When You Dare - Lori Foster [132]
“How dare you?” Kathi whispered, sounding truly enraged. “You can’t—”
“Fine.” Bishop inched back from Dare’s quiet, controlled anger. To Kathi, he ordered, “Get some coffee. Bring it to the library.”
Kathi touched his arm. “Bishop, I don’t know about this. I don’t know about him.” She looked at Dare so no one would misunderstand.
“I’ll be fine.” He shrugged off her hand and stormed ahead, saying to Dare, “Come on then. Let’s get this over with.”
Dare slipped an arm around Molly. Near her ear, he asked quietly, “You holding on okay?”
She nodded with ill humor. “Typical day with my dad.” But she knew this wasn’t typical at all. Her father didn’t love her. He’d never loved her. For him, she was an inconvenience that he’d been saddled with, a daughter that forever disappointed him.
But now she had to accept that he might have had her kidnapped rather than continue to suffer her.
Her heart didn’t break, because long ago her heart had accepted that her father would never care. But she did feel shame—bone-deep shame for Dare to see how little she mattered to him.
They stepped into the large mahogany library. It smelled of lemons and leather and books. Lots and lots of books. As a child, Molly had been forbidden entrance to this room, which had of course made it all the more desirable.
Her love of storytelling had begun while disobeying her father and raiding his most cherished room.
Dare’s hand found hers. He laced his fingers through her own, gave her a gentle squeeze. She glanced up at him, and there was so much warmth in his gaze, so much acceptance and, oddly, admiration.
And then, right there in front of her father, Dare bent to kiss her. Molly knew what he did, and why: he wanted her father to understand, without a single doubt, that for Dare she was a priority.
How her father would take that news was left to be seen.
DARE SAT BACK ON the leather couch, his legs stretched out and relaxed, one arm on the back of the couch behind Molly. He hated putting her through this, but already he’d learned a lot.
Kathi wasn’t what he’d expected. Other than her damn mouth that could cut with sugary sweetness, she seemed soft and comfortable, not at all the rigid, uptight, perfectly coifed woman he’d expected.
Didn’t mean she wasn’t a bitch. She was.
And it didn’t mean he’d cut Bishop any slack, even though his wife wasn’t the trophy Dare had assumed she would be.
But maybe if he’d already misjudged Kathi, he’d made other misjudgments, as well. He’d have to think about that and strive to keep an open mind.
On everything, and everyone.
Bishop had taken refuge behind a massive desk where he held his peace while Kathi poured fragrant, gourmet coffee into china cups resting on saucers.
Both he and Molly declined the drink. Not that Dare would have let her consume anything offered by these people. They weren’t beyond poisoning.
The device on his key chain buzzed, and Dare lifted it out. After a glance at it, he said to Bishop, “Instruct your men to stay out of my car.”
Bishop harrumphed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Then you’re dumber than I assumed.” Dare held up the device for him to see. “Someone is trying to get into the back of my SUV. If it’s not under your order, then I’m free to kill the bastard for his daring.” He made to rise.
Nearly choking on his anger, Bishop waved Dare back to his seat and then spoke quietly to Kathi.
She nodded and left the room.
Dare noticed that Kathi hadn’t blinked an eye over his statement that he might kill. Was she used to such things?
From Bishop and his cohorts?
Disbelief brought Molly forward on her seat. “Dad, really? You had someone break into Dare’s car? And don’t play innocent. Nothing happens here without your consent.”
Lacking remorse, Bishop shrugged. “I’m sure your guardian understands caution.”
Molly wasn’t appeased. “I understand an invasion of privacy!”
Dare put a hand on her thigh—something