Page 29 of Diesel's Perseverance
“He should have. Do you need a break?”
“Maybe for ten minutes. I’d like to go outside and get some fresh air.”
“Take thirty if you need it.”
She smiled. She liked Wheelie. He seemed distant and gruff at first, but that was how all the Insurgents were; however, he’d loosened up a bit after a while. He kept popping his head around the corner during the day to see if Myla was doing all right. It seemed that Diesel and his partner got along and worked well together. From what she could see, Wheelie handled a lot of the inventory and accounting, while Diesel was more hands-on, working alongside the car detailing employees and fixing some of the equipment.
“Go ahead,” Wheelie said.
“Thanks. Is Diesel still detailing cars?”
The biker shrugged. “Go in the back and see.”
Two guys worked on a bronze SUV in the rear area, but Diesel wasn’t there, so she exited the car wash. The afternoon was warm and sunny, the sky a cornflower blue, the air fresh with the scent of pine and sweet peonies. Myla crossed the parking lot and headed toward a large patch of grass adjacent to the business. She sat under the shade of an oak tree and leaned back against the trunk. Small birds flitted back and forth amid the overhead branches, and she closed her eyes and let the peacefulness infuse her.
The roar of motorcycles shattered the tranquility of the moment. Myla’s eyes popped open, and she saw six gleaming bikes turn into the car wash’s parking lot. She recognized the Insurgents but could only recall one of their names: Hawk. She remembered the vice president’s name because of his striking blue eyes and black hair. She watched them swagger into the building.
“Wheelie told me you were taking a break,” Diesel said, crouching beside her.
Startled at his appearance, she shook her head. “I didn’t hear you coming. You’re light on your feet.”
He smiled. “It’s a necessary skill for an outlaw. You did a good job stacking the shelves.”
She laughed. “It wasn’t hard to do.”
“You’d be surprised how many temps screw that up.”
“You’re joking, right?”
“Nope. I guess too much weed makes some people dull in the head.”
“But not you or your friends?”
“Nope. It’s too dangerous not to be in control.”
“Are you always in control?”
“I try to be most of the time. What about you?”
“I’m not that good at it. Look at the mess I made of my life by staying too long in the relationship.”
Diesel’s head snapped back. “With Freddy? Why do you say that?”
Myla’s stomach twisted. She didn’t want to say anything to him about Freddy’s increasing abuse. Instead of answering, she popped another cracker in her mouth and took a sip of soda.
“I thought you and Freddy had something good going on.”
“We did initially, but it started to unravel when he got too involved with making a lot of money. Anyway, just forget what I said, okay?”
“There’s something you’re not telling me. I’ve sensed it for a while. Are you playing it straight with me?” His eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“Yeah. Are you saying you don’t trust me?”
“I’m saying you’re hiding shit from me. Do you know where Freddy is?”
Anger rushed through her. “No! I’d tell you if I knew. I thought we were on the same side here.”
“I didn’t know there were sides. I thought we had the same goal—find Freddy.”
