by Brook Wilder
When I finished, Cassie’s jaw tightened, and she shook her head.
“Fucking cunt. I told Mason that Khloe was a bad one. I just didn’t realize how much. She will do anything to keep hold of her business.”
“Even selling us out.”
I rubbed my arms. I was feeling very cold. Cassie sighed.
“I wish I knew what to say.”
“Then don’t. I don’t even know what to think anymore. Everything seems to be crashing down on me.”
“Hey, look at me!” Cassie reached over and squeezed my arm. “It’ll come together. I thought everything was crashing down on me when I was being auctioned off. I thought it was going to be bad, being sold to Mason. But now…” She shrugged with a small smile. “It’s good. We just had to get over the worst of it.”
I had heard Cassie and Mason’s story. Diesel had told her about it. She hadn’t been quite sure how to take it. And she probably wouldn’t ever understand it. Mason and Cassie were just a rarity.
“I don’t get how you could fall in love with someone who sold and bought you as a sex slave.”
“Neither do I, but it happened.” Cassie’s smiled softened. “Just like you’ve fallen for Diesel.”
“What?” I jumped to my feet and turned away, aware that my face was getting warm. “I’m not in love with Diesel.”
But Cassie said nothing. I looked back. Cassie was watching me with a gentle smile. Her expression said it all: she knew better.
“You don’t have to lie to me, Amber. I can tell. Diesel’s been hurt in the past. I don’t know how he was hurt, but I know he’s capable of loving someone. The fact that he went out of his way, almost against Mason’s wishes, to get you back is very telling.”
I felt panicky. All my life, I had wanted someone to love me. By the time I turned eighteen, that had disappeared. Nobody would be able to love me or could love me. And now…
Diesel couldn’t love her. He didn’t know how.
“There is nothing between us, Cassie.” Except a baby. And sometimes, that was all it took. I swiped that away. “Don’t put my hopes up, please. I want this baby, Diesel wants this baby, but we’re not having each other.”
Who was I trying to convince? Myself or Cassie? From the look of it, Cassie didn’t look as convinced as I felt. She stood, looking like she was about to cry herself.
“You’ve never had anyone love you before, have you?” she murmured. “And that scares you.”
I couldn’t say anything. I fell to the floor and burst into tears, burying my face in my hands and rocking. Then Cassie was kneeling beside me, hugging me tightly.
“You can cry, honey,” she whispered, stroking my hair. “You can cry. I’m here.”
But I wanted someone else. I wanted Diesel.
The one person I couldn’t have willingly.
Chapter Fifteen
Diesel
I didn’t like the sound of this. From the look on his face, neither did Mason. But he followed Khloe across the lobby into her office. I came after them; I wasn’t about to be left out. Whatever was going on, I was going to be a part of it.
Khloe’s office, compared to the rest of the building, looked as though it hadn’t been touched by the raid. I had seen it earlier, and it had looked like a bomb had hit it. Now it was as if nothing had happened. Clearly, Khloe’s priorities lay elsewhere.
Mason crossed his arms with a scowl as he glared at Khloe.
“What do you want?”
Khloe went around to her side of the desk, settling in her chair as if she was a business executive. I couldn’t believe how cool she was right now.
“I think you know what I’m about to say.”
“You’re reneging on the deal I put to you before.”
“What can I say?” Khloe crossed her legs, a move which made her skirt hitch up, revealing a flash of stocking tops. “I’m fed up with losing money because of you guys.”
“Of us?” I asked. “Seriously, Khloe, you think we’re to blame for what’s happened?”
“Yes.” I saw a flash of anger in her eyes. “If your boss hadn’t put his heart on the line for the girl he bought and married her, none of this would have happened.” She turned to Mason, the anger still prominent. “You made me lose all that, Mason. I won’t have it. I have to look after myself now.”
“Oh, really?” Mason said. “And how do you propose to do that?”
“By giving you an offer of my own. One you certainly can’t refuse.”
“Try me.”
I didn’t like where this was going. Khloe was going to give us an offer that Mason would reject, and it would put us in a bind. Anything to keep her on the front foot.
“You get the fuck out of Nevada.” Khloe didn’t blink as Mason barked out a laugh of disbelief. “The Ghost Riders Motorcycle Club gets out of Eden altogether, out of Nevada, and you don’t come back.”
I knew that would be pointless. From Mason’s laugh, I had already figured that out.
“You’re expecting us to uproot from our home?”
“Yes. Nobody wants you here; you just make more trouble.” Khloe sat back in her chair, making it swivel a little as she gently rocked. She looked very smug. “You leave Nevada, and I give the Russians half the girls.”
So, this was to keep Khloe in business. She got rid of a nuisance and still made some money. my eyes narrowed.
“Half of them? Torchev won’t like that.”
“I’ll arrange for Ruiz to give back half the money. It’s the least I can do.” Khloe’s smugness hardened, giving me a sneer I had never seen on her before. A look of pure hate. “But you are not to come back. Things will go back to normal once you’re gone.”
Normal? I didn’t even know what normal was anymore. Mason shook his head.
“Come on, Khloe, you’re a smart girl. You really think that’s going to happen? You think Ruiz Fernandez won’t sell you out himself?”
Khloe snorted.
“At least he’s not going to marry the girls we sell.”
I saw Mason bristle. He was very protective of Cassie. In spite of everything, the boss clearly loved his wife. Khloe hated that. Diesel wondered if Khloe was pissed off because she had wanted Mason for herself and Cassie had got in the way. It was highly unlikely; Khloe wasn’t capable of loving.
At least Khloe and I had that in common.
“You’re making a big mistake, Khloe,” Mason said. “Fernandez will sell you out. The second you don’t come through, he’s going to throw you to the wolves.”
“Does that mean you’re rejecting my offer?”
“Fuck, yes.”
“Okay, then.” Khloe sat up, laying her hands on the desk as she glared at Mason. “Then get out. Both of you, get the fuck out of here. I don’t want any of your men inside. You’re not welcome.”
“Gladly.” I glanced at Mason. “Give me five.”
Once I had Amber with me, I was planning to never come back. That was part of the agreement I would happily follow.
“Amber’s not going anywhere, Diesel. She’ll be one of the girls I sell.”
I turned back and snarled. Khloe jumped, but she didn’t shrink back. I jabbed a finger at her.
“You touch Amber, and I’ll do something I’ve never done in my life and kill a woman.”
I would happily break my own rule if anything happened to Amber.
Khloe’s jaw tightened.
“She won’t last long,” she sneered. “She’ll be a target. If anything, being associated with you means she already is.”
I snorted. “As if you can stop me.” I headed towards the door. “I’ll be right out.”
There was no chance of leaving without Amber. I didn’t care if she was being sold; she was coming with me.
Chapter Sixteen
Amber
I had spent too much time crying. My body was absolutely exhausted from the stress. This wasn’t good for the baby, but I couldn’t bring myself to calm down enough where I was comfortabl
e.
Cassie had tried to show me some meditation techniques, but I wasn’t able to settle enough to try them. My mind was racing a mile a minute. Most of it was in panic. Thinking about the Russians. I had come across them before on a few occasions, and I hadn’t been comfortable at all. They were dangerous men, men that made me want to run the other way. But Khloe would have had me punished if I did, so I had put a smile on and acted like I enjoyed it all.
It was warm in my room, but I felt a very cold chill go down my back.
I was sitting on my bed, trying to concentrate on my own breathing, with Cassie mimicking me, when we heard loud stomping noises that were getting closer. Cassie straightened up.
“That sounds like an elephant coming up the stairs.”
I panicked and clambered off the bed and backed away from the door, almost tripping over my own feet.
“Oh, God.” I could feel my heart in my mouth. “We’re not going to be raided again, are we?”
“They’d better not,” Cassie growled. She reached into her jacket and pulled out a gun, clicking off the safety. “They’re going to get a nasty welcome.”
I jumped with a scream when there was a loud pounding on the door. Cassie and I waited in silence. All the while, I resisted the urge to scream again. Then there was more pounding, followed by a familiar voice.
“Amber? Amber, let me in.”
My legs were shaking so much that I sagged to my knees.
“It’s Diesel.”
Cassie’s jaw tightened. She beckoned me into the corner of the room. “Get over there.”
“What? Diesel’s not going to hurt me.”
“This will make sure he won’t,” Cassie muttered.
She went over to the door and opened it, putting her eye to the crack. Then she opened the door further, allowing Diesel to come in. Diesel raised his eyebrows when he saw her gun.
“Don’t you trust me anymore, Cassie?”
“Have I ever trusted you, Diesel?”
Diesel grunted. I saw the look of thunder on his face, and it almost caused me to shrink back. Diesel indicated the door.
“You’d better get back to Mason, Cass. We’re leaving right now.”
“What about Amber?”
“Don’t worry, she’s coming as well.” Diesel turned to Amber, his dark eyes spearing Amber to the spot. “Go. Mason’s waiting. We’ve got to be quick.”
Cassie said nothing. She sent me a concerned look but left the room. I could hear her running down the hallway outside. Diesel closed the door and turned to me. He was still looking angry, but the expression in his eyes softened when he saw me.
“Is there anything you want to take with you? Because you’d better pack it now.”
“I won’t need much.” I forced my legs to move and grabbed a backpack hidden under the bed. I pushed myself to my feet and hurried over to the dresser. “What’s going on?”
Diesel let out a sound that was between a sigh and a snarl.
“Khloe gave us a deal. One that Mason has no intention of entertaining.”
“Does it include me?” I asked as I stuffed underwear into my bag. Then I grabbed a couple of t-shirts and a pair of jeans. “Diesel?”
“Not really.”
“Not really?”
Diesel ran his hand over his head, tugging off his bandana.
“Khloe said if we left Nevada immediately and never came back, the entire of the Ghost Riders, she would only sell half the girls.”
“What?” I faltered. “How is that a deal?”
“It’s not. It’s to keep Khloe with the upper hand. She gets more than one thing out of this deal.”
That sounded like Khloe completely. I didn’t know how to react to Khloe at times. She was motherly one moment and completely ruthless the next. It scared me a lot.
Hang on, what had Diesel said? I slowed my packing, staring at him.
“How does this not include me?”
Diesel’s jaw was tight. He swallowed hard.
“She’s made up her mind which girls she’s selling. And you’re one of them.”
I was going to be sold? Khloe had no intention of letting me go? I began to shiver. The temperature in the room kept dipping even more.
“She wouldn’t.”
“I’m afraid so.”
Hesitating, Diesel went to me and enveloped me in his arms. I leant into his warm embrace, allowing Diesel to press my head against his shoulder. Then he kissed my head as he rubbed my back.
“I won’t let that happen to you, Amber,” he whispered. “I promise. You’re not going to the Russians. But you need to come with me now.”
“Okay.” Somehow, just a comforting embrace from this man was enough to give me some strength. I pulled away. “One moment.”
I hurried into the bathroom and grabbed a toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush and deodorant. As an afterthought, I grabbed an electric razor as well. That would keep me going. I came back into the bedroom, picked up my phone and unplugged the charger.
“I’m ready,” I said, stuffing my charger and cell phone into my handbag, which I also stuffed into the backpack before zipping it up. Then I put on a pair of sneakers. “I’m good to go.”
“You sure you’ve got everything?”
“I’m not a materialistic person.”
I had learnt a long time ago not to rely too heavily on getting attached to my belongings. They didn’t last long, not with the people I had grown up with. Diesel nodded grimly.
“Good girl.” Then he held out his hand. “Come on. We’ll go out the back way.”
“You that scared of Khloe?”
“I don’t want any conflict when it could harm our baby.” As he spoke, Diesel drew his gun and took off the safety. “Come on.”
I slid my hand into his, and felt Diesel’s fingers close around mine, gripping me with a sudden strength that made me gasp. Was he trembling, or was that me? I couldn’t tell now.
Slinging my backpack over my shoulder, I allowed Diesel to lead me out and down the hall, away from the front stairs. There was a set of stairs at the back, made as an emergency exit. They were barely used, but Diesel managed to open the door without any problems. We clambered down the metal stairs, and then through the alley. I was glad I had chosen sneakers instead of heels; I would have been flat on my face at the speed Diesel was going.
Running out into the street, I saw the bikers Diesel had brought in astride their bikes. Two of them were checking their guns, while a third was strapping a knife to his leg. I felt a flutter of nerves in my belly; this was getting far too real. Diesel didn’t notice me faltering as he pulled me towards his bike.
Mason and Cassie were in Mason’s car. Mason leant over to shout at Diesel through his wife’s open window.
“Khloe was calling reinforcements when I was leaving. I don’t know how far away they are.”
“Then we need to split up,” Diesel said grimly, urging me onto the back of his bike, swinging his own leg over. “Amber and I will head towards Las Vegas and wait for your call.”
“Stay strong.”
The tires squealed loudly as Mason pulled the car away from the curb, the noise making my ears ring, and I grimaced. Then Diesel was shaking my shoulder.
“Put your backpack on, Amber, and hold onto me. This is going to be a bumpy ride.”
I wasn’t about to argue. My heart hung in my mouth. I put both straps over my shoulders and wrapped my arms around his waist. His muscles flexed and tightened, his whole body feeling rock hard. I couldn’t remember the last time I had clung onto anyone like this, with so much reliance.
“Diesel!”
My body went cold when I heard Khloe. Looking around, I saw her standing on the threshold of her business, a cell phone in her hand. She was glaring with murderous eyes at Diesel. Diesel turned on the engine and revved up the bike.
“She’s coming with me, Khloe,” he bellowed. “Touch her and I’ll kill you myself.”
When had anyone said that a
bout me? I barely had time to think before Diesel tore away from the sidewalk, hurtling into the light night traffic. I squealed and clutched onto him, burying my face into his back as Diesel weaved in and out of the cars, ignoring the blares of horns.
Then I heard something else. It sounded like a car backfiring several times. A split second later, something whizzed past my face, causing Diesel to shout and swerve his bike to the side. He righted it again, and the bike sped up. I managed to brace myself enough to look back. Two non-descript cars, dark in color, were following us, speeding through the lingering traffic and jumping lights. One was almost directly behind us, and I could see someone leaning out the passenger window.