Diamond Revelation Read online

  DIAMOND REVELATION

  Also by Sheila Copeland

  Saved and Single

  Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation

  DIAMOND REVELATION

  SHEILA COPELAND

  KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.

  www.kensingtonbooks.com

  For the Diamonds in my life:

  Ciara, Christopher, Colin,

  Mia, Nyra Deja,

  Amber, Grant, Sonny

  Endiga, Taylor, Meshelle

  Araina

  You are all shining stars

  And in memory of

  La Shawn Johnson.

  You fought a good fight. RIP.

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you, Heavenly Father, always, for the gift to touch, enlighten, entertain and inspire. This was a hard book with hard circumstances, but as always You are faithful in healing and seeing me through.

  And to Michele Adams; Bible Enrichment Fellowship International Church; the Bowens Family—James, Betty, Tyrone and Mark; Greg Breda; Erma Byrd; Apostle Beverly “Bam” Crawford; Gabrianna Crawford; Coco—for your constant encouragement and friendship; Janine Haydel; the Holdness Family; Glenda Howard; Fran Hunter; the Johnson Family, here’s your shout-out, “TT” Lawrence—my true and faithful friend and partner—the best is yet to come; the Lee Family—Gerald, Rosiland, Christopher and Meshelle; Dr. Raul Mena; Dr. Maurice Berkowitz; Mom—for your love and support all the days of my life; Rosiland—girlfriend, you’re the best! You definitely helped me get this child out of the womb. DR tried so hard not to come out; Dr. Raymond Scharf; Yvonne Simms—for California dreaming with me when we were kids sitting on the front porch in Cleveland; June McCrae Blanchard, Michele McCoy, La Ronda Sutton—for your encouragement and support. We became friends because of the “Chocolate” the law firm of Miller and Pilikas—Darrell Miller, Jesse Connors for keeping the biz tight; my readers—for your support throughout the years and for waiting so patiently for this next installment. Can’t believe it’s been four years since the last book. I’ll do my best to keep them coming. And to all the great artists whose music and lyrics were such an inspiration.

  Vonnie Greenwade, Solombra Ingraham, Jan Petersen and your book clubs.

  My heartfelt thanks to all of you.

  Jeremiah 33:11

  Sheila

  www.sheilacopeland.com

  I have a fear and it comes on me, and

  my heart is greatly troubled.

  —Job 3:25

  DIAMOND REVELATION

  Contents

  Prelude

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Postlude

  Prelude

  It was so dark she could barely see as she maneuvered the Bentley convertible along Mulholland Drive. There was no other automobile like it in the world. 310 Motoring had designed it especially for her…from the glistening chestnut paint flecked with 24-karat gold to the twenty-inch custom alloy rims adorned with a pattern of rhinestones that everyone swore looked like real diamonds. The seats were covered with the softest butter leather, which offset the blond wood veneer on the dashboard.

  It was eerily silent that night. The stars were barely visible. There were no cars on this stretch of the road until a set of headlights loomed out of nowhere, blinding her. The car honked as the Bentley swerved across the dividing line and back into the narrow single lane on the winding road.

  A tear pushed its way out of her eye and rolled down her cheek. She was finally able to cry. Suddenly the tears poured like a deluge of rain, but they did nothing to ease her pain.

  Sniffing, she took a healthy swig from an open bottle of tequila in her lap and grimaced from the taste of the alcohol. It burned like fire in her throat as the liquid anesthesia served its purpose. Inside her Louis Vuitton bag, her fingers grasped the smooth, cold barrel of the gun. It wouldn’t be long before the peace she so desperately sought would be found.

  She knew exactly what she was looking for. Spotting it, she drove up to the safety barricade and turned off the motor. There was a spectacular view of the San Fernando Valley. Lights sparkled and twinkled for miles in the basin beneath. She sat there, taking it all in one last time, and for a moment forgot why she had come.

  Her BlackBerry vibrated and played a series of tones. She threw it out the window and quickly gulped down more tequila, then tossed the bottle aside. Alcohol spilled all over the seats and seeped into the golden, plush floor mats that bore her name. The entire car smelled like liquor, but she didn’t care. There was nothing and no one to care about now.

  A huge, black diamond surrounded by a cluster of white diamonds sparkled on her ring finger. She was so faded that she was barely able to open the car door as she staggered out of the automobile with the gun in her hand.

  A simple black dress adorned her goddess-like physique. The moon pushed its way through the clouds, illuminating her beautiful, tear-streaked face like a spotlight as a slight breeze gently tossed her hair.

  She tried to walk in her Jimmy Choo shoes but tripped and fell, sobbing and wallowing in the damp earth until her hand touched the gun. It had landed only inches from her body. She picked it up, held it to her head, closed her eyes, and pulled the trigger.

  Chapter 1

  Sabre stared at the handsome young Korean like he was crazy. She was a fiery little thing—petite and curvy with deep olive skin and thick black hair that looked like silk after she applied the Dark and Lovely perm that no one knew she used. Her jet black almond eyes were piercing. They sparkled like cat’s-eye marbles whenever she was angry. The combination of her hair and skin color made Sabre striking. No one was ever quite sure of her nationality—she was just beautiful, there was no question about that.

  “What the hell do you mean you can’t get everybody in the party?”

  “Me and you are on the list. I wasn’t able to get Sky in,” the young man replied quietly.

  They were in Marina del Rey for the Baby Phat party. Sabre was ready to be seen. Her Apple Bottoms jeans looked as if they had been made just for her even before her stylist had done a few alterations. A split on one leg revealed her hard-toned calf in a pair of rhinestone Manolo Blahniks.

  “I had to call in a lot of favors to even get us on the list.” Victor Tung had flavor. He was a brilliant music journalist and gorgeous. Sabre had met him at the Vibe Awards before her CD dropped.

  That boy is too fine, she had thought the moment she laid eyes on him. She was determined to have him. He was her boy toy. She was his famous honey. They used to have a lot of fun together attending all the A-list parties and functions. Now, she was beginning to wonder if he was still useful. Victor looked at her through a set of dark-slanted eyes with lashes so thick they looked as though they had been curled with mascara.

  “What the hell is he talkin’ about a favor? I got the number one record in the country. This shit ain’t goin’ down without me and my girl.�
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  “You got that right,” agreed Sky, her best friend since childhood. She sang with a deliberate twang. “Meet me at the maaaaall…”

  “It’s goin’ down,” Sabre sang back.

  Both ladies laughed as they did the motorcycle dance to their own rendition of Yung Joc’s club anthem.

  Sabre took out a package of Newports and lit one. “I know somebody betta get my girl up in this party.” She sucked her teeth and looked at Victor.

  “You got that right.” Sky, equally attractive but not at all concerned about her looks, rolled her eyes at Victor, too.

  Sabre blew smoke rings into the chilly night air. Once the sun went down, the temperature always dropped by ten degrees in southern Cali. She took one last puff off the cigarette and threw it on the ground. “Fuck his stupid ass. He can go to the party by himself. I’ll get us in.” She strutted toward the entrance of the Marina Yacht Club, and Sky followed.

  “Good evening, gentlemen.” Sabre was suddenly poised and controlled. Before she could say a word, a blond woman with a clipboard smiled at her.

  “Now what the hell does this bitch want?” Sabre said to Sky, not caring at all if the woman heard.

  “Sabre Cruz and guest. Welcome.” The woman worked for the public relations firm handling the party. It was her job to spot celebrities and get them into the event with no hassle. She gave them Baby Phat wrist-bands for VIP. “Enjoy yourselves, ladies.”

  “Now that’s what I’m talking ’bout.” Sabre fastened the fluorescent band around her slender wrist.

  “Hey, Miss Sabre.” Some nameless guy flirted with her. This always happened.

  “That’s right, Sabre Cruz, baby,” she yelled back.

  Security guards parted like the Red Sea, allowing Sabre and Sky entrance to the party. The ladies strolled toward the yacht. The Icon was the sleekest thing in the water. The 120-foot yacht was parked in the harbor, while a Who’s Who of Hollywood strolled its decks with flutes of champagne.

  “I’m gonna cut Victor’s silly ass loose.” Sabre looked around for him. He wasn’t far behind, following them up the walkway to the boat. “I don’t know why I mess around with his ass.”

  “Because he’s fine.” Sky laughed. “And he gets you into all the parties.”

  “He used to get me in parties. I can get in by myself now. I don’t need him.”

  “I thought he was your man.”

  “My man?” Sabre laughed. “Please. I can’t have a nobody like him for my man. He ain’t got no money. I want a man with some real paper.”

  “You got your own money, Sabre.”

  “And I’m gonna keep my money.”

  “I ain’t sayin’ she’s a gold digga…” Sky chanted.

  “But Sabre ain’t messin’ around with no broke niggas.” She plucked a glass of champagne from a silver tray as they stepped onto the upper deck of the yacht. “I wonder where VIP at?”

  A security guard wearing a headset stepped in front of them with his hands outstretched. “Excuse me, ladies, you’ll have to wait here.”

  “I have to wait…” Sabre began with too much attitude. “Do you know who the fuck I am?”

  “You certainly have a foul mouth, whoever you are, and you will have to wait,” the man replied.

  Sabre sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes as she watched several other guards with headsets escort a small throng of people in their direction. The girls could see Topaz glittering in diamonds. She was wearing a pair of white satin skinny jeans with a gold beaded halter. Her famous tresses were tied up into a ponytail. She seemed to glow from within. For a split second, Topaz’s eyes fell on Sabre as she and Germain were quickly ushered by. Nina and Kyle, Keisha, and Eric, and Sean and Jade were also with them. All of the couples seemed to be having individual conversations as they were led down the passageway of the Icon.

  “What the fuck is this shit?” Sabre was too put out. She turned and looked at Sky, who was practically staring. “I can’t believe they had to hold me back so her has-been ass could go by. What’s up with that shit?” Sabre pushed her way past the guard, who stopped them.

  “What do you mean what’s up with that? Sweet thang, she’s a beautiful, classy star. Something you will never be.” He smirked at Sabre.

  “Fuck you, you fake-ass, wannabe, flashlight cop.” Sabre stared in the direction that Topaz and her entourage had gone. “And fuck their asses too. Fuckin’ wannabe Black Friends.”

  “Black Friends?” Sky repeated, and laughed. “Girl, you crazy. We’d be hanging out with the black friends if yo ass hadn’t ripped off ole girl’s stuff. What the fuck were you thinkin’?”

  “I wasn’t thinkin’ about Topaz’s black ass. That’s for damn sure.” Sabre looked thoughtful all of a sudden. “I was thinkin’ how good I was gonna look on TV in that red dress. I was tired of all that bubblegum shit Nina was giving us to wear.”

  “You were wrong, Sabre. Topaz was helping us and you stole that dress out of her closet.”

  “So…her fat ass couldn’t wear it no more.” Sabre would never forget the night of the VH1 Divas concert. Jamil had managed to get Sabre and Sky’s group, So Fine, on the show performing with Topaz on “For the Love of Money.” Topaz and So Fine delivered a show-stopping performance, and the ladies received a standing ovation. Everything was wonderful until Topaz realized Sabre was wearing a dress and jewelry that she had stolen from Topaz during a visit to her home. Topaz threatened to whip Sabre’s ass and made her take off everything as soon as they were backstage. Even though her cousin, Nina, was managing So Fine, Topaz refused to have anything more to do with the group. Sabre’s name was mud with Topaz from then on.

  “Who wants to hang out with their fake asses anyway?” Sabre asked.

  “You do.” Sky snickered as they walked into the party.

  Kimora Lee Simmons was known for giving the most fantastic parties. Draped in colorful Japanese silk and diamonds, Kimora was dazzling and too fabulous. She flitted around like a butterfly greeting her guests. She seemed happy that so many people had come to celebrate her Baby Phat cosmetics line, as she was introducing new shades of lipstick.

  “She is so beautiful,” Sky said as she and Sabre watched Kimora’s every move.

  “She a’ight. She wouldn’t have none of that shit if it wasn’t for Russell Simmons.” Sabre turned up her nose at a tray of seafood appetizers.

  “Girl, stop hatin’.”

  “Now that’s what I call a man…a real man. And he’s got plenty of paper.” Sabre pulled Sky close and for once spoke loudly enough so only Sky could hear.

  “Who are you talkin’ about now?”

  “Him,” Sabre whispered through gritted teeth.

  Germain Gradney and Kyle Ross walked by, and Kyle glanced in Sabre’s direction and stopped.

  “Sabre, Sky.” Kyle kissed both of them on the cheek. “How are you guys?”

  Both ladies smiled at Kyle, who was often described as a tall, cool drink of water.

  “Hey, Kyle.” Sabre looked at Germain and smiled.

  “Y’all remember the doc, right?” Kyle asked Sabre and Sky, then grinned at his boy.

  “We most certainly do,” Sabre replied, turning up her wattage for Germain.

  Kyle turned to Germain. “You know So Fine. Nina used to manage them.”

  Germain looked pensive for a moment, and then a smile came into his eyes. “Yes, I remember. How are you ladies doing?”

  “I’m doin’ fine. Dr. Gradney, do you have a card? I was thinking about having some work done.” Sabre licked her lips and fixed her eyes on Germain. She watched as he produced a business card from his wallet and handed it to her. “Thank you.” She looked at the card, then feasted her eyes over Germain again.

  “You ladies have a great evening,” Kyle said as he and Germain headed toward the bar.

  “That has got to be the finest man on the planet.” Sabre watched them order drinks.

  “What kind of work are you having done?” Sky asked.
/>   “Anything I want. And I’m not just talkin’ ’bout cosmetic surgery.”

  Sky laughed, and Sabre looked down at her breasts that made very little of an impression under the halter top.

  “I’m gettin’ me some implants…so I can get my Pamela Anderson on.”

  “I heard that, cause you know you belong to the itty bitty titty committee.”

  “Bitch!” Sabre laughed.

  “Ho!” Sky looked at her ample perky bosom and then at her friend. “Stop hatin’, Sabre.”

  The girls finally made it to VIP where the “Black Friends” had the best table in the house. Nina spotted them and waved the girls over to the table.

  Nina Ross was responsible for So Fine coming to Cali. She signed the group to Jamil’s label and made their single, “First Kiss,” a smash and the group a hit along with it. They made their way over to her. Nina, always dressed to the nines, was wearing the perfect black beaded cocktail dress.

  “Hey you guys.” She greeted them warmly and invited them to sit down. “Congratulations on having the number one record in the country, Sabre.”

  “Thanks, Nina.” Sabre took a big sip out of a flute of Cristal.

  “You know you should be with Revelation Music. Jamil would have wanted it that way.”

  Sabre said nothing as Nina continued speaking.

  “Why haven’t I seen you?” Nina asked. “You should have called so we could do lunch.”

  Sabre finished her flute of champagne. “I’ve been busy promoting my CD.”