Making a left turn on West Commerce Street, just as the light turned red, Rachel noticed the black sedan behind her blew through it as well. A nervous feeling filled her. Was she being followed?
Stop being paranoid! Rachel chastised herself.
Using her blinker, she moved into the right lane. The sedan followed. Just a coincidence, she told herself. But her brain didn’t agree.
Rachel gassed her bike and shot across to the left lane, taking Fort Worth Avenue at the last minute. Looking in her mirror, she watched as the black sedan quickly followed her movements; it barely missed the divider.
Okay, she was definitely being followed. Rachel throttled her bike even harder. Weaving in and out of traffic. She had to get away from the car. She had to get somewhere safe.
You had safe. You left safe. Idiot! Rachel screamed at herself as she passed between two vehicles that couldn’t decide who was going to pass who.
Faster and faster she flew through town. Rachel kept up her speed long after the black sedan disappeared from her rear view. As Rachel entered Grand Prairie city limits, she finally sighed her relief. She knew she wasn’t totally safe yet. But she was clear, for now.
Pulling into the parking lot of an old diner, Rachel parked her bike on the side of the building. Walking into the eatery, she chose a seat next to the window. She needed help and there was only one person she knew to call. Pulling her cell phone from her jacket pocket, she pressed a few buttons and then listened as the call connected.
“Hey, kid.” Viper answered.
“I’m not a kid. And I need help.” Rachel wasn’t in the mood to waste time.
“What’s wrong?” Viper asked. Rachel could clearly hear the concern in his voice.
“I was being followed. I managed to lose them, though,” she told him.
“Where are you?” Viper asked. Rachel would have smiled if she wasn’t in her current situation. Viper was the one person she knew she could always count on.
“Grand Prairie. Pat’s Diner.” Rachel replied.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can. Do not leave, Rachel.” Viper ordered. Not that Rachel needed the order.
“I’ll be here,” she informed him.
“What’s going on?” Rachel heard Diesel’s voice in the background.
“Nothing. I just need to go out for a while. I’ll be back later.” Viper told him.
“Bullshit.” Sledge’s voice rang out loud through the phone connection.
“Rachel, I need to tell them something,” Viper sighed.
“You can’t!” she practically shouted. “Viper, they can’t know about my mother.” Rachel said in a quieter voice.
“Not that,” Viper said. “About our relationship.”
“Oh. Okay,” Rachel replied.
“I’m putting the phone on speaker.” Viper told her.
“Okay.” Rachel listened while Viper explained the relationship between the two of them.
“I’ve known Rachel since she was fourteen and I was appointed her guardian. Her mother and I have been dating for about five years. Even though she is now an adult, I am still responsible for her,” Viper explained to whoever was gathered around him at the clubhouse.
“So who is her mother?” Sledge asked.
“I’m sorry Sledge, but without talking to her first, I can’t reveal that information,” Viper said.
“Wait. You can’t tell us who her mother is?” It was Reaper’s turn to chime in.
“Correct.” Viper confirmed.
“Wow. Okay,” Sledge replied, curiosity clearly evident in his tone. “So what is the problem now?”
“Rachel said she was followed. She lost the tail, but now she is in Grand Prairie, sitting in a diner,” Viper relayed the information Rachel had told him.
“Eventually, I want to know what this is all about. You have been holding out on us Viper; and with everything that has happened lately, that doesn’t sit well with me. Do what you need to do, but Diesel goes with you.” Sledge ordered.
“No!” Rachel exclaimed.
“Not a request, Rachel. You want one of my men, then you get two. It’s either that, or none. Your choice.” Sledge left no room for arguments.
“Sledge, I can handle this on my own,” Viper offered.
“I said it wasn’t a request,” Sledge repeated. “It’s either you take Diesel with you, or leave your cut on the counter on your way out.”
“Are you serious?” Viper asked Sledge.
“Very.” Sledge’s voice carried a razor sharp edge. “You have gone behind my back. Kept vital information from me, and still are. Yet you expect me to trust you when obviously neither of you trust me?”
“Fine.” Rachel interjected. “I’ll take both.”
She didn’t want Viper losing his place in the Henchmen, not for her. And she knew better than to argue with Sledge. She’d never win.
“Okay, Rachel. Diesel and I are about to head your way,” Viper said.
“Yep.” Rachel was less than happy about Diesel tagging along. If anything happened to him, she’d never forgive herself.
“Stay put,” Viper reminded.
“Like I have anywhere else to be,” she retorted.
“Good,” Viper answered. “Love you, Kiddo.”
“Love you, too,” Rachel smiled.
Hanging up the phone, Rachel sat staring out of the window. She had no idea where she was going to go. Trying to think of her next move, she was startled by the ringing of her phone. Looking at the screen, the caller ID displayed ‘Unavailable’. The only person that could be was her mom.
“Hello.” Rachel answered on the second ring.
“What happened?” asked her mom.
“I left the compound and...” Rachel started, but was interrupted.
“Left? Why did you leave?”
“Because he found me, Mom!” Rachel exclaimed. “There are children there, remember?”
“I know that. But you would have been safer staying there. Sledge and the guys would never let anything happen to the kids or you.” Her mom had a point, but Rachel wasn’t willing to take any chances.
“Maybe not, but I couldn’t risk it,” Rachel explained. “Anyway, after I left I noticed I was being followed. I was able to lose the car, but now I’m at a diner in Grand Prairie. Viper and Diesel are on their way now.”
“Diesel? Why is he involved?” her mother asked.
“Because Sledge wouldn’t let Viper come without him. Mom, things are getting crazy. Sledge threatened to remove Viper’s cut if he left without Diesel.” Rachel still felt bad about that. She hated that Viper was in the middle, having to choose between her and the Henchmen.
“Did he really?” her mom asked, surprised.
“Yes,” Rachel answered.
“Wow. Okay. Then I guess Diesel is in.”
“What do you mean?” Rachel asked.
“Tell him the truth, Rachel.” Her mom explained.
“I can’t. If I do, he will know who you are. It’s too dangerous.” Rachel couldn’t understand why she was even explaining this to her mother - the queen of secrecy.
“He already knows who I am, just not entirely. Diesel is a great ally to have. Plus, he will help protect you,” her mom explained.
Rachel sighed in frustration. She made the mistake of telling one person about her mom, and it blew up in her face. Literally, the information got her hunted; hence why she was now sitting in an old mom and pop diner. Could she trust someone again with that information?
As if reading her thoughts, Rachel’s mom chimed in, pulling her back into the conversation. “Rachel, I am telling you - tell Diesel. Or I can call and tell him myself.”
“I’ll handle it, Mom.” Rachel didn’t know if that was true yet, but she didn’t want Diesel finding out the truth from her mother.
“Okay, honey. I better get off here and get back to work. I love you,” her mom said.
“I love you, too.” Rachel really did love her mother, but sometimes she
hated the life she was born into.
Hanging up the phone, Rachel waved the waitress over and ordered a coffee and some lunch. She would be waiting for a bit, so might as well fill her stomach.
Chapter Seven
Diesel
Walking out of the clubhouse, Diesel was still reeling over the information he had learned. At least he knew Viper and Rachel weren’t fuck buddies. That helped to at least ease some of the tension he started feeling yesterday. He still didn’t understand why he felt the way he did, and why all of a sudden was he feeling it now. Rachel had lived on the compound for two years. He always thought she was hot, but the emotions swirling inside of him didn’t rear their ugly head until seeing her bloody on the back patio of the bar.
“Are you going to get on your bike or just stand there looking at it?” Viper asked.
“Sorry,” Diesel said, throwing a leg over the seat. He really needed to pull his head out of his ass. Rachel needed help. He could figure out his fucked up head later. Starting his bike, he walked it out of its spot and followed Viper out of the lot.
The ride to Grand Prairie was long. Traffic was crazy, which wasn’t abnormal in Dallas. It seemed the city never slept. Diesel and Viper rode hard, both worried about Rachel sitting so far away by herself. Zipping between vehicles, they arrived at the diner about an hour after leaving the clubhouse.
Creeping into the parking lot, both men searched for Rachel’s bike, neither finding it. Worry filled Diesel’s gut. Did she leave? Did the people that had followed her, find her camped out here waiting for him and Viper?
Dismounting, Viper and Diesel exchanged a look. Diesel knew Viper was feeling the same tension he was. Pulling open the diner door, Diesel breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Rachel sitting in the back of the diner.
“Where’s your bike?” Viper asked, before Diesel had a chance.
“It’s parked on the side of the building, on the other side of the dumpster,” Rachel replied.
“Good idea,” Viper nodded.
“Okay, someone needs to fill me in on what is going on,” Diesel said, as he takes a seat next to Rachel, with his back against the wall.
Viper looked to Rachel for guidance. The two exchanged a look that Diesel couldn’t decipher, and immediately the tension he was feeling yesterday invaded him again. He felt like the odd man out, and he didn’t like it.
“Enough,” Diesel barked, causing a few heads to turn his direction. “I want to know what the fuck is going on.”
“Man, chill out,” Viper said, leaning back in his chair.
“Chill out? Are you fucking serious?” Diesel growled.
“Okay you two, stop!” Rachel whisper-screamed. “I will explain what I can.”
“I’m waiting,” Diesel said, not taking his eyes off of Viper.
“A few years ago, I started dating this guy,” Rachel sighed, hating the fact that she was forced to tell the story.
“Wait, what?” Diesel asked.
“I dated a guy. Why is that so surprising?” Rachel asked, offended.
“Because you’re so...” Diesel trailed off.
“So what?” she asked.
“So...” Diesel tried to search for the right words. “So... innocent.”
“I said dated. Don’t read more into the situation,” Rachel replied.
“Oh,” Diesel smiled, noticing the blush creep up Rachel’s cheeks.
Rachel’s eye narrowed in his direction and he couldn’t help as his smile widened. Diesel thought she was so cute when she got embarrassed.
“Anyway,” Rachel rolled her eyes. “I was dating this guy and...” Now it seemed it was Rachel’s turn to search for words.
Diesel wanted to know it all. But at the same time, he knew he would have to earn Rachel’s trust before she would unload the complete truth.
“At first, he was real nice,” she continued. “He seemed completely interested in me. It wasn’t until about a month or two later, that his interest changed. He wanted to know more about my family, particularly my mother. He tried to say it was because he hadn’t met her yet, even though she and I talked quite a bit on the phone. But he was very persistent; and for some reason, maybe instinct, it rubbed me the wrong way. I talked to my mom about it; she agreed with me that it was rather odd. I mean, what guy is adamant about meeting a girl’s parents? Especially after only a few months of dating. He acted like we were together for a year or something. When I would explain to him that my mom worked a lot, he would get angry, frustrated, and then he would storm off and I wouldn’t hear from him for a day or two.”
“Stop,” Diesel instructed. “Who is your mom?”
Rachel looked over at Viper, again they exchanged looks. And for the second time that day, Diesel felt like the odd man out. How could he protect her if he didn’t know what the hell he was dealing with?
“That’s for another day,” she told him.
Diesel rubbed a hand over his face in frustration. He knew the identity of her mother was a key part of this equation. For some reason, everything that was happening to her had something to do with her mother. Whoever the fuck she is!
“Continue,” Diesel sighed.
“So, my mom looked into Garrett. As it turns out, his name really wasn’t Garrett. It was Andrei Sokolov. He worked for Russian Intelligence.”
“What the fuck!” Diesel exclaimed. “Russian Intelligence! What the hell have you gotten into?”
“Me?” Rachel asked. “Nothing!”
Turning to Viper, Diesel leveled him with a cold look. “Russian Intelligence? Fucking hell, dude! Do you have any idea what Sledge is going to do when he finds out that Russian Intelligence is somehow involved in this shit? And, that inadvertently, so are the Henchmen?”
Diesel watched as some of the color drained from Viper’s face. He kind of felt sorry for the guy, but not enough to keep any of what he learned from Sledge.
“You can’t tell Sledge,” Rachel pleaded.
“Like hell I won’t!” Diesel exclaimed. “I like my balls. My balls and I have a very close relationship. I don’t want them forcibly removed from my body!”
“Don’t be such a drama queen, Diesel,” Rachel sighed.
“You think I’m joking?” Diesel turned to stare at her. The woman had lost her mind! Completely lost it!
“D, listen,” Viper said.
“No, you listen,” Diesel interrupted. “We aren’t talking about a drug dealer. We aren’t talking about U.S. politicians. We are talking about the mother fucking KGB, asshole.”
“Please calm down, Diesel,” Rachel asked, laying a hand on his arm.
Any other time, Diesel would have relished in the feel of her soft skin on his, but right now that wasn’t the case.
“Look, you need to come back to the compound. It is the only way to keep you one-hundred percent safe. You also need to explain everything, and I mean everything to Sledge. Maybe there are some favors he could pull. Maybe he can talk to someone who can get this Andrei guy out of the picture.”
“Diesel, I can’t go back to the compound. Andrei isn’t the only one after me. And I can’t bring that type of danger to the house. There are children there. I won’t put them in danger,” Rachel explained.
“Rachel, please,” Diesel sighed.
“No,” Rachel said, standing from the table.
“Where are you going?’ he asked.
“I’m leaving,” she said to no one in particular.
Diesel watched, open mouthed, as Rachel walked out of the door. “The chick has the fucking KGB after her, for whatever damn reason, and she is walking out of this damn diner like it’s nothing,” Diesel commented. “Oh sure! Just walk out like it’s every day that the Russian Intelligence sends people to kidnap you,” he said, looking at Viper. “And you’re okay with this?”
“Fuck no, I’m not okay with this,” Viper replied.
“Then why won’t you stop it?” Diesel asked.
“That girl is as stubborn as her mother. Onc
e she has something in her head, nobody is going to deter her from it,” Viper explained.
“Well, since nobody cares to tell me who her fucking mother is, I guess I’ll just have to take your word on that - for now.” Diesel would find out the answer sooner or later. He would rather it be now, but since present company wasn’t in a sharing mood, he would have to figure it out later.
Standing from the table, Diesel pushed in his chair and grabbed a few bills out of his wallet, and threw them down on the table. Making his way outside, he found Rachel exactly where she said she had parked her bike. Only her bike was laid over on the ground, tires slashed.
Warning bells went off in Diesel’s head. Grabbing the gun from the waist band of his jeans, he searched the area surrounding the diner. Out of the corner of his eye, Diesel saw Viper doing the same thing.
“Rachel, get up,” he instructed. “And get behind me.”
Thankful that for once, she followed an order without argument, Diesel backed up to the building, placing Rachel between him and the brick exterior.
“I’m going to go check the other side and make my way around front,” Viper called.
“10-4,” Diesel replied, still searching the area for anything that might let him know if the people responsible for the damage to Rachel’s bike were still near.
“It’ll be okay, Rachel. Calm down,” Diesel could feel Rachel shaking against his back. “I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“O- Okay,” she stammered.
“Clear,” Viper’s voice called from the direction they had originally come from.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Diesel grabbed Rachel’s hand and pulled her towards his bike. He needed to get her out of here. There was only one place he knew to take her. Other than the compound, it was the only other place where he could guarantee her safety.
“Call Sledge. Get him to send one of the guys with a truck to pick up Rachel’s bike,” he told Viper as he walked past.
Sergeant at Arms: Devil's Henchmen MC, Book Three Page 4