Diamond (Rare Gems #2)(13)
“I need to get back to Texas. I have some things going on there that I need to…we have a contract, are you…f*ck, I have no idea what I want right now. I’ll…I’ll call you in a few days.” He wasn’t going to call him at all but have his attorneys handle this. He just knew that he wasn’t going to be working with these…people any longer.
Thad made arrangements for a cab to come and get him, and he waited outside until it arrived. His things were brought out by Annabelle, who simply set his luggage and his computer on the picnic table and went back inside. She looked as hurt as he was pissed.
Once he was at the airport, he felt a little better. Distance, he supposed, was a big help, and once he made it home again they’d be out of a job and he’d have to start over. But the more he thought of it, the angrier he got. He wondered if he could sue them. Then he caught himself. Yeah, that would go over well. “I can’t work with them, your Honor, because they’re werewolves and they said I have a few vampires working for me too.”
Every time his phone rang he ignored it. He wasn’t in the mood to speak to anyone right now. And when his flight was called he turned it off and took out the battery for good measure. He was going to enjoy his flight home.
Thad had called his house to have his car brought to him. On the ride back, he pulled out his phone and started to sort through his voicemails. The first one he listened to was from Morton.
“I’ll be changing shit back to the old way in the morning. Glad you finally came to your senses about them people and their wanting you to convert. That Henson woman sure was bossy, but I’m glad you fired her. We’ll get back to normal now.”
Thad had no idea what he was talking about until he got to the third message. This one was from Blair’s attorney.
“As per the contract signed between Flair Marketing and Galloway Industries, we are in agreement with the break in the contract. You’ll receive official notifications in the mail in the morning as I am over-nighting the information to you. I have stated that there are creative differences that cannot be overcome. If you have any questions regarding this, please contact my office and not the firm.”
Thad was livid. How dare they do this to him? He was going to break it with them, of course, but he should have been the one to do it, not them. He listened to his next message and nearly froze on the spot when he heard her voice. Diamond had left him a message.
“You left some things in my room. I don’t want you to think I’ve stolen them, but I will have them cleaned and pressed before I have them sent. You’ll not have to worry about my….” She let out a long breath before she continued. “They’ll go out within the next few days.”
She’d been about to tell him that her germs or some other part of her wasn’t going to be on whatever it was she was sending him. He wanted to call her back and tell her not to bother, that he could replace whatever it was, but he wasn’t ready to speak to any of them just yet. He moved through his house and to his bedroom, where he took a long hot shower. Tomorrow he’d deal with all of this; right now he was exhausted and emotionally worn out. Tomorrow would look better.
Chapter 5
Diamond put the last of her boxes in the back seat of her car and closed the door. She looked at her sisters and her grandmother and wanted to cry again. But this was what needed to be done, and she was sticking by her decisions. The hospital in New York was going to be a good place to begin again. If she got the job. No one knew it wasn’t a done deal and she was keeping it that way.
“Are you sure about this?” Jade asked. Diamond nodded. “I don’t want you to move away. This is our home, we’re family.”
“I know, but I need to have a job, and this one is the best.” It was also far away from Texas, which was the point she supposed. “I’m going to be working a great deal, but I promise that I’ll call all the time. Every day. You won’t even miss me.”
She’d made the decision after leaving the message for Thad. She had sat in her bedroom and sobbed over his shirt, and had even put it on. Stupid now when she thought of it, but she’d been so hurt by him that she’d wanted to send his things back smelling like her. But he was just a human and he’d not smell anything anyway and put it in the laundry. Then she went into her bathroom to take a long bath and smelled him in there as well. Everything, including her own clothes, smelled like him, and she decided to leave. She had dropped off his shirts and pair of pants at the dry cleaners that morning.
It took her all night to pack up her things. Then after everyone was gone for the day she took it all out to her car and started loading it in. Her grandmother must have put out a call because, within half an hour, they were all back at the house to try and keep her from going. The only person who didn’t say anything was Blair. He just helped her carry the things down the stairs. But after they all hugged her and went into the house, he leaned against the car and looked at her.
“Will you ever forgive me?” She looked at him, startled by the question. “I f*cked this up for you, and I’m sorrier than I’ve ever been in my life. I should have let you handle telling him in your own way.”
“He wasn’t going to take it well no matter how he found out.” She looked at the woods instead of Blair as she continued. “I’m not going to say that I’ll come back here, but I’d like to be welcome in the pack if I do.”