When You Dare - Lori Foster [151]
Dare’s eyes burned. After all his fucking assurances, all his confident promises, Molly could have been killed, too—but he couldn’t think about that right now.
She’d saved his dog.
He closed his eyes, overwhelmed and out of control. But that just made him relive the moment when she’d rushed into Chris’s house, when he’d realized what he’d lose if anything happened to her.
He had to get it together.
After a deep breath, Dare said softly, but with iron demand, “Be quiet now.”
Molly looked at him, but he didn’t meet her gaze. She would unravel him if he did. He couldn’t soothe her yet, couldn’t crush her close or tell her…
He sawed his teeth together and cleared his mind.
Under cover, he passed the gun to Chris and closed his hand around it to ensure he had a good hold. “Okay?”
Chris took a breath. “Yeah. Got it.”
But Chris didn’t look good. He probably had a damned concussion—or worse. Dare’s heart twisted…
“I’m up for it, Dare. Just go.”
Molly’s mouth opened twice before she gasped, “Go where? What are you talking about?”
Dare couldn’t seem to make himself move. If this all went wrong, if the intruders spotted Chris with that gun, they’d shoot him dead. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. He filled his lungs, and tasted smoke. “You know I love you, Chris.”
Chris focused pain-filled eyes on him. “God, man, not now. I’ll live, I swear.” And then, grudgingly, he muttered, “But yeah, love you, too.”
That exchange only worked to further incite Molly’s fear. She grabbed Dare’s arm. “What are you doing? We need to get out of here.”
He peeled her hand away and guided it to Sargie’s collar. “Keep the dogs here for me. Do not let them go.” He couldn’t look at her; if he saw her expressive eyes, he’d falter. “Remember, there are two of them.”
He had to speak louder to be heard over the crackling of wood, the hissing as the fire consumed Chris’s home. Smoke billowed into the air and the flames licked the sky, sending an eerie orange glow to dance over everything in the immediate area.
He’d told Molly that he would keep the story quiet, but how could he do that now? He hadn’t counted on the crazy fucks blowing up Chris’s house. Even if the security system wasn’t set to alert the authorities, the fire would draw them.
Dare turned to gaze up at his own home just as two men stepped out. Black hoods covered their heads and faces. Seeing them kicked him into automatic pilot.
He knew what to do, and he’d do it.
Narrowing his concentration, Dare watched their bodies, how they moved, how they held themselves. He recognized George Wallace, the guard from Bishop Alexander’s home. The man had a distinctive stance and telling body language.
The other man he hadn’t yet met, but he knew his type and what he wanted, what he was capable of.
Each of the men held guns.
Without taking his attention off of them, Dare said to Molly, “Stay here with Chris. Do. Not. Move.”
He could feel Molly watching him, but she said not a word.
Sensing danger, both dogs went berserk. Molly hugged Sargie, restrained Tai, and tried to shush them.
With a groan, Chris repositioned himself, turning to get a good view but keeping mostly concealed behind the trees. “I got this, Dare. No worries.”
Nodding, Dare stood and stepped out into the open. He composed himself as he went up to the men. All the emotion had to be put aside. Rage, worry… He couldn’t think about that right now.
Deliberately, he went cold and hard. One step at a time, not racing but not hesitant, either, he closed the distance between himself and the two men who were now his targets.
They had broken into his home, had tried to kill his best friend and had possibly injured his dogs.
They were men who wanted to harm his woman.
Dare flexed his neck, his knuckles. The side of his mouth lifted in a deadly smile. He was ready.
Hell, he was more than ready.
George stepped forward. “That’s far enough.”
Dare stopped, his stance casual, unconcerned. “Where