Wild at Heart (10 page)

“Holy shit, Dare,” I said.

“I know.”

“So why not take it to the police?”

“I didn’t actually see him do it, and I don’t have any tangible proof. If I’m going to make him go away, I need proof. I’m working on that now. My dad’s well aware that I know about it because I was there.”

“You—OH SHIT.” My eyes widened as I realized the implications of all this. “If you were there and you’ve known about it all this time, you might be charged as an accessory.” God, did the bounds of what his father had done to him have no limits?

Dare nodded, still not looking at me. “Yeah.” He took a deep breath, ran his hand through his hair. “But it’ll put the bastard behind bars for life.”

“Then you can’t do it.” I stood up, grabbed my clothes and started yanking them on. “There has to be something else. You can leave an anonymous tip. Mail the proof to the police. That way you can’t be implicated.”

Dare let out a bitter laugh. “Are you kidding? I’ll be the first person my dad points his finger at. That bastard is not going to go down without a fight.”

“Yes, but—”

“I have to do this, Ree. It’s the only way to keep everyone safe.” His eyes finally met mine. “I need to keep you safe,” he said. “But first I have to actually find the guy who has the proof.”

“Who is it? And what does he have?”

“His name is Mike Stanzione, but everyone calls him Stanzi.” Dare’s face contorted in disgust. “And he has photographs. My father has always been inclined to keep mementos of what he considers to be his greatest accomplishments. Stanzi was his record keeper.”

I shuddered at the thought. The whole situation—this plan of Dare’s and the crime he hoped to unearth—screamed BAD IDEA to me. Too many things could go wrong. The stakes were too high, the risk too terrible.

“There must be some other way, Dare. NOT this. Just like you can’t lose me, I can’t lose you.” I placed my hand on his arm and squeezed my fingers around him. “Do you understand that? This isn’t just about
you
. It’s about
us
. You could go to prison!”

“I have no choice, Ree. If there was some other option, I’d take it. But this is guaranteed to work.”

“
Let me help
.” My words were coming louder and faster as my panic level skyrocketed. “You don’t have to fucking do this on your own. Between the two of us, we can come up something. Maybe my father—”

“
Your father
is the one who fucking let him out. He’s not going to do shit.” He stood up and zipped his jeans, his eyes angry, his jaw tight. “You and I both know that.” He shook his head. “I get that you don’t like this, Ree. I don’t either, but it’s all I’ve got. It’s the only way I can keep him from destroying everything I love. No one is safe. Not Dalia and Dax. Not my mom. Not Dash. Not you. Look at what he did to Rex.”

My eyes widened. “And what he did to you. It’s not safe for you either. Who’s going to protect you?” I sank down on the couch.

“That’s not the way it works for me.” Dare shrugged, resigned. “You can see why I have to do this, then.” He picked up his shirt and pulled it over his head, cursing when the material caught on his splint.

“No,” I said, “I DON’T see why you have to do it this way. That’s even more reason to work together. Two minds are better than one. Three are better than two. Let’s go downstairs and talk to Rex, figure something out that will not end with you going to prison.”

His face was hard as he shook his head. “You don’t get it, Ree.”

“You’re right, I don’t. You can’t lose me, but you won’t let me help so I don’t lose you. What kind of fucked-up double-standard bullshit is that?” I picked up the towel of melting ice, and stalked toward the kitchen, but then swung around to face him in the doorway. “You know what? Fine. Go on your little mission. Get the fuck out of here. If you don’t value me as a full-fledged partner in your life, then I don’t need this shit. Let me know when the macho bullshit has gotten you in so deep that you need my help to get out of it. Because you
will
.” I turned my back on him, and stormed into the kitchen. “But until then, fuck off.”

I heard the door slam a moment later, and threw the towel at the wall, scattering ice all over the kitchen.

FUCK.

Gripping the counter, I took several deep breaths, battling to regain control, my body shaking. Because the thing was, I had to figure something out to save him this time. Regardless of what I’d just said. Even if he didn’t want me to.

Dare had saved me in more ways than I could count.

It was my turn now.

I just had to figure out how.

twelve

“Y
ou’re early,” I said as I opened the door to Rex the next morning. I glanced down the street both ways. “You didn’t tell her you were coming here, right?” I ushered him inside.

Rex strode in, turned around, and stared at me. Just like he had when I was fresh out of juvie and begging him to take me in again.

Shit. This was not going to go well.

“Rex—”

“Don’t you
Rex
me,” he said. “Are you really that stupid? Ree told me your plans.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “It’s a suicide mission and you know it. Look at you! Look at what that rat bastard did to you.” He rattled the sling his left arm was still in. “And me! He will kill you next time, Dare. I have no doubt about that. He’s leading up to it. That piece of shit has always had it out for you.”

“Listen, Rex—”

“No, you listen to me. I’ve wanted to say this for years because it’s something I don’t think you know or understand.” He took a deep breath and said, “He NEVER deserved you. I can’t comprehend a world where someone
like
him
gets to have
you
for a son.” His eyes were getting redder by the minute as his gaze burned through me. “You never should’ve been punished with someone like that as a father. Do you know that? NEVER. You did nothing to deserve him.” He shook his head, and some of his gray hair came loose from his low ponytail. He tucked a strand behind his ear and said, “I would have done anything to have a son like you. To have you for my son, Dare.”

A lump rose up in my throat, and I tried hard to swallow it down.

“I can’t believe you’d risk everything for that asshole. That you’d let your father take away the life you’ve built. The life you’ve earned, that you’ve deserved from day one.”

I shook my head. “You don’t understand.”

“I don’t understand your father? I’ve known him—”

“I have no choice, Rex. It’s the only way to keep the family safe. To keep Ree safe. To keep
you
safe.”

“You don’t have to—”

“I don’t?” I stalked across the room and lifted his casted arm. “I don’t have to keep you safe?”

“Dare, the whole world is not your responsibility.”

“No, but my family is.” I paused, that lump returning. “
You
are family. You’re more of a dad than he ever was. And I will fucking do anything I can to protect you from him.”

Rex pulled me into a hug, swinging his good arm around me. His familiar scent, of patchouli and paint, still smelled like comfort.

“If my dad gets even a whiff of Ree…I don’t know what he’ll do to her,” I said. “He’s hell-bent on taking away everything I love.” I held up my splinted hand. “Case in point. I can’t let him have her.”

“But there’s got to be a better way than this.”

“If there was I’d be taking it in a heartbeat,” I said. “But if I don’t go after him, find what I need to stop him, then he’ll…” I didn’t want to finish that sentence. So I didn’t. “How’s Ree?”

Rex shrugged, his face turning to stone. “Come see for yourself.”

“I can’t. Last night was a stupid mistake, and she’s pissed as hell at me. I have to stay away for now.” I held out my hands. “Please, Rex. Just tell me how she is. I was a dick.”

He considered me for a moment, then his shoulders sagged as he gave in. “She’s…hurt, angry, worried, and scared.” He paused. “And she loves you.”

“I know.”

“Dare, really think about—”

“I’ve thought it through. There’s no other way. Trust me.” A knock on the door sent my pulse up and my eyes to Rex’s face. “You didn’t tell her, right? Please tell me you didn’t…”

“I didn’t. That’ll be the gallery manager I told you about.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s ten o’clock. She’s right on time. You have the paintings ready?”

“Of course I do. What do you take me for, a total amateur?”

Rex raised an eyebrow at me. “If the beret fits…”

“Hey, I only wore it that one time.” A small, bittersweet smile touched my lips. “And that was seven years ago, so it’s about time you dropped it.”

Rex walked over to my door, and opened it while I tried to focus. I needed this kind of distraction right now, no matter how much I didn’t want it. And I really needed the income.

He ushered a tall redhead into the room, her face lighting up when her eyes landed on me. She was dressed in all black, save for a colorful scarf that wrapped around her neck, and she was looking at me like I was the artwork rather than the artist.

Great. Just what I needed.

“Dare,” Rex said, sweeping his arm toward the woman, “this is Arianna Saxon.”

I held out my left hand, she reached with her right, then gave an embarrassed laugh and extended her left to shake my hand.

“Sorry,” she said. “I’d forgotten about your hand. How’s it feeling?”

It ached like a son of a bitch.

“Fine,” I said, and waved her toward my studio. “If you’d like to see the paintings, I have them all set up.”

She nodded and started following my lead, with Rex trailing us.

“Oh!” she said. “I also wanted to discuss the opening. We’ll start advertising it next week when our current show opens—”

“What?” I stopped and turned around to face her. “No, there can’t be an opening. Or advertising.” I glanced at Rex. “I thought Rex told you that.”

She laughed. “Oh sure. Of course he did, but I know how nerve-wracking shows can be for some artists.” She slipped her hand through my arm and started walking me toward the studio. “Don’t you worry one bit. I’ll be with you every step of the way, guiding you through the entire process.”

“It’s not that I’m nervous. We simply can’t make a big deal about—”

“There’s nothing for you to worry about.” She gave me a gleaming smile. “I promise that you’re in
very
good hands.” A deep crimson blush spread over her pretty face.

Then she strode into my studio, stood stock still, and gasped.

“Oh. My. God.” She did a slow circle around the room, openly gawking at my work. “This is—Rex you weren’t kid—I’m…WOW.” She turned to me with a big grin. “Tighten your seatbelt, Dare Wilde, because you’re about to be famous. I’m going to make sure of it.”

Not if I could help it.

Right now, fame was the last thing I needed.

I had to keep a low profile and not attract my father’s attention in any way until I had Stanzi and was ready to strike. Then I had to find a way to not go down with him.

Fame could wait.

Everything else I was dealing with couldn’t.

thirteen

“D
id you see today’s Times?” Arianna had to move a mountain of contracts from the desk in front of me in order to make space for two Starbucks cups. To say that the office was an artsy warzone would be an understatement. We were being ambushed by paperwork from all sides—talent, buyers, insurance agents—the not so glamorous part of working at an art gallery.

I shook my head and waved my hand over the contract I was drawing up. “These are the only papers I’ve had the time to read today.” Although we didn’t open until noon, I’d been here since seven to prepare for the numerous shows we were hosting over the next few months. “So what kind of news do you bring with my green tea, Ari?”

She pressed her bright pink lips together and offered me an apologetic smile. “I’m kind of regretting I brought it up now. I don’t suppose I could eat my both words
and
this newspaper?”

“No way. You’ve officially piqued my interest.” I took the paper from her and didn’t even have to turn the page to be hit square in the face with the main headline:
Daughter’s Battle with Addiction: Mayor McKinley’s War on Drugs Hits Close to Home.