Ride Hard (Raven Riders #1)(82)

A bunch of guys brought dirty dishes into the kitchen, signaling that dinner out in the mess hall had come to an end. Done with her own meal, Haven went out into the mess hall to help clean up. Dare sat at the head of one of the tables, head thrown back in laughter, Maverick, Phoenix, and Jagger next to him laughing just as hard.

God, Dare was freaking hot.

Really f*cking hot. Say it. Tell me how hot it is.

The memory of his words licked over her skin and made her suck in a breath.

And then Dare’s gaze landed on Haven, hot and direct, and she felt it like he’d reached across the room and touched her. And, God, how she wished he had. Because, yeah. With his darkly handsome face, that mess of brown hair she knew was so soft, and that harsh mouth that gave her so much pleasure, Dare Kenyon was really f*cking hot. Even if his words had crushed her heart.

Ducking her head, Haven grabbed as much as she could off the table and retreated into the kitchen. The thing was, unlike weeks ago when being in his presence scared her, now she craved it, even knowing nothing would come of it—that he wouldn’t let anything come of it. Not anymore.

She went back out for another load, and Cora followed, just in time to hear Phoenix shout into his cell phone, “Who the f*ck is this?” He wasn’t playing.

The room went deadly quiet, the words freezing the maybe ten remaining Ravens in place as every eye focused on the head of the table.

Phoenix mouthed something to Dare, then said into the phone, “What are you talking—”

Dare’s expression was rank anger and outrage, and it knotted Haven’s stomach for reasons she didn’t understand. “Give me the phone,” Dare bit out. He pressed a button and held the phone out in his hand. “This is Dare Kenyon, Raven Riders’ president. Who the f*ck is this?”

“Ah, Dare,” came a man’s voice through the speaker. “This is Dominic Hauer. We met on Monday. Turns out we have more business, just like I thought we would.” The menace in the man’s voice, the grim expressions on the Ravens’ faces—all of it had Haven’s heart racing and dread prickling across her skin.

“Our business is done,” Dare said, ice in his tone. She’d never heard his voice sound so . . . deadly.

“Turns out, not so much. You see, we now find ourselves in possession of something I think you’re going to be interested in.”

Dare made eye contact with Phoenix, who shrugged and shook his head. “Fine. I’ll bite. What would that be?” Next to him, Maverick, Caine, and Jagger sat forward, jaws clenched, muscles tense.

“Information that the Churchmen held two women in their possession worth fifty grand in cold hard reward to some redneck down in Georgia. Well, a hundred thou now. And we’ve recently made acquaintance with this fine gentleman.”

Haven slapped her hand over her mouth to smother her gasp as Dare’s gaze collided with hers. Oh, God. Ohgodohgod. Her father . . . her father was nearby. And willing to pay . . . a hundred thousand dollars to get her back?

“And I care about this why?” Dare asked, the nonchalance and disinterest so convincing in his voice.

“Because you have them.”

The words hung there, and Haven almost went wobbly on her feet. Except hands caught her, supported her. Cora on one side and Bunny on the other. When the older lady had come out from the kitchen, Haven didn’t know.

“Hang in there,” Bunny whispered into her ear.

“I don’t traffic in women. That shit was all the Church Gang,” Dare said. Tension and anticipation filled the room so thick you could’ve cut it with a knife. And Haven . . . guilt and embarrassment consumed her. That she’d brought this danger to them. That she’d ever withheld the information about the reward.

“Yes, and what you do is take in women in trouble. Like the two rescued out of the Churchmen’s storage facility. Took me a little digging to find out that fact, but once I did, I no longer really needed to know who you were working with at that gun deal. Whoever it was, we know they also raided the storage facility. And you make the most sense for where those women went. Sound interesting yet?”

Dare heaved a breath and his face went serious, shut tered, emotionless, even the anger bled out of his expression. He was all do-or-die business. Eyes narrowed, jaw clenched, it was the most intimidating Haven had ever seen him look. She took a little comfort from it, because if anyone could handle this, Dare could.

Please, I can’t go back.

“And if I am interested?” Dare asked.

A small chuckle came through the line. “Then you’ll need to decide how interested you are. Because you’ve got forty-eight hours to beat the reward, or I send the redneck your way and collect the hundred K from him. Makes no difference to me. Though I suspect it does to you.”

“And how do I know he and his crew aren’t already on their way here?” Dare met Maverick’s gaze, and the other man gave him a tight nod. Haven was quite possibly going to lose the dinner she’d just eaten.

“Because I’m telling you they’re not. The deal on Monday went smooth and we did what we said we would. I’d hope that would buy me a little good faith.”

“That would be easier if you weren’t blackmailing me for six figures,” Dare bit out.

“This isn’t blackmail. This is business. We need cash. We have two sources to get it. Which one is entirely up to you,” Dominic said.