When You Dare (47 page)

Alani jumped to her feet. “What’s happening?”

“Dare and Trace have the men…subdued. It’s fine.” After they gathered up several thick towels, she led Alani to the foyer, where Chris and the dogs waited. “Help me dry them.”

Alani took her arm. “I’ll handle the dogs. You should go change.”

Molly looked down at herself and winced. The cold had seeped into her bones, and she wondered if she’d ever be warm again.

“Go on,” Chris told her.

“Let me help you change first.” She put her arm around him again. “Dare’s clothes will fit you.”

Chris tried to object, but she didn’t let him. He held it together, but anyone could see that the knock to the head had hurt him badly.

In Dare’s bathroom, she stripped off Chris’s shirt and gave him a crewneck sweatshirt to wear.

His black hair was plastered to his head, in some places stuck with blood. His blue eyes looked vague. And still he teased, saying, “Touch my shorts and we’re going to have a problem.”

“Modesty?” Molly asked, pretending everything was normal, instead of chaotic and insane.

“No one has changed my pants for me since I was five.” He leaned against the sink. “Go on and get yourself changed. I can do it.”

Molly nodded. “Tell me before you come out, because I’m going to change, too.”

“I won’t peek if you don’t.”

She found a half grin over that, but honestly, she was so cold and scared, and so devastated, that she felt anesthetized.

She’d just finished pulling on one of Dare’s big flannel shirts and a pair of the shorts he’d bought her in San Diego when the dogs came running in. Alani had done a good job at drying them, but Sargie’s eyes were still too red and her fur showed signs of smoke.

Molly’s composure almost cracked. “Poor baby,” she whispered and went down to her knees to hug the dogs again.

Chris asked, “You dressed?”

Alani answered for her. “Come on out.”

Now with them all relatively warm and dry, Chris sat on the bed and used the phone to call the vet. It amazed Molly how he teased with Henrietta and coerced her into a house call without really telling her anything that had happened.

When he hung up, Molly said, “Shouldn’t we call the police?”

“The security alarm does that automatically. But if they get here too soon, the bastards will call their lawyers and Dare won’t be able to get the info he wants.” Eyes closed, he dropped back on the bed. “Let Dare find out what’s going on while he still has the opportunity.”

Sargie leaped up onto the bed to snuffle around Chris’s face until he gave up and sat forward again. Molly started to say more when they all heard the sirens.

“Shit. That sounds like the fire department. Someone must have seen the smoke.” Looking steadier by the minute, Chris pushed off the bed. “I have to tell Dare that his time is cut short.”

Dare stepped into the bedroom doorframe. “No need.”

Molly shrank back. Dare…didn’t look like Dare. There was a vibrating tension about him, a set to his mouth and harshness in his gaze that was more dominant than anything she’d ever seen. He’d wrapped his shirt around his injured arm, leaving him in a soaked T-shirt and sodden jeans.

He looked rugged, capable.

Deadly.

And he’d shut her out.

She felt like a stranger to him. It ripped up her heart to think of how hurt he and his friend had been, all because of her.

Alani didn’t seem to notice Dare’s dominant manner. She went over to him and hugged him tight, totally at ease with him in this strange mood. “Where’s Trace?”

“Keeping watch on our goons.” He kissed her forehead. “Why don’t you and Chris go start some coffee? We could all use it.”

Alani looked back at Molly and, with understanding, nodded her consent.

The dogs bounded off the bed and went to him. Dare knelt down to give them the attention they so badly needed from him. His gentle tone, filled with sympathy, went a long way toward calming the dogs.

Molly needed attention, too, but…she didn’t want to force herself on him.

The fretting was awful, unbearable, so she asked in a whisper, “Did you kill anyone?”

“The one Chris shot might not make it.” He looked up, considering her for only a moment before adding, “And don’t you dare feel bad about that.”

She bit her lip. “Okay.”

Grudgingly, or so it seemed, Dare said, “The other two should be fine.”

Her chest hurt. “You’re okay?”

“Yeah.” His gaze was direct, intense. “You?”

“I’m fine.” Sliding off the bed, she went over to him. He stayed down on one knee with Sargie squeezed up against his chest and Tai lolling on her back to get her belly rubbed.

With him looking down at the dogs, talking softly to them, Molly could see the nape of his neck, the breadth of his shoulders and the muscles in his back. She put a hand in his wet hair—and her knees almost gave out. Trying to make her voice strong, she asked, “You were shot?”

“Bullet grazed my arm. It’s nothing.”

Still smoothing his wet hair, she sank down beside him. She wanted to grab him, kiss him all over and beg him to…what? She just didn’t know. Everything felt so uncertain now.

Already, blood soaked through the shirt wrapped around his “nothing” injury. “You need to go to the hospital.”

He turned his face so that her hand was on his jaw. “Trace called paramedics for the guy Chris shot.” His gaze locked on to hers again and held her captive. “They’ll be here any minute.”

I love you.
She wanted to say it so badly, but this wasn’t the time. They’d soon be overrun with cops and other emergency personnel. He needed medical care, as did Chris. The dogs were still frightened.

There were a thousand reasons not to burden him with her emotional excesses. But oh, God, it was hard keeping herself in check.

“Thank you, Molly.”

Drawing in a shuddering breath, Molly whispered, “For what?”

He rubbed Sargie’s ear, pulled the dog close to kiss her head, hug her into his chest. “You saved her.”

His voice sounded strained, thick. “You would have done it. But with Chris hurt…”

His chest expanded. “When I saw you go into the house…” Breathing hard, he squeezed his eyes shut, and his voice went harsh. “I’ve never been so fucking terrified.”

He sounded angry, sending regret to churn with the rest of her overwhelming emotion. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t.” His eyes flinched. “You have no reason to apologize. Hell, I should be apologizing.”

She shook her head, not understanding him.

He looked back to Tai. “I scared you.”

“No.”

The look he gave her said
liar
. And that hurt.

Defensive, Molly shrugged. “Okay, you did. Just a little. But not like…not like I was afraid for me. I would never, ever fear you that way.”

“Then how?”

“You were like a…a machine.” She put both hands to his face, holding him, wanting him to know the truth. “You somehow took the love you have for Chris, and you turned it on those men. Not in an emotional way, but it was so…cold.”

“Methodical,” he corrected.

“Yes.” She licked dry lips. “That you could…refocus like that, that’s what scared me.”

“It’s necessary for the job I do.”

But that type of power meant he could shut out anyone and anything. How could he ever really care for a woman if he could so easily turn his emotions on and off?

Scowling, he said, “If I hadn’t—”

She nodded. “I know.” She even managed an uncertain smile as reassurance that she
did
understand. “I’m so very glad that you’re okay.”

Disregarding the injury to his arm, he reached for her, hugging her so tightly that it took her breath.

“Dare?”

In a flat tone, he told her, “It’s over.”

She froze.

“It was your stepmother, honey. All of it. Some twisted, sick idea of protecting Bishop from your growing popularity.”

“Kathi?” She shouldn’t have been surprised, but… A strange relief overtook her. “So it wasn’t Dad?”

Dare smoothed back her hair, cupped her jaw. “George’s cell phone rang a little bit ago. It was Bishop. He got a full confession from Kathi.”

Her thoughts went blank. “Dad called?”

“Yeah. He said that the cops are at his house right now.” Dare rubbed her shoulder. “He wanted to warn you, honey, and calling George’s phone was the only way he knew to maybe reach us.”

Molly struggled to assimilate all that. “You don’t look surprised.”

“No.”

And then she remembered. “I heard what you said to George. You knew it was Kathi, didn’t you?”

“After talking with them, I thought she was probably involved. Bishop apparently thought so, too. That’s why he said he wanted to check into things.”

Dare explained to her about the postmark, the way Kathi spoke so familiarly of Mark Sagan, and how protective she was of Bishop.

“What I didn’t know, George gladly filled in.”

“Gladly, huh?”

He shrugged. “I’m sorry, Molly. Kathi wanted to make you understand her idea of morality, that you protect what you have, or you lose it. No room for mistakes, no room for human error.”

Thinking aloud, she whispered, “The character that I redeemed…”

“In Kathi’s mind, there is no redemption. There’s only the perfect appearance.” His thumb brushed the corner of her mouth. “I guess she figured if you were going to find fame, it had to be with her moral code, with characters she approved of.”

“I wonder if she ever really enjoyed my work, or if she just read it to keep tabs on me.” It made sense, because the minute her popularity really bloomed, Kathi took action against her.

Dare bent to put a soft kiss on her lips. “According to George, she never intended to kill you. She just wanted to throw off the movie deal. Once the opportunity was lost, she was going to have you released.”

A rush of anger shot through Molly. “I might not have survived that long!”

As if that thought hurt him, Dare briefly closed his eyes.

Refusing to dwell on her stepmother’s deviousness, Molly let her thoughts skip ahead to other details. “She and George…?”

“They were having an affair. But George wasn’t the only one. Kathi was sleeping with Sagan, too.”

“So you were right about that.” It amazed Molly, how much Dare had figured out, how he’d put the puzzle pieces together.

“That’s how Kathi arranged everything. When George found out, he had this sick need to prove himself to her.”

Not being a dummy, Molly guessed, “By killing Sagan?”

“His death would take care of any evidence against Kathi, and remove Sagan as a threat to her or to Bishop. But George was in way over his head. If I hadn’t busted him now…”

“Sagan would have had him murdered.”

“That’s about it.” Footsteps sounded in the hallway, and Dare stood, bringing Molly up with him.

“Kathi never would have left Dad for a hired guard.”

“George was okay with carrying on an affair. He said she was worth it.” Dare’s mouth twisted. “But he was also financially compensated.”

“So money was a better motive than love.”

“She paid him with her own allowance, which I gather is substantial.”

“It is.” Kathi had often bragged about the extravagances Bishop lavished on her. He wanted his wife to wear the best of everything, drive the best…be the best. The irony gave her no satisfaction. “I guess Dad was devastated?”

Dare scowled. “A little numb.”

“I understand that.”

“Thing is,” Dare said, “at least now he’ll be alive. If for no other reason than to clean up loose ends, Sagan would have killed him after he got rid of Kathi and George.”

“Dear God.” Abhorrence left her feeling sick. “So much scheming.”

“All of it centered around your stepmother.” Dare lifted her chin. “I don’t get it. She’s attractive enough, but she’s nothing special, so why these men were so anxious to win her over—”

“Under the circumstances, you hardly saw the best of her. Most of the time, she’s a charming hostess.” For as long as Molly could remember, she’d enjoyed her stepmother’s company more than her father’s.

“I saw the real her. That’s what everyone should see.” He kissed her, and that felt so good, so real and honest, that Molly didn’t want it to ever end.

Sliding his hand into her wet hair, Dare ignored the uniformed officer now standing there watching. “Outside earlier… I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.”

“You had a lot on your mind.” She touched his jaw. “I’m sorry that I punched you.”

Half smiling, Dare put his forehead to hers. “I couldn’t look at you, honey. I knew you were scared, and as much as I needed to separate from everything that had just happened, and how I felt about it, I knew I couldn’t, not if I saw how those bastards had affected you.” He kissed her again, harder this time.

The officer cleared her throat.

“Give us a minute,” Dare said.

Annoyed, she hesitated, then gave one sharp nod. “Make it fast.”

Dare gathered Molly closer. “You need to understand something.”

Her heart started thundering, and her breath felt trapped in her lungs.

“It isn’t just Chris that I love, or my dogs. Christ, Molly, I could have faced off with ten men to keep you safe, because I love you, too.”

Her knees felt weak again. She clutched at him, hopeful, dumbfounded. Elated. “You…?”

Dare smiled. “I love you like I didn’t know I could love anyone.” His eyes glistened, but only for a second. He looked down, took a few breaths, then met her gaze again. “I never thought it was possible, but you fit in here, Molly Alexander. In my life, my home and with my friends. Chris loves you, my girls love you.”

He hesitated, frustrated, and glanced over at the cop. With a roll of her eyes she moved out of sight.

Dare held Molly’s face in trembling hands. “Now that you’ve been here, nothing would ever be the same if you left.”

“Are you…? Do you mean…?” She couldn’t pull together a complete thought. So much had happened, but she knew how she felt, had known for a long time.

But she didn’t want to jump the gun and do or say anything to make Dare’s life more difficult.

“Stay with me, Molly.”

Well, that was pretty clear.
“Dare.”
God, she loved him. “Are you sure? No, wait.” She put a finger over his mouth. “You’re hurt, and you’ve been through hell tonight. You might not know—”