Dark Kingdom 54
"Are you sure you want to get out of here?"
The taxi driver asked worriedly.
"Yes." Usagi nodded.
"It's a dangerous place.", The taxi driver, he was about the same age as her father, emphasized the sentence by furrowing his forehead.
Usagi smiled kindly: "I know."
"Okay.", He shrugged. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
She paid, including a princely tip, and finally got out.
The sstablishment
looked the same as it did last time. The area hadn't changed either. Even if it looked much dirtier in daylight than in the colorful neon light after dark.
The sinister figures remained the same. So are their looks.
Usagi might not have come here after all. Or at least not in their current appearance.
It didn't help. The taxi had just left anyway. And Usagi doubted that she could muster up the courage to go here tomorrow.
With her shoulders straightened, she walked toward the entrance to the Black Moon. Last time there was a scowling bouncer Schmiere. A sidelong glance revealed to Usagi, however, that he was busy with a young half-naked blonde.
She tried to get the picture out of her head quickly. She scurried into the night club, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Not that easy when you stare at the naked dancer on stage with your mouth open.
Usagi shook her head, went back to what she was supposed to do and looked again for the long hallway through which she had led Diamond the last time.
The light was still so dim and the air was filled with the scent of heavy sweet perfumes and faint gasps.
Usagi wondered again and again if this was really such a good idea.
But it was too late now. She stood in front of his office.
Taking a deep breath, she let out a knock. Before that could happen, the door opened.
A tall, incredibly beautiful woman, wrapped only in a short dressing gown, stood in front of her.
"Another one?" , she asked in surprise. Diamond has a pretty high level of wear today. "
"What?" Usagi stared at her in confusion.
"Just go through and join in.", The woman cleared the way.
Usagi squeezed past her in amazement, but gave a squeaky start when the woman hit her on the bottom.
"Nice ass," she winked at her.
Usagi closed the door as fast as she could. What was that supposed to mean?
"What can I do to make you like it?"
She heard a soft female voice behind her.
Wasn't that the wrong room?
"It's not your fault."
That was definitely Diamond's voice. She would recognize this deep bass among hundreds. But he didn't seem to be alone. Maybe she should go again.
"I see. The big Diamond is afraid to reveal his feelings.", The female voice spoke again.
Feelings? For whom? Maybe she shouldn't go yet. It seemed to be getting interesting.
Holding her breath, she carefully took a few steps towards the voices, always careful not to be spotted.
"It's not about my feelings, but about the consequences." , Diamond said hesitantly.
What did he mean by that? Who did he mean? Was he in love?
Usagi ran cold down her spine.
He had confessed his love to her once before. At least that was how it felt to her.
Did the two of them talk about her?
Usagi wanted to hear more. She crept on, leaning to one side. Why didn't you see anything here? Wasn't there a light switch or something? That candlelight was terrible.
She took another step, something brushed her leg. A sideways glance made her heart stop for a moment. A large gold candlestick tilted dangerously to one side. She reached for it, but it was too late. With a loud clang, the massive piece landed on the shiny black tiled floor.
"Who's there?" , called Diamond. He sounded angry.
Damn it.
What should she do? Run away fast? And then?
Diamond was a gang boss. Usagi didn't want to imagine what someone would do to rioters like you.
Buckled, she cleared her throat and exclaimed in an apologetic tone: "Um ... Hello."
"Usagi?" Diamond came out from between the dark curtains, behind which there was a large bed, as she could see.
He wore nothing but white jeans that hung barely on his hips.
His skin was fair. He was slim, but not as muscular as Mamoru. Still, Usagi found it uncomfortable to see him like that.
"Sorry."
She turned away from him, leaned down to the candlestick. "I'll pick that up again."
Her hands were damp. As if in slow motion, she felt the candlestick slip out of her fingers again. Oh no. Please not again.
Before it hit the ground again, Diamond had caught it.
"This candlestick is almost 500 years old, but you are the first to treat it so heartlessly." , he said dryly, carefully putting the piece of furniture back on the table.
"Sorry. Did it break?" , she asked nervously.
"No.", Diamond shook his head, then looked directly at her again. "What brings you to me?"
"Would you believe me if I said I was lost?" Usagi smiled carefully.
"Not even remotely." , came the dry answer.
"I'll leave you alone."
A tall woman with long, noticeable red hair also came out from behind the curtain. She kissed Diamond gently on the cheek and then left the room, not without showing off her incredible hips again.
"So what does your visit get me? And how did you get past the doorman?"
Diamond's question brought Usagi out of her admiring paralysis.
"He was distracted." , she replied shyly.
The person opposite frowned: "Good staff is really hard to come by these days. Would you like a drink?"
"If it is served in 500-year-old cups, I prefer not to.", she said curtly.
"Don't worry, not everything here is so valuable.", Diamond smiled.
"What is this here?", Usagi looked around curiously. "Your bedroom?"
"So to speak. I set it up because I often don't have time to go to my townhouse. Please." He held out a nice silver teacup.
Tea again. But would it be as delicious as Rei's?
Usagi sniffed it, taking a step forward.
And again bumped into the candlestick, which immediately swayed back and forth.
"What do you have against this candlestick?" , asked Diamond, shaking his head when he had to hold it again.
"Me? The creepy thing is attacking me."
She defended herself pouting.
When she saw Diamond's warm smile, she felt the heat rush to her face.
She quickly tried to change the topic.
"Who were these women?" , she asked and pointed to the door through which they had gone.
"Employees." , Diamond said calmly.
"Oh, I see."
"It is extremely difficult for me to have a serious relationship. But I also feel lonely some times."
he justified himself with a smile.
"Have you already had relationships?" Why the hell did she ask him something so intimate?
He nodded: "It didn't end well. So, enough about me."
Apparently he didn't want to go into it any further. "Tell me the reason for your coming. It must be extremely important if you make the long way to this district. You don't want to make a confession of love, do you?"
"What? No!", Usagi gasped in surprise.
"Too bad. I would have loved to show you how tender I can be.", Diamond winked at her and took a sip from his cup.
She didn't know what to answer to that. She barely managed to keep her breathing under control, how was she supposed to get another decent sentence?
"I was joking," , explained Diamond.
Usagi smiled pained: Yes. It was clear to me. "
A huge boulder fell from her heart. After all, she was completely alone here. She cleared her throat nervously." It's about your brother. "
"Sapphire?" He looked at her in alarm. "What about him? Did he threaten you?"
Usagi backed away from him: "No. How do you get that?"
"Just a crazy thought.", He stroked his mouth thoughtfully. "Go on."
"Actually, it's about Naru.", she explained. Why did he react that way? She shivered. Was it because of his words?
"The little redhead.", Diamond realized.
Usagi nodded: "Can you help her get away from Sapphire?"
"Does she want that?"
"I guess so."
Diamond raised his eyebrows: "You think? Ok, what's going on?" He sat down on a dark red velvet sofa that was in a corner.
"Sapphire uses Naru and she doesn't even notice it. She has changed completely since she was with him.", she began her plea. "Suddenly she is putting on make-up, really strong. And she broke up with Umino, they were forever a couple. She's also skipping classes. Sapphire will definitely force her to do something she doesn't want at all."
"Do you have proof of that?"
Why did he stay so calm? Confused, she shook her head.
Didn't he understand what she was trying to tell him?
"Sapphire may seem very serene at times, but I don't think that he uses such hard means as drugs, for example. He doesn't need that to make women fall for him.", Diamond looked at her piercingly.
Why was it so uncomfortable for her?
"You mean you're not helping me?" She stammered in surprise.
"I wouldn't approve of him interfering in my business either." was the reply with a shrug.
"But Naru is my friend."
"And Sapphire my brother."
"Yes, you can tell.", Usagi replied coolly.
Diamond blinked in amazement, then finally ran a sigh through his light hair.
"What do you think should I do?" , He asked almost reproachfully. "Just walk in there and save your friend?"
"You know where she is?", Usagi caught her breath in surprise.
Had she really managed to fool him? At first he really seemed caught out. But only seconds later he put on his indifferent face again and admitted with a shrug: "Sapphire and I don't have a particularly brotherly relationship, but I know at least most of his business."
"Tell me!" ,she asked him.
"What do I get for it?" Diamond leaned back smiling.
"Thanks."
Usagi tried to suppress the unsettling feeling of seeing his cold eyes. If he had really intended to ambush her, he would have done that long ago, she was sure of that.
Unless he enjoyed playing with her a little longer.
A lump formed in her throat at the thought of it.
"I didn't become that powerful because I was satisfied with a damp handshake all these years." , he explained with a smile. His eyes remained cold.
"What do you want?", she was incredibly afraid of the answer. "Money? I don't have that."
"I have enough money. No.", Diamond leaned towards her again, still sitting on the sofa. "My interest is completely different."
Usagi hesitated. The way he looked at her, she regretted her entire visit here. If only she had listened to Mamoru. Or on Makoto. To everyone who advised her not to get too close to Diamond.
He now got up and came very slowly towards her.
He was taller than her, so she had to lift her head to keep looking into his eyes. Those eyes with that strange color that seemed to mesmerize her.
"I'll tell you where your friend is and if she really wants to be saved, you will get my full support.", He explained calmly.
"Alright.", Usagi nodded. "What do you want for that?"
"Nothing more.", He pursed his lips, cocked his head and looked at her smiling before he continued. "Except for a kiss."