Wildfire

Chapter 32

32. Coalesce

"So you just expect me to keep this a secret?" Diesel stared at Diego in disbelief, her mouth falling open. "Are you serious?"

"I expect you," Diego replied, "to do exactly as you're told. You've already crossed me once —"

Diesel's eyes flashed in my direction and I saw the flicker of guilt cross her face. It only lasted a second, before she quickly replaced it with a look of pure insolence. "We're getting tired of waiting around for you to make up your mind, Diego. You're the one who pushed us into doing what we did —"

"Diesel!" Diego's fist came down on the roof of Diesel's truck and I flinched, my heartbeat skittering in my chest. Diego's shoulders stiffened and I watched as he visibly tried to reign in his anger, his eyes flashing with impatience. "You will go back to the compound and you will keep this a secret," he instructed in a calm, steely voice. "Adalia will be returned home —"

"They need to know the truth, Diego!" Diesel protested. "I'm sick of listening to them talk about her like she's — you're not there to hear them. You don't know how bad it is."

"And when we bring her back?" Diego demanded. "Do you really think that will change anything? As far as they're concerned, she ran away and got herself killed. Do you think they'll care? Do you think they'll give her a funeral?"

Diesel paled, the fight draining from her eyes. "They wouldn't..."

"They would," he said sharply. "And my mother would be first in line."

She exhaled slowly, wrapping her arms around herself. "What should we do, then?" she murmured.

"You will act like this never happened," Diego instructed. "Go back to the compound and tell them your punishment is completed. Train with Viktor and look after the others. I'll see you tomorrow night."

Diesel looked appalled. "You're going back to work?"

"This didn't happen," Diego said slowly, a trace of impatience colouring his voice. "Do you understand Diesel? This didn't happen. You are to tell no one. Do. You. Understand?"

Diesel stared at him for so long that I thought she might say, "no". I could see the indecision on her face, and I knew she was struggling with what she felt was right and what her superior was telling her to do, but when her shoulders slumped, I knew Diego had won. There was a flicker of defeat in her eyes as she nodded her head, her lips compressing into a thin line.

"Okay," she breathed eventually.

"Okay," Diego repeated. "Now get out of here."

Diego hefted the box out of the truck, cradling the package against his chest as Diesel slunk around the other side, climbing into the driver's seat. I backed away from the truck, giving her some room to manoeuvre of the spot, and then she was driving away, disappearing out of the parking lot without a single glance backwards.

I watched her leave, my heart starting to beat just a little bit faster when I realized that there was nobody else to play buffer between Diego and me.

It was just us left in the parking lot, completely and utterly alone.

I knew the second the same thing seemed to occur to him. His shoulders stiffened and he faced me slowly, a wary expression etched into his face. A part of me wanted to glare at him — I had told him to stay the hell away from me and getting packages delivered to me in the mail with his name on them hadn't been part of the deal — but I didn't have the energy to do much more than just stare back at him.