Chapter Eleven
Diesel
Walking away from Rachel, standing at his kitchen sink, was the hardest thing he had ever had to do. Diesel wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms, lay her across the kitchen island, and sink into her. But he knew that was not the way to earn her trust. Rachel needed, deserved better.
Sitting in the lawn chair furthest from the kitchen, Diesel called his oldest and closest friend.
“What’s up, D,” Viper answered on the second ring.
“I need your help,” Diesel sighed.
“With?” Viper asked.
“Rachel.” What other reply could he give?
“Okay. What did you do?” Viper questioned.
“I kissed her.”
“So what the fuck do you need my help for? Dude, she is like a daughter to me. And I’m not into that sort of thing,” Viper countered.
“Shut the fuck up! That is not what I’m talking about, you nasty fucker,” Diesel shaking his head.
“What is the problem?” Viper laughed.
“Dude, you know I have always liked her, but I don’t think I can do this,” Diesel confessed.
“Do what?” Viper asked, still laughing.
“Have her in my home. Come on, Man. Keep up!” Diesel was starting to get aggravated. He needed to talk to someone and his best friend was acting like an asshole. This is not the help he needed.
“Tough shit. She is there. It’s the safest place for her,” Viper replied, totally serious now.
“She isn’t safe from me!” Diesel countered.
“Marcus, you would never hurt her. Put on your big boy under-roos and deal with it,” Viper advised.
“Under-roos? Really man? Under-roos?” Now it was Diesel’s turn to laugh.
“Hey! I have kids around me,” Viper retorted.
“Okay. So let me get this straight. You’ll cuss like a fucking sailor but won’t say underwear?” Diesel curled in on himself laughing. This was exactly what he needed.
“Don’t judge me,” was Viper’s only comeback, which caused Diesel to laugh even harder.
“Oh man!” Diesel said, wiping the tears from his face. “I’m dying here.”
“Fuck you!” Viper quipped.
“Thanks, V. I needed a good laugh,” Diesel chuckled.
“Hey, Sledge wants to talk to you,” Viper informed.
“Okay. Put him on.” Diesel could almost guarantee Sledge wanted to chew his ass out for bringing Rachel here instead of the compound, but honestly, Rachel hadn’t given him a choice.
“He’ll call you from his office line. Just a minute.”
“Okay. Talk to you later.”
“Deuces, Bitch,” Viper said, as he disconnected the line.
Diesel sat there staring at his phone. Bitch? Who the hell was he calling a bitch?
Diesel was contemplating calling Viper back when his phone rang. “Yeah,” he answered.
“How’s it going, D?” Sledge asked.
“Fine so far.” Diesel would not fill in his Prez about his morning heat up session in the kitchen. Some things were just better left unsaid.
“Good. Listen, I had Banjo look into Rachel. I found out some interesting stuff,” Sledge replied.
“Like?” Diesel inquired.
“Like the fact that her ex-boyfriend works for Russian Intelligence, but you already knew that. Didn’t you?” Sledge asked, a hint of irritation in his voice.
“Yeah. I knew. I found out yesterday.” Diesel wouldn’t lie to the man. There was one thing you never did, and that was lie to Devin “Sledge” Parks.
“I also found out that Rachel’s mother is one of our own,” Sledge informed.
“What?” the shock was evident in Diesel’s tone.
“Oh. You didn’t know that?” Sledge replied, sarcastically.
“Sledge. Come on, man. It ain’t nothing like that. Just like you, I am trying to figure out what the fuck is going on and why. Rachel doesn’t trust easily and I don’t have the contact that you do,” Diesel tried to explain.
“I know,” Sledge conceded. “So anyway. Banjo was able to locate a confidential birth record for a Rachel Marie Moore. The birth date on record matches Rachel’s. The mother on the file, is Ginx’.”
“Ginx?” Again, Diesel couldn’t hide his shock. Ginx was Rachel’s mother? That means.... That means Viper... No! He would have told him, right?
“Is Viper her father?” Diesel had to know.
“No. Rachel’s father was killed by the Korean government when she was still a toddler,” Sledge explained. “But, her father was Thomas’ older brother.”
“John?” Diesel asked.
“Yep,” Sledge confirmed.
John Henson was an ex-sniper. One of the best. His team had gone into Korea on a rescue mission, and none of them had ever returned. A video later surfaced of the team being killed at gun point, execution style. The Henchmen had taken the assault very personally. Sledge had even tried to get a government contract that would allow them to gain entry into the country and hit those involved. But access was denied.
“On top of that, I also found out that Ginx has been working with the U.S. government on a mission to Russia. I am waiting for details, but I believe that is why Russian Intelligence is after Rachel,” Sledge elaborated.
“She’s leverage,” Diesel stated.
“Exactly,” Sledge agreed.
“This is going to get nasty. What has Ginx had to say?” Diesel’s mind was running a hundred miles an hour.
“It’s going to get a lot more than nasty, D. We are talking about Russia. The KGB. They’ll stop at nothing to get what they want. And right now, they want Rachel.” Diesel could hear the worry in Sledge’s voice. For a hardass, the man also had the biggest heart Diesel had ever seen.
“They won’t get her. I won’t allow it. They will have to kill me first,” Diesel vowed.
“That’s what scares me, Brother,” Sledge admitted. “Watch your six, always. Don’t leave the house if you can help it,” Sledge ordered.
“Got it,” Diesel agreed.
“Tomorrow, we will be over. We all need to have a sit-down. The air needs to be cleared. I have Ginx on her way in. I don’t like being kept in the dark. The Henchmen are my responsibility and I feel like I have thrown you to the wolves without protection,” Sledge said, his voice echoing his displeasure. “I want the details. I want to know what the fuck is going on!”
“What time tomorrow?” Diesel asked.
“Around noon. We’ll bring food. Get the pit ready,” Sledge replied. “Maybe some full bellies and liquored up tongues can get the conversation flowing.”
“Let’s hope. I need to know who and what I am going up against. And most importantly, why. Why are they after Rachel. What does Ginx know that now has her own daughter in danger?” Diesel’s own temper was spiking.
What kind of parent puts their child in that type of danger?
“We’ll get answers, Brother. I promise you that. Anyway, see you tomorrow,” Sledge said, ending the call.
Diesel sat there on the back deck, staring out across the yard, but seeing nothing. Still trying to process what he had learned, he never heard Rachel approach.
“You okay?” she asked.
“What?” Diesel asked, startled. “Oh. Yeah, I’m fine.”
“You don’t look like it,” Rachel said. “You look like your mind is a million miles away.”
“I guess it kind of is,” Diesel confessed.
“Listen, if you are stressing over what happened in the kitchen, then don’t. We can act like it never happened,” Rachel responded.
“Stop,” Diesel interjected before she could say another word. “We will definitely not be pretending nothing happened between us. Come here,” he said, holding out his hand to her.
Once her hand was in his, Diesel pulled Rachel down into his lap. She fit perfectly. The feel of her in his arms was soothing. He never thought he would say that about another person, but there was no other way to describe it. Rachel soothed him in a way nothing else ever had, even riding his bike.
“What’s wrong, Marcus?” Rachel asked softly.
“I like that,” he said.
“What do you like?” Rachel smiled.
“Well...” Diesel grinned.
“Stay on topic,” Rachel warned.
Taking a deep breath, Diesel told her about the conversation with Sledge. He told her everything - that he knew about her parents, why she was being hunted, and that he and Sledge would figure out a way to ensure her safety.
“I promise, I won’t let anything happen to you,” Diesel pledged.
“I know you won’t,” Rachel said, leaning against his chest.
They both stayed quiet for a long time. It seemed like hours passed by before Rachel broke the silence.
“One day, I’ll be able to tell you everything. There is so much I want to say,” Rachel whispered.
“I know.” And he did.
Diesel knew one day he would gain her trust. When that day came, she would burst open and spill everything. Until then, he would keep doing everything he could to make her understand that he was trustworthy.
“Thank you,” Rachel said, turning to place a kiss on his cheek.
“For?” Diesel asked.
“For just being you,” Rachel smiled.
“That’s the only person I can be. So I’m glad you like me,” Diesel chuckled. Pulling her back against him, he leaned back into the chair.
They stayed like that for a long time, both enjoying the stillness of the day. So much to say, but neither wanted to ruin the moment. Diesel figured there were many days ahead that could be spent talking about the shitty parts of life. Right now, he just wanted to enjoy the peace.
“Come on. I want to show up something,” he told her, pushing them both out of the chair.
“What?” Rachel asked, intrigued.
“Come on.” Diesel grabbed her hand and led her down the back steps.
Diesel and Rachel walked side by side down to the lake. The afternoon sun felt great on his skin and cast a glow across the top surface of the water.
“This lake looks huge,” Rachel mentioned. “Like it goes on forever.”
“It’s really not that big. This is Joe Pool Lake. It’s only about twelve square miles,” Diesel explained.
“It’s beautiful,” Rachel smiled.
“All the land around here is protected. It’s all part of Cedar Hill State Park. I found this property when I was out riding. It had been a rough day. My mother had called to tell me that she was planning to divorce her seventh husband.” Diesel knew he didn’t have to explain anything, but he wanted Rachel to understand how much this place meant to him.
“Seventh husband?” Rachel asked, shocked.
“Yep. My mother has a love for men. Men, plural,” Diesel emphasized.
“Wow,” Rachel shook her head.
“Yep. She and I got into an argument and I went for a ride. Somehow, I ended up here. Where the house is now, sat this small little cabin. It was a one room shack actually, but it was for sale and came with ten acres. I walked around and with every step, I fell more in love. By the time I left, I knew I had to buy it. So I did.”
“This place is amazing, Marcus. Truly gorgeous. The house, the property. Everything,” Rachel said in awe.
“Thank you. I’m glad you like it.” Knowing Rachel loved his home brought a feeling of pride to him. It also helped because he knew if she loved it, then he could possibly talk her into living here with him permanently. But they weren’t at that point yet. Probably wouldn’t be for a while.
For the remainder of the day, Diesel spent time telling her about his childhood, his shitty upbringing. His life before and after joining the army. He wanted her to learn as much as she could about him. The first part to gaining someone’s trust, is to trust them.
“So why did you leave the Army? You’re so young,” Rachel asked.
“That’s an... interesting story,” Diesel said. It was now or never. This conversation would either make or break the trust between them.
“So, explain. How interesting?” Rachel prompted.
“One night, I was at a bar. There was a woman,” he began.
“There’s always a woman,” Rachel said, rolling her eyes.
“There was a woman. She came on pretty strong. Bought me drink after drink. I don’t remember much from that night,” Diesel knew this next part would sound really bad. “We went back to her place. One thing led to another. You get the picture.”
“Y’all had sex. Yeah, I get that. But what does that have to do with you leaving the Army? Oh my goodness! You got her pregnant?” Rachel exclaimed.
“What? No!” Diesel responded, appalled.
“Then what?” Rachel asked.
“Do we really need to talk about this?” Diesel couldn’t do it. He thought he could, but couldn’t. He didn’t want Rachel seeing that part of him.
“Tell me!” Rachel demanded.
“Let’s just drop it.” Diesel wasn’t above begging. He knew the moment the rest of the story left his lips, Rachel would view him differently.
“Tell me!” Rachel commanded.
“I was balls deep in the woman and her husband walked in! There. You happy?” Diesel scrubbed a hand down his face and looked over the lake. He couldn’t take the look of disgust that he knew would be present on Rachel’s face.
“You had sex with a married woman?” The question was followed by a round of laughter.
Diesel turned to see, not disgust, but amusement written all over Rachel’s face. A sigh escaped him and relief flooded his body.
“Not just any married woman. She was apparently my SO’s wife,” Diesel deadpanned.
“Oh snap!” Rachel said, eyes wide. “And you didn’t know?”
“No, I didn’t know. If I had, I wouldn’t have touched her!” Diesel exclaimed.
“So what happened?”
“He tried to shoot me, but I was able to reach my gun first. The next day, I was called into the Sergeant Major’s office. I was told that my conduct was unbefitting of an American Soldier and that I’d be receiving my walking papers. Three weeks later, I was given a Dishonorable Discharge.” The shame of the entire situation poured into Diesel’s soul all over again. Every time he thought of that part of his life, the embarrassment and mortification killed him.
“Wow. That seems a little harsh,” Rachel stated.
“Harsh or not, I deserved it.” Diesel allowed his dick to do the thinking that night. It was the beginning of the end for him. That night, that entire experience, is what caused his love/hate relationship with women.