Читать книгу Men of Honour: Ready, Set, Jett / When You Dare / Trace of Fever / Savor the Danger / A Perfect Storm / What Chris Wants / Bare It All - Lori Foster - Страница 41

HER FATHER WASN’T the one to greet them. Kathi came around the corner, heels clicking on the floor, her face full of smiles. Her chin-length, wavy brown hair danced around her face in a precise style that somehow managed to look casual. She wore dark designer jeans, pointy-toed ankle boots and a cozy cashmere sweater.

“Molly! I must have missed your call. I’m afraid I wasn’t expecting you.”

The mild rebuke didn’t faze Molly; she was used to it, whether she’d made an appointment to see her father or not. “There wasn’t time to call.”

Kathi embraced her, kissed the air near her cheek and then held her back. “My, my, my.” She touched Molly’s hair. “It looks like you haven’t seen the inside of a salon in forever.”

“It has been a while.”

Kathi smiled and, as if she knew nothing of the kidnapping, said, “I know how you are. You start writing, and you forget everything else. Have you lost weight? That’s good, I suppose, but not if you’ve done it improperly.”

Acutely aware of Dare beside her, Molly wanted to groan. “A few pounds, yes.” Being starved often had that effect.

Did Kathi truly not know of her kidnapping? It wouldn’t be beyond her father not to share that news. But somehow, Molly thought she knew, and that made her inane chatter all the more annoying.

“You have the darkest shadows under your eyes, too.” Appearing concerned, Kathi studied her face. “Aren’t you getting enough sleep?”

“I sleep fine.” Now. Since crawling into Dare’s bed, she’d found it easy to relax and catch up on her sleep. “Those are bruises.”

Kathi looked more closely, and she tsked. “Oh, dear. What have you done to yourself? You always were accident-prone. I’ve told you that yoga would give you added grace if only you’d—”

Feeling the flush in her face, she cut off Kathi’s ridiculous banter and gestured toward Dare. “Kathi, this is Dare Macintosh. Dare, my stepmother, Kathi Berry-Alexander.”

Having paid no attention to Dare until he was formally acknowledged by Molly, Kathi looked up at him. Fingers splayed over her throat, she whispered, “Oh, my.”

Dare said nothing.

Kathi held out a delicate, well-manicured hand. “Mr. Macintosh, how very nice to meet you. You’re a friend of Molly’s?”

Dare didn’t miss a beat. He held Kathi’s hand for the briefest of greetings that barely passed for polite and said only, “Mrs. Alexander.”

“Berry-Alexander.” Nonplussed by his lack of a response to her direct and social question, Kathi fiddled with the end of her hair. “Yes, well … I’m sorry that we’re ill prepared for guests. I was just finishing breakfast and was on my way out the door. We’re breaking ground on a new youth community building today.”

And that explained the jeans, Molly thought. Not that anyone would mistake Kathi’s clothing as appropriate for dirt-digging.

“We won’t hold you up.” As if Molly weren’t with him, Dare said, “I’m here to see Bishop.”

Kathi’s strained smile wouldn’t have fooled anyone. “I’m so sorry.” She looked to Molly. “Of course he’d like to see you, you know that. It’s been forever since you visited.” She let out a breath and looked back to Dare. “But I’m afraid my husband is rushed, as well. He has an important business meeting this morning.”

Molly wanted to groan. She needed this—whatever it was—over with.

“Tell him I’m here.” Dare stared down at Kathi. “He’ll make time for me.”

“Oh.” Kathi pursed her mouth. “He’s acquainted with you?”

Dare waited, again not answering. His blatant disregard for her nosiness left Molly desperate to fill in the silence, but she fought off the urge.

Kathi put her hands together. She tried, but she didn’t have the same lethal qualities that Dare possessed. “Yes,” Kathi finally murmured. “Let me ask him what he’d like to do.”

She turned and, in regal fashion, exited the room.

Molly didn’t realize she was holding her breath until Dare put a hand between her shoulder blades.

“Breathe, honey.”

She inhaled with a gasp. “Oh, my God, that was painfully awkward.”

Dare just shrugged. “If you thought so, then gird yourself, because I hear Bishop approaching, and given the weight of his stomping footsteps, it’s about to get worse.”

Now that Dare said it, she noticed the difference in her father’s usual metered approach, too. He came around the corner, but he wasn’t alone. He had one of the guards, and Kathi, with him.

For only a second his concerned gaze roamed over Molly, taking her in from head to toes. Something tightened in his face—concern for a daughter who had survived a kidnapping and severe treatment at the hands of goons? Molly just didn’t know. Often her father had been cold, but then, she’d never had her life threatened before.

Seeing that she was whole, Bishop quickly focused all his attention on Dare, a more deserving adversary.

Resentment brought the words to Molly’s mouth. “Hello, Father.”

All three of them glanced her way. Together, they made a potent triumvirate of animosity.

Dare laughed over their united front. “Should I consider this your idea of backup?”

The guard didn’t like that. His left eye twitched, and he made a point of showing his gun.

Softly, Dare taunted, “Try it.” Without breaking eye contact, he said, “I guarantee Bishop will get the first bullet.”

Kathi made sounds of alarm, her hand at her throat, her gaze going everywhere.

Bishop didn’t move.

Finally, the guard disengaged from his challenge. It was an amazing thing for Molly to see, but then, she’d known all along that Dare had that intimidating effect on people.

Expression severe, her father started to speak, and Dare silenced him with a look.

“You want this aired, Bishop, fine by me. Let’s open the windows and make sure the whole staff hears. But I had assumed you’d want some privacy—given your overriding concern for keeping things quiet.”

Impotent with rage, face distorted with displeasure, Bishop dismissed the guard with a raise of his hand.

The guard hesitated. “Should I stay inside, sir?”

He shook his head, and in a bid for privacy, said, “Take the rest of the day off.”

It was clear that the guard wanted to argue, but didn’t dare.

As he started away, Kathi frowned, moved with him and spoke quietly before returning to stand at her husband’s side.

Bishop’s gaze shifted to Molly again. “You’re back.”

“Yes.”

He hesitated, struggling with himself, but finally asked, “Unharmed?”

Kathi hugged his arm. “She’s well, Bishop, as you can see.”

Annoyance showing, her father continued to watch her. “She can speak for herself.”

“Yes,” Molly said. “Thanks to Dare, I’m okay.”

He nodded. To Molly, he almost looked relieved.

But now that the guard was out of range, he said low, “I can’t believe you came here, Molly. What were you thinking?”

Dare spoke up. “I brought her.”

Bishop looked at them both with disdain, but again gave his attention to Molly. “Do you have no shame?”

Molly did what she’d always done when faced with her father’s loathing. She squared her shoulders and donned an air of nonchalance. “I have no reason to be ashamed.”

“That’s not …” He inhaled deeply, looked away and then back again. “You’ll bring a scandal down on all of us.”

Molly curled her lip. “And that’s what matters most to you, right?”

“What the hell are you saying?” Freeing himself from Kathi’s hold, Bishop took a step toward her. Before she could blink, Dare was in front of her. He didn’t draw a gun, but he did take out his phone.

“You want to be an ass, Bishop, fine. I’m sure the FBI will be interested in investigating Molly’s abduction into Mexico and your probable role in it all.”

Kathi reacted theatrically. “Mexico?”

Bishop cursed as he pulled her back, signaling that he wanted her silence.

“No.” Inside his fancy suit, her father bunched and shifted and, knowing him as she did, probably worked up a sweat. “No, goddamn it, I do not want the law involved in this. Not because I have any involvement, but because—”

“It’s bad publicity. Yeah, I get it.” Dare shut his phone, and took a step forward to tower over her father. “Insult her again, give her so much as a dirty look, and I’ll make the call with the sole purpose of ruining you. Understand me?”

“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 that Bishop didn’t miss—and Molly subsided.

That Bishop now understood the intimacy of their involvement suited Dare. He wanted her father to know that in every way, Dare had a stake in keeping her safe. Unless he really was an idiot, Bishop would understand that an emotionally involved man would be far more lethal than someone only interested in financial remuneration.

“I understand precaution, too, Bishop. There’s no way in hell you’re going to catch me off guard, so you might as well give it a rest.” Dare watched him closely as he sipped his coffee. “But then, you didn’t get the message the last time we spoke, did you?”

Kathi reentered the room and went to sit in an ornate armchair at the side of her husband’s desk. Like a well-trained lapdog, she looked prepared to wait in silence until her husband needed something from her.

Bishop set his cup aside with a clatter. “What are you talking about?”

“You had Molly’s apartment ransacked. Tell me, what were you looking for?”

“The hell I did!”

“You tossed the place.” In his peripheral vision, Dare saw Kathi look down at her hands. Interesting. He didn’t want to look at her directly, but even indirectly he saw that she knew … something.

Was it guilt over her husband’s involvement? Had Bishop actually told her of what he planned? Had he involved her?

Furious, Bishop leaned forward. “I did nothing of the kind.”

“It wasn’t destruction meant as a threat. You wanted something. Tell me what you were looking for.”

His fist slammed down on the desk, causing Kathi to jump. “I’m telling you that I didn’t go anywhere near her damned apartment.”

Conversely, Dare kept his tone mild. “Maybe not personally. But you sent someone.”

“I didn’t!” Emphatic and insulted, he braced both hands on the desk and rose to his feet. “Yes, I told a private investigator that’s assisted me in the past about your … visit. But I didn’t send anyone to Molly’s apartment.”

“I told you not to speak of it to anyone.”

“You had my daughter!” Bishop shouted. “You told me she’d been kidnapped. I had a right to find out what I could about you.”

Dare almost believed him. His reactions were honest umbrage, not subterfuge.

The idea of him trying to dig into his past made Dare smile. “Came up blank, didn’t you?”

Bishop switched tactics and appealed to Molly. “What do you really know about this man? Have you checked into his past? Do you know what he’s done, what he’s capable of doing? How safe do you think you are while under his control?”

“He doesn’t control me. I’m with him because it’s the safest place for me to be right now.”

That struck Dare. Was safety her only reason for being with him? No, he didn’t believe that—but it sounded viable to tell her father.

“He’s had his hands all over you!” Bishop accused. “He’s sleeping with you for your money, and you’re desperate enough—”

“Bishop.” The softly spoken reminder cut through Bishop’s raised voice. Dare wanted a reason to take the bastard apart.

But he’d prefer that it not be in front of Molly.

Panting, her father retrenched, taking his seat in a formal display that left Kathi twitching beside him.

Lower, he mumbled, “He’s after my money, Molly. Can’t you see that?”

Molly shook her head. “You’re painting him with your own attributes, Dad. Dare isn’t like that. And in fact, he’s wealthy in his own right. He doesn’t need your money, and he won’t take mine.” Sounding sour, she added, “I’ve tried to pay him, and he won’t let me.”

Kathi licked her lips and joined the fray. “Molly, honey, you haven’t shown the best judgment in the past. Adrian is a perfect example.”

Molly turned on Kathi with disbelief. “But you and Dad wanted me to marry Adrian! Have you forgotten that?”

“He was the only prospect, and you were already involved with him. And at least he had some breeding.” She glanced at Dare and cleared her throat. “Perhaps if you had taken our advice just that one time, we wouldn’t be here now, dealing with this new … situation of yours.”

“She’s right,” Bishop said. “You refused Adrian’s attention and then went and got yourself kidnapped and God knows what else.”

“I can’t believe this.” Molly shot to her feet before Dare could get hold of her. She charged toward her father, finger pointed. “He was a user! Adrian only supported my career once he saw I was making good money. You’re right—he probably wanted your money, too. The poor fool didn’t realize that you’d disowned Natalie and me ages ago.”

“You aren’t disowned,” Kathi quietly said with a disapproving frown. “You know your father only wanted to ensure that you reached your own potential rather than relying on his accomplishments for your happiness. He wanted you to be independent. He is a wonderful father.”

Good God, Dare thought. Did the twit really believe that nonsense?

Molly snorted. And then to her dad, she said, “For the record, I didn’t get myself kidnapped. Someone else arranged that for me.”

“Whoever took you must have had a reason.” Kathi moved to put a supporting hand on Bishop’s shoulder. “And now you want poor Bishop to bail you out of this predicament.”

“Ha!” Molly’s scorn cracked like a whip in the quiet library. “Fat chance, Kathi, because I would never take anything from him.”

Bishop held up a hand to quiet any rebuttal from Kathi. “Then what are you doing here?” He joined the women on their feet. “If he’s not after some sort of payoff, what do the two of you want?”

Dare looked from one person to the next, and he sighed. “So, we’re to do this standing, huh?” He shook his head and rose from the couch.

Withdrawing two photos, Dare went to the desk and laid them down, then slid them around for Bishop to see. “You’re friends with Ed Warwick and Mark Sagan.”

Confused, Bishop shook his head. “Friends? No. We’re associates. We’ve done business together on occasion. What of it? They’re reputable men.”

“Sagan is a white separatist.”

“Nonsense.” Genuinely perturbed, Bishop huffed—and stared at those photos. “You can’t prove that.”

“Wanna bet?” Dare pointed to the other photo. “Warwick was busted on sliding illegal immigrants through the system to get them ready to vote for a senator that you backed, likely in exchange for favors.”

Through his teeth, Bishop said, “Warwick was cleared of that.”

“Not even close. He was never prosecuted, no, but not because he was innocent. Your good buddy Sagan took care of the evidence. A dead body has a way of spooking anyone else who might want to testify against his client.”

“That man died in a hit-and-run!”

Ah, so Bishop knew of all that. Of course he did. Dare shook his head in loathing. “Sagan has plenty of muscle to go around. He staged that hit-and-run, and you know it.” Dare shoved the photos closer to Bishop. “The people hoping to emigrate here were cheated of a chance at a better life because of Warwick’s bullshit. They were all sent home with their papers revoked. Warwick and Sagan have hurt more people than you and I can count.”

Mulling that over, Bishop shook his head. “It’s not like that. They’ve shared inside tips on property. A restaurant, a hotel … That’s all.”

“Properties that you bought under market value?”

He shrugged. “They were good deals for me, and they’ve proven lucrative. I stay in touch with many different people for just such business advantages.” Sounding more subdued, he again insisted, “All of them are only associates.”

Dare wasn’t buying it, not for a second. “Lie to yourself if you want, but you can’t fob that story off on me.” He pointed a finger at the photos where Bishop and Kathi were socializing with the men, well outside of business. “A man who lies with dogs always ends up with fleas.”

Chin up, Bishop skewered Dare with a hate-filled look. “So I’m guilty by association?”

“Damn right. What’s really telling, though,” Dare continued, “is that your friendship with those fucks gives you opportunity.”

Appearing ill, Kathi sank back into her seat.

Showing uncharacteristic discomposure, Bishop demanded, “Opportunity for what?”

Dare drew Molly closer to him. “To have your daughter kidnapped and smuggled into Tijuana.”

With visible effort, Bishop drew himself together. “Why the hell would I want to do that? She’s my daughter.”

Face paling, Kathi looked between the two men. “It’s incomprehensible that Bishop would do such a thing.” She glared at Molly. “I can’t credit this. You little fool. You would dare to accuse your father?”

Dare said, “I’m accusing him.”

“Then you go too far.” Angry color tinged her cheeks and made her eyes glassy. “Bishop is a highly respected businessman, an icon in society! He is above reproach.”

“Yeah, right.” Dare didn’t bother hiding his contempt. “He’s a social climber who enjoys leisure time with the bottom-feeders as long as they have something of interest to give to him.”

Kathi stiffened. “You make him sound like a … an opportunist!”

“Dead-on.” And then, tiring of the game, Dare said, “Face up to the real life, will you? Your husband spends his time with a white separatist who sports a laundry list of criminal activity, not the least of which is murder. Sagan is the worst kind of phony. He’s festering on the inside, then acts like he can hide it beneath the suits and ties he always wears.”

No doubt hoping to disprove Dare’s claim, Kathi shook her head. “That’s not true. Mark doesn’t always wear a suit. Sometimes he plays tennis, and he swims—”

In wide-eyed incredulity, Bishop swung around to stare at Kathi. “Shut up.”

Breathing hard, Kathi frowned at him.

“I mean it.” He looked at her as if she had two heads, as if he’d never really seen her before. Finally he turned back to Dare. “Enough of this nonsense. I know nothing about what you’re saying. I wouldn’t even know how to get such a thing done.”

“Bullshit. With Sagan’s muscle and Warwick’s contacts in Mexico, you have everything you need.”

Bishop didn’t blink. “I would never risk the scandal of having my daughter kidnapped to some godforsaken place.”

“No.” Kathi put her hands on Bishop’s shoulders. “He wouldn’t. He doesn’t even approve of her writing.”

“I heard. And I figured that might be the motive.” Dare stared at Bishop. “With the movie deal in the works, her name is really going to be out there. Folks will be making the connection, and soon you’ll be known less for your own accomplishments and more as Molly Alexander’s father.”

Bishop narrowed his gaze on Molly. “It’s absurd, all of it. You, at least, have to realize that.”

Trembling, Kathi curled her lips in an unbecoming smile. “Speaking of your work, Molly, I presume you haven’t had much opportunity for writing lately, have you?”

Molly sent a tight smile right back at her. “Actually, I’ve written quite a bit. Dare has a computer that he lets me use. At present, I’m only a little behind schedule.”

Dumbfounded, Kathi lost her smile. “After your … ordeal, you still took time to write?”

Molly shrugged. “Writing has always been my entertainment, and my escape.” She gave her father a defiant look. “It’s always been my way of coping with the uglier things in life.”

With a critical sneer, Kathi looked her over. “Then you obviously weren’t hurt all that badly, were you?”

“Bad enough,” Molly told her, and she never faltered from holding Kathi’s gaze. “But I wasn’t about to let those creeps, or anyone else, ruin me.” She sniffed, and said as if it made perfect sense, “I do have a deadline, you know.”

Dare wanted to intercede, but it seemed important to let this little exchange play out, so he kept silent. He had a feeling that before now, Molly had never really told her father or stepmother how she felt about their mistreatment of her.

Fidgeting with the sleeve of her sweater, Kathi asked, “What about your … controversy?”

“What controversy do you mean?”

Dare gave Molly points for pricking Kathi’s already crumbling façade. The older woman barely held herself together. She looked like she wanted to sob, or perhaps fly at Molly for bodily harm—all in defense of her asshole husband.

Interesting.

Dare stayed alert. The verbal abuse was difficult enough. No way in hell would he let either of these monsters lay a finger on Molly.

Before anything more could be said, Kathi noticed Bishop giving her the oddest look, and she drew in a long, deep breath. “Forgive me. Bishop prefers that I not speak of her books in his presence. In the middle of all the turmoil, I forgot myself.”

Bishop worked his jaw. “Exactly. This is hardly the time for chatting about her outrageous career choice.” In clear recrimination, he watched Kathi a moment longer before turning back to Dare. “I say again, I would never get involved in such a thing.”

“Stick with that story if you want. My goal now is to keep Molly and Natalie safe, whatever it takes.”

Kathi made a rude sound. “Why ever would Natalie be in any danger?”

“Why wouldn’t she be?”

Kathi waved a hand at Molly. “You said whoever took her wanted Molly.”

“No, I didn’t.” Softly, Dare told her, “We don’t yet know why she was taken. If it wasn’t Bishop, then the threat could be to any or all of you. But I promise I’m going to get to the bottom of it, no matter what it takes.”

“Fine.” She dismissed his warning as unimportant. “As long as you accept that Bishop wasn’t involved.”

She wanted verification that her husband was in the clear. She wouldn’t get it from Dare.

Molly stayed rigid beside him; for her sake, he needed to end this and soon. “I think my next course of action is to go to the law. This wasn’t done by one person. Whoever arranged it had help. Once the story breaks, someone will talk.” He leveled a look on Bishop. “Someone always does. And then we’ll know the truth.”

Putting his head in his hands, Bishop whispered, “I’ll be ridiculed, ruined …”

“A little useless gossip is all you care about, right?” Dare tugged Molly into his side. She was too silent, and it worried him. But when he looked at her, she appeared more thoughtful than hurt. “The fact that Molly was taken doesn’t even factor in?”

Sighing, Bishop lifted his head and looked up at his daughter. A flicker of genuine emotion showed. “I can still see the bruising,” he said quietly. And then, “You’ll be okay?”

“Yes.” Molly positioned her chin as she always did when on the defensive. “Thanks to Dare, I’m fine now.”

“She was damn near dead when I found her,” Dare said. “Drugged. Tortured. Dehydrated and starved.”

Molly gave him a sideways glance at how he played up her mistreatment. She had been tortured, but probably not in the way her father and Kathi now assumed.

“Molested?” Kathi asked.

Molly shook her head. “Don’t sound so broken up over it, Kathi. They spared me that humiliation.”

Her sarcasm was wasted. “Well, I would assume … that is, if you were truly treated so badly, why would they not have raped you?”

“Goddamn it, Kathi! Shut up.”

Startled by Bishop’s rebuke, she was quick to say, “I’m glad you weren’t subjected to that.”

Sitting back in his seat, Bishop ran both hands through his hair. He took a steadying breath, and locked gazes with Molly. “You might not believe me, but I’m truly sorry for what you’ve suffered, and you need to know that I had nothing to do with it.”

Molly said nothing.

“If you go public, no one will believe that you weren’t used sexually. You realize that, I’m sure.” Bishop shook his head. “Your life will be under a microscope, Molly. Not only will you damage me, but your sister’s livelihood as a teacher could be at stake, and you’ll ruin yourself, as well.”

“Natalie only wants what is best for me,” Molly told him.

Dare admired her aplomb under fire. “And, you know, I think it’d work as publicity for Molly’s novels.” No way in hell would Dare let that happen, but Bishop couldn’t know that. His opinion of Dare was not favorable.

And that suited Dare’s purpose just fine.

“Think about it,” Dare said. “Every newspaper and magazine out there will be talking about her and, by association, her books. Her sales are already through the roof with the movie deal, but this would bring a real focus to her and her work.”

Incredulity widened Kathi’s eyes. “Monster,” she whispered with venom. “You would destroy my husband and all he’s worked for to promote her?”

Dare lifted a shoulder in negligent disregard. Molly, God bless her, held her own council. “It’d be a by-product of finding the truth, but what the hell? All publicity is good publicity. Isn’t that what they say?”

“I can’t stop you,” Bishop announced, and when Kathi started to protest, he warned, “That’s enough from you.”

She subsided.

Coming around the desk to face Molly, Bishop studied her. “I’ve always credited you with being a smart girl.”

She gave him a yeah, right look.

“No, I don’t approve of what you write, but you’ve made it a profitable enterprise. You knew what you wanted, and you stuck to it, worked at it, and you’ve gained your own success. Unlike many young people—”

“Dad, I’m thirty years old. Not a child.”

His expression softened in sadness. “To someone pushing sixty, thirty is still young, believe me. My point is that you’ve avoided the pitfalls of drugs, alcohol or lack of initiative. I think you could have done more, something truly worthwhile with your talent—”

“Entertaining others is worthwhile,” she insisted. “Not everything in life has to be a lesson.”

Bishop let out a long-suffering sigh. “Debating it now is futile. What I’m attempting to say is that I want you to think long and hard about this. Don’t make yourself a matter of public gossip just to hurt me.”

Indulgent, more understanding than Dare could believe, Molly huffed a small breath. “Oh, Dad, don’t you see? Not everything is about you. This happened to me, and I need to know who wanted me hurt, and why.”

Bishop didn’t touch her, not to embrace her in comfort, not to exert his paternal will and not to vent his anger. To Dare, the two feet between them felt like miles.

He was willing to bet it felt even wider to Molly, a chasm that would never be bridged. Even as a child, she’d learned to live with that emotional distance.

Bishop nodded his acceptance of her decision and looked at Dare. “When do you plan to go public?”

“Soon.” Remaining noncommittal, Dare scooped up the photos of Mark Sagan and Ed Warwick and tapped them against his thigh. “First I think I’ll get in touch with your buddies, maybe squeeze them a little.”

“Your many connections, I suppose?”

“I have ways of getting to the truth, yes. Both men have a jaded history that they’ll want to protect. If you’re a party to this, they’ll eventually let something slip. You know that, right?”

Bishop gestured in resignation. “Do your worst. There’s nothing they can tell you about me, because I have never engaged in kidnapping, and I never would.”

For once, Kathi held silent. She kept her gaze on her hands, and Dare almost felt sorry for her. Almost.

“I’m taking Molly back to my home with me.”

“Where?” Bishop asked.

“Kentucky. A good four hours from here—well out of your reach.”

Bishop gave a slow nod of compliance. “She’ll be safe with you?”

“A hell of a lot safer than she ever was without me.”

“Then I suppose that’s for the best.”

After a timid glance at Bishop, Kathi interrupted. “What about your contracts, Molly? The movie negotiations, your agent, your editor …” She dampened dry lips. “You could stay with us, here. You’d be safe, and then you could finish conducting your business.”

Again Bishop looked at her as if she’d lost her mind.

“Not happening,” Dare said before Molly or her father could respond. “She goes where I go.”

“You could both stay, then.”

“No. I have dogs at home that need my attention.”

Bishop said, “Dogs?” while Kathi blinked at him in clear confusion.

“My girls,” Dare said, knowing how they probably felt about pets that were, in all the important ways, a part of his family. “I don’t like to leave them for long.”

“You jest,” Kathi said. “You’re putting animals above Molly’s safety?”

Molly put a hand on his arm. He understood, and let her handle it her way.

“Since most everything is done on computers, I can conduct my business dealings wherever I’m at. Dare’s home is a very calming place. I’ll be able to work on my deadline, and as soon as I let my agent and my editor know how to reach me, I’ll be able to catch up on the legal end of things. There’s no reason for Dare not to be with his dogs.”

Bishop was impatient. “Can’t they already contact you on your cell?”

“My phone, along with my purse, went missing after I was … taken.” She steadied herself. “Dare has agreed to stop long enough for me to pick up a new cell today. If you want, I can call and give you the number after I know it.”

Kathi nodded. “Your father and I would appreciate that, thank you.”

Personally, Dare didn’t give a shit what they’d appreciate. He saw no reason to give them the means to torment her further, but he’d leave that decision up to Molly.

“Time for us to go.” Dare put his arm around Molly and started from the room.

Before he got far, Bishop said, “Wait.”

Dare looked back at him. Indecision held Bishop in stony silence for several beats until his face pinched in reluctant decision. “I need a moment to speak with you. Alone.”

Dare didn’t trust him. “Molly stays with me.”

Kathi had already hooked an arm around her. “She’ll be fine with me. We’ll wait just outside the room.”

“No.”

Bishop chewed over alternatives, and settled on saying to Kathi, “Step out, leave the goddamned door open and stay in view.” And then to Dare, “Good enough?”

Not really, but Molly said to him, “I’ll be fine, Dare. I promise.”

Kathi rolled her eyes. “For heaven’s sake. She’s safe with her family.”

Yeah, right. From what he’d seen, her family was worse than a hated enemy.

Dare pointed at Molly. “Stay where I can see you.”

She smiled agreement.

Bishop moved to the farthest end of the room and waited for Dare to join him. Molly stepped out into the hall with Kathi. Dare heard her remark on a new painting and knew she was talking with Kathi to keep her stepmother from eavesdropping on whatever Bishop wanted to say to him.

So damn smart. And cunning. She put up with more shit than any woman ever should, and somehow, against all odds, she remained kind and open and honest. In and out of bed.

Dare accepted that he was fast falling in love with her. And little by little, the idea grew on him.