Chapter 195: Diamond In Distress I tried to fight him off, but his tongue shoved into my mouth and disgustingly made it a mouthwatering kiss. The next minute, he was off me, breathing heavily and licking his lips, eyeing me like he wanted to have another taste. I can’t even scream at him for putting his mouth on me. But I did something better. Slap! "I told you I don’t like it when you do that in public. You never listen, do you?" Noah faced me back, pissed, but I looked over to James and put on my best act to avoid his wrath. I tilted my hips and placed my hand against it. "So... you’re the famous James Shaw, my sweetheart has told me all about you. You’re quite famous and powerful." A slow smirk took over James’ lips. "May I have the honor of knowing your name?" I pulled out the chair. James’ eyes were glued to my breasts as I pressed my ass into the seat and crossed my legs. "Diamond." "Diamond..." James tasted the name on his lips. "And how long have you been with this..." He spared a look at Noah. "...wreck. Someone of your caliber doesn’t match that." "All the more reason why I’m with him. He’s perfect for me." Ugh! I wanna vomit! Noah cleared his throat and sat down. "See? That’s the reason I don’t bring her out a lot." "Please, Mr. Voss... I suggest you don’t ever do that again. This Diamond shouldn’t be hidden but allowed to shine bright." He stuck his hand out. I eyed it before I gave him my hand, and he pressed his lips against it. "You taste delicious," he said, reclining, still holding onto it. "I can’t believe Noah has had you all to himself all this time." "Which is why I told him to let me get out more. He doesn’t appreciate these goods." "Indeed..." he replied, amused, stroking my palm. Please stop! "Allow me to make you an offer." I tilted my head in question. "Became mine, and I can give you the life of a queen." I smirked nervously and successfully peeled my hand away. "How about that, Diamond?" "I’m still here..." Noah said in irritation. "You are hitting on my woman, and that is disrespectful." "If you wanted respect, then you should have gone somewhere else." I snorted, and their eyes snapped to me. Oops! Sorry, not sorry. "I told you, sweetheart, we should have brought our A-game." "She speaks sense..." James commented, winking at me before shifting his attention to Noah. "You were never sloppy. What happened to you?" "Ares King..." he replied with malice in his tone. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. "He took everything, and he’s only gonna take more." "You opposed him..." James said, taking the cards off the table and shuffling. "Only because he took my father’s tongue..." Noah frowned. "For a woman." "Ah...." James mumbled. "The famous Mrs. King. She’s been the talk in the underworld." I have? "There are rumors that she’s just a lover to get his cock wet." Ouch. "But I know Ares King. He has never gone public with a woman before..." he pointed to Noah. "She means something." I leveled my gaze as a feeling swarmed me. I-I do? "I think she does too..." Noah agreed, smirking. "What if I told you I have her?" My stomach dropped. James’s shuffle instantly halted, pinning Noah with an even colder look. "You lie..." "But I caught your attention. Which means you believed me there..." Noah snapped his finger, and his men brought the duffel bag and dropped it on the table. James scoffed scornfully. "And what is this...?" "Money..." "Look around you, Voss, do I look like I need a bag of money?" "But I know you’re a man who wants every dime. Yours and not..." James eyed the money and then looked back at Noah, reclining in his seat. "Go on." "There’s more where this came from... I want you to cut Ares King. You have the network to do that, and I have the gadgets, as you’re aware, I’m the new owner of Mercer systems. When we hit him, we do it hard. Harder than you’ve ever done before. You could get your name out there, and you... James Shaw could be the next Don." I tried to calm myself from shaking. Of course, I knew he was gonna do something to bring Ares down, but cut? That sounded way deeper. Noah wants to start another war. James laughed out loud. Even the men behind were amused. "Noah Voss... when you came here, you weren’t checked for weapons, nor were you men asked to stand down." Noah blinked, wondering what he was going on about. "No?" "That’s right. My casino..." He spread his arms. "Has never been at threat nor will it ever be. No one dares to come here to wreak havoc; they won’t even make it through my building. I have made far more than your father has ever seen in his lifetime, and I’ll make more and more. Nothing is ever gonna stop that, not even the devil himself." Cocky bastard. He sounded omnipotent, like a God. "I don’t perceive you as a threat nor a partner. You’re beneath me." That’s gotta hurt. I glanced at Noah’s way in hopes of seeing rage, but I found him smug. As James went back to his shuffling, Noah gave me an all too knowing look. Oh no. I should have known, from the very moment he claimed he had Mrs. King. Everything was cleared from that point on. "Let’s do this then..." Noah said. "I’ll sell her to you..." James raised an eyebrow. "Now you’re getting far too desperate. Selling off your woman has to be the most degrading move I have ever seen." "I’m not desperate... I’m thirsty for revenge. And she is the key we both need." James narrowed his eyes, and my life flashed before my eyes when Noah opened his mouth to expose me. Suddenly, the lights flickered violently. We all looked at the chandelier simultaneously. It stopped. "What was that?" Noah asked, uneasy. James reached for the desk phone, fingers brushing the plastic and curling around the receiver. He grew impatient as if whoever he called for wasn’t answering. Gunshots rang out of nowhere, and all hell broke loose.