When You Dare
Page 85

Dare shrugged. “I’m the guy who got her out of Mexico.”
Molly couldn’t help but note how Jett kept a comforting arm around Natalie and how, for once, Natalie refrained from smothering her and instead leaned on Jett.
“She got an email from you,” Jett said to Molly. “But she didn’t really believe you’d written it.”
“She hadn’t,” Dare told them.
“I knew it!” More tears came as Natalie understood the extent of the conspiracy.
Clasping her sister’s shoulder, Molly tried to reassure her. “It was awful, I admit it. But I’m fine now, I swear.”
“How can you say that?” Frowning, she touched Molly’s face. “I see bruises on you.” She turned a mean eye on Dare. “How did she get bruised?”
“Kidnappers are often careless that way.”
Not appreciating Dare’s sarcasm one bit, Molly scowled at him, but then forced a smile for Natalie. “Dare would never hurt me.”
“No, I wouldn’t.”
“There, you see?” Molly smoothed her sister’s wild hair. “He’s the one who rescued me, and he’s been keeping me safe since then.”
“And he was protecting her still when we came in,” Jett added. “That’s what that tackle was all about.” He glanced at Dare. “Right?”
“Of course,” Molly said when Dare didn’t.
Jett gave Natalie a small squeeze. “But even not knowing who we were, he didn’t hurt you. I’m guessing because you’re female, you got tossed into the soft chair instead of on the hard floor.”
“Exactly,” Molly said. “Dare doesn’t hurt women.”
“That’s not entirely true, honey. A lot depends on the woman involved.”
Damn him, did he have to antagonize them? Molly flashed him an evil look. “You’re not helping.”
Dare shrugged.
So he resented their intrusion—she got that. He didn’t understand the closeness that she and Natalie shared. But she wanted her sister to know him as well as she did.
She wanted Natalie to like Dare and to understand everything he’d done for her.
Jett watched Dare with that piercing black gaze. “To be able to distinguish Natalie and me apart so quickly, you’d have to have special training.”
“You could say that.” Dare continued his visual analysis of Jett. “What do you know of it?”
Jett stared right back. “Enough, obviously.”
The pissing contest was ludicrous. For heaven’s sake, it was the middle of the night and they were all rattled. Holding the blanket together one-handed, Molly shoved her hair away from her face and let out a huff. “Dare. Be nice.”
Both Natalie and Jett looked at her like she was nuts for trying to dictate to him. Natalie whispered, “Is it wise to talk to a bodyguard that way?”
Molly rolled her eyes. “He’s not really a bodyguard. Well, he is, I guess. But he’s more than that, too.”
“More?” Natalie asked. Jett just raised a brow.
Giving up, Molly looked at Dare for help. “I have no idea how to explain all this.”
“I can see that.” Finally Dare gave up his dark and broody mood. “If you don’t want me to shoot either of them, then I guess we have a lot of talking to do.” He stowed the gun at the small of his back.
“M.O.B. holster?” Jett asked.
Molly didn’t understand until Dare explained to her. “Middle of the back.” And then to Jett: “My gun stays with me.”
If Natalie’s eyes got any wider, they’d fall out of her head.
Dare wasn’t wearing a shirt, so he couldn’t pull it over the gun to hide it. Not that he seemed bothered by that.
“It’s late, and Molly and I missed dinner.”
Hearing him say that, knowing why they’d missed dinner, made a flush of heat go over her. Luckily her sister didn’t notice; Dare held all her attention.
“After her ordeal, she’s still getting her strength back, so she needs to eat. But she doesn’t have a lot here in the way of groceries.” Casting accusation on Molly, he added, “This place has piss-poor security, especially with windows that don’t lock and that damned invitation they call a fire escape.”
Because Dare currently looked more like a hired assassin than a domesticated man, Molly said, “Dare’s really good in the kitchen.” Then, being truthful, she added, “Actually, he’s really good at everything.”
“Everything?” Natalie asked, and she sounded strangled.
Jett coughed.
Dare’s mouth lifted in the slightest of smiles. “Glad you think so.” No one could misunderstand his look of intimacy.
Natalie did a double take. As she took in Dare’s size and physique from head to toes, her lips parted.
Lacking subtlety, she turned to Molly to mouth, Oh, my God.
Jett frowned at her, then hauled her into his side.
Dare didn’t miss any of it, but he chose not to say anything. “Maybe we can order up some pizza and colas to be delivered? That’d probably be easiest.”
“No delivery this time of night.” Jett gave it some thought. “There is a quickie-mart station around the corner that’s open twenty-four hours. They’ll throw a pizza in fresh for you.”
“I’ve had it.” Molly didn’t realize how hungry she was until they started talking about food. “It’s good.”