for Molly. “If I’d wanted to get those bastards out of that truck, I could have, and I wouldn’t have broken a sweat.”
Natalie made a face. “Are all men so modest?”
Jett grinned. “Probably.”
“But if I’d done that,” Dare said, “there would have been a scuffle, maybe gunfire, and cops would be called. There’d not only be questions, but we’d be tipping our hand, and whoever is behind this would go to ground.”
“Smart.” Jett leaned forward, an arm on the table. “So, you’re working with someone who can look up plates that easily?”
Dare put a slice of pizza on a plate and set it in front of Molly. “It’s unfortunate that you’re here, listening in, but you have to know that I’m not going to tell you jack shit.”
“Fair enough.” To Molly, he asked, “He’s legal?”
Her gaze went from the massive slice of pizza to Jett. She opened her mouth, closed it again and shrugged. “Whatever he is, I’m glad, because I don’t think anyone else would have found me in Mexico.”
Dare grinned at her answer. “I operate outside the law when necessary, but usually with amnesty.”
“Huh.” Jett stared at Dare as he mulled that over. “Got a lot of pull?”
“Enough.”
“This is all damned intriguing.” He pulled Natalie into his lap. “When I asked you to marry me, I had no idea that your family would be so interesting.”
Dare got his own plate ready. “If interesting is the best description you’ve got, I have a feeling you haven’t met their father yet.”
Natalie and Molly both winced.
Dare regretted his words. Regardless of her father’s sins, Molly had feelings for the man. It was the way of nature.
For now, he’d withhold what he’d overheard from the driver of the Ford. She’d had enough confusion for one night. It’d be better to tell her away from the others, maybe right before she reunited with her father.
Facetiously, Jett said, “Ah, no, I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting her folks. Something to look forward to?”
“If you have a strong constitution, you should be fine.” Dare noticed that Jett hugged Natalie a little closer.
“That bad?” he asked.
“Stop trying to scare him off,” Molly said to Dare. “You’ve only met my father once.”
Once was enough, but Dare kept that thought to himself. Hedging the question he knew Natalie was about to ask, he brought up a new subject. “We can’t stay here.”
Slumping, Molly nodded. “I know.”
Damn, but he hated seeing her life disturbed this way. She deserved her old life of naiveté, where bogeymen didn’t exist. “Even if you didn’t have creeps hanging around outside, this place isn’t secure.”
She didn’t argue with him about it. “Where will we stay?”
“I have a guest room,” Natalie offered.
Jett gave immediate objection to that idea. “Having her at your place would just put you both in the line of fire.”
Cutting off Natalie’s objection, Dare said, “He’s right.”
Molly touched her sister’s hand. “The last thing I want is to put you in danger, too. This is all bad enough as it is.”
Dare nudged the pizza toward Molly again. She needed to keep up her strength to get through the emotional shit-storm ahead.
He waited for her to take a bite before saying to Natalie, “When would be a good time to catch your father and stepmother both at home?”
Around her mouthful of food, Molly asked, “Why?”
“Because it’s time that we paid them a visit. The sooner the better.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
DARE WATCHED AS Molly all but deflated.
It couldn’t have been more plain how she dreaded seeing her father. And no wonder. She was the smartest woman he’d ever met, so she probably already suspected her father’s involvement.
Under the table, he clasped her thigh. When he got her alone, he’d comfort her in a hundred different ways. He only hoped that part of the comforting could be done in the nude, preferably on a soft bed.
Thinking that stirred him, so he had to push the erotic image aside. “I’d like to see both of them at the same time, if possible.”
Oblivious to the undercurrent, Natalie shrugged. “Only time to catch them both at home is pretty early. Right after breakfast, Dad takes off to the gym, and Kathi takes off for one of her many scheduled things.”
“Bishop goes to the gym every day?”
Molly smirked. “His personal appearance is real important to him.”
“Kathi encourages him. She likes it that he stays in shape.” Natalie wrinkled her nose. “The two of them are really big on image.”
Molly slumped back in her chair. “Kathi means well, but she’s forever telling us that we need to exercise more.”
That insulted Jett. “The hell you say?”
Natalie added, “According to Kathi, we’re too soft.”
“We should tone up,” Molly chimed in, saying, “because we jiggle.”
Dare shared an incredulous look with Jett, before ruling out such nonsense. “I think it’s safe to say that men enjoy women who are soft.”
Getting a handful of Natalie’s soft hip, Jett agreed. “Hell, yeah.”
Laughing, Natalie moved his hand to her waist. “Don’t worry. Molly and I don’t take it to heart. We both learned long ago to just let the criticisms roll right off.”
“Good.” Jett cupped her neck and drew her face to his. “Because you can take my word for it—you’re beautiful.”
Molly watched them share a kiss, and she smiled at Dare. He could almost read her thoughts and see the wistfulness in her expression. She was happy for her sister, but did she want the same for herself?
When he didn’t return her smile, she sighed and shook her head at him, as if he were a lost cause.
Was that how she saw him?
Rubbing the back of his neck didn’t really ease his sudden tension. “What about your stepmother? You said she takes off in the morning, too? To do what?”
Molly picked a piece of pepperoni off
