“I’m alright,” Rachel squeaked.
“Good,” he said, with a smile. If Rachel wasn’t so overwhelmed by the man, it might have been reassuring.
“You bring the food?” Diesel asked, sending Rachel a wink. She knew he was trying to take the attention away from her and she was extremely grateful for it.
“Got it out in the truck,” Reaper said. “Want to help me carry it all in?”
“Sure,” Diesel said, leading the way out the front door.
“Let’s go outside. Sledge kept telling me about this amazing view from Diesel’s back deck. I want to see it,” Beth gushed.
Chapter Thirteen
Diesel
Diesel exited the house with Reaper and Sledge right on his heels. He could tell Rachel was nervous. In all honesty, he could understand her fears. There was a lot of missing information in the grand picture; both Sledge and Reaper would want answers eventually.
Rounding the side of the house, Diesel could see the guys brought a lot more than just food. Rachel’s bike, with new tires, was sitting on the trailer attached to Reaper’s truck.
“Figured she might want her bike back,” Reaper said, seeing where Diesel was looking.
“I’m sure she does,” Diesel replied. “I can’t even imagine not having mine.”
“Right,” he retorted.
“How have things been going?” Sledge asked.
“Good,” Diesel answered.
“Has Rachel filled you in on anything?” Sledge asked.
“No. But I think that will take a bit. Rachel doesn’t trust very easily. And she isn’t going to open her mouth to anyone she doesn’t trust,” Diesel explained. “Whatever happened in the past, it has made her extremely leery.”
“I can understand that,” Reaper sympathized.
“So can I, but at the same time, we need to know what we are up against. Like exactly what,” Sledge commented. “Without that information, we are fighting blind and that can get people killed.”
Diesel understood where Sledge was coming from and agreed with him. It was never smart to fight without a plan. Ghosts could sneak up on you at any minute.
Diesel turned at the sound of motorcycles rumbling up his driveway. When they rounded the bend, a huge smile spread across his face. The entire club had just arrived.
“It’s the Fourth of July. The club always celebrates together. Just because we have this going on, it’s not going to change that,” Sledge grinned, throwing an arm around Diesel’s shoulder.
“We have fireworks, too. Prepare for a huge explosion!” The smile on Reaper’s face should have scared the shit out of him, but instead, excitement grew.
“Epic!” Diesel smiled.
“Very Epic,” Reaper agreed.
“So, you and Rachel?” Sledge interjected.
“I don’t know,” Diesel answered honestly. “I like her. Really like her. And she likes me, but I don’t know if anything will come of it. If that’s what you’re asking?”
“Make it happen,” Sledge said. “If you both like each other, don’t throw that away. Trust me, man.”
Diesel knew he was right. Sledge had lost eight years with Beth and his son. Diesel didn’t want to look back and think about the what ifs. He wanted to live life. He wanted to create his own happiness and in the process, create Rachel’s, too.
“Let’s get this party started!” Viper piped in as he walked towards the group.
“Where is Rachel?” All the guys looked to the group approaching behind Viper, Ginx was leading the mob.
“She’s out on the back deck with Amber and Beth,” Reaper answered.
“You and I need to talk,” Sledge said, looking her in the eyes.
“Later,” she replied.
“Fuck later. We talk now,” Sledge ordered.
“Excuse me? You aren’t my Prez. Don’t think your order means shit,” Ginx popped off.
The group went silent. A look of pure evil quickly passed over Sledge’s face. Diesel stood frozen in place as Sledge slowly made his way to stand directly in front of Ginx.
“I fucking said now, Ginx. It wasn’t a Goddamn request. You can talk to your daughter later,” Sledge gritted out.
“How did you...” The color completely drained from Ginx’s face.
“I have to say, I’m offended, Ginx,” Sledge replied. “Have you forgotten who I am?”
“No, but I..” she started.
“You tried to keep her a secret?” Sledge guessed. When Ginx shook her head to indicate yes, he continued. “Well obviously, you didn’t keep it good enough since Russian Intelligence is now after her.”
“What?” Ginx seemed to be genuinely surprised.
“Like I said, we talk now,” Sledge demanded. “Reaper, you are with me. Everyone else, help Diesel carry in supplies and get the BBQ set up.”
As soon as the words left Sledge’s mouth, everyone was a swift movement of action. In less than an hour, the brisket was in the smoker, and burgers were on the grill.
“That is a lot of food,” Rachel said as she walked up to stand beside him.
“The briskets are for later tonight. We’re going to have burgers and all the trimmings for lunch” Diesel explained. “You doing okay?”
“Yeah. I’m alright.” But he could tell something was bothering her. Pulling her against his side, he planted a kiss on top of her head. “What’s wrong, darlin’?”
“How do you know something is wrong?” Rachel asked.
“I have watched you for a while. I know the looks on your face. I know what each one means. Now, what’s wrong?” Diesel persisted.
“I thought my mother would be here,” Rachel whispered.
Shit! I forgot to tell her, he chastised himself.
Setting the tongs on the table beside the grill, Diesel turned so he and Rachel were facing each other. Lifting her face, he placed a soft kiss on her lips. He didn’t care if everyone saw them. While a real relationship scared the shit out of him, he wanted one with Rachel. He had no clue how to make it happen, but he still wanted it.
“I am so sorry,” he said, kissing her forehead. “I got so caught up in getting everything ready, that I forgot to mention that your mom is already here. She’s with Sledge and Reaper. As soon as they are finished talking, she’ll be out here.”
“Okay,” Rachel leans her head against his chest.
Diesel loved having her in his arms. He would much rather have her in his bed, buried balls deep inside of her, but he would settle for just standing here with her against him - for now.
“Is there something I should know?” Ginx voice shattered the moment that he and Rachel had created.
“Ginx!” Rachel said in excitement. Pulling away from him, she rushed into Ginx’s arms.
Diesel felt the loss immediately. All of this shit was new to him. The feelings. Now those nasty fuckers were messing with his head.
“Rachel, I need a few minutes of your time, please,” Sledge called from his place on the steps.
“Devin, this is supposed to be a fun Fourth of July party. Not an interrogation gathering,” Beth reminded.
“I know that, baby. But I also have a club and members to keep safe,” he said, bending down to place a kiss upon her head.
“Okay,” Rachel answered.
“I am going with her,” Ginx called back to Sledge.
“No, you aren’t. As you so kindly decided to remind me, you are not a member of this club. You don’t get a say so in anything.” Sledge retorted.
“But neither is Rachel,” Ginx shot back.
“She is under our protection. Something you failed to provide,” Sledge’s voice boomed across the yard. “While you selfishly left an innocent child to defend herself against a world of enemies, my crew stepped in to ensure her survival.”
Ginx was pushing buttons and from the look on her face, she knew she had just pushed too hard.
“Sledge, that isn’t fair,” Viper piped in.
“Fair? Do we r
eally want to talk about fair, Thomas?” Sledge asked, his temper steadily rising.
This is not how Diesel saw the party going. He wanted fun, entertaining, and craziness. But what he definitely did not want was murder and mayhem; which were clearly written on Sledge’s face. Reaper’s didn’t look any better.
“Okay, enough!” All heads turned towards Amber. The woman had a way of making people pay attention. “This is supposed to be a fun family get-together. And you two,” she pointed at Reaper and Sledge, “Look like you’re about to commit murder. Rachel, go talk to them so we can all get past this and have a fun night. Diesel, go with your girl.”
“Oh, I’m not his...” Rachel started.
“His girl?” Amber asked. “Oh yes, you are. We can all see that.”
Diesel saw out of the corner of his eye, Rachel turns her gaze in his direction. Slowly, he also turned toward her. He was worried about the look he would see on her face. But he shouldn’t have been. Rachel’s eyes were sparkling when he finally looked. That meant she was excited.
Was she excited to be his girl, Diesel wondered?
Diesel moved the few steps that separated him and Rachel. This time, she was the one who reached for his hand, intertwining their fingers.
“Sledge, can Diesel come with me?” Rachel asked quietly, almost shy.
“Yes, Rachel. Diesel can come,” Sledge answered, just as calmly.
“There. Now that that’s settled, get on with it and get back here,” Beth chimed in, smiling at her husband.
Walking back through the house, the small group exited the front door. Diesel led Rachel over to the porch swing and together they both sat down. The silence began to stretch on, and Diesel wondered if he needed to say something.
Sledge was the first to speak. “First of all, we got your bike running again. It’s on a trailer attached to Reaper’s truck. We’ll pull it off and leave it here for you. The girls also went shopping and picked up stuff they thought you might want. That is in my car, and will be left, too.”
“Thank you,” Rachel replied quietly. Diesel squeezed her hand to offer comfort. To remind her she wasn’t facing Sledge alone.
“As you probably already know, we talked to Ginx. Now we need to talk to you,” Reaper interjected. “We aren’t trying to be assholes, Rachel. But we do need to know everything. We have a duty to this club to keep everyone alive. Russian Intelligence is a big deal.”
“I know.” Diesel felt Rachel’s hand tighten around his. He felt the tremble travel through her body.
“It’s okay,” he reminded her. “I’ve got you. No matter what, I got you.”
“I hope you really mean that,” she replied. Taking a deep breath, Rachel told her story.
Chapter Fourteen
Rachel
“A couple of years ago...” Rachel began to explain.
“No,” Sledge interrupted. “I already know about that. What I need to know is how deep this goes. What happened when you were fourteen? The prison camp?”
Rachel felt Diesel tense beside her. She fought hard not to pull away from him. Not to hide. Not to lose herself in the darkness. Again.
Taking a shaky breath, Rachel began again...
“Three days before my fourteenth birthday, I was walking home from school. I lived with my grandmother because my mom was always gone and my dad died when I was a baby. Anyway, I was walking home, about to cross the street, when a van cut off my path. It all happened so fast. Some men jumped out of the back and grabbed me. I remember being thrown into the back. They put something over my face, and that was the last thing I remember until I woke up in a dark room. It was literally pitch black. I couldn’t see my own hand in front of my face.”
The images were so vivid in Rachel’s head. It was like a 3D movie playing. She could still feel the dark dampness against her skin.
“And?” Sledge prompted, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Rachel couldn’t sit anymore. She had to get up and move. She could feel the darkness pulling at her.
“Thank you,” Rachel said. She knew what he had done. Sledge knew the past was pulling her backwards. He had given her an anchor.
“The torture started almost instantly, after I woke up,” she started explaining again. “The first time, I was tied to a chair. This huge man asked me a bunch of questions. But I didn’t know the answers. He asked about my mother’s work. Like seriously, what fourteen-year-old child would know about government spy secrets? I couldn’t give him anything. I didn’t know anything. For days, the abuse just kept coming. Slaps, punches, whips, electrocution. It all seemed endless.”
“Were you...” Rachel couldn’t help the small grin that curved her lips. Reaper, the baddest biker of them all, couldn’t bring himself to ask a question that she knew was on everyone’s mind.
“Was I raped?” Rachel prompted.
Reaper gave a single nod of his head.
“No,” Rachel answered. “It never went that far. There was a woman; her name was Tatianna, but she gave them strict orders that they were not to touch me sexually.”
“Tatianna Valkovik?” Sledge asked.
“I don’t know what her last name was,” Rachel admitted. “Who is Tatianna Valkovik?”
“She was the wife of the Vladamir Valkovik. He used to be the top brass for the KGB,” Diesel answered. “Tall, skinny, platinum blonde. She always wore red spiked heels, and a black outfit.”
“I never saw her face. I just remember hearing her voice. It sounded like small bells tinkling,” Rachel explained. “I always imagined she would look like Tinker Bell.”
“This woman looked like Tinker, alright. But she was deadly as fuck,” Sledge joined in.
“Cold blooded as the come,” Reaper agreed.
“What happened then?” Sledge asked, bringing everyone back to the subject at hand.
“I found out later, after my rescue, that I was held in a Russian prison camp for eight months. Can you believe that? I even had members of the U.S. government try to scout me! They thought if I could survive that long at the age of fourteen, just imagine how amazing I could be with proper training.” Rachel rolled her eyes. Thinking back now, it all disgusted her. She was a child, and the government didn’t care. They just wanted to use her because they thought she was unique.
“That is some fifty shades of fucked up,” Diesel stated to no one in particular. Rachel smiled at him. Seeing Diesel get upset on her behalf, something that happened so many years ago, did something to her heart.
“Do you remember the questions they asked you?” Sledge questioned.
“They wanted to know what my mother was working on. Where she was at the time. What country and if she brought anything home with her the previous visit,” Rachel answered honestly. “But I couldn’t give them any answers. I rarely saw my mother. To be honest, during that time, I probably couldn’t have told them what she looked like. Months, and one-time, even a year passed between the times I saw her.”
For the next hour, Rachel answered questions and told more of her story. As the words flowed, she could feel the energy drain from her body and a headache take over. At one point, Diesel could see the effects of reliving those months had on her and stepped up to end the interrogation.
“Okay, Rachel’s had enough,” Diesel said, walking over to her.
“We’re almost done,” Sledge said.
“No. We are done,” Diesel countered.
“Excuse me? You don’t get to tell me when I am finished,” Sledge said, eyes narrowing on Diesel.
“Fuck you, Devin! This is my house. My girl. I sure as fucking shit do get to tell you. And I just did,” Diesel interjected, not backing down an inch.
“Marcus...” Reaper warned.
“Not now, Zander! Look at her! Look. At. Her!” Diesel’s voice grew louder as he emphasized each word. “She’s had enough.”
Sledge moved into Diesel’s personal space. Rachel was ready to jump at any moment. If those two went to blows, they would tea
r down the front porch. Rachel wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.
“What’s going on?” Beth’s voice broke through the tension like a wrecking ball.
“Apparently, Diesel here thinks he has the authority to tell me when I can or cannot interrogate a person,” Sledge growled.
“And Diesel is right. He does,” Beth stated, drawing Sledge’s attention.
“What?” He asked.
“I said, he does. Rachel is his woman. Diesel has every right to cut you off from her. That’s his job. How would you feel if someone was interrogating me to the point I was shaking from exhaustion?” Beth prompted. “Look at her, Devin. She’s lost all the coloring in her face. She is literally shaking. You have her out here reliving the worst time of her life. Fuck yeah, Diesel is going to be protective. Just as you would be. Now, if he told you that it was over, then it is fucking over. Period. Respect your Sergeant at Arms and move on.” Beth’s own temper was starting to heat up.
Rachel looked on as Sledge and Beth stared each other down. If Rachel had been in Beth’s shoes, she would have wilted. But not Beth. Beth was the Queen and could stand toe to toe with the King and never back down an inch. The woman had balls of steel.
“Fine,” Sledge caved.
“And?” Beth prompted.
“And what?” Sledge asked.
“Oh, I don’t know. How about you start with - I’m sorry Rachel for being a world class dick!” she spat. “Or, I’m sorry Diesel for treating your woman like a suspect in a criminal investigation when I should have been treating her as a member of my crew.”
“But she’s not a member of my crew,” Sledge spat back.
“What the fuck? Yes, she is. Are you fucking blind, Devin? Honey, she is Diesel’s girl. That makes her a member.” Beth shook her head and rolled her eyes.
“I am sorry, Rachel. You too, D,” Sledge sighed.
“Yeah,” Diesel replied, causing Rachel to hit him. “What?”
“Respect,” was the only thing Rachel needed to say.
Sergeant at Arms: Devil's Henchmen MC, Book Three Page 8