Taking a Dare

by J. A. Hornbuckle

  He shoved the sheet aside and sat on the edge of the bed, feeling the anger move through him at the memory.

  Fuck you father, Ryley.

  Goddamn. He said that to her, told her straight up how he felt about her old man, thinking he could just demand that they stay away from one another and that Dare'd fuckin' comply. As if. But when Ryley was willing to go along with that crap, Dare had thought he was gonna lose his motherfuckin' mind. The fact that she bought that fuckin' load of shit and had told him they only were able to have the one night…bullshit.

  Bull-fuckin'-shit!

  Her dad wanted him away from her and was willing to use any means to ensure that happened.

  Well, the old fucker was in for a fuckin' surprise, Dare thought resolutely while he stood and made his way to take his second shower of the day. Trey'd said he'd support whatever decision Dare would make. And while Dare's mind wasn't completely clear on the how or when, it was plain that he wasn't gonna kowtow to demands.

  He was a Hellion.

  He was free and didn't have to obey any fuckin' rules from anybody if he didn't want to. If he and Ryley wanted to be joined at the hip, it was their bidness and no one else's, least of all Gus's, for Christ's sake!

  Stepping into his jeans another thought hit and slammed into him so hard he dropped his ass to the mattress.

  She was still gonna leave.

  So even if he did pursue her while she was in town, take her to his bed again and again in spite of what her father demanded, the fact still remained that she would go back to her life in Spokane. Her job of doing good things for kids that needed good things to happen to them. Teens that needed her in their lives.

  His heart again sank at the memory of the Escalade's brake lights as he stood in the lonely forecourt, watching her drive away just a couple of hours before. It had been too close to how he'd felt when he was seventeen and watched her ride away from him. And if he'd lost it then, how much harder would it be to let her go after this go round? He already felt closer to her than any goddamn person on the planet so he knew seeing her leave this time would blow his shit to hell and beyond.

  Fuck! He needed to get a goddamn grip, get it under control and get a motherfuckin' plan in place. He stood, trying to think to work it all out in his head but his temper was still in the flare position. The thought of her going away again, of leaving him, made Dare wanted to fuckin' punch the shit out of something or someone.

  "Enough," he practically yelled as he grabbed his cut and shrugged himself into it.

  He slammed out of the room and stormed across the forecourt avoiding the line of bikes parked in the middle space of the large driveway. There had to be something doing in his office that needed his attention. Anything that would take his mind off the fuckin' situation that made his head want to explode.

  "Dare? You've had a couple of calls from a Sheriff Gentry," Lulu advised as he passed by her desk on the way to his office. "I put the first call into your voicemail, but he's called back twice since then."

  He stopped dead in his tracks at her words. Jim? When they'd parted at the small café in Billings, Dare would've sworn he'd never hear or see from his brother again. Why would he be trying to connect now? And with the shit morning he was having, he didn't think it was going to be a fuckin' good convo. "Uhm, thanks, baby girl. I'll get back to him."

  Turning on his computer after plopping his ass in his huge chair, he caught himself rubbing at his mustache. He'd didn't like all the crap roiling, brewing inside. It wasn't him for Christ's sake! He wasn't a worrier and didn't over fuckin' analyze ever little shit thing in his life. Not since he'd put that shit behind him when he'd left foster care. Not him. He'd rather laugh and get others to join in than to get pissed off over the crap that couldn't be helped.

  He'd leave that fuckin' shit to other brothers. Ones that seem to get off on it.

  His mission was to enjoy life to the fullest, something that had seemed to go off track with the reappearance of the aqua-eyed beauty from his past.

  Fuck her and the SUV she rode in on! Double for her ass-hat dad!

  He logged into the system and was just picking up the phone to listen to Jim's voicemail when Silo came in and sat in one of the visitor chairs. Propping his boots on the edge of Dare's desk, the large bald brother gave him a chin lift but otherwise didn't say a word.

  "What?" Dare could hear the tight edge in his own voice as he barked the question at his Hellion brother and hated it for what it exposed.

  "Saw you fuckin' leave yesterday and caught the attitude when you slammed in here. Am wondering what's doin' in that pretty little head of yours," came the rumbled reply.

  "Nothing," Dare growled out. He saw Si's eyes drop to the clenched fists Dare had on the desktop. He deliberately straightened out his fingers in an effort to relax.

  "Callin' bullshit, asshole. If you bend over, uncle Si can pull that stick out for you."

  Dare felt his face crease into a grin and watched Silo do the same. "Just having a shit day, man."

  "And that shit day wouldn't happen to have the initials of Ryley Daniels, would it?"

  "Have you ever fuckin' seen me get my boxers in a wad over fuckin' pussy? Geez, dude!" Dare tried to chuckle but it was a cheap imitation of what normally came out of his mouth without effort.

  "Never thought I'd see it with Trey either, but…" Silo replied with a squint and a shrug. "Fuckin' something has lit the fuse on your tampon."

  "Christ, Si!" Bishop cried as he sunk his ass into the other visitor chair and crossed his ankles on the edge of Dare's desk as well. "Why do all your references lately have to fuckin' do with girlie cycles? The Midol for Lu and now a tampon mention? You got something you wanna confide?"

  "Fuck you," Silo shot back.

  "Sorry, baby. I don't swing that way so you can only have me in your dreams or spank bank, dig?"

  Dare immediately felt the black oily shit inside retreat at his brothers' banter. "So what's with the social call, mi amigos?"

  "Just came in to give you a head's up for a confab with Spokane in the conference room in thirty." Dare's eyebrows lifted at Bishop's announcement. "Just the two councils with a speakerphone for the Spokane Hellions that didn't make the run."

  "Is this about what I suggested?" Silo asked, almost preening.

  "Dunno. Was just told to get the word out." Bishop said with a shrug before his eyes moved to Dare. "What the fuck is up with you? When you stormed in here, you looked like you were gonna fuckin' kill something."

  Dare sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, can you fuckers speak up? Your voices are muffled from having your noses so fuckin' far up my ass. Need both you and them out of my motherfuckin' office. Have shit to do before the meeting."

  "He wants to work? Fuck, Si," Bishop derided with a laugh, holding both hands up and twisting his wrists. "Does it feel like a cold day in hell, brother?"

  Even Dare wanted to join in the laughter that echoed in his workspace but all he could manage was a one note chuckle. As they left, he realized while he didn't welcome their intrusion, he'd needed it in order to calm his shit down.

  Something that was definitely in order if he was to make contact with Jim again. He listened to the voicemail, which didn't give him any clue why his brother had called, just his name and a phone number with a curt, "will be waiting for your call." There hadn't even been any inflection in Jim's voice to give Dare an inkling of why the man had phoned him.

  Turned out the number was of Jim's cell. "This is Dare. You rang?" He kept his voice neutral and made sure not to call himself Josh because Jim had been right. Josh was just as lost to the both of them as the connection they'd once shared.

  "Did some nosing around about you," Jim started without preamble which suited Dare fine. "Seems you're in the inner circle of the Hellions in Missoula."

  "So?"

  "So, I called because I have something going on that needs more information." Jim's tone seemed to indicate that he didn't like not having inf
ormation and hated to ask for Dare's help in getting it. "It's about the Black Knights of the Czar."

  Dare didn't say anything although he was surprised to hear the full name of the other club and wrote it down on a scrap piece of paper. One of the many that littered his desk.

  "You might know them as the Black Czars. They are the ones that are trying to control Bozeman, Livingston and Belgrade."

  "Could've heard of them," Dare hedged wondering how or why the Big Horn County Sheriff had come to know of them. His jurisdiction was far enough away that he shouldn't have had many dealings with the other motorcycle club.

  Jim let out a long sigh. "Listen, Josh. I know I wasn't as…cordial as I should've been the other morning. Annie's already reamed my ass about that but—"

  "Who's Annie?" Dare interrupted.

  "The woman who was with me. My wife," came the response, knocking Dare's attitude out of the way with just two words.

  "How long have you been married?" Dare's mind was swirling to realize he had a sister-in-law. His little long lost family had doubled with Jim's admission.

  "This isn't a goddamn reunion of the Gentrys, Josh!" Jim bit out and the frustration in his voice made Dare smile. "My men pulled over a semi that was teaming with Mexican crystal meth whose manifest said it was destined for Bozeman. I need to know if your group knows if the Czar's are supplying the streets with the shit."

  "How much do you know about MC's, Jim?" Dare questioned, his mind shifting away from his kin and onto club business.

  "Enough," his brother barked right back.

  "Obviously not enough if you fuckin' called and thought I could just spew any and all knowledge about another club, especially to a cop," Dare explained firmly. "I'll have to get back to you."

  There was silence on the line and Dare pulled the phone away wondering if the call had been dropped. In some parts of Montana, cell phone service was dicey as hell.

  "Okay. Okay, Josh." Jim's voice sounded almost resigned. "I need any info you have in order to figure out how to stop this junk from infesting our streets."

  "I'll call you," Dare said carefully. He didn't want to set Jim's expectations or get his hopes up. "Hellions hate that shit as much as you do."

  Jim's snort of disbelief came through loud and clear. "I'll bet."

  "Whatever. Later," Dare mumbled and disconnected the call, his brother's skepticism eliminating any of his own friendliness. Then too there was a certain disappointment that his brother, his own fuckin' brother, believed the worst about bikers, about the Hellions and probably about him.

  Chapter Eighteen

  I let myself into Lock's house noting the heavy door needed some oil to prevent the squeaks as it opened. Flipping on the light in the curtained gloom I saw Lock coming down the hall tying her robe.

  "Hey, girl," she said with a small grin. "Where you been?"

  "Running the streets," I replied smiling back before allowing it to beam out fully. "Flathead Lake. Dare's. And then to the Rosemont to scrape off March."

  "Whoa, whoa and fucking whoa, girl," Lock squealed, holding her up her hands, palms facing me. "One at a time and let's start with the least and go to the best!"

  I pretended to think, closing one eye and taping a cheek while looking at Lock's not so interesting ceiling. "When I left the clubhouse, I hopped on Dare's bike and he took me up to Flathead Lake."

  "And?"

  "It was pretty," I said, dropping my purse to the floor and moved around her statute-like body. "Sweet ride."

  "Ryley!" she warned, turning my way.

  I couldn't help my giggle as I kept her in suspense. "He was, as ever, a dick but as ever, redeemed himself in the end."

  She rolled her hand towards her chest in an indication to keep talking as I made my way to the kitchen.

  "Mind if I raid your fridge? I'm freaking starving." I said and without waiting for the go ahead, pulled open the door.

  "You scraped off March?" She moved to a barstool on the other side of the long countertop that held her kitchen sink, rearranging her robe over her long legs as she sat on the first of the three barstools.

  "Yeah," I confirmed perusing the cold shelves. "Breakfast or just sandwich stuff? Geez, Lock."

  She waved her hand in a 'whatever' motion as her eyebrows crept up her forehead. When I started pulling things out, she prompted me to get back on track. "March?"

  "Done. Over," I announced, taking out a packet of sausage, the egg carton and the remaining loaf of bread before turning to where Lock kept her skillets, but kept up the commentary. "Daddy dearest talked to Trey about pulling Dare's cut or shipping him off to Sheridan because he's afraid…"

  "Yeah, honey. Heard about that and was sorry," Lock interrupted. "Your old man has it in for our hot Hellion, huh?"

  I shrugged because I wasn't anywhere near addressing that issue yet.

  "Pops wants me with March." I turned on the stove and situated the pans accordingly before reaching for the toaster. "I don't know why I went along with Pop's plan, Lock. Honest to god, I don’t."

  She didn't respond, which I took as tactic approval to continue.

  "March's a drunk of the worst kind. A sneaky drunk," I said, working the knobs on her stove to get the heat just right. "But even if he wasn't, I didn't want him. Not him as my forever."

  There was quiet as I put the sausages on to sizzle.

  "So you went to the motel…" she again prompted.

  "And Vegas opened the door."

  "Fuck! Really?" my girl squealed and I couldn't help my smile at her response.

  "I knew he liked her type. Your type," I stated, waving my hands around as explanation before reaching for the tongs in the huge crock that held her spatulas, slotted spoons and other cooking accoutrements. "So I wasn't shocked. It was obvious that she was with him, as in with him."

  "What did you do?" Lock's voice was breathy and I knew she was mentally gorging on what I was telling her.

  I shrugged, using the tongs to turn the sausages before cracking the eggs into the skillet where I'd melted some butter. "Told him we were done. Said I'd get the ring back to him when we hit Spokane. Then warned Vegas that he was a fuck up and she could do better."

  I glanced over at her to see she was beaming in delight. "God, Ryley!"

  "I know, right?"

  My girl was over the moon but it was probably because she'd told me when I'd announced my engagement that March wasn’t for me. Which was even before she'd freakin' met him. No, for Lock her surety that I wouldn't marry the man had been based on the damn ring he'd given me. A picture of it that I'd texted her. If memory served, her words were along the lines of, 'he doesn't fucking know you at all, Rye!'

  "But here's the kicker," I started, plating the eggs and sausage before turning to the toaster. "Went to Pops' room to let him know that March was in the past and found Dee there."

  "Dee?"

  "Yeah, Dee hooked up with my dad," I stated baldly taking my plate to the breakfast bar and climbing on a stool. "Found out a couple of days ago but she was there again this morning."

  I heard Lock sigh before watching her snag one of my sausages off the plate. "She hasn't been with anyone since Big Duke died. At least, not to my knowledge."

  Digging in to my meal with Lock snagging a piece of toast and another sausage, we chewed, allowing silence to reign but the quiet between us hadn't ever been uncomfortable.

  "What about Dare?" she ventured.

  "What about Blaze?" I shot back, keeping my cheeky grin to myself. "Is he still here?'

  "Left him snoring like a baby," she said with a sultry grin and an eyebrow lift. "Between you and me, I think I wore his ass out."

  "Good for you! Was he just as hot as you remembered?" I knew Blaze was someone she valued more than a little. I didn't know if they were 'forever' material but the heat they generated when they did get together was off the charts.

  "He's got some new moves and whoever taught him, taught him good!"

  Our eyes caught as
we giggled.

  "Okay, so spill. Did you and Dare finally do the deed?" I shot her a glance, wondering how much info to give. Although she and I were best friends, what I'd done with Dare ventured into the area of private and I wasn't sure I was willing to share it yet. "You guys have been fucking gagging for it going on what? Nine, ten years now?"

  I cleared my throat, trying to come up with words that would confirm her suspicions but not give too much away. "Let's just say it was worth the wait."

  "Oh Lawd," she exclaimed, throwing up her hands before dramatically crossing them over her heart, one of my sausage links waving in the air. "You two finally got together! Took fucking long enough."

  "I know, right?"

  "So was he all you'd thought he would be? Did the earth move and angels sing when he gave it to you?" Back in the day, she'd been my only confidant, the only one that knew the whole of it until it had all went so bad. She would listen to me for hours as I cried over not having Dare in my life, at how we couldn't be together until we were both 'old enough'. Back when I'd been so young, too young to consider being with him full-time. But my heart had truly been broken and Lock knew the truth of it. And she'd helped me as much as she'd been able—even if it was to only offer a listening ear.

  "Oh, yeah," I breathed and couldn't help my satisfied smile at the memory of what he and I had done. "All three times."

  "Shit! Three? Damn, girl. The most any Honey has claimed with him has been twice in one night!"

  Oh fuck.

  How'd I forgotten he'd made his rounds with the Honeys? It was a given, something that I should've kept in the front of my mind the entire night. But I hadn't and being reminded of his sexual escapades cut hard and deep within me.

  But what I was feeling must've shown because she quickly backpedaled. "Oh, Rye. It's never been like that. Nothing like what you guys have. Have always fucking had."

  I could feel my eyes narrow as I glared at my plate, at the strangle hold I had on my fork.

  "He's not like that and will be the first one to tell any girl that he doesn't want anything long term. Dare's not a guy that gets involved with a woman, not even Honeys. He fucks you and either leaves or sleeps." I caught her shrug out of the corner of my eye. "He must've given you the speech, right?"