Free Taking a Dare - A Hellion MC Novel by J.A. Hornbuckle

made you want to
work with teens?"
    She didn't say anything for a bit and Dare wondered
if he'd gotten too personal, too fast. Although he didn't think so
because back in the day, for that one week, they'd been able (and
had) talked about anything and everything.
    But the quiet between them stretched out for more
than a couple of seconds, and he saw her gaze roam the alleyway
before she spoke.
    "You did." From the way she'd said those two little
words, low and slow, he knew she was aware of their potential
impact.
    "But I never told you about…" he started, searching
his memory for any recollection of him telling her about his
childhood.
    "You didn't. But Trey did," she said, tightening her
fingers on his. "Back during that week when I was last here. He
took me aside before we left and warned me not to break your heart.
That you'd been through enough when you were younger. When I
pressed him for what he meant, he told me."
    That rotten motherfucker! Trey had no right to
go fuckin' spreading his info, his fuckin' life, around. Especially
not to Ryley for Christ's sake!
    "Don't be mad, honey," she said, pulling on his hand
as she twisted herself in order to more fully face him. "I think…I
think he did the right thing. He was only trying to protect his
friend, his little brother."
    Dare glared out into the night knowing that if his
pres had been within spitting distance, they would've been throwing
down. Although, her point about young Trey's guard dog stance about
him was pretty much on the money.
    He had to ask, had to know, though. "Did it make you
think of me differently? Less of me?" Was that why she hadn't ever
written him back?
    "God no, Dare!" He looked at her to check for
sincerity and saw it shining bright in her eyes. "If anything, it
made you even more wonderful. An orphan with a broken
childhood? Damn, it made you even better in my eyes, a hero
in some way. That's why I never wanted, why I never want a
kid to have to go through their own version of that hell without
somebody to give them a hand up."
    He didn't respond but allowed his mind to chew on
this new piece of 4-1-1. She knew about his past and it hadn't made
one sweet goddamn bit of difference to her. Except to point her in
the direction of her career, of wanting to help other kids.
    Christ!
    Sitting on a wooden tabletop, just holding her hand
and talking seemed more personal, more intimate than even some of
the sex he'd shared with others. Dare realized he didn't want the
night to ever fuckin' end.
    "Do you ever think of that week, Dare?" she asked a
little while later. She gave a little chuckle. "I mean, it was a
long time ago and we were so young…"
    He shot her a glance. Her tone was light, breezy
almost. Was that how she thought of it? As just a little bit of
flirtatious fun between a couple of kids? He felt his heart hit his
boots and turned his head to look out at the forecourt knowing he
was trying to hide whatever hurt she might see on his face.
    Okay, I can play it that way , he assured
himself, swallowing deep before forcing a laugh out. "You ain't
fuckin' kidding! Feels like a goddamn lifetime ago. Shit!"
    "I know, right? Now we're all grown up with
responsible damn jobs and everything!" Why did her voice sound
hollow in spite of the teasing tone she seemed to be striving for?
"Do you remember who finally scored the bottles of Jack before the
dance party?"
    "I think it was Bish who snagged them after watching
me and Trey get caught red-handed on both tries. Called us a couple
of sure-bust pussies too if fuckin' memory serves." Yeah, this was
good. Find the fun stuff in the shared reminiscences to keep
everything airy. "Do you know if Blaze and Lock hooked up that
first time?"
    "Yep, they did. And they'd better have too for as
much covering we had to do for them." She let out a giggle that
ended on a sigh. "God, can you imagine the shit that would've
exploded if they'd gotten caught?"
    He laughed and found it was more genuine than