Ride Hard (Raven Riders #1)(94)

A series of emotions passed over Haven’s face—concern, fear, and something that looked a lot like relief. Dare didn’t want to think too closely about why the delay might make her feel that way. “So, what do we do now?” she asked.

“Stay right here. Jeb, Bandit, and Gunny are your protection detail for the night, and they can get in touch with me at any point,” he said, gesturing to the men behind him. “I’ll check in when I can. The approach to the house is guarded, too, so you’ll be safe here for a few more hours.”

Dare’s cell rang. Dutch’s number registered on the screen. Dare put the device to his ear. “Dutch, how are you?” he asked, hoping he was doing a passable job of keeping the frustration out of his voice.

“I’m good. Shirley and I are taking you up on your offer. I’ll be there in about ten minutes,” came the old man’s voice.

“Glad to hear it,” Dare said, though he couldn’t ignore the niggle in the back of his brain that didn’t want Dutch in the middle of a possible storm. “What are you driving? I’ll have someone keep an eye out for your car and follow you to your spot with the golf cart.”

Dutch answered and they hung up, and then Dare radioed that information to Phoenix, who was stationed at the main entrance.

“I better get back down there,” Dare said, wishing he had time to pull Haven into his office. Hold her. Love her. Claim her.

Fuck if her eyes weren’t filled with the same longing he felt. “Right. Sure,” she said. “Be careful.”

He gave a nod. “Always am.”





CHAPTER 29


“Will the after-party still happen?” Haven asked after Dare and the three Ravens who’d come with him left the room. She looked from Bunny to Doc, concern plain as day on their faces. She wasn’t sure how their staying longer might change things.

“I’ll guess we’ll have to wait and see,” Doc said, his voice gruff but not unkind. He gave her a small smile as he stroked at his gray beard. “All this security might yet turn out to be unnecessary. Don’t get me wrong,” he said, gripping a coffee cup in his hand. “Taking the precautions was the right way to go—Dare’s judgment was spot-on as far as that was concerned. But if nothing happens, then the rest of the night can be business as usual.”

Bunny nodded and got up from the table. “Well, since you girls are staying for a while yet, what’s say we get you some dinner?”

Haven looked at Cora and said, “I’m not very hungry, but I guess it’s a good idea.”

“Sustenance is always a good idea,” Bunny said, her eyebrow arched in a gentle, motherly reprimand. “Gotta take care of yourself, Haven.”

Haven and Cora followed Bunny into the kitchen, where there was a veritable smorgasbord of choices. They made plates of meatballs and lasagna and sat together at the table.

They made small talk for a while, but all Haven could think about was how large and unknown the future loomed before her. When she’d no longer be Haven Randall but Kylie Jameson. Thinking of her name made her think of her namesake—Dare’s brother. “Were Dare and his brother much alike?” she asked quietly.

Bunny’s eyes went wide. “He told you about Kyle?”

The awe in her voice made goose bumps break out on Haven’s arms. Was it so unusual that Dare had talked about him? “Yeah, he did.”

The older lady’s expression went soft and affectionate. “I only got to see them together a few times when they were young because they lived so far away. But Kyle was the rabble-rouser. If there was trouble to find, he knew how to find it every time,” she said with a smile in her voice. “And Dare and Maverick would follow. Now Dare, he was always the old soul, the one who weighed the consequences, the one who listened when others talked. All of which made Kyle and Dare a good team. And I guess they probably needed that with the way their father was.”

That sounded very much like the Dare she knew today, too. Bunny’s words made Haven wish she’d been able to meet Kyle, been able to see them together.

“Wait,” Cora said, looking from Bunny to Haven. “Dare has a brother named Kyle?”

“He did,” Bunny said. “Kyle died when Dare was fifteen.”

Understanding dawned on Cora’s face, and Haven felt a little bad for not revealing sooner where she’d gotten her new name. “Oh, my God. That’s where you got it from?”

“Sshh,” Haven said, giving her friend a look. Caine had told them not to reveal their names to anyone they knew now.

“Do I want to know?” Bunny asked, giving them both a suspicious look.

Haven shook her head. “No. Well, it’s just, we can’t tell you. It’s about when we move.”

“Oh, I see,” Bunny said. “Yeah, I know how it works.” She looked down at her coffee mug for a long moment. “Haven?”

“Yeah?”

“You love him?” Bunny asked, compassion and kindness in her tone and the way she looked at Haven.

“Yeah,” Haven said, not at all ashamed to admit it. Not even to Dare’s aunt. “I do.” A knot lodged in her throat. She set her fork down on her plate. Her gaze flickered to Cora, who was looking at her with so much sympathy in her expression that it made the knot even bigger.