Rockhounds 2: Diamond in the Rough Read online

  "Nope."

  "Fuck.” Matt sighed. “What are we going to do?"

  "We can't do it without a guide?"

  "We can.” Matt shrugged. “We'll run into more of what we had here. Probably worse."

  "Not a good plan."

  "No."

  "We could look in another country.” I looked back out the curtain, where throngs of faces filed past. “One with less drama."

  "I don't want to.” Matt stood up and came over besides me, lacing his fingers through mine. “We've wasted enough time on this. We've nearly lost everything.” His grip tightened in mine, squeezing harder than I would have thought possible. “And for what?"

  "I don't know.” I looked at him, those shining brown eyes, that serious set line to his jaw. “Everything I want is right here."

  We stared at each other then, grinning like two dumb-struck fools. Then, out of the blue, Matt grinned.

  "I got it! We'll buy a diamond after all."

  "And I'll be pulling the money from this stone out of my butt, maybe?"

  "Nope.” Matt pointed to the pile of rifles I'd collected from Crazy John's boys. “We're going to sell those."

  * * * *

  Good idea, but the sad truth was that unloading the weaponry didn't give us enough cash to purchase the type of diamond Big Dom was expecting. I was all for ‘liberating’ one from one of the local smugglers, but Matt vetoed that idea.

  "I thought you wanted less drama!” He shook his head. “Besides which, if we were going to do that, why did we sell all the guns?"

  There was nothing for it, the way we figured, but the one thing we didn't want to do. We were going to have to sell Tuesday's Rubies.

  Chapter Ten

  "This is a beautiful stone.” Big Dom's smile was nearly as bright as the gem he held between his fingers, as big around as a half dollar and six times as thick. “And even better, the boys in the lab assure me that this time it is a genuine diamond."

  "I never,” Matt said, with a little half bow, “wish to give you reason to doubt my word."

  Big Dom smiled. “A man's word is his bond, after all, my friend.” He nodded toward the door, and Rocco ushered someone in.

  It was Sean. The time we'd been away had apparently not been too rough on the bastard—he'd put on some weight. That cocky swagger was back in his walk.

  "Consider your debt paid. And since you have brought such a nice stone, I am willing to release your ... friend to you ahead of schedule.” There was a pause. “For a slight fee, of course."

  I looked at Matt. We had a few thousand left, the remnants of the boat proceeds after securing transportation here to see Big Dom. If we shelled out for Sean, we'd be flat busted.

  But I kept my peace. There was nothing really to be said at this point, anyway.

  Matt never looked at me. More importantly, he never looked at Sean. His eyes were fixed on Big Dom.

  "Sir, my only concern was making sure that things were square between you and I. Whatever debt Sean still owes you is his own problem."

  Matt may not have been looking at Sean, but I sure the hell was. At Matt's quiet words, the bastard's eyes just about bulged out of his head, and he lunged, fists balled at my lover. I moved to intercept, but never got the chance. Rocco had the lug on the ground quicker than you could say ravioli.

  "Cattle prod.” He held up a short black bent box. “It's come in handy on more than one occasion.” A nod to his associates, and Sean was being dragged out of the room. “He'll have to spend a few more months scrubbing toilets in the boss's club, that's all."

  "And what will you two be doing?” Big Dom asked, after the room was cleared. “Might I hope for more stones such as this?"

  "That I cannot say,” Matt replied, with a smile. “I've got to follow my nose, and see what fortune holds for us.” He held out his hand for me. “But first things first, I've got to buy this big guy another boat."

  * * *

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