by Brook Wilder
“Thanks.” Fiona squeezed my hand. “Take care, Amber. I’ll be along tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
Fiona followed Diesel out of the room, and I heard them going down the stairs. Then I nearly fell off the bed when another scream made me jump. They had been intermittent over the past few hours, muffled but clearly there. I wasn’t imagining them, as I had thought when I first woke on the couch. Noah had assured me it was nothing, that some of the bikers were playing video games in the basement where Diesel had a game room set up.
I had been too tired to think about it earlier, but now I was beginning to wonder. Diesel had never spoken about video games, and Diesel always spoke of his passions. And if there was an impending war going on with the cartel and the Russians, why were some of the bikers holed up in the basement playing games?
More than likely, they were hiding out. That was probably the reason. The cartel had jumped them, and Diesel’s home was a fortress. It was just his friends taking refuge.
I hoped so, even as my gut told me this wasn’t the case.
There were footsteps on the stairs, and Diesel appeared in the doorway a moment later. He gave me a smile that made my belly feel like it held a million butterflies.
“What’s going on down there, Diesel?”
“Sorry?”
“I keep hearing a lot of shouts.”
Diesel’s smile flickered a little, something I immediately noticed. But then his smile was as firm as before, Diesel entering the room and sitting on the bed.
“Don’t worry about that. Noah and a couple of the guys are making the most of my games room in the basement.”
“What’s Noah doing here? Shouldn’t he be with Liz?”
“Noah and I had club business to discuss. We’re settling down a couple of members here for refuge.” Diesel grimaced as another muffled shout reached our ears. “I’ll let them know they’ve got the volume up too loud.”
That didn’t sound like a scream from a video game. If it was, it was far too realistic. I frowned.
“You’re a really bad liar,” I accused.
“And you just don’t trust anyone,” Diesel shot back.
“Same could be said about you.”
“I have my reasons for it.”
He was dodging away. I sat forward, reaching for him.
“There’s something else going on, Diesel,” I urged gently, touching his jaw. “I can tell.”
Diesel growled and turned his head away, my fingers grasping air. He wouldn’t look at me now. I had known Diesel for long enough to recognize the subtle signs; he was hiding something from me. Something that he knew I wouldn’t like.
I wished he would open up to me. He had done so before. Now he was closing himself off again.
“You got me to talk to you, Diesel,” I protested. “Why won’t you talk to me?”
Diesel snorted.
“Just because it happened one way doesn’t mean it’s going to be a two-way street,” he snapped.
That hurt. More than I cared to admit. The sting was very real and very painful. Biting my lip to stop the onset of tears, I sat back and scowled, sliding myself under the duvet as I felt a chill settle across my body.
“Bastard!” I grumbled..
“Well, if you will go there…” Diesel stood and started towards the door. “I’m going to tell them idiots to turn the volume down.”
This was the Diesel I had first met. He was closing off again. I couldn’t help myself; it had been on my mind for a long time.
“Who was she, Diesel?”
That had Diesel stopping dead in his tracks in the doorway. I saw his whole body tensing. I hit a sore point, that much was certain. Then Diesel was turning back, his eyes blazing.
“What are you talking about?” he growled.
He was looking different. His face had clouded over, his eyes turned even darker. I had seen him mad but never like this. It made me want to hide under the duvet and not come out. But I stayed, forcing myself to meet his furious glower.
“Who was the woman who broke your heart?” I asked, my voice wavering. “Some bitch out there stopped you from loving anyone else, I’m sure of it. Who was it?”
Diesel looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel. His hands balled into fists at his sides. “That is none of your business,” he growled.
“I…”
“None of your business!” Diesel bellowed. “Got it?”
That had me shrinking back. The sight of Diesel’s fury in my direction had me almost bursting into tears. Even as I tried not to cry, I could feel tears welling up, blurring my vision.
Then Diesel’s expression changed. He went from furious to horrified, and then guilty. He sagged onto the bed and reached for me. “Come here, Amber,” he said softly.
I hesitated. I didn’t like this sudden change in temper. It had made me wary in the past. People who could switch emotions as quickly as that shouldn’t be trusted. But I couldn’t help myself, easing over and leaning into Diesel as he put his arms around me. He kissed my head and rubbed my back, rocking me gently.
“I’m so sorry, Amber. That was thoughtless of me.”
“I shouldn’t have been so nosy,” I whimpered, but Diesel gently shushed me.
“It’s not your fault, it’s mine. I shouldn’t be shouting at you, not while you’re pregnant. I don’t want to cause you distress.”
I looked up at him. “I’m not made of glass, Diesel.”
“I know.” Diesel kissed my forehead. “Listen, once this is all over, we’ll be able to start over. A baby and a new life. How about it?”
That had me sitting up. Starting over? Diesel made it sound like it was so easy. Could we actually do it?
Wait, did he say ‘we’?
“What about us?” I asked. “Are we going to be apart or what?”
Diesel was silent for a moment, watching me thoughtfully. Then he brushed my hair out of my eyes, cupped my face in his hands, and pressed a gentle kiss on my mouth.
“I think I can handle a relationship beyond just sex,” he said softly. “Just don’t expect me to love beyond affection.”
That was more than I could have asked for. He wasn’t abandoning me at all. In fact, he seemed to be giving me hope. I swallowed and gave him a smile.
“I was about to say the same thing. But don’t be with me just because I’m the mother of your baby.”
Diesel shook his head, resting his forehead against mine.
“I’ll always be there for the two of you. I promise.”
I believed him. Diesel was loyal, that much I was certain about. And he seemed to have taken the pregnancy in his stride. I knew he wouldn’t let the baby go cold or without food. Whether he did the same for me further down the line was another matter. I hoped it would never come to that.
It would break my heart if I was pushed away by Diesel.
Another muffled scream reached their ears, causing me to flinch. Diesel groaned and pulled away.
“Fucking hell. Those idiots. I’ll tell them to keep the noise down.” He kissed my forehead and stood. “You get some sleep. Get rid of those black circles under your eyes.”
“Thanks a fucking bunch,” I grumbled. I watched as Diesel headed towards the door. “Be careful, Diesel.”
Diesel chuckled, shooting me a wink. “You make it sound like I’m up to something.”
I said nothing as he left. He was always up to something. And Diesel was certainly in the middle of something bad right now.
Chapter Twenty Seven
Amber
I tried to sleep, but all I could think about were the screams. They kept plaguing my dreams, and I had horrific visions of being stuck in the middle of a horror movie, where an ordinary man was revealed to be a serial killer and kept his victims in the basement.
Diesel was no ordinary man, and I didn’t believe he was a serial killer. He had killed while in the army, but I hadn’t probed any further; it clearly hurt Diesel to think about it. I
wasn’t about to bring up something so painful.
However, those screams were clearly not from a video game. I had played them all my life, and while the voiceovers sometimes sounded real, this didn’t sound like it was coming from a game. Something told me that something awful was going on beneath me, and Diesel knew all about it.
What was he hiding?
I knew I couldn’t go poking around the house while Diesel was home. If he or Noah saw me, I would be shepherded back to bed. I didn’t want to have a fight, but I wasn’t about to sit around and twiddle my thumbs.
It felt like forever before I heard the front door open and close. I tiptoed to the window and peeked through the curtains. Diesel and Noah were on their bikes, turning around in the front yard in the direction of the exit. Both were dressed in black, and I could see weapons strapped to Diesel’s legs and back. They were going to a fight, I was sure of it?
Did it have something to do with the screaming from below?
I watched them go until they were out of sight. Then I slipped on my sneakers and headed out, padding down the stairs. The place was completely silent. My footsteps seemed to echo around the house.
There was a note on the kitchen counter when I stuck my head in there. A quick glance at it showed it was from Diesel, telling me he would be back soon and to rest. I rolled my eyes and tossed the note into the trash can. I didn’t need to be told to rest. That advice was getting too old.
I made my way around the house. It was the first time I had ever been to Diesel’s place. He had said his home was an old farm and he had a lot of land, but I hadn’t realized just how much. And the décor surprised me; it was of simple blues and yellows with warm orange and red tones. I wasn’t sure what I had been expecting, but not this, and certainly not with the furniture.
It was a perfect family home.
I pushed that thought from my mind. There was nothing in the house itself that said it was a torture room. Which just left the basement. I didn’t like basements. The walls always felt like they were closing in. But I braced myself and went further down into the bowels of the house. The lights were on, and there was a long hallway that ended with steps going up to a double-set of doors. They were locked. The only door in the hall was to my right, and when I tried the door, I found it was locked as well. But I saw the key hanging on the hook beside it and took it down.
For a moment, I paused. Did I want to go in there and find out what was really going on? Or did I want to plead ignorance and stay in denial?
“Hey!”
I jumped at the voice. It was on the other side of the door. Muffled, but clearer now.
“Hey, who’s out there? Answer me!”
That voice. I knew it. Very well. What was going on? Quickly, my shaking hands managed to unlock the door and I pushed it open.
I gasped when I saw a familiar man sitting in a steel chair in the middle of the room, dressed only in a pair of boxers. His hair was dripping wet, puddles of water around the chair, and he was shivering. His arms and legs were strapped to the chair. He looked up at me through the dripping fringe of hair hiding his face.
“Carlos?”
Carlos blinked. Then he stared at me. “Amber? What are you doing here?”
“I was going to ask you the same question. What’s going on?”
Carlos snorted. “Take a wild guess.”
I took in the rest of the room. This was clearly set up as a torture room. Benches lined two walls, and a third was a wall-to-wall cabinet full of weapons. There was a butcher’s hook hanging from the ceiling, and chains were everywhere. On the benches were an assortment of torture devices. There was even a tin bath full of water in the corner.
What the hell was Diesel doing? I felt a chill settle in. “The GRMC is torturing you.”
“Got it in one.” Carlos flapped his hands. “I’d clap, but I’m a little stuck.”
I felt my legs give way. I sagged to my knees, fighting back the panic rising up in my chest.
“Diesel told me his pals were using the games room and the volume was too high. That was you screaming, wasn’t it?”
“Nice to know things haven’t changed,” Carlos grunted. “This is a game room, just not for gamers.”
“But… Why? Why you?”
Carlos rolled his eyes.
“Come off it, Amber. I thought you had a brain in that head of yours.”
I knew exactly what was going on. But I didn’t want to believe it. To me, Carlos Herrera wasn’t the enemy. He was in the enemy’s camp, but he was my friend. He treated me with respect. Why would Diesel do that to him?
“You know something. Something Mason wants.”
“They couldn’t get at Fernandez last night. He’s always protected. But me…” Carlos shook his head. “I was sleeping in the guest house. That made me an easy target. Bodyguards usually don’t get to have bodyguards of their own.”
So, that was what they had been up to the night before. I pressed a hand to my stomach as nausea rolled.
“What did Mason want to know?” I croaked.
“They wanted to find a way of taking Fernandez out of the picture, so the arrangement between the cartel and the Russians will fall apart.” Carlos gave her a scowl. “I presume your fuck-buddy has told you what’s going on.”
I bared my teeth. “And I presume you knew that all of Khloe’s girls were being sold on.”
“I did know.”
“Were you one of those who grabbed me and injected me with fuck-knows what?”
Carlos shook his head, his eyes never leaving mine.
“No, that wasn’t me.”
I believed him. Carlos had always been very open with me. I could tell when he was lying. Carlos gave a self-deprecating snort and looked away. He looked like he was ashamed.
“You always were my weakness, Amber,” he grumbled.
“You think I’m doing this to get information out of you?”
“No, I know you’re not. You’re too innocent for that. Unlike some of the whores Khloe looks after, you’ve got a heart.” Carlos tugged at his bonds. “If only you could get me out of this.”
“I would, but I don’t know what Diesel or the GRMC would do if I did.” I couldn’t stop myself from pressing my hand to my belly. “I don’t want to risk it.”
This was something I shouldn’t be sharing with Carlos. He may have been a friend, but he was cartel. If he got out, this would be used against the bikers. Liz’s pregnancy and Hunter’s parentage had been used as a tool to almost rip her and Noah apart. I wasn’t about to put myself in that position.
But Carlos seemed to understand the implication. His eyes drifted to her belly.
“You’re pregnant.” It wasn’t a question. “Jacobsen’s kid?”
“Yes.”
Carlos grunted. He was still shivering hard. I could see the goosebumps from across the room.
“Good luck with that. You’re going to need it.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You know what the GRMC are and what they stand for, Amber. They’re a bunch of criminals.”
I snorted. “Says a man who works for the cartel.”
“At least I’m open about it. The GRMC will never admit any wrongdoing. They’re simply thugs who will do anything to be on top. And getting rid of the cartel would have them on top in Eden. Fernandez has known this for years.”
“Ruiz is a slippery bastard.” I murmured. “He always has a back-up plan in case the original falls through.”
“Considering you abhor my boss, you know him very well.”
I shrugged. “I’ve learnt to read people. He’s not the first one to have a Plan B.”
“And our Plan B was, if ever we were captured, to lay the foundations of a trap.” Carlos was breathing heavily, his breath sounding raspy. “You don’t need to guess who this trap was laid for.”
“You mean whatever information you gave Diesel and the others to stop them torturing you was false.”
“Just
so.” Carlos smirked, one that had a shiver of fear slithering up my spine. “The GRMC will be no more if they follow what I have told them.”
It was feeling even colder than before. I was beginning to realize I was sitting near a very dangerous man. The Carlos I had known before was not there anymore. It was like I was staring at a stranger.