Chapter 4

{Hawk's POV}

It was a balmy evening and he was thirsty for another whiskey but when he looked through his cupboard where he usually 4 drinks, there was none. Vodka was another option, so he grabbed a cup and a pack of cigarette.

His penthouse was luxurious. It was magnificent and bright... resplendent in gold and cream with tall windows. Everything was in place. The king size bed stood at the corner. The chaise lounge deliberately sat by the bay window. Anyone who said there could literally see the whole world... in Mexico. The scattered rays of the evening sun was aesthetic, radiating through the windows. Other parts of the penthouse was a kitchen and a bathroom.

He sat by the window and lit up a cigarette. He was relaxed. There on the magazine table his phone vibrated. He dropped the cigarette on the ash tray and picked up his phone.

He listened to the caller at the other end and nodded throughout.

The call was over in two minutes and he stared at the phone blankly. He looked through the window... nothing in particular, one mysterious thought crossed his mind.

He should give Rey a surprise call. He smirked knowing what was coming. What would make his evening perfect was the heart attack Rey will have once he hears his voice.

He punched some digits on his phone and it dialled the number. Is picked on the second dial.

[1]"Hola, ¿quién eres?" the receiver asked in a rough and and urgent voice in Mexican language.

"Rey, is that yourself?"he asked back with a grin. Just like he had imagined, he heard a sign of a gasp. He kept himself from imagining the probability of a heart attack. At least, not yet. The fun would eventually come later.

Rey hissed in disbelief.

A frown puckered his thick brows. "Hey, I don't answer that name anymore... it doesn't even matter. Let's talk about you. How have you been?"

"Look, I just want you to leave me alone. I have told you, I don't want anything to do with you," He hissed fearfully. "How did you get my number?"

"I will always find you, Rey Mysterio. You can't hide forever. I will hunt you and get you, then finish the game we started". He said venomly, enjoying every moment. He hung up on him and the devilish satisfactory smile crept on his face.

Poor Rey. He hoped he didn't drop dead on the spot. Rey shouldn't even dare, he should be the one to have the last kill. Nothing satisfies a cheetah more than having to catch a stubborn prey who felt could run the marathon race faster than he could... smarter than he could. Such prey was the sweetest to eat.

His phone vibrated again. It was a business partner.

"Give me the updates". He demanded gruffly.

"Two hostages escaped".

"What?!" His is face crinkled. He looked like he had swallowed ten unripe lemons.

"What do you mean they escaped?" He asked menacingly.

"I'm sorry. I left Pablo to watch over them while I was busy inspecting the consignment truck taking the goods to the establishment. Pablo slept off and they escaped".

"I am very disappointed in you. I put you in charge and you assigned the work to Pablo? That lazy bastard! I should have you both killed"

"I'm sorry sir", the partner said defensively. "I can still get them they cannot go far".

Shut your mouth", He said through clenched teeth. "No more stories. You better find those girls before the sun goes down, or if you make me come there, you'll wish you were never born". He spoke in a grisly voice.

"Yes sir," The partner said in affirmation and respect.

"And as for Pablo, I am going to deal with him personally" He clenched his fists.

"I also have something else to tell you"

"Go ahead".

"I wanted to ask you if we needed more girls. There's more than enough space".

His blood began to boil. "That, leave the hunting for me".

He removed the phone from his ear and dropped it on the table. Finally he could drink his vodka and enjoy the rest of the evening.

Something came to his mind as he remembered the girl he dropped earlier today at school. "Diamond". Her name rolled out of his mouth. He had an unreadable expression on his face.

{BACK TO DIAMOND'S POV}

Diamond figured out that she was close to being the victim that would be admitted in the ER. Every time she thought of it, she felt that the thief was coming for her too. The thief that was going to steal her mother's life in two months time. Death sat by her mother's sick bed, looking at the clock and waiting patiently to claim her and take her to the land of no return.

What would happen to Diamond after that? or wasn't she also a victim? why did she have to be the strong one? why did she shut of her feelings in a bid to survive? she had to clean everyone's mess and be abandoned in it. If there was anything she was going to say to her mother right now, she was going to call her a sorry mother. She should have never thought of giving birth to her.

She choked on a sob. She tried hard. She really did... to be the strong daughter, but she couldn't help it. She was human... she had the right to feel emotions just the way this one has swept her off her feet. It was a painful feeling, agonizing pain.

She thought she had gotten used to it but then, she knew she wasn't going to get enough of it.

"Are you crying?" Her unconscious mother suddenly woke up.

She raised her head and wiped her face. To her greatest horror, she realised she was really crying. "No mom, it just hurts so much..." she sniffed. "I don't want to lose you".

Freda's face twitched to a heartbreaking frame as she struggled and reached out to wipe the tears of Diamond's face. "Don't say that, Dia, you are not losing me. It's just a matter of days and I promise you I'll be out of this place".

Diamond closed her eyes, shaking her head and refusing to believe. There was nothing to convince her anymore. "Enough! Why do you keep lying to me! you had this deadly disease all this while and you didn't think I should know?"

Freda looked guilty. "I didn't want you to panic. I just wanted to protect you". She reached out for diamonds hand and looked into her eyes.

"If you told me we won't even be here. We could have found a way to get you out of this. But you never tell me anything". She struggled to keep the defiance out of her voice.

Freda got too mushy so quickly and unexpectedly and her eyes were very red and full of unshed tears. "Dia, listen, I don't want you to see it that way. As much as I want to tell you, I'm so worried you won't be able to deal with it.

"I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm sixteen, you can tell me everything". She begged. Diamond had many questions to ask, and the first one was very important.

Freda tried to restrain herself but Diamond knew she had a lot to say. Her eyes told her so.

"Mom", she urged.

"Fine", Freda almost whispered. She clenched her eyes shut and open them and a single tear crept down her cheeks.

"Three months ago, like you already know, I was sick... very sick. You had to get me the local medicine for fever. We even consulted Ernesto Estrella, the astrologist concerning my health.

Diamond listened keenly. She remembered. "He said the same thing, I was going through stress, although I had fever. Later during the day he told me everything about my latest future and said that I was going to be a victim of a deadly disease. He didn't tell me it was going to big brain tumor. He told me something that stunned me even more... partaining to the reason behind my sudden predicament. He said I wasn't a happy woman and I was oppressed. I agreed. Yes, I am not but what makes him think so?" Freda began to cry. "He told me about what I did, how I was so close to ending my own life because of Bob. I picked up a knife one afternoon in an attempt to stab myself but you walked through the door and I had to lie that I was cutting vegetables".

Diamond also remember that day. The day before that her father had assaulted them both. He beat her mother to a pulp and when Diamond tried to separate them, Bob unleashed his anger and hit her leaving ugly scars on their bodies.

"I'm so sorry", Diamond heard herself blurt out, feeling deflated.

"Ever since I married him, I see myself going down the dark tunnel. He took everything I had... including my joy. He continue talking to his ex-wife", she gulped "he was still seeing Rosa... sleeping with her. I complained but he never listens, he just get so angry and hits me. He treats us like garbage and do whatever he wants. Mess himself up with those club girls and forgets he has a family. My sadness was increasing and so was my hopelessness"

Diamond sighed. "Why did you marry him?"

Freda shook her head. "I had no choice. I thought was the right thing to do since I loved him.

Diamonds face twitched in disgust. There has to be an explainable reason why she hated her father so much.

"That man is a monster... a first class jerk. Look at how he treats us like pests, like nobody's and we let him get away with it.

Mom, how could you marry a man who already has a wife and three grown-up children all in the name of love?"

"I didn't know until we got married. He turned my life upside down"

Diamond couldn't understand anymore. Why werethings concerning her family complicated. So many stories.

She took in a deep breath and threw the question which she had long wanted to ask ever since she was old enough to understand things.

"I need you to be sincere. If truly he is my father, then why did he try to take advantage of me?"

Freda was taken aback. She was drifted away with horror. Clearly diamond knew she didn't see that coming. Yes, she didn't even think that one day she will tell her mother about that experience.

"W-when did this happen?" Freda stammered and bolted upright in bed. She writhed in pain.

Diamond couldn't even seat straight again. She had swore never to think about it but it was impossible to forget.

Remembering it all again after six years filled her with a thick fog of darkness. Her blood was steaming and she felt so much like crying and dying.

"I was slightly asleep when he barged into my room in the middle of the night. He was drunk and reeked of alcohol. He shut the door and told me not to make any sound. I obeyed. I was scared of him. He crept into my bed... he told me he drugged you and no one was coming to save me now. He was forcing himself on me, trying so hard to get his hands under my dress. I kicked him hard in the groin and I began to cry. He got Furious and slapped me. I was so scared. I tried to get away but he tried to choke me and threatened to kill me if I told anyone. He said he was also going to kill you if I told you about it. Then I felt weak and helpless and he said started touching me and made some scary sounds. I knew I really couldn't take it and then I bit him hard on the neck and pushed him away. I started running towards the door. I think he recovered at that point, he started to beg me and told me he was drunk and that he's sorry and he loves me". Diamond's voice cracked from crying. She took in a deep breath and continued.

"I couldn't hear anything he was saying at that point. I was so scared I cried my eyes out. I refused to listen to his pleading I kept on shouting I was going to tell mom and then he grabbed me by my neck and told me he already apologized and if he hears about this from anyone he would hurt you. I then pushed him away with all the strength I had remaining. I ran away from the house..." Her voice trailed off as she dissolved into tears.

"And we began to search for you". Freda completed the sentence, pulling her daughter to her chest and patted her on her head.

"I'm so sorry I let that happen to you".

Diamond's shoulders were heaving heavily as sobbed on her mother's arms. "l felt so dirty".

"I know, it must have been a nightmare". Freda closed her eyes. Pain was not only exploding in Diamond's heart, it was also punching at Freda's. She felt terrible and disappointed in herself. She could have never imagined her daughter passing through such a stigmatizing experience and she the mother couldn't even protect her daughter. When Diamond went missing for three days, she wanted to faint but when she found her in the streets she blamed her for putting the family in panic and she never noticed the dread in her daughter's eyes. She never understood even when Diamond told her she was scared of Bob.

She shouldn't stop apologizing of feeling sorry. Guilt will gnaw at her till she finally dies. Diamond broke out of the embrace and looked at Freda.

"Tell me then is he really my father" She looked at Freda pleadinly.

"He isn't" Freda looked away in shame.

Diamond jumped out of her seat in outrage. It was totally disconcerting. She wasn't even surprised, she jumped off straight to the next question.

"Then who is my father?"

"Is everything okay?" A voice asked from behind her.

Doctor Seth glanced from Diamond to Freda, but none of them gave him an answer.

Diamond couldn't bear to stay in the room anymore. She ignored the doctors questioning gaze and flounced out of the room.

[1] Hello, who is this?