Taking a Dare - A Hellion MC Novel (18 page)

Even Dare wanted to join in the laughter that echoed
in his workspace but all he could manage was a one note chuckle. As
they left, he realized while he didn't welcome their intrusion,
he'd needed it in order to calm his shit down.

Something that was definitely in order if he was to
make contact with Jim again. He listened to the voicemail, which
didn't give him any clue why his brother had called, just his name
and a phone number with a curt, "will be waiting for your call."
There hadn't even been any inflection in Jim's voice to give Dare
an inkling of why the man had phoned him.

Turned out the number was of Jim's cell. "This is
Dare. You rang?" He kept his voice neutral and made sure not to
call himself Josh because Jim had been right. Josh was just as lost
to the both of them as the connection they'd once shared.

"Did some nosing around about you," Jim started
without preamble which suited Dare fine. "Seems you're in the inner
circle of the Hellions in Missoula."

"So?"

"So, I called because I have something going on that
needs more information." Jim's tone seemed to indicate that he
didn't like not having information and hated to ask for Dare's help
in getting it. "It's about the Black Knights of the Czar."

Dare didn't say anything although he was surprised to
hear the full name of the other club and wrote it down on a scrap
piece of paper. One of the many that littered his desk.

"You might know them as the Black Czars. They are the
ones that are trying to control Bozeman, Livingston and
Belgrade."

"Could've heard of them," Dare hedged wondering how
or why the Big Horn County Sheriff had come to know of them. His
jurisdiction was far enough away that he shouldn't have had many
dealings with the other motorcycle club.

Jim let out a long sigh. "Listen, Josh. I know I
wasn't as…cordial as I should've been the other morning. Annie's
already reamed my ass about that but—"

"Who's Annie?" Dare interrupted.

"The woman who was with me. My wife," came the
response, knocking Dare's attitude out of the way with just two
words.

"How long have you been married?" Dare's mind was
swirling to realize he had a sister-in-law. His little long lost
family had doubled with Jim's admission.

"This isn't a goddamn reunion of the Gentrys, Josh!"
Jim bit out and the frustration in his voice made Dare smile. "My
men pulled over a semi that was teaming with Mexican crystal meth
whose manifest said it was destined for Bozeman. I need to know if
your group knows if the Czar's are supplying the streets with the
shit."

"How much do you know about MC's, Jim?" Dare
questioned, his mind shifting away from his kin and onto club
business.

"Enough," his brother barked right back.

"Obviously
not
enough if you fuckin' called
and thought I could just spew any and all knowledge about another
club, especially to a cop," Dare explained firmly. "I'll have to
get back to you."

There was silence on the line and Dare pulled the
phone away wondering if the call had been dropped. In some parts of
Montana, cell phone service was dicey as hell.

"Okay. Okay, Josh." Jim's voice sounded almost
resigned. "I need any info you have in order to figure out how to
stop this junk from infesting our streets."

"I'll call you," Dare said carefully. He didn't want
to set Jim's expectations or get his hopes up. "Hellions hate that
shit as much as you do."

Jim's snort of disbelief came through loud and clear.
"I'll bet."

"Whatever. Later," Dare mumbled and disconnected the
call, his brother's skepticism eliminating any of his own
friendliness. Then too there was a certain disappointment that his
brother, his own fuckin' brother, believed the worst about bikers,
about the Hellions and probably about him.

Chapter Eighteen

I let myself into Lock's house noting the heavy door
needed some oil to prevent the squeaks as it opened. Flipping on
the light in the curtained gloom I saw Lock coming down the hall
tying her robe.

"Hey, girl," she said with a small grin. "Where you
been?"

"Running the streets," I replied smiling back before
allowing it to beam out fully. "Flathead Lake. Dare's. And then to
the Rosemont to scrape off March."

"Whoa, whoa and fucking whoa, girl," Lock squealed,
holding her up her hands, palms facing me. "One at a time and let's
start with the least and go to the best!"

I pretended to think, closing one eye and taping a
cheek while looking at Lock's not so interesting ceiling. "When I
left the clubhouse, I hopped on Dare's bike and he took me up to
Flathead Lake."

"And?"

"It was pretty," I said, dropping my purse to the
floor and moved around her statute-like body. "Sweet ride."

"Ryley!" she warned, turning my way.

I couldn't help my giggle as I kept her in suspense.
"He was, as ever, a dick but as ever, redeemed himself in the
end."

She rolled her hand towards her chest in an
indication to keep talking as I made my way to the kitchen.

"Mind if I raid your fridge? I'm freaking starving."
I said and without waiting for the go ahead, pulled open the
door.

"You scraped off March?" She moved to a barstool on
the other side of the long countertop that held her kitchen sink,
rearranging her robe over her long legs as she sat on the first of
the three barstools.

"Yeah," I confirmed perusing the cold shelves.
"Breakfast or just sandwich stuff? Geez, Lock."

She waved her hand in a 'whatever' motion as her
eyebrows crept up her forehead. When I started pulling things out,
she prompted me to get back on track. "March?"

"Done. Over," I announced, taking out a packet of
sausage, the egg carton and the remaining loaf of bread before
turning to where Lock kept her skillets, but kept up the
commentary. "Daddy dearest talked to Trey about pulling Dare's cut
or shipping him off to Sheridan because he's afraid…"

"Yeah, honey. Heard about that and was sorry," Lock
interrupted. "Your old man has it in for our hot Hellion, huh?"

I shrugged because I wasn't anywhere near addressing
that issue yet.

"Pops wants me with March." I turned on the stove and
situated the pans accordingly before reaching for the toaster. "I
don't know why I went along with Pop's plan, Lock. Honest to god, I
don’t."

She didn't respond, which I took as tactic approval
to continue.

"March's a drunk of the worst kind. A sneaky drunk,"
I said, working the knobs on her stove to get the heat just right.
"But even if he wasn't, I didn't want him. Not him as my
forever."

There was quiet as I put the sausages on to
sizzle.

"So you went to the motel…" she again prompted.

"And Vegas opened the door."

"Fuck! Really?" my girl squealed and I couldn't help
my smile at her response.

"I knew he liked her type. Your type," I stated,
waving my hands around as explanation before reaching for the tongs
in the huge crock that held her spatulas, slotted spoons and other
cooking accoutrements. "So I wasn't shocked. It was obvious that
she was with him, as in
with him
."

"What did you do?" Lock's voice was breathy and I
knew she was mentally gorging on what I was telling her.

I shrugged, using the tongs to turn the sausages
before cracking the eggs into the skillet where I'd melted some
butter. "Told him we were done. Said I'd get the ring back to him
when we hit Spokane. Then warned Vegas that he was a fuck up and
she could do better."

I glanced over at her to see she was beaming in
delight. "God, Ryley!"

"I know, right?"

My girl was over the moon but it was probably because
she'd told me when I'd announced my engagement that March wasn’t
for me. Which was even before she'd freakin' met him. No, for Lock
her surety that I wouldn't marry the man had been based on the damn
ring he'd given me. A picture of it that I'd texted her. If memory
served, her words were along the lines of, 'he doesn't fucking know
you at all, Rye!'

"But here's the kicker," I started, plating the eggs
and sausage before turning to the toaster. "Went to Pops' room to
let him know that March was in the past and found Dee there."

"Dee?"

"Yeah, Dee hooked up with my dad," I stated baldly
taking my plate to the breakfast bar and climbing on a stool.
"Found out a couple of days ago but she was there again this
morning."

I heard Lock sigh before watching her snag one of my
sausages off the plate. "She hasn't been with anyone since Big Duke
died. At least, not to my knowledge."

Digging in to my meal with Lock snagging a piece of
toast and another sausage, we chewed, allowing silence to reign but
the quiet between us hadn't ever been uncomfortable.

"What about Dare?" she ventured.

"What about Blaze?" I shot back, keeping my cheeky
grin to myself. "Is he still here?'

"Left him snoring like a baby," she said with a
sultry grin and an eyebrow lift. "Between you and me, I think I
wore his ass out."

"Good for you! Was he just as hot as you remembered?"
I knew Blaze was someone she valued more than a little. I didn't
know if they were 'forever' material but the heat they generated
when they did get together was off the charts.

"He's got some new moves and whoever taught him,
taught him good!"

Our eyes caught as we giggled.

"Okay, so spill. Did you and Dare finally do the
deed?" I shot her a glance, wondering how much info to give.
Although she and I were best friends, what I'd done with Dare
ventured into the area of private and I wasn't sure I was willing
to share it yet. "You guys have been fucking gagging for it going
on what? Nine, ten years now?"

I cleared my throat, trying to come up with words
that would confirm her suspicions but not give too much away.
"Let's just say it was worth the wait."

"Oh Lawd," she exclaimed, throwing up her hands
before dramatically crossing them over her heart, one of my sausage
links waving in the air. "You two finally got together! Took
fucking long enough."

"I know, right?"

"So was he all you'd thought he would be? Did the
earth move and angels sing when he gave it to you?" Back in the
day, she'd been my only confidant, the only one that knew the whole
of it until it had all went so bad. She would listen to me for
hours as I cried over not having Dare in my life, at how we
couldn't be together until we were both 'old enough'. Back when I'd
been so young, too young to consider being with him full-time. But
my heart had truly been broken and Lock knew the truth of it. And
she'd helped me as much as she'd been able—even if it was to only
offer a listening ear.

"Oh, yeah," I breathed and couldn't help my satisfied
smile at the memory of what he and I had done. "All three
times."

"Shit! Three? Damn, girl. The most any Honey has
claimed with him has been twice in one night!"

Oh fuck.

How'd I forgotten he'd made his rounds with the
Honeys? It was a given, something that I should've kept in the
front of my mind the entire night. But I hadn't and being reminded
of his sexual escapades cut hard and deep within me.

But what I was feeling must've shown because she
quickly backpedaled. "Oh, Rye. It's never been like that. Nothing
like what you guys have. Have always fucking had."

I could feel my eyes narrow as I glared at my plate,
at the strangle hold I had on my fork.

"He's not like that and will be the first one to tell
any girl that he doesn't want anything long term. Dare's not a guy
that gets involved with a woman, not even Honeys. He fucks you and
either leaves or sleeps." I caught her shrug out of the corner of
my eye. "He must've given you the speech, right?"

I could barely make my lips move as I echoed her.
"Speech?"

"Yeah. He gives everyone a little talking to before
he even rolls the condom on. Each and every time." Turning my head,
I saw the confusion on her face. "Didn't he give it to you
tonight?"

"Nuh-uh." Nope, he sure hadn't and now I was curious
as hell about what his little fucking speech contained, and why I
hadn't had the same dubious pleasure in hearing it.

"Well, I don't know that I can quote it to you
verbatim, but it goes something to the tune of…" and her voice
dropped a couple of octaves as she tried to emulate the way Dare
talked. "Babe, this is just for fuckin' shits and giggles. I'll
fuck you and we'll have a hell of a good time. But there ain't
gonna be a place for you in my life long term. Just because we get
together now doesn't mean we fuckin' have something going, all
right? Tomorrow, I may not even fuckin' remember your name."

I felt my anger and jealousy leak out of me because
even I had to admit that was cold. I couldn't imagine a girl, god!
A fucking
Honey
listening to that shit and not wanting to
slap him silly for just uttering that kind of crap. "Has anyone
ever gotten dressed and walked out after hearing him talk like
that?"

"A couple. Though surprisingly, not many."

What a dick!

Then I wondered about Lock. She was a Honey and Dare
was a Hellion. But I truly didn't want that picture in my head even
if it made sense, was logical. My eyes darted to hers and saw she
wouldn't look at me.

I wasn't gonna ask and it seemed she wasn't gonna
offer, which, in the whole of it, was more than cool.

"I told Dare that we had no future and that we could
only have last night," I admitted, scraping my fork in the last of
my eggs. I'd originally intended Lock's and my talk to lead into a
discussion of my dad and his unrealistic expectations, but that was
not how it came out. Of what my heart had been avoiding.

Her hand, which had been feeding the last of my
snagged sausages into her mouth stilled. "That's not how it works,
Ryley," she said softly, almost tenderly as if imparting info to
someone who was gonna lose their shit at her words. "You wanna
play, yeah. You two deserve to get with the horizontal action after
so many years of wondering and fantasizing. But as a one-time deal?
Fuckin' no way. Uh-uh."