check any personal accounts. I don’t want you to sign in under your name for anything. It’s too easy to track.”
“Okay.” She showed little interest in the TV or the computer.
More frustrated by the second, Dare narrowed his eyes. “If you need anything else, just ask.”
She went over to look out the French doors that opened onto a small deck overlooking the yard below—which led down to the lake. From the deck, she could just see Chris’s residence and the dock beyond there, the boathouse, the reflection of the moon off lightly lapping water.
Silence filled the room.
“Molly.”
She leaned against the doors and avoided looking at Dare. “I know it’s late …”
“Not that late.” She’d slept throughout the flight, so she probably wasn’t ready to retire yet. Was that what caused her worry? Did she think he’d bring her here and then abandon her? “I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry for real food. Why don’t you take a few minutes to yourself and then meet me downstairs in the kitchen. I’ll get us something to eat.”
Tension fell out of her shoulders. “Okay.”
She didn’t deny being hungry. Again. But Dare was almost positive it was the reprieve from being alone that had relaxed her. Why didn’t she just tell him that?
Confounding woman.
“You have time to take a shower if you want.”
She inhaled and let out a long breath. “Okay. Thanks.”
Dare crossed his arms. “Damn it, Molly, if you have something on your mind—”
She spun around with a false smile. “No, I’m fine. Everything is … fine. Terrific. Go get your food. I’ll freshen up and be right down.”
He waited, wondering if he should press the issue. She’d been through so much that there had to be awful, residual effects. What did he really know of how a woman reacted to these things? So far, everything he’d expected from her had been off. No hysterics, no uncontrollable sobbing or raging anger.
“Really, Dare. I’m fine. Looking forward to a shower, actually.”
Dare didn’t believe a word of it, but standing there staring at her wasn’t going to help. “Towels are in the bathroom. Come on down when you’re finished.”
“I hope I don’t get lost.” She tried a smile that didn’t quite make it to her warm brown eyes. Moving to the door by way of encouraging him to leave, she said, “I’ll only be a few minutes.”
“Take your time.” He started out, but the dogs hesitated, whining, looking from Molly to Dare and back again. He rolled his eyes. “She’ll join us soon enough. Come on.” He patted his thigh, and finally the dogs came to him.
Together, they left, but Dare didn’t like it. Surely Molly wanted the privacy of her own bedroom, her own bathroom. It wasn’t like he was leaving her alone in a strange place. He’d be right downstairs.
But, damn it, he didn’t want to be.
If it hadn’t been so inappropriate, he would have dragged Molly down onto the bed and just held her. All night.
As if they felt his mood, Tai and Sargie kept giving him sympathetic glances.
“It’s a hell of a thing, isn’t it? Trust me, I don’t like being confused any more than you do.”
The dogs whined in return.
By the time he stowed his duffel in his room and joined Chris in the kitchen, his mood had soured even more. With it well past their bedtime, the dogs went straight for their favorite spot in the attached morning room. They each had a padded bed placed before the wall of windows. Only moonlight shone through, but they flopped down to wallow in it, and they were soon asleep.
Chris handed Dare a cup of coffee, which was always the first order of business. “Is Ms. Apple Dumpling turning in for the night?”
“Taking a shower—and this is no time for you to be an asshole, so lay off of her, will you?” He tasted the coffee and commended Chris with a nod. It had taken him nearly a month to teach Chris the right ratio of freshly ground coffee beans to water to brew time. Now he had it down pat, and it was one luxury Dare missed while out on the road.
“I saw the bruises.” Chris leaned back against the counter and folded his arms over his chest. “Someone really put it to her?”
“Several someones.”
He acknowledged that, then said, “I hope they aren’t still living.”
Dare rubbed a hand over his tired eyes. That he killed when necessary wasn’t a surprise for Chris, or an emotional burden for Dare. “I took care of them.” But now, in hindsight, he wished like hell that he would have kept one of the fuckers around to question.
Chris was curious, but as usual, he wasn’t prying. It was yet another reason why he made such an invaluable assistant. “I found Molly in the same holding cell with Alani, but she stood out like a sore thumb.” Dare faced his friend. “No way was she there to be sold off, because she was abused too much, way more than the others.”
Chris went still. “So why was she there?”
“Fucked if I know. I think someone had her taken. But I have no idea why.” Dare frowned. “Yet.”
While idly setting out the fresh groceries he’d bought, Chris considered that. “I take it she isn’t exactly the norm for that sort of thing?”
“Hell, no.”
Chris didn’t drink much coffee, which might have been why it took so long for him to get the process of making it right. He took out the orange juice and poured himself a tall glass. “It almost had to be somebody close to her—isn’t that what you always say?”
Dare shrugged. “I’m keeping an open mind, and I plan to cover all the bases.”
“A few questions come to mind.”
“I figured as much.” Dare set the half-empty cup aside and went to investigate Chris’s food purchases. Skinless chicken and fresh vegetables would be quick and easy to cook. “Let’s have it.”
“She hired you?”
Dare shrugged again. Molly’s offer to pay him for services rendered didn’t sit well with him. “I might do this one pro bono. But I haven’t told her that yet, so keep it to yourself.”
That set Chris back, so it was a few seconds before he asked, “How long is she staying here?”
“Don’t know yet.” And he didn’t want to think about it too much. He preferred to play it by ear, and take it one day at a time. He got out what he’d need to sauté the chicken and steam the vegetables. “Depends on how things go.”
“What does that mean?”
He
