WELL, THAT SUCKED ass, Dare thought. He blew out a breath and waved Maverick in. “What’s up?” he asked Maverick as the two of them settled into the chairs on either side of the desk. “How’s Alexa?”
Maverick braced his elbows on his knees and dropped his face into his hands. He ground the heels of his palms into his eyes and heaved a troubled breath. “Fuck,” he bit out, and then he looked up at Dare. “She won’t tell me what happened, just insists it was a misunderstanding. Like we haven’t heard that before.”
“Yeah,” Dare said. “A misunderstanding that involved her face getting slammed against some immovable object?”
“Right.” Mav shoved to his feet and paced. “I don’t know what to do.”
Fuck if this conversation wasn’t going to suck, too. “You’re not gonna like what I have to say.”
Maverick pointed at him. “No, I’m not. So don’t say it.”
“Maverick—”
“I fucking mean it, D,” he gritted out.
Dare stood and braced his fists on the desk. “You can’t help someone who refuses to be helped. You know that, maybe more than anyone. And Alexa Harmon is possibly the most stubborn woman on the face of the earth.”
His cousin chuffed out a humorless laugh. “Ain’t that the truth.” He paced along the short space in front of the desk, and then raked his hands into his blond hair. “But then what do I do? I have to do something. I can’t just sit here waiting for the next time.”
“Shit, Mav. Whatever’s going on for her, she’s gotta want out of it before you can do anything. That fucking sucks, I know—”
“No, you don’t goddamn know,” Maverick yelled, glaring at him.
Dare didn’t take offense. He could only imagine how he’d feel to see Haven bruised and bloodied like that—
The thought nearly stole his breath, because he didn’t have many days left to see Haven at all. A vague sense of dread coursed through his veins. How did he know she’d be safe without him, even if they took every precaution in setting up a new life for her? How did he know if he wasn’t there?
And why did the prospect of not being there make him want to pound his fist into a wall? Why did it feel like he was the one running away—again? Like he’d done the day Kyle and his mom had died, instead of staying and fighting . . .
Dare shook the thoughts away. Or he tried to. “You could set up some low-key surveillance of her house for a few days,” he managed, wanting to solve just one person’s problem today.
Mav’s eyes went wide. “But what about the manpower we need here? Until we can make arrangements for Haven and Cora?”
“We’ll make it work,” Dare said, and then he nailed Maverick with a stare. “But do not fucking engage. Not while you’re by yourself.”
“Yeah, yeah. Of course not.” Maverick sagged into the chair behind him. “Thanks.”
“Is she still here?” Dare said, taking a seat himself.
“Yeah. Bunny came and she was talking to her. I hoped maybe Alexa would open up more to a woman.” Even though Bunny was Maverick’s mother, he’d used her nickname for as long as Dare could remember. Everyone did. “Speaking of which, Haven was great with her.”
Dare nodded, working hard to school his features. “She was.”
Maverick tilted his head and eyeballed Dare. “What’s going on between the two of you, anyway?”
Pulling his cell out of his jeans pocket, Dare shook his head. “Nothing.” The word tasted sour on his tongue. If it was nothing, then why was he so tied up in knots?
“She sure doesn’t look at you like it’s nothing.”
“Is that so?” Dare asked, checking his texts and e-mails to see if the pics of her father and his men had come through yet. What kind of pathetic was he that he took pleasure from hearing Maverick say Haven looked at him like she was interested?
“Don’t tell me you don’t see it,” Mav said.
Eyes still down, Dare shrugged. He saw it. He saw her. “Doesn’t really matter, does it?” Something hit him in the forehead. He flinched as a pencil tumbled down his front and fell to the floor. “Ow, you fucker. Coulda taken my damn eye out.”
“Uh-huh. Stop shitting me for a minute,” Maverick said.
Dare sat forward in his chair and threw the cell to the desk. “What do you want from me, Maverick?”
Maverick’s eyes went wide, and then narrowed as they studied Dare. “You like her.”
“Mav—”
“You fucking like her.” The big idiot grinned. Like there was anything good about Dare’s errant feelings. For fuck’s sake.
“Good-bye, Maverick. Don’t let the door hit ya in the ass on the way out.” Dare gave him a pointed look.
Maverick settled back in the chair and crossed his hands and fingers over his stomach. Goddamned pain in the ass. “You’re totally feeling her.”
“I’m not fucking around, Maverick. We’re not talking about this.” No sense in trying to deny it, because his cousin could get like a dog with a damn bone. Better just to cut the whole conversation off at the knees.
“Not going anywhere, D. For five years you’ve known about how I crashed and burned with Alexa. If you think I’m backing off of the first time you went and got the feels for a woman, you’re crazier than I thought you were.” Maverick’s expression said he was having way too much fun with this topic. The bastard.
“Any chance you could rub a few more brain cells together and remember what the hell we talked about in Church not a damn hour ago?” Dare asked.
For a moment, Maverick looked almost comically confused, and then his mouth dropped open. “Oh. Oh, shit, D.”
“Now, can we be done?”
All the humor bled out of Maverick’s expression. “Yeah, I’ll, uh”—he thumbed toward the door—“go check on Alexa and Bunny.”
“Good plan,” Dare said, feeling like an asshole.
Maverick left without saying anything else, leaving Dare sitting all alone in the quiet of his office. All alone. He hadn’t ever really had a steady relationship, not in all the years he’d lived in Frederick. Plenty of fucks, and a few friends with benefits, but no one he ever wanted for longer, for keeps, for his. Still, he had women when he wanted them. He had his brothers. He had his grandfather and great-aunt. He’d been alone, but he hadn’t ever felt lonely.
Until now. And there was only one thing different about his life.
Haven.
CHAPTER 15
“I have something to tell you,” Cora said as she knocked on the door to Haven’s room and walked in.
“I probably know what it is,” Haven said from where she sat on the bed, back against the headboard. She was under the covers despite being fully dressed and it not even being dinnertime yet. Ever since her talk with Dare, she’d been mindlessly watching cooking shows, although she couldn’t actually have said what kind of food they’d been making. “Where were you?” She pulled her gaze from the TV.
“I was hanging with Jeb over in the chop shop watching him work on his bike. And then Phoenix came and found me,” Cora said, crawling onto the bed and getting in under the covers next to her.
Sitting shoulder to shoulder, Haven looked at her best friend. “So you know we’re going to be leaving soon? Getting new names and identities and being set up somewhere else?”
Cora nodded, but Haven couldn’t read any reaction in her expression. “Yeah. What do you think?” Cora asked.
“I mean, yeah. It’s great,” Haven said, nodding. And working really hard to be positive.
Frowning, Cora tilted her head. “Why don’t I believe you?”
“You should,” Haven said. “Starting a whole new life is exactly what we wanted.” It was. But a funny thing had happened. Haven felt like she’d already started living that new life. Right here. With the Ravens. That was probably stupid, considering that no one had ever once suggested this as anything more than a way station until they figured out what was next, but she couldn’t help how she felt.
r /> “You do remember that I am your best and longest friend, right?” Cora arched an eyebrow.
“Uh, yeah, of course,” Haven said.
“Here, give me that.” Cora grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. She shifted to sit facing Haven. “So be honest with me. Because I can hear in your voice that you’re not thrilled. It’s Dare, isn’t it? What the heck happened to the two of you this afternoon anyway? He took off after you and Jeb like he was pissed or something.”
Haven liked how Cora didn’t even wait for the answer to her question. She knew Haven too well. “He stopped Jeb, said he needed me, and took me for a really awesome ride up to this beautiful lake . . .” She stopped there out of both embarrassment over the thought of describing what’d happened afterward and fear that trying to describe it would beckon the tears she’d been fighting since she left Dare’s office.
Cora squeezed her knee over the blanket. “And then?”
“And then, stuff happened,” she said in a quiet voice.
“Well, you know that isn’t gonna fly, my dear.” Cora scooted closer. “Spill.”
Heat crept into Haven’s cheeks as she searched for the words.
“Oh, good stuff,” Cora said, laughter in her voice.
“I splashed him,” Haven said, remembering the look of surprise he’d worn, and how he’d chased her. Caught her. “Next thing I knew, he tackled me onto the beach, and then . . . we were kissing and he was touching me with his hands and, uh, his mouth.” God, her cheeks were on actual fire. At least, that’s how they felt.
Cora gasped. “He went down on you? Aw, lucky you. Did you like it? Was he good?”
Haven opened her mouth to answer, and burst out crying. Yes, she liked it. Yes, it was good. And, yes, she wasn’t thrilled about leaving the Ravens because she didn’t want to leave Dare. And it felt like someone was ripping out her heart.
“Oh, sweetie,” Cora said, embracing her.
It took Haven the better part of a half hour to rein in her emotions and finish recounting her afternoon with Dare—right through the conversation in his office.
“I didn’t mean for it to happen,” she said, scrubbing the last of the wetness from her face, “but I like him. And I like it here. And now we have to leave.”
“Maybe you should just tell him that,” Cora said, giving her a small, sad smile.
“It wouldn’t matter,” Haven said. “Dare said the Ravens decided this was what they wanted to do—they think it’s what’s best for us, and the reward puts everyone here in danger, too. How could I stay here if it meant my father might hurt the people trying to help us? All because I have a crush on a man who has no problem sending me away?” She shook her head.
“I think it’s more than a crush,” Cora said in a quiet voice. “Don’t you?”
Haven wasn’t exactly sure what she felt. All she knew was that her chest ached and her stomach hurt and everything inside her rebelled at the thought of leaving. “It doesn’t really matter though, does it? Because he wants me to go. And I have to go.” Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. She didn’t want to talk about herself anymore. “I’m just sorry that you’re caught up in all this, too.”
“Don’t be crazy, Haven. I’m here because I want to be. And I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
Haven forced her eyelids open and looked at her friend—and saw nothing but sincerity on her pretty face. “I am glad you’re here.”
“Of course you are,” Cora said. “Because I’m awesome.”
Chuckling, Haven nodded. “You are.”
“You know what? Don’t worry, okay?” Cora clasped her hand. “Whatever happens, we’ll be together. Let’s trust that for now.”
“Yeah,” Haven said, working at a smile.
“I have an idea.” Cora swung her legs off the bed. “I’m going to go downstairs and whip us up some dinner and snacks, and then you and I are going to get crumbs all in the bed and watch movies until we fall asleep.”
Exactly the kind of thing Cora used to do back in Georgia to cheer Haven up and distract her from the rest of her life. And it proved how well Cora knew her. Because Haven felt too shaky inside to go downstairs and be among a big group of people, and, truth be told, she felt bad for not once thinking about the kind of trouble she might be bringing to the Ravens’ door. “Sounds great,” Haven said. “I’ll look for some movies.”
Fifteen minutes later, Cora knocked on the door, and then came into the room followed by Phoenix.
“Hey, Haven,” he said with a small smile. He was carrying a big tray loaded down with food and drinks.
“Hi,” she said, chuckling. “Cora has you doing her heavy lifting, I see.”
Grinning, he nodded. “I’m sure I’ll get a favor back in return some time.” He settled the tray on the nightstand next to Haven.
“Don’t hold your breath,” Cora said, more than a little amusement painting her expression. “Here’s your tip. Don’t eat the yellow snow.”
Phoenix folded his hands over his heart like he was wounded. “Aw, why ya gotta do me like that?” Haven watched the two of them as they exchanged banter, and it became clear as the back and forth escalated that it was more than that. They were flirting. And Haven could totally see why. Phoenix was funny and outgoing and overflowing with confidence, a lot like Cora. “Fine, fine,” he finally said as he backed toward the door. “I’ll go nurse my wounded ego elsewhere.”
“Thank you, Phoenix,” Cora said in a singsong voice.
For a moment, Phoenix hung at the door, and then he looked at Haven. “For what it’s worth, I’m really sorry everything has to go down like this. You all fit in great around here. I wish you could stay.”
The sentiment poked at the ache that had been lingering in Haven’s chest. “Thank you, Phoenix.”
He nodded, then pulled the door closed behind him.
“Well, look at him being all sweet,” Cora said, her expression more than a little moved.
“You like him,” Haven said. “I’m not the only one crushing on a Raven. You like him, too.”
Cora rolled her eyes and busied her hands with the food. “He’s easy to look at and fun to tease,” Cora said. “But I’m not interested in him. Really. Besides, they say he’s a total player. No, thank you.” Haven eyeballed her, but nothing about Cora’s expression or behavior belied her words. “Now, what movies did you find? Because girls’ night in is officially on.”
THE KNOCK WOKE Haven from a dead sleep. “Was that the movie?” she asked, looking to Cora.
Her friend was already sliding off the bed. “Nope, but I’ll get it.”
“What time is it?” Haven asked, yawning and stretching on the bed.
“After ten.” Cora pulled open the door. “Oh, hi, Dare.”
“Cora,” he said, stepping into the room. “I’m sorry to bother you all.” His gaze cut to Haven and moved over her body, and she felt it like it was his fingers, not his eyes, that had caressed her skin.
She pushed herself into a sitting position, suddenly self-conscious about her appearance. After they’d eaten, she and Cora had slipped into pajamas, which for Haven meant an oversized T-shirt Bunny had given her. Cora at least had on a pair of men’s boxers rolled at the waist.
“Dare,” Haven breathed.
“I should’ve given you more notice,” he said, shifting on his boots. God, he was hot standing there in his cut, tattoos running over his biceps, his hair looking like he’d been running his hand through it.
“For what?” she asked.
He looked from Cora to Haven. “Bunny has a friend who runs a beauty shop, and she agreed to come over after she closed up tonight to do your hair.”
Cora’s eyes went wide. “You’re getting your hair done? Wait. Why are you having it done here and not at the shop?” She frowned at Dare. “What’s going on?”
“Oh, uh,” he said, clearly uncomfortable to be put on the spot.
“The Ravens thought it would be a good idea for me to change my h
air. Too unique given the length. And it’s perfect timing, because you know I’ve been wanting a change.” She gave Cora a pointed look and hoped her friend got the message. Don’t contradict me.
“Uh-huh,” Cora said, not sounding very convincing at all.
But it must’ve done the trick for Dare, because he nodded and turned for the door. “Well, she’s getting set up down in the kitchen, so, if you want to get dressed and come on down?” His gaze lingered on her bare legs for a moment, and then cut back to her face.
“Yup. Be right down,” she said.
He nodded and closed the door behind him.
Waiting no more than five seconds, Cora turned and planted her hands on her hips. “What the hell, Haven?”
Haven flew off the bed. “I don’t want to do it, okay? But they think it’s too noticeable, and Dare’s pretty convinced there’s a good chance my dad or his men are nearby. They think I need a disguise, just until we leave here.”
Cora shook her head, her mouth opening and closing like she wasn’t sure what to say.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you speechless before,” Haven said, crossing to the chair and stepping into her jeans. She changed into a tank top so that her sleep shirt didn’t get all hairy.
“I want you to cut your hair when you’re ready to do it, not because you have to do it. Why didn’t you tell me?” Cora asked.
Haven hugged herself. “I didn’t want to be a baby about it.”
“Stop that right now,” Cora said, coming right up to her and fingering the loose blond wisps hanging around Haven’s face. “I know how much you love your hair. I’m sorry you have to do this.”
Haven waved a hand. “It’s just hair, right? It’ll grow out.” The words were for herself as much as they were for Cora.
“That’s right. And you would be gorgeous if you were bald.” She squeezed Haven’s shoulder.
Haven grimaced. “Let’s not test that theory.”
Chuckling, Cora nodded and headed for the door. “Give me a minute to throw on some clothes and I’ll come down with you.”
“I’d like that,” Haven said. Besides, Cora could talk a mile a minute and would provide the perfect distraction from the fact that Haven wasn’t really ready to do this. Her father hadn’t given her money or approval to go out to do things like getting a haircut because it didn’t serve him in any way, so the last time she’d had one she’d been sixteen. Or maybe it was fifteen? She couldn’t even remember.