Page 26 of Heat (The Royal HArlots MC, Quebec City-Canada #1)

Chapter Twenty-Five

They had a choice to make—either stay parked there for the night or push through another hour to a more secure spot Diamond had used in the past. Either way, they needed rest. It had been a long day, and an even longer evening.

Moving up the departure time had tossed their carefully laid plans straight into the wind. Diamond didn’t like flying blind, and that’s exactly what this felt like. Every mile was a guess, every stop a risk.

They had a set time and place for the meet tomorrow. But it would be another long, grueling day for the mother and her two little girls. That weighed on her more than she wanted to admit.

“What’s that concerned look on your face, Diamond?” Sayer asked, watching her carefully.

She didn’t answer right away. Her fingers tapped a slow rhythm against the wheel.

“Trying to decide what we should do.”

“What are our options?” he asked, finally seeing the fatigue pulling at the corners of her mouth, the strain around her eyes.

“We could stay here for the night…” her voice was quiet. “Or drive another hour to a place I know. Secured lot, fenced-in, out of sight.”

Sayer glanced out the window, scanning the dim rest stop. “What would the hour buy us that we don’t have here?”

She shrugged, her shoulders heavy. “A place where we don’t have to sleep with one eye open.”

That was enough for him. “Switch seats with me. I’ll drive. We can make it there.”

She turned her head, studying him. For a moment, curiosity replaced the weariness in her eyes. “You know how to drive a rig?”

Sayer smirked. “I do. Haven’t in a few years, but I remember.”

If she weren’t so bone-deep tired, she might’ve laughed at him. Instead, she just sighed. “Why not. That’s what insurance is for,” she muttered, unbuckling her seatbelt.

They shuffled in the cramped cab, shoulder to shoulder as they switched seats. The fabric of the seat was still warm beneath her as she settled into the passenger side, body sinking into the cushion like it finally had permission to let go.

Sayer adjusted the wheel with confident hands, flipping switches like muscle memory hadn’t faded.

Diamond rested her head against the window, eyes half-lidded but alert. Just enough to stay awake… just in case.

The cab settled into a gentle rhythm as they rolled back onto the highway. The engine rumbled low beneath them, steady and strong, a comforting hum against the tension that had hung over the evening.

Sayer kept one hand on the wheel, his other resting lazily on the armrest. He adjusted the dial on the radio until a soft stream of classic rock poured through the speakers. It was low enough not to wake the girls, but just enough to fill the silence.

The heater whispered warm air through the vents, a subtle contrast to the cool outside pressing against the windshield. The cab had that familiar blend of leather, diesel, and something faintly sweet. Maybe a trace of the pastries Diamond had stashed earlier.

Diamond leaned against the passenger-side window, her head tipped just slightly, eyes slipping shut.

The soft glow of the dash lights painted her face in shades of amber and blue.

She looked tired—more than tired. Worn through.

But even asleep, she held herself like someone half-prepared to snap awake and take the wheel again.

The CB crackled now and then with the ghost voices of other drivers—quick check-ins, location updates, occasional jokes half-lost in static. Sayer left it on; a kind of white noise that made the world feel a little less empty.

Outside, the highway stretched out endlessly, marked by fleeting overhead lights and the occasional blur of a late-night traveler heading the opposite direction. They were deep into nowhere now. Just how Diamond liked it.

As the hour ticked by, Sayer spotted the turnoff and followed the familiar route down a gravel access road.

The truck bumped gently along the path, tires crunching over loose stone until the secured lot came into view.

Chain-link fence. Motion lights. Security cameras mounted on rusting poles. It wasn’t pretty, but it was safe.

He pulled up to the gate and leaned toward the control box—only to realize he didn’t have the code.

“Diamond,” he said softly, his voice cutting through the low music. She didn’t move.

He reached over, brushing the back of his knuckles lightly against her arm. “Hey. We’re here.”

She stirred with a faint groan, blinking up at him like she wasn’t sure where she was.

“The code,” Sayer said, nodding toward the gate.

“Oh… right.” She sat up slowly, stretching one arm across her chest with a tired sigh. “Seven-one-three-zero,” she mumbled, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

Sayer punched in the code. The gate buzzed, then rolled open with a mechanical whine.

As they drove through, Diamond sat up straighter, already reorienting herself. She reached out and turned the music down, the hum of the engine taking over the cab again.

“Thanks for driving,” she said quietly, her voice a little hoarse from sleep.

Sayer glanced at her with a faint grin. “You snore, by the way.”

“I do not.”

“You absolutely do.”

She gave him a look but didn’t argue. She was too tired. Too grateful. And just a little bit impressed he’d gotten them here without a hitch.

The gate slid closed behind them, locking the outside world away. For now, they were safe.

Sayer guided the truck toward the back of the lot, maneuvering around a few parked rigs and storage containers until they reached a shadowed corner out of range of the main security lights. It wasn’t total darkness, but it was enough to keep them out of sight.

He killed the engine. The silence that followed was thick and settling, like a blanket drawn over the cab.

Diamond didn’t move right away. She sat still for a moment, eyes scanning the lot through the windshield, watching, listening.

When she was sure they were alone, she climbed down, boots hitting the pavement with a quiet thud.

The air was cold against her skin. She moved around the truck, checking the doors and trailer one last time. Always checking. Always sure.

Grabbing the septic hose, the electrical cable, and the water hose she hooked the cab up to the RV hookup the lot supplied. She was ready for more than an hour’s worth of sleep.

By the time she climbed back in, Sayer had already kicked off his boots and shrugged out of his jacket, tossing it over the seat.

In the sleeper, Diamond kneeled down and pulled a rolled-up air mattress from under the bunk.

The small, battery-powered pump whirred as it inflated, the sound oddly loud in the quiet truck.

The mattress filled out just enough to press against both walls, a tight fit in the narrow floor space, but it was enough.

Diamond dropped onto it with a soft grunt, stretching her legs out. Kicking off her boots she reached over, patting the empty space beside her. “Get in. Before I fall asleep without you.”

Sayer chuckled under his breath and ducked into the sleeper, settling down beside her. The mattress shifted beneath their combined weight, and the blankets rustled as they adjusted in the small space.

Without a word, Diamond shifted closer, slipping an arm across his chest. Her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt like they needed to hold on to something solid. Sayer didn’t hesitate—his arm came around her shoulders, pulling her in until her head rested against him.

His body was warm, steady beneath hers. The rise and fall of his chest beneath her cheek was rhythmic, grounding. Outside, the wind tapped softly at the windows. The faint scent of leather, road dust, and whatever aftershave he’d used lingered in the air between them.

She didn’t speak, didn’t need to. The walls between them had been worn thin by the day’s miles and the weight of the work they were doing.

Sayer held her a little closer, his thumb brushing once along her arm.

“I’ve got you,” he murmured, voice low and rough with sleep.

Diamond closed her eyes. And for the first time in a long time, she believed those words.