Page 25 of Heat (The Royal HArlots MC, Quebec City-Canada #1)

Chapter Twenty-Four

When she pulled into the rest area, the tires humming over concrete as she eased the truck into a dark corner of the lot.

She parked away from the tight line of other semis, aiming for isolation.

Luck was on their side—an empty spot near the exit, shrouded in shadow where a busted pole light had gone dark. No prying eyes. Just what she needed.

The door creaked as she climbed down from the cab, boots hitting the pavement with a soft thud. The air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of diesel and pine. Crickets buzzed in the grass beyond the pavement, filling the silence with a low hum.

Sayer was already at the trailer, his broad frame barely visible in the gloom. He helped her unfasten the doors, metal hinges groaning as they swung open. The cold interior air wafted out, dry and still.

Inside the trailer was a maze of shadows. Diamond weaved between crates and pallets, the scent of cardboard and wood heavy in her nose. Her fingers brushed the rough edges of a stack as she shifted it aside, revealing the hidden compartment door. The latch clicked as she opened it.

Carla blinked at her from within, eyes wide in the dim light. Her daughters were curled against her, fast asleep.

Diamond offered a soft smile and gestured them out. “Let’s get you up front.”

“Thank you.” Carla’s voice was a whisper, thick with exhaustion. She gently handed over one of the sleeping girls—warm and limp against Diamond’s chest—before lifting the other child into her arms.

“Can I stretch my legs for a minute?” she asked, her voice hesitant. “Just a quick walk?”

Diamond tensed. Cameras. Risk. Exposure.

“I’d rather you didn’t.” But Carla’s face fell, weary and pleading.

Diamond sighed. “One trip. Around the truck. That’s it.”

Carla nodded and tucked the girls into the sleeper with quiet, practiced movements. Then she slipped down to the pavement, rolling her shoulders as she walked slowly toward the back of the truck, her figure swallowed by the dark.

Diamond started to follow—but paused when she spotted Sayer already moving after her, his steps light, controlled. Good. Someone had her back.

She slid into the driver’s seat and grabbed her phone, thumb tapping out a call. The screen glowed cold blue in the cab’s darkness. It rang. And rang. Finally?—

“Everything going good with dinner?” Nova’s voice came casually, but pointed.

Diamond caught the cue instantly. “Yeah. Ordered in for three.” Letting her know Carla and the girls were still safe.

“Sounds like a nice evening in.”

“Maybe. I got roped into a movie.”

“At least it’s only one.”

“True.” Diamond’s eyes flicked to the side mirrors—nothing. The shadows gave up no sign of movement. A slow unease curled in her gut. “Dinner’s here. I’ll check in tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.” The line clicked.

Back at the clubhouse, Nova snapped her fingers for Fifi to track Diamond’s location.

Diamond tossed her phone onto the dash and shoved the door open. Cool air rushed in, brushing her skin with a bite. She grabbed the heavy flashlight from the door pocket—not for light, but for weight. It was cold and solid in her grip, the metal handle comforting in its familiarity.

She crept along the cab, every step muffled by the hush of the night. Her breath fogged slightly in the air. She paused between the sleeper and the trailer, listening—nothing but the faint chirp of insects and the distant hum of highway traffic.

She didn’t turn on the flashlight. Not yet. She hadn’t brought it for visibility—she’d brought it to swing.

Her heart pounded harder the farther she moved from the cab, each beat louder than the last. The shadows pressed in, thick and unmoving.

Then she turned the corner?—

Sayer.

She jumped back with a gasp, arm halfway up, flashlight ready to strike. He raised his hands quickly, just in time.

“Damn it,” she hissed through clenched teeth.

“Sorry,” he said, grinning. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

She ignored that. “Where’s Carla?”

“Already in the sleeper.”

Diamond exhaled, her pulse still racing. She rubbed a hand down her face and nodded, stepping back to the cab.

Grabbing the wheel, she hauled herself into the seat and dropped into it with a tired grunt. The leather was cool against her back as she leaned her head against the rest, eyes slipping shut for just a second.

She didn’t relax. Not yet. Not until Sayer climbed in and shut the door behind him.