Ride Hard (Raven Riders 1)

“That’s sweet,” Maverick said.

Marz grinned. “Love my toys.”

“What’s the plan for Haven and Cora?” Shane asked, nailing Dare with a gray-eyed stare.

“We were able to move up the production of their identity documents,” Dare said around a bite of lasagna. “Should have them Friday evening. We’ll send a detail of Ravens to relocate them as soon as we have those assets in hand. Once they’re clear, we call off the exchange with the Iron Cross. And prepare for whatever comes.”

Dare’s biggest regret in this plan was that there was no way he could be the one to see Haven to her new home. Not with so much going on here. Not with his people facing such a threat. And he felt the weight of the clock ticking down like an anvil on his shoulders. Less than twenty-four hours. Then Haven would be gone. For good.

As they talked, some of the Ravens finished up their meals and excused themselves from the table. Casual conversation broke out as some of his men said their good-byes, heading out to relieve others on guard duty.

When things quieted down, Nick braced his elbows on the table and asked, “So, how much do you trust that the Iron Cross hasn’t already double-crossed you?”

“Or isn’t yet going to,” Beckett added.

Dare shook his head. “I don’t trust them at all. That’s why we’re not entertaining the meet on Saturday. It’s pointless every way I look at it.”

“Agreed,” Nick said. His gaze scanned over his own men. “We’re gonna need to dig into these assholes, too.” Nods all around.

“Just let us be the ones who cross any lines that might need to be crossed over the next two days,” Dare said, meeting the gaze of each man from the Hard Ink team. He wanted their backup, but he didn’t need them to do his dirty work. “I don’t want that on any of you. You’re doing enough.”

“We’ll let that be plan A,” Nick said. “But you know as well as I do that plan A often gets fucked when it meets reality.”

Some laughs from around the table. “Ain’t that the truth,” Dare said. But he was going to do everything in his power to make sure that didn’t happen. Not this time. Not when so much that he loved was on the line.

CHAPTER 28

After last night, Haven had decided one thing: if she only had one night left there, she wasn’t spending it alone. Not when Dare clearly wanted her the way she wanted him. Not when Dare held her in his arms and coaxed her to sleep with his touch. Not when Dare was everything she’d never known she’d always wanted.

Since the moment she’d felt him leave her bed this morning—giving her a silent good-bye in the form of a kiss on her hair—she’d been longing to be with him again. Circumstances being what they were, they’d been apart all day. Which was all the more reason to not waste a single moment now that they could be together.

All of which was why, after the kitchen had finally been cleaned up and with Cora’s strong encouragement, she found herself interrupting the meeting in his office with a couple of the soldier guys from Baltimore.

“Haven? You okay?” Dare asked, his gaze cutting to hers where she stood in the doorway.

“Yeah. I just wanted . . .” She shrugged.

“Come in. We’re almost finished,” he said. A big architectural drawing of the racetrack lay rolled out on his desk, Dare, Shane, and a couple of others gathered around.

“So we can use this 911 system you have to communicate sector assignments with your people for tomorrow night?” a guy with dark brown hair and pale green eyes asked. Nick, she thought his name was. She and Cora had spent so little time at the Hard Ink building before Ike had brought them to the Ravens’ compound that they hadn’t gotten to know these guys. Though that didn’t change how grateful Haven would always feel to them.

“Yeah,” Dare said. “That’s the best way.”

“Then we’re set for tonight,” Nick said, looking to the other men.

“If you’re ready for bed, I got spare rooms upstairs, or you can crash out on the couches pretty much anywhere down here. If not, there’s beer, music, and a pool table in the rec room down the hall. I’ll be right there.” Dare rolled up the drawing and stashed it in the corner behind his desk.

“I’m wired, to be honest with you,” Shane said, raking a hand through his dark blond hair.

“I’ll hang,” Nick said, extending a hand to Dare. “Thanks.”

“That’s my line,” Dare said. “This is all above and beyond.”

“Not after what you did for us,” Nick said.

Dare nodded, and the guys left. Haven stepped aside to let them pass, and then she found herself alone with the man she wanted almost more than her next breath.