Writing Fiction a novel - Exclusive for Steemit - Diamonds and Deviants 5

Diamonds and Deviants

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This picture my own - others from Google Free to use images

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

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The barmaid cracked a smile and her face was transformed. Celtica loved how one stranger, even a female stranger, could set everyone on edge. She also loved how, once the stranger was accepted by the Alpha male and no longer deemed a threat, everything went back to normal.

“So Miss Diamond, what can I do for you?” The voice matched his appearance, it was rough and rumbly, he was long haired and clad in a mixture of denim and leather.

He was of indeterminate age while he was unshaven, uncombed and probably unwashed, but Celtica knew the other side of him too.

When he wanted to, Daniel Savage could give suave and sophisticated a run for its money.

She had seen him at his very best in both guises and she trusted him to keep his word and to tell her the truth. He had the well deserved reputation of a hard and ruthless clan leader, one that would kill for any one of his clan, but would also kill the same member if he or she betrayed him.

Celtica had been brought up knowing Daniel Savage. He was close to her family, as close as different species could be and she not only respected him, she would kill for him as she knew he would for her.

“Gideon and Simeon,” she said, leaving him to fill in the rest if he could. If he couldn’t, then she wouldn’t have wasted too much of her evening.

“The brothers Grey,” he said and nodded. “There’s only one of them left now.”

It was Celtica’s turn to nod.

“It’s a shame how that once great clan was brought down but greed and dealing with the wrong sort of customer will do that to a clan, no matter how strong and powerful it was once. Getting mixed up with some people isn’t worth the hassle in the end. The only good thing that came of this is that they didn’t drag any of the other clans into their sordid mess.”

Celtica was quiet for a moment. She sipped her JD and watched Daniel as he watched her. After a few moments, he lifted his arm and called out to the barmaid. “Hey Shirl, send that bottle on over here, sweetheart.”

‘Send’ meant throw. The bottle sailed through the air and Daniel plucked it from its trajectory. He poured a generous measure into Celtica’s glass then he lifted the bottle in a salute to Celtica and took a deep swig from it.

“So, Gideon Grey has come to you for help.” Daniel resumed the conversation. It wasn’t a question and Celtica didn’t answer. “He could have done worse,” Daniel said at last.

“Thanks, I’m glad I meet with your approval,” she said and grinned at him.

“You always did, Diamond,” he said. “Leave it with me, I’ll find out what I can.”

“I appreciate it.” Celtica downed the JD in one and stood up to leave. Daniel stood too and wrapped his arms around her in a tight and affectionate hug.

She knew that he had made the display as public as possible on purpose, it wouldn’t take long for word to get around that she had Daniel Savage’s approval. It could work two ways though, if he was surrounded by totally trustworthy clanmates, she would gain every possible advantage, everyone with information would know that they would be safe if they came to her with that information.

If on the other hand, there was someone not quite so deserving of his trust, those aforementioned ‘wrong sort of customer’ could get wind of her investigation and that wouldn’t do her any favours at all.

“Have you got a ride back to town?” Daniel asked.

“No, I came over by cab, the driver didn’t want to bring me and he certainly won’t have waited.”

“I’ll get you a ride back,” Daniel clicked his fingers and a young man sauntered over to them. Within a few minutes, Celtica was astride the young man’s motorcycle and they were heading into town.

When he stopped to let her off the bike, she said thank you and he asked her a question. “What about a kiss?”

Celtica replied in an amused tone: “What about a punch in the throat?”

“Maybe next time then?” He laughed at her retort and was still laughing as he put the machine in gear and roared off into the traffic.

Celtica stood at the side of the road and watched the tail light of the motorcycle dwindle into the rest of the traffic. She frowned and began to feel uneasy, the same kind of uneasy as she had when she sensed that she had someone following her on the night of the charity ball.