“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.
Chapter Twenty-Five
They had a choice to make—eitherstay 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.”
