“Who is behind it, Theo?” Saint barks, his patience finally snapping.
“The government,” Theo admits, pinning his eyes on me. “Diesel is working for the US government’s biggest secret.”
CHAPTER 17
Harlow
I SIT IN stunned silence, unable to form a single coherent thought. I mean, it’s not like I haven’t considered the possibility Diesel was CIA or Homeland Security, but I always dismissed it because why on Earth would he get involved with me? And this revelation is so much bigger than that. A secret government mercenary group up to shady shit? I believe our government can establish such an operation, but the connection to me is what I can’t wrap my head around. “It makes no sense,” I blurt, my eyes fixing on Theo. “Why would Diesel train me if he’s a part of such a dangerous, secret government organization?”
“That’s what I’d like to know,” Saint says.
“We should haul his ass in and demand answers,” Galen supplies.
“No fucking way.” Caz folds his arms around his chest. “We start asking questions about that kind of shit, and we all end up dead or imprisoned and tortured.”
“Caz makes a valid point.” Saint scrubs a hand back and forth across the top of his head. “We need to think this through.” He glances at me. “He can’t know we know.”
I nod, still in a bit of a daze. “He may come to us first, anyway. If he listens to that recording.”
“Then, we play dumb and say nothing about this.” There is no mistaking the gravity of the situation. While I don’t think Diesel would hurt me, he has no loyalty to the guys. It would be crazy stupid to ignore the threat, because who knows what his boss would do should he discover we know the truth?
“How did my dad cross paths with Diesel?” I murmur. My head jerks up as an idea lodges in my brain. My eyes meet Theo’s. “Do you think my dad was working with them?” Is that why there are coded files hidden in the floor in his office at the cabin?
Saint rises, coming around the couch to walk to where Theo and I are standing. “We’ve got to assume it’s a possibility.”
“Then, there’s something you need to know.” We sit back down, and I tell them about the files.
“Where are they?” Theo asks. “I’d like to go through them. Maybe we could figure it out together?”
This is the shady part, because while I want to trust them fully, the cabin is my safe haven, and I’m reluctant to reveal it. It’s my last closely guarded secret. The special place that holds so many precious memories of weekends with Dad. I’m not ready to share it yet.
“They are hidden for safekeeping,” I admit. “But I’ll retrieve them soon and bring them to your place in the forest. Then, maybe, we can crack the code together.”
_______________
I’m getting changed in my bedroom when there’s a knock on my door. I left the guys downstairs, reeling from my revelation about the secret files, because my head is about to explode, and I’ve reached my limit today. Besides, I want to visit my bestie, and there is only a short window of opportunity as the hospital visiting hours end soon.
I push my feet into my sneakers and swing the door open. Galen stands there, propped against the doorway, looking anxious. “I’ll give you a ride to the hospital.”
“I’m driving myself.” I swipe the keys to my Lexus off the bedside table and grab my jacket from the end of the bed.
“Until we deal with The Bulls, we feel it’s best if one of us goes with you everywhere.”
I whirl around, ready to lay into him, when Saint materializes behind his cousin. “Don’t fight us on this.” Air whooshes out of his mouth as he rubs a spot between his brows. “We know how fucking badass you are, but you can’t have eyes and ears everywhere. You want to visit your friend and not look over your shoulder.”
“Can’t you ride with me?”
Galen’s head drops, and I feel like a bit of a bitch. Which is ridic, because he’s the one who tried to have me murdered. But it’s getting harder and harder to hold on to that anger and resentment.
“No.” Saint pushes between me and his cousin. “You two need to sort your shit.”
I open my mouth to snap at him that attempted murder is not some shit, but he stops me with a hard kiss. When he pulls back, he weaves his hands through my hair. “He fucked up. He knows it, and he’s genuinely sorry for his actions. Now, more than ever, we need unity. I won’t ask you to forgive him, because I can’t ask that of you, but I am asking if you could find a way of putting it behind you and work with Galen so it doesn’t get in the way of what we need to do.”
“Okay.” He arches a brow, and I know he was expecting an argument. “I can’t disagree with your logic, and my head is cluttered with all this stuff.” I glance at Galen. “I know this has to happen, so I’ll try, but I’m not making any promises.”
“I can drive,” Galen says a few minutes later when we land in the garage.
“You’re injured,” I say, opening the driver’s side door. “You keep lookout.”
I buckle my seat belt as he climbs into the passenger seat, hissing under his breath, his face contorting into a painful grimace. When he is finally settled, I pull out of the garage and along our driveway. “You still taking your meds and icing those ribs?” I inquire.
“Yeah. And I’ve seen a doc. Just have to wait for them to heal.”
An awkward silence fills the space between us, and maybe, I should attempt to smooth things over, but I’m too exhausted to go there tonight. So, I hook my iPhone to the stereo system and pull up one of my more mellow playlists, cranking up the volume as music pours into the car.
The roads are quiet, and we make it to the hospital in good time.
We walk silently side by side to Sariah’s room, and when we reach it, I rap gently on the door before poking my head inside.
Sean, Sar’s boyfriend, and Emmett, his fellow football player and friend, are alone with my bestie, sitting on either side of her cot.
Emmett hops up, walking toward me and pulling me into a bear hug. I’ve missed my friends. Missed normal days at school, hanging out in the cafeteria at lunchtime, just shooting the shit. “Thank fuck, you’re okay.” He keeps me in his arms as he shoots daggers at Galen over my head.
“Why wouldn’t I be? It was only the flu.” I shuck out of his hold, offering him a lopsided smile. Saint had texted me on Tuesday to say they’d spread the word at school that I had the flu and was sick in bed with no visitors permitted on the doctor’s orders.
“You were brief in your text messages, and that worried me.” Emmett continues glaring at Galen, so I loop my arm through his, dragging him over to the bed. “Plus, that asshole said jack shit every day when he turned up.” He jerks his head at Galen again, and I’m grateful he is in groveling mode, because otherwise, he’d most likely beat Emmett to a pulp for throwing shade.
“I slept most of the time, and I stayed away until the doc gave me the all clear because I didn’t want to risk passing anything to Sar.” I hate lying to my friends, but I must keep them out of this. “How has she been?” I bend down and kiss Sean on the cheek.