Concede (The Diamond Empire Book 1) by Kathy Coopmans (bts book recommendations .TXT) 📕

room. Then you would follow each other with your eyes, and many times I catch both of you staring at the other when the other wasn’t looking. There was no mistaking the attraction once you saw it. A mother tends to pick up on those things. No worries, though. She never told your dad. I’m not sure why.”

A soft gasp leaves me. I can almost hear my mother telling Alina while laughing off her frustration.

I can’t believe she knew and never said anything to my dad or me. It wasn’t like her not to speak her mind. Then again, she was the type of mother to let her children make their own choices once they were old enough to do so.

Alina sends me a tender smile as if she has a link to my thoughts.

“I can remember when you moved to Houston. She called and told me she hoped you’d quit pretending not to like him, and he’d do the same. It just took you both a while to get to where you are today. That said, when I first moved to London and dealt with being drugged and raped. I came to terms that I could live without a man. Part of it was I figured most would look upon me as damaged. Part was not trusting there weren’t many men who would be loyal to me and our wedding vows.”

Alina pauses. There’s a look in her eyes similar to Mom’s would when she’d trail off and talk about falling in love with Dad.

“Then, I met Roan. He wasn’t anything like I thought he’d be. He was good to me. He still is, and I wouldn’t trade the life we’ve shared for anything.” Alina looks down at the ground, exhaling heavily, before leveling her gaze back to mine.

“Roan is gritty and intimidating and aggressive. Protective and overbearing. A cold-blooded killer. A saint he is not. I wouldn’t want a saint, and neither do you. Roan is a lot like Seth, like your father and brothers. It’s those kinds of men women like us are lucky to have. Even if they have blood on their hands, they deserve to be loved. You deserve love too. What you don’t deserve is to whittle away without it. If Seth wants to give you the world, then take it. Sometimes we sacrifice to be with the one we love, which is the hard road. You’re strong enough to do both whether it seems that way or not.”

These unexpected feelings for Seth, yet have always been simmering deep below the surface, and growing stronger every minute of the day. A place that’s comfortably numbing to my soul. I just have to let go and trust he’ll always come home to me.

Home.

Knowing Mom knew about Seth and me, I wonder if that’s part of what she meant when she said she hopes the necklace will guide me.

“It isn’t easy to live with what they do. To accept they’ll come home every night. If you care enough, you’ll find the strength you need that I can promise you. And you care about Seth, Victoria. I see it. We wouldn’t be discussing this if you didn’t. Opposites really do attract. However, they wouldn’t connect if there wasn’t a matching part somewhere inside. The unexpected changes everything, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, it sure does.”

“I’ve worried every day since I gave in and fell in love with Roan. There are no words, nothing my husband can say to change that. Don’t let the fear of death stand in your way of something great. Don’t listen to what your mind tells you. Listen to your heart and follow the path it guides you down. You’ll be more at peace with yourself and Seth if you do.”

My lips tremble. Anxiety builds in my chest. “I’m not sure I’d call myself brave. Truthfully, I’m barely rising above the weakening fear.”

“Did you just hear yourself? You said weakening. Admitting that out loud is a start.” Moisture fills her eyes, and she blinks away the tears, her voice quivering with grief and sympathy. “If you don’t think yourself brave, then you don’t see the woman I see. Look what you’ve gone through. Look where you are now. I understand letting go of a life you’ve convinced yourself is horrible, and it is. What our men do is unspeakable. What happened to your family is even worse. But you were born into this world, Victoria, and I’m so grateful you were.”

I wouldn’t want to be born to anyone else. I grew up surrounded by love and support, and happiness. It’s everything else that’s so hard to swallow down and let go of.

“You need to listen to your heart. Always listen to it. Our minds will steer us in the wrong direction; our hearts never will. What’s your mind telling you right now. Right, this very second.”

“My mind is telling me to run away from Seth. That I’m not strong enough to not ask questions. To not get angry and my heart heavy with worry when he leaves, and I don’t know where he’s going. It’s screeching at me.”

“And your heart?”

“To hold on to hope that nothing will happen to him.” My insides shake, and my heart pounds hard as it races with that hope. I’ve never held on to that emotion before. I’ve never held on to anything remotely close to it.

“Then hold on to it, Victoria. You’re a woman. A warrior. Hold your ground when fear and worry try to consume you. You know, I have a friend. A psychiatrist. She’s retired like me. I still talk to her twice a month about my worries. She’s trustful. She listens. She helps me cope and get things off my chest. I would love to give her your number and tell her to expect a call from you. Think about it and let me know.”

Before I have the chance to respond, before we get on the topic of my heart shifting toward revenge, that dread lifts the fine