Page 31 of Heat (The Royal HArlots MC, Quebec City-Canada #1)

Chapter Thirty

The van rolled smoothly over the backroad, the hum of the tires blending with the low rattle of gear in the back. Seven drove with one hand on the wheel, gaze focused, posture relaxed, but alert. Diamond sat up front beside her, watching the tree-lined road stretch out ahead like it had no end.

In the back, the mood was quieter now different from the tension of earlier. Heavier, yet softer.

Carla sat on the rear bench seat with one daughter tucked into each side, their little bodies pressed against her like they were trying to melt into her skin.

One of them clutched the brownie bag tight in her lap, the crinkled plastic rustling with every bump in the road.

The other had her thumb in her mouth, eyes half-closed but still watching the passing trees through the van window.

Diamond glanced at them through the rearview mirror. Carla had both arms wrapped around her girls; her head bowed slightly between them as she whispered something soft—so soft even Diamond couldn’t catch it over the low whir of the tires. A lullaby, maybe. Or a promise.

They were finally starting to believe they were safe. For now.

Sayer sat in the middle row, angled slightly back so he could keep an eye on all of them. His knee bounced with quiet energy, but his expression had eased, the sharp edge dulled for the moment.

“You girls doing, okay?” he asked gently.

The older one nodded without looking up. The younger just clung tighter to Carla’s shirt.

Carla looked up at him, eyes tired but grateful. “They’re trying. We all are.”

Diamond didn’t say anything, she just reached into the side pocket and passed a bottle of water back over her shoulder. Sayer grabbed it and handed it back to Carla who took it with a small smile.

Seven finally broke the quiet. “Another hour,” she said. “Then we’ll stop. After that, it’s just backroads and fields until we hit the final turn.”

“Safehouse is still good?” Diamond asked.

“Yeah. No digital footprint. No heat. We had it cleared and stocked two days ago. We’ll go dark once we’re inside.”

Diamond nodded and let her head fall back against the seat, eyes closing for just a moment.

Behind her, the girls had finally stopped fidgeting. One of them had fallen asleep, cheek pressed to Carla’s shoulder. The other was curled against her chest, her breath even and steady.

Carla brushed a hand through their hair, slow and gentle.

“You’re safe,” she whispered. “I swear to you—you’re safe now.”

Diamond didn’t look back. She didn’t have to. The sound of Carla’s voice—soft but steel-willed—said it all. They were getting close.

“So Seven,” Diamond said, keeping her eyes on the road ahead, “how do you know Nova?”

Seven didn’t miss a beat. “Maddyn Landry.”

Diamond’s brow lifted, just slightly.

Maddyn Landry wasn’t just a name in their world—she was a force. One of the original architects behind the underground network that moved abused women and children out of danger zones and into new lives. Quiet. Ruthless. Untouchable. If Maddyn trusted Seven, it made sense Nova would too.

“Maddyn’s good people,” Diamond said finally, her tone neutral but edged with respect.

“She and Nova set up the final drop,” Seven replied. “Once we hit the next stop, I’ll take Carla and the girls the rest of the way. You and Sayer will double back and reclaim the truck.”

Diamond tightened her grip on the armrest. It was a smart plan. Smooth. Coordinated. But she hadn’t been looped in until now—and that grated. This was her chapter. Her job.

“Sounds like Maddyn and Nova figured everything out,” she said, trying not to let the irritation creep too far into her voice.

Seven didn’t rise to it. “No. Maddyn and I worked it out. We know the stakes.”

Diamond glanced into the rearview. Carla was watching her, uncertain. “Carla,” Diamond said, shifting in her seat. “What does your ex do for a living?”

Carla hesitated, then answered softly, “He’s a computer analyst.”

Diamond exhaled slowly. That explained a lot. “And does he have connections to any… unscrupulous people?”

Carla’s face tensed, her arms instinctively pulling her daughters closer. “His brother,” she said. “He’s a thug. If it’s illegal, he’s doing it. Guns, money, tech, whatever he can make a buck on. He’s been in and out of jail, but never long enough to stay gone.”

“Sounds like a good pair,” Sayer muttered from the middle seat.

“Worse,” Carla added. “They’re close.”

Diamond nodded once. “That’s our leak, then. The ex is smart enough to dig through our system, and the brother’s dirty enough to use the information.”

Seven leaned slightly forward. “That’s why we’re running dark. No names. No signals. No straight lines.”

They drove in silence for a moment, the weight of everything settling heavy over the van. Diamond shifted again, glancing at Seven.

“You sure you can get them to the drop?”

Seven cracked a faint smile. “You’re not the only one who knows how to disappear.”

Something in the words Seven said made Diamond feel like the girl knew more about her than she liked.

The van rolled to a stop in a wide clearing at the edge of a long-forgotten service road. Trees surrounded the lot like silent guards, tall and close enough to block line of sight from any road traffic. An old building sat off to the left—weathered, abandoned, and quiet.

Waiting next to it, parked in the shade, was a nondescript two-door sedan. No markings. No identifying features. It was the kind of car people looked right past.

“Here,” Seven said from the driver’s seat. “This is where we split.”

Diamond turned in her seat, her gaze settling on Carla and the girls in the back. The youngest was still curled up, thumb in her mouth, while her sister sat alert, her little hand wrapped tight in her mother’s.

Carla looked tired, but there was a different kind of energy in her eyes now—something closer to hope. Diamond climbed out and opened the side door. She crouched down slightly so she was at eye level with the girls.

“You listen to your mama, alright? You’re safe now. You don’t need to be scared anymore.”

The older one nodded. The younger gave a shy blink. Diamond looked up at Carla. “You take care of them.”

“I will.” Carla’s voice was quiet, firm. “Thank you… for everything.”

Diamond stood and nodded once. “You don’t owe me anything. Just live. Start over.”

Carla stepped out long enough to hug Diamond—brief, but sincere—before turning back to help her daughters into the van’s middle seat.

Seven gave Diamond a final look. “I’ll have Nova confirm when the drop’s complete.”

“Don’t wait too long,” Sayer said from where he leaned against the sedan. “We’re burning daylight.”

Seven smirked, then climbed back into the driver’s seat of the van. The engine turned over quietly. She didn’t say goodbye—just gave Diamond a small, knowing nod.

Diamond stepped back with Sayer as the van turned around and rolled toward the tree line.

Carla turned in her seat as they passed, her hand pressed gently against the glass. The girls waved.

Diamond lifted a hand in return, holding it up until the van disappeared behind the trees.

Silence followed. Sayer was the one to break it. “Think they’ll make it?”

Diamond didn’t answer right away. Her eyes were still on the road where the van had gone. “They better.”

After a beat, she turned and walked toward the sedan, fishing the keys from her jacket pocket. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s go get our truck.”

Sayer didn’t argue. He slid behind the wheel without another word.

The sedan purred to life, and just like that, they were back in motion—quiet, deliberate, and invisible. But this time, they weren’t running. They were going back.