AFTER MY LITTLEgrooming session with Saint, I saunter back to my room, whistling under my breath, in a much better mood now. I shower and then toss some clothes over my TV, deliberately blocking the camera so they can’t see what I’m doing. Using dad’s drill, I fit one of the padlocks to the inside of my door and secure it before packing a bag for the weekend. I dress in workout gear and message Diesel on the burner cell before climbing out of my window. It’s still early, and Mom usually doesn’t surface before eleven a.m. on the weekends, so she won’t know I’m gone for hours.
I take Dad’s Gran Turismo because I need to blow off some steam even if I know it’s risky because Dad wanted me to drive the Lexus to keep me safe. But I’m still on edge after everything that happened last night, and I need to let loose on the open road—and there’s only one car for the job.
I turn my cell off, ignoring the latest string of messages from Darrow, in case the Saints try using satellite systems to track my whereabouts.
Keeping Dad’s cabin off their radar is vital. It’s my only sanctuary from the shitshow that’s my life, and it’s also where Dad stored all his important paperwork, so I need to keep it hidden.
I’m still puzzled over the boxes Galen was rifling through in the study yesterday.Where the hell did he find them? And are there any more?I thought I’d uncovered everything I needed to know about Dad, but he’s still surprising me even from the grave.
And why were the assholes going through Dad’s stuff anyway? What is it they’re looking for?I’ve guessed by now that Neo knows Dad was building evidence against him, so they must be looking for that.Those photos of Galen’s mom were some form of evidence, because why else would Dad have them?It’s not like either of my parents had any association with Alisha Lennox anymore.
All I remember from the party at Galen’s grandma’s house when I was fourteen is that his mom and mine seemed to be friends. Now I know Mom’s history with Neo, it makes sense. Alisha was going out with Neo’s brother the same time Mom was dating Neo.
But why were my parents at the party if they’d cut ties with that world before I was born? And how come Neo and Saint weren’t there that day?
I blare the music and lower the window a little, letting the slight chill in the air blow the cobwebs from my mind. So many questions remain unanswered, and I know part of the key to all this lies in the past. But I’m going to give myself an aneurysm trying to work it all out.
I make good time, pulling up to the cabin ninety minutes later. I’m glad I came here—even if I was tempted to crawl into bed and rest my achy body. I need to put distance between me and the Saints before I end up arrested on a murder charge. And I need to regroup, to map out my new strategy.
I strip down to my undies and get into bed, instantly conking out. The shrill ring of my burner cell wakes me sometime later, and I feel around the top of the bedside table for it. “Hey,” I mumble in a sleep-drenched voice, pulling myself upright in the bed and yawning.
“Did I wake you?” Diesel’s amused tone filters down the line.
“Yep. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
Initial silence greets me. “ETA in a half hour, but I can’t stay off the grid for long.”
“It won’t take long. Thanks for meeting me on such short notice.”
“I told you I’m here for you, and I meant it.”
His words send a flood of warmth coursing through my chest. “Thank you, Diesel. That means a lot.”
“I’ll see you soon,” he says before hanging up.
I pull on a pair of gray sweats and a white tank top, knotting my hair into a messy bun on top of my head, and pad down to the kitchen in my bare feet. I switched the heating on when I arrived, and the warm floorboards are a salve to my injured feet.
I make a pot of coffee, grab some fruit and a bagel, and patter into dad’s office to switch on the computer.
When Diesel arrives, I press the button to open the electronic gates, watching him speed up the long driveway in a blacked-out Land Rover that instantly has me thinking of Saint.
I prop one hip against the front doorway, sipping my coffee as I wait for Diesel to arrive.
He climbs out of his vehicle, wearing aviators even though it’s not sunny, and he reminds me of a much taller, more dangerous version of Tom Cruise inTop Gunwith his dark hair, masculine jawline, and confident, cocky stride. “Hey, sweetheart,” he says, bending down to kiss me.
I act instinctively, moving my head to the side so his lips hit the corner of my mouth instead of the intended target. Awkwardness seeps into the air as he straightens up, pulling his shoulders back, and I drag my lower lip between my teeth, concerned I’ve upset him.
I need Diesel, and I can’t afford to mess this up. And, more than that, I care about him and don’t want to see him hurt. “Hey.” I soften my expression and my tone. “I thought we’d agreed this would be strictly professional from now on.” We hadn’t spoken the words, but we both communicated with actions the last time we slept together.
“What if I said I’d changed my mind?” he inquires, tenderly cupping my face.
“You know we can’t do this. The timing’s all wrong.” I shuck out of his embrace, walking into the cabin with a heavy heart, knowing he’ll follow me.
“It’s because of them, isn’t it?” His voice is clipped, but there’s a hint of sadness and concern at the back of it.
I lean back against the kitchen counter, wrapping my hands around my mug as I examine his face. “Who?”
“Don’t play games, Lo. That’s not who we are. You know who I’m talking about.”
