The Dare Series 4
Dare to Love
Mercedes has struggled all her life just to survive. Finding Chance and landing a professional job is a life-saver. Letting down her guard to make friends and set roots isn’t so easy. She meets three other women who are starting over too and it all seems a little easier. Chance is a special town where they take care of their own. Mercedes isn’t used to that and she’s going to fight it every step of the way.
Three male residents have their eyes on her. Their mysterious pasts, intense, commanding attitudes and sinful expressions warn her to keep her distance. She knows trouble when she sees it, and she’s learned on the streets to protect her heart, her body, and her soul. But when she’s in trouble small or large, one of the three always seems to be there to help her. She can only fight it for so long. They’re just too appealing. How can she resist when they dare her to love them?
Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre
Length: 44,435 words
DARE TO LOVE
The Dare Series 4
Dixie Lynn Dwyer
MENAGE EVERLASTING
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
DARE TO LOVE
Copyright © 2015 by Dixie Lynn Dwyer
E-book ISBN: 978-1-63259-624-6
First E-book Publication: August 2015
Cover design by Les Byerley
All art and logo copyright © 2015 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
Dear Readers,
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DEDICATION
Dear readers,
Thank you for purchasing this legal copy of Dare to Love.
Mercedes has known hardship, sacrifice and hard work all her life. She’s witnessed loved ones die, learned to fend for herself and survive on the necessities.
As she struggles with letting her guard down and opening her heart, she picks the wrong moment, the wrong men, and it nearly costs her everything.
But despite thinking that three certain men aren’t interested in her as anything more than as friends, it’s proven otherwise as two of them rescue her and save her from a dreadful fate.
But she isn’t out of danger. She’s also not too sure she can handle falling for three men when she’s more scared than ever before.
May you enjoy Mercedes’s journey. Will she dare to love Kurt, Taylor and Warner, or will it be too late when she finally realizes that love is indeed very powerful, especially in a town like Chance?
Happy reading.
Hugs!
~Dixie~
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Epilogue
About the Author
DARE TO LOVE
The Dare Series 4
DIXIE LYNN DWYER
Copyright © 2015
Prologue
“We could really use your help, Kurt. You and Warner know so much about security systems, monitoring and securing large venues, and my brothers and I trust you guys. We’ve been friends forever,” Jack Spencer said to Kurt Dawn as they stood by the bar.
Kurt looked around the place, then back toward Jack. Jack wondered what his friend was thinking.
“You really don’t need such high-tech security here, Jack. Some of the basic systems will do, and during business hours, you need reliable security staff. You know this already. You and Danny have a great system that your employees already know,” Kurt replied as he looked back down at his beer.
His friend was down as usual. He and his brother Warner were retired government men. They did some mercenary work amongst other things that they never shared. Jack had a feeling it was weighing its toll on them and they wanted out. Maybe convincing them to run his whole security here at Spencer’s would be a motivator?
“The place is going to be a lot bigger now, Kurt. You know as well as I do that a bigger place brings in people from all over. I’ve got Max on my ass about security being of the highest standards, and to be honest, it’s overwhelming. Marlena’s helping out a bunch, too, but to be honest, we haven’t exactly been able to spend the quality time we need to be spending together because we’re all stressed out. When Danny and I think about running security besides everything else like the orders, the staff, training a manager, it’s just too much to have to worry about security. If you and Warner were interested, it would give us peace of mind. We trust you. There are some shady characters out there.”
Kurt nodded his head as he looked around the place again.
“Warner is out of town on business. Let me talk to him when he gets back at the end of the week. We’re supposed to be retired, but that really hasn’t happened. Sometimes I think we’re busier than ever.”
“This could be a good change for you guys. Plus your brother Taylor wouldn’t be so on edge when the two of you are away on ‘business’ as you like to call it.”
Kurt raised one of his eyebrows at Jack.
“Li
sten, I’m not prying. I respect that your jobs are secretive and that they’re very dangerous. I know Taylor’s been itching to settle down and maybe start a family.”
“We all are on the same page with that. But transitioning to civilians, ending our government careers for good, is a heavy decision and a huge step.”
“We’ll pay you both a great salary, so you’ll have income,” Jack added.
Kurt gave him a look.
“You know money isn’t a problem for us, right?” he replied. Jack nodded his head and gave a smirk. He knew damn well that money wasn’t a problem for the Dawn men. Whatever they did for a living, they made a lot of money. But no one would even notice. They dressed casual all the time, looking intense, hard, and ready for action and a fight more often than not. They were big men, physically fit, and capable of things Jack didn’t even want to imagine.
“Think of the money as fun cash. You know when the three of you take a woman out on a date and go on vacation and shit. Which we’ll have to work out. If you take the job,” Jack added.
This time Kurt smirked.
“We’ll see. Let me mull it over and talk with Warner. Our services are needed in a lot of places other than Chance.”
“Well I for one and happy about that. Don’t need any trouble coming this way.”
“You’re right, but things are changing, Jack. Even the small towns can get tainted by crime, violence, and unsuspecting people like a lot of the residents in Chance. I, for one, don’t want any of them to become victims. And I understand Max’s concerns. Even if Warner and I don’t take the positions we’ll help you out. You know, train your manager of security and make sure they have their shit together.”
“Fair enough. But I hope you two accept our offer. We need you and more importantly, we trust you.”
* * * *
Kurt sat at the bar thinking about Jack’s offer. He turned down a few women who approached him tonight, looking for a good time. He wasn’t interested. Hadn’t been interested in even easing the ache he had. He knew exactly why. Taylor was feeling it, but he got to see Mercedes on a daily basis at work. Then again, that was probably torture. Then of course Warner was being the most resistant to even admitting he was interested in Mercedes. So what did he do? He took the next private job and shipped off to Cuba for a few weeks.
Kurt shook his head. Apparently he wasn’t the smartest. He should have taken a trip away, too. But then he’d worry about Mercedes. It wasn’t even really because she was in danger or needed the protection. It was the fact that he liked protecting her. He liked being close to her and smelling her perfume or that delicious shampoo that was all Mercedes.
Fuck me.
He tried to force the thoughts from his head and looked around at the crowd of people. He was pretty damn good at reading people, watching them and determining what their next moves were. His gut instincts were his greatest survival tool over the years. He never second-guessed it.
He watched several people, finding them not quite suspicious but perhaps up to no good. One particular guy, about six feet tall and stocky, kept looking around the room, as if he were making sure security weren’t nearby. Sure enough, the son of a bitch pulled out a baggie with drugs and exchanged it with some woman as she passed by, pretended to bump into him, and hand over the money. It was quick, but it was sloppy. Kurt looked at the one bouncer who was nearby and sure enough he hadn’t seen a thing. That was what Jack and Danny were going to need here. Security that could break up fights, control crowds, and escort drunks from the building and into cabs. They needed men who were trained for this kind of stuff. Trained to stop drugs from destroying an establishment.
As he continued to look around he caught sight of a guy lifting his cell phone and appeared to be taking pictures but he couldn’t be sure. Kurt saw what the guy took a picture of. Harmless? Three young women, early twenties, all dolled up, wearing short, tight dresses and waving at a group of older men nearby. He glanced back toward the guy who’d been taking the pictures and he was gone. That was quick, he thought and then heard his name and felt the hand on his shoulder.
“There you are. I was looking for you,” Taylor said as he took a seat by the bar. The bartender immediately placed down a Bud Light and Taylor took a long guzzle.
“Bad day at work?” Kurt asked and took a sip from the new bottle of beer that the bartender placed down in front of him, too.
His brother gave him that look as if he automatically knew what Taylor meant. Then it hit him. Mercedes.
He held Taylor’s gaze as he took a sip of beer. Taylor looked around them and then leaned over the bar a little. He wondered why today upset his brother. Had some guy asked her out? Had she accepted? Was she feeling okay? He felt sick. This was getting worse. He put on an expressionless face and took a sip from his beer and waited for his brother to update him.
“I heard her on the phone today. That sweet, sexy voice of hers being so nice to everyone. Then when I walked up to her desk to see if she had some forms ready for me she was direct and short. ‘Deputy Dawn, I will put them in your mailbox the moment I complete them. I’m on the last page now,’ she said and then went right back to typing. Her phone rang and don’t you know, she answered it all sweet and calm,” Taylor said, sounding frustrated as he took another long slug of beer.
Kurt wanted to laugh but he knew Taylor was having a hard time not staking a claim on Mercedes. They needed to get to know her and she needed to get to know them, but every time Taylor tried to persuade her to go for coffee together she would decline. She was shy and she was resistant to all of them.
“Maybe I could have been a bit more calm and understanding months ago when Marlena was in trouble. I mean I yelled at her and told Mercedes that she had to listen to me or else. I was so upset. The things I saw Tony do in Marlena’s bedroom and then when he abducted her. I was scared and worried about Mercedes,” Taylor admitted.
Kurt understood. He was very angry at the time and worried about Mercedes, but he also knew he was resistant to letting down his guard and getting to know her. He rarely dated. Never found a woman to be of more interest than for sex and to ease his ache after traveling abroad and risking his life. He felt indispensable, unstoppable, inhuman at times, and then he saw Mercedes, met her, hung out with her and her friends, and things started changing. He started, too, and apparently so did his brothers.
“She understood that, Taylor. She had to understand the intensity of the situation. If not at that moment then afterwards as she heard what was left at Marlena’s cottage and then what happened in the cabin. I’m glad the guy is dead.”
“Me, too,” Taylor told him and then they both put down their empty beers.
“When is Warner going to get back? It’s been four weeks,” Taylor said.
“Beats the fuck out of me. He does what he wants. Not much can hold him down,” Kurt responded.
“He’s running away from his feelings for Mercedes. He doesn’t think he’s good enough for her,” Taylor whispered.
Kurt took a slug of his beer.
“Can’t blame him. Sometimes I feel the same way.”
“But neither of you should feel like that. You deserve to be happy. After the kind of shit you guys do for a living, this could be the opportunity to settle down and make some changes. I worry when you guys are gone on some fucking mission or whatever you call it,” Taylor told him then took a slug from the new beer the bartender just put down. He looked toward the bar, appearing uncomfortable for admitting his feelings. But Kurt could read it in his brother’s eyes. He worried that something would happen to Kurt and Warner.
“You’re assuming that Mercedes has the same feelings and would be interested in being shared by us. You’re also assuming that she as well as us will be so compatible and so into one another that she’s the one. That’s a lot of assumptions and you can’t even get her to hang out with you never mind go on a date. I’m just not sure about all the risks.”
“I hear what you’re say
ing, Kurt, and I’ve been over it in my head a thousand times at least. But I keep coming back to the same thing. The simple facts when it comes to Mercedes.”
“And what are those, bro?” Kurt asked then took a slug of beer.
Taylor held Kurt’s gaze.
“All three of us are attracted to her. We all worry about her, keep an extra eye out on her whenever she’s nearby, hell, you and Warner have gone out of your ways to be in the same places as her just so you can get a glimpse of her, maybe say hello, or just like I said, make sure that she’s safe. That isn’t normal behavior. It isn’t being good men of Chance and watching out for one of the single women of this town. It’s wanting her. Wanting to get to know her, hold her, kiss, hell, make love to her and claim her all ours. That’s the difference. That’s why she’s special. Mark my words, she’ll be ours. She’ll be Mrs. Dawn. You, and especially Warner, just need to get your heads out of your asses and admit it.”
Kurt didn’t know how to respond to him. Anything he thought of saying would be lies, words spewed from his lips that he didn’t mean and that were plain bullshit. Instead he looked away, took a sip from his beer, and thought about what Taylor said. He was right, and as soon as he worked out his personal reasons for trying to keep Mercedes at arm’s distance, maybe he could take the chance, too, and be a family, just like what their mom and dads had.
Chapter 1
Mercedes was in the supermarket doing some shopping. She had her list, everything budgeted out, and even had her coupons. She had the routine down pat, and many locals had asked her how she saved so much and where she found such great coupons. They thought she was being savvy. But it was way more than that. For most of her life she was poor. Her parents were both disabled and very ill. She had been their caregiver and they were on a very fixed income. What they could save they did for her to help assist her for school. When they passed away, she was only eighteen years old. High school was just ending. Her parents hadn’t lived long enough to see her graduate or to be accepted into college.
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