Ride Hard (Raven Riders 1)

“You’re welcome,” Cora said. “Really, we’ve just been hanging around for a couple weeks, so this will be a nice change of pace.”

He nodded and headed out of the parking lot. And Haven decided that Cora was right. It would be good to get away from the clubhouse for a little while. At least she’d have a night when she wouldn’t have to worry about steering clear of Dare, although it wasn’t like he’d come looking for her, either. Which was just as well, because she couldn’t decide what would be worse—him trying to explain what he’d said or offering no explanation at all.

Now maybe she wouldn’t have to find out.

TIRED FROM A day of doing maintenance down at the track, Dare and Jagger came into the clubhouse to find a handful of people around one of the tables in the mess hall.

“Aw, something smells fantastic,” Dare said, clapping Maverick on the shoulder where he sat. “What’s cooking?”

“Chili and corn bread,” Maverick said. “Good, too. Better hurry before there’s none left.”

“You bastards better have saved us some,” Jagger said to a round of laughter and gibes.

In the kitchen, Dare loaded his bowl up with chili, sour cream, tomatoes, and cheese, then grabbed himself two big squares of corn bread—which he couldn’t help but wonder if Haven had made. Where was she, anyway? He’d barely seen her since she’d brought him breakfast the morning before. And like a fucking coward, he hadn’t been particularly searching her out, either. Anything he might say at this point would just cause even more of a problem. He could tell her he hadn’t meant it, but then he was admitting he did have feelings, which made no sense when he was sending her away. Or he could tell her he’d meant it but was sorry she’d heard him say it, which just made him an asshole all over again.

Lose-lose all the way around.

For fuck’s sake.

“Think this new dust suppressant will be worth it?” Jagger asked, piling up his own bowl next to him.

They’d invested in a new treatment for the surface of their racetrack, one that promised to control dust, which made things safer for the drivers and more enjoyable for the fans. Some days, Dare could hardly believe how much he’d learned about racing and racetracks over the years. “We’ll know Friday night,” he said. “But it looks like it has potential, and if it works, it’s gonna save us a shit-ton of money. So good on you for finding it.”

“Thanks,” Jagger said. “You know that track’s my baby.” Responsible for managing the maintenance and operation of the track, Jagger was one of a handful of Ravens who the club paid full-time for their services. The guy lived and breathed that racetrack and did a helluva job for the club.

Out in the mess hall, they dropped into seats at the table. “I’m surprised you aren’t staking out Alexa’s place,” Dare said to Maverick.

“She has a class on Tuesday nights,” he said. “I’ll head there later.”

Dare didn’t comment on how well Maverick knew her schedule. “You been seeing anything when you’ve been over there?” he asked, knowing Mav had been spending all the time he could keeping an eye on her place the past few days.

“No,” Maverick said, his expression dark.

“Well, no news is good news.” Dare dug into his chili, which was spicy, thick, and full of flavor.

“Or it’s just no news,” his cousin said, shoving up from the table, empty bowl in his hand. He returned a few minutes later with a second helping. “Gonna miss Haven’s cooking when she’s gone.”

The comment lodged a big ball of regret in the center of Dare’s chest. Because he was going to miss a helluva lot more than that about her. For that matter, all the Ravens were going to miss her. Word had gotten out that all the sweets and some of the meals they’d been raving over the past few weeks were hers, and she had more than a few die-hard fans as a result. The Ravens might be hard asses, but they weren’t complicated. Loyalty. Good lovin’. Good food. All of these were direct routes to a man’s heart around here.

Certainly to his.

Which, fuck.

“Where is she, anyway?” Dare asked, hating the idea that what he’d said had driven her back to the solitariness of her room again. Just when she’d been coming out of her shell.

“At Slider’s.” Maverick ate a big spoonful.

Dare’s gaze snapped up. “What?”

“She’s at Slider’s house,” Maverick said.

“What the fuck is she doing at Slider’s house?” Dare asked, something dark and needy rising up in his chest.

Maverick’s brow arched in an expression full of chill the fuck out. “She’s babysitting Sam and Ben. Cora’s with her. Slider was in a bind, and I told them they could go. They’ll spend the night there and be back tomorrow.”