average sized. His bed was against the side wall, a bedside table on either side, and his closet was across from that. There was a window on the back wall with the blinds drawn shut and a large dresser underneath it. On the dresser there was a picture laying face down. Kendall didn't know where to start, the money could be anywhere. Finally, he decided to look under the bed, mattress, sheets, and pillows. He checked all of the drawers on each bedside table, and the dresser. He searched high and low in the closet. Nothing. Time was ticking by and Kendall was getting frustrated. He leaned against the dresser in thought, his hand resting on top of the turned down picture frame. It felt oddly thick to him…

Bingo!

"James!" Kendall pulled the back of the frame out and resting on top of whatever picture was inside was numerous five and one hundred dollar bills. "James, I found it!"

Seconds later James was running into the room. "You found my money?" he exclaimed.

"Every last penny." Kendall beamed and pulled out the money. "It was in this picture frame." James reached for the picture atop the glass and his smile wavered. It was his family… at least, what his family used to be. James had to be ten or eleven in the picture. He was sitting on a wooden stool in front of his parents who, even he had to admit, looked genuinely happy. His mother, beautiful as ever, had a hand on his shoulder, showing off her wedding ring, and his father had his arm around her waist, hugging her closely. They looked so in love, and the three of them looked so happy. What went wrong?

"James?" the brunette blinked and turned to Kendall. "You ok?"

James nodded, putting the picture back in the frame and the back of the frame back on. "Let's just go."

Kendall opened his mouth to say something but a noise cut him off.

The sound of the front door opening.

James's and Kendall's eyes widened in utter horror. Wordlessly, the two boys ran from Mr. Diamond's room, accidentally slamming the door shut in the process. Kendall swore under his breath and the two of them ducked into James's bedroom. The sound of Mr. Diamond's footsteps coming up the steps pounded in their ears.

"Closet!" Kendall hissed, grabbing James's forearm and the two of them ducked inside of James's closet, just as his dad was walking inside of his room. Kendall and James squeezed into the corner of the closet, Kendall's back pressed against the wall as far as he could and James's back was pressed against his chest. Kendall wrapped his hand around James's mouth and James's hands flew up to cover Kendall's. Through the cracks of the closet door, both boys could see James's dad walking around the room, looking around… it sent chills up their spines. As he stepped closer and closer to the closet, both boys backed up into the wall some more. Kendall could practically feel James's heart beating faster and faster, like his own heart was. Mr. Diamond was getting closer and closer. At any second, he could open the closet door and see the two of them there…

And then he just turned around and walked out of the room. James and Kendall didn't even breathe until they heard his descending footsteps, followed by the sound of his car driving down the street.

Before Kendall could even exhale, James had bolted out of the closet and climbed out of the window. Kendall was quick to follow him but as soon as James's feet touched the ground, he started running. He didn't stop at Kendall's house, he just kept running and he didn't look back.

A/N: so… suspenseful? I'd say so. Thoughts? (: