Page 16 of Bound in the Dark

She chuckled. Normal relationships had always been a struggle. Friends could be a weakness and relationships impossible when she couldn’t be honest. What she and Highdive had was the closest thing to normal she had ever tried and that was about to be destroyed when he learned the truth about her.

Diana sighed. "Was I really that bad?"

"You were."

They were both heading into an uncomfortable situation. The main difference was that Diana had created her own downfall by keeping secrets where Nadya wasn’t at fault at all. According to Alena, Hawk was a good guy. He wouldn’t hold his daughter responsible for what her mother had done.

"Your father is going to love you."

Nadya’s laugh held a nervous edge. "You don't know that."

"Well if he doesn't, I point you back to the beginning of this conversation. Remember what I do for a living."

"You can't kill my father if he doesn't like me."

"Says who?" She probably wouldn't, but the teasing seemed to be relaxing her niece.

"Mom might be a little mad if you kill her husband."

Diana shrugged. "She'll get over it."

"Sometimes it's hard to tell when you and Mom are joking."

Diana gave her niece a small smile. It was good that they had managed over the years to allow the girl even the smallest amount of innocence. They never joked about their willingness to kill. The only people she would even hesitate to eliminate were her sister and niece. Her chest clenched for a moment. She also might hesitate for Highdive.

The gate to the Dark Sons' compound was on the left and she pulled up. The chain link gate was closed blocking the entrance to the compound, which was unusual. The man on guard approached them. He was wearing a Dark Sons' cut that said his name was Decaf. Diana gripped the gun concealed in the door before she rolled down the window. His smile was tight, but friendly, when he leaned down to talk to them.

"Sorry ladies. The compound is on lockdown. No one's allowed in. You'll have to come back another week."

What had happened to put them on lockdown? She knew the conflict between the Club and Andrey Petrov had been escalating. Could things have gotten so bad since she left that they were now at open war?

It was late afternoon and the parking lot at the front of the compound usually only had a few of the Brother’s bikes. The place was now half-filled with vehicles like there was a party going on, but she didn't recognize most of the cars from her many scouting missions.

High-end blacked-out SUVs and lots of bikes. Should she come back with Nadya later? It would be a relief to put off facing Highdive, but Alena had been insistent that they go immediately. She glanced over at her niece. The girl looked like a spring wound too tight. Leaving when they were so close would be cruel.

She took a breath and locked down all her emotions. This was a job and she couldn't afford to be questioning things.

"Hawk is expecting us. I have the package from Akula."

Decaf raised his eyebrows and studied the two of them. He didn’t seem to be confused by her words so her sister's message must have been passed on. Was it that he didn’t believe two women could be the couriers? They would all be surprised when they found out who the package was.

Nadya looked like a typical fashion conscious nineteen-year-old girl. She wore artfully ripped jeans and a crimson top and designer boots. The whole outfit probably cost more than most kids' entire wardrobe.

Diana, on the other hand, was dressed for combat. Black BDUs, combat boots, a long sleeve, tight, black top and a long jacket designed to conceal enough weapons to handle most situations.

"Give me a minute." He stepped back from the car keeping an eye on the two of them and raised his cell phone to his ear. "I've got two women here. They say they have the package from Akula. What do you want me to do?"

The silence stretched and Diana wished she could hear what was being said on the other side.

"You're sure? All right." The man was obviously not pleased with what he was being told. He ended the call and slipped his phone into his back pocket before hitting a button on the panel next to him and the gate started to open. "Park your car over there. Clean will meet you by the front door and escort you from there."

Diana nodded and pulled forward as soon as there was enough room to do so. She parked in the spot that he had indicated. Worry over walking into the unknown tickled at the back of her thoughts.

"What's going on,Tetya?" Nadya's use of Russian showed more than anything how nervous she was. The girl had grown up speaking both languages but, like Diana, had worked hard to sound as American as possible from the time she hit her teenage years. The only time Diana used an accent now was when on a job posing as someone else.

"It will be okay." She would do everything in her power to make sure that wasn't a lie. Why had her sister insisted on this course of action? She thought the reunion could have waited until the violence was over. Trusting in her sister was hard.

From this close it was easier to tell the cars were of the armored variety. She hoped that this was just a private party, but the lack of half-dressed women hanging around said that was unlikely. The several obvious guards at the front door was also a strike against positive thinking since not all of them were Dark Sons.

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