Dare didn’t outwardly react as whatever this other shoe was potentially dropped on them. “Can’t imagine why you’d need any more proof than I’ve just given you.”
“Because I’ve got men to take care of, just like you do. And I assume as new friends you’d be willing to help me do that.” One eyebrow raised over Dominic’s lifeless eyes. Inwardly, Dare reveled in the fact that this guy had a fucking sniper rifle trained on his big white forehead right now and didn’t even know it.
Humoring him, Dare asked, “And what exactly is it you think I could offer that would help?”
“The identity of the men you worked with to take this hardware from the Church Gang in the first place.” Dominic crossed his arms over his chest and looked down his nose, waiting, challenging.
The one thing Dare had no intention of giving. Ever. “That’s a nonstarter, Dominic. You’re not just asking me to give up a business partner, you’re encouraging me to make an enemy. What happened with the Churchmen doesn’t have to have anything to do with you if you don’t let it. Start fresh and let the past lie.”
The tall asshole shrugged. “We’ll find out with or without you. I was just hoping you’d be smart enough to be on the right side of the decision.”
“Keeping your word to another is always the right decision,” Dare said, taking satisfaction that they apparently didn’t know about Nick’s team yet, which should mean that even if they knew about Haven and the reward, they didn’t know what had happened to the women after the Church Gang lost them. “So we’re done here.”
“Appears that way,” Dominic said with a nod. And then he turned and crossed toward one of the cars, his men falling in line behind him as he passed. They packed back into the Humvees and tore out of the lot, tires squealing against the concrete. And then they were gone.
“Let’s ride,” Dare said, already in motion. “Routes home just like we discussed. No stops, no detours. Anyone gets in trouble or picks up a tail, give the signal.” Everyone hustled toward the line of motorcycles waiting at the entrance behind them.
Engines roaring, the ten of them shot out into the night, riding off in groups of two and three in different directions to head out of the city. They’d preplanned their exit strategy ahead of time to combat against being followed. With Maverick at his right and Joker behind them in the truck, Dare worked his way out of the run-down neighborhood and onto one of the main arteries that led past the stadiums and out to Interstate 695. Their sixes were clear all the way, allowing Dare to take a deep breath for the first time in a couple hours, especially as all clear messages came in from the other groups of riders.
Sometimes it took a whole tankful of fuel before you could screw your head on straight. And as Dare rode home, he felt like it was one of those nights. Fists in the wind, he was glad for the time and space to himself, to replay the night in his head on his own before he and the guys were together and blowing off steam.
A couple things rose to the surface of his thoughts right away. First, he didn’t trust the Iron Cross or that creepy Dominic fucker for an instant. Second, that deal hadn’t done jack shit to cement any kind of decent relationship between the two—Dare felt that down into his very blood. Third, the Iron Cross didn’t yet know Haven’s whereabouts, which meant things were urgent but not critical on that front. Yet. Thank God for small favors, assuming that could be counted as one.
Shit, yeah, he’d take the good news where he could.
When they got home, his guys were all kinds of in the mood to celebrate, and Dare totally understood why. He did his best to join in, to not be the moody motherfucker Maverick always accused him of being. But despite the fact that the night had gone about as smoothly as could’ve been expected, doing the deal with the Iron Cross hadn’t done a thing to alleviate the feeling of dread Dare had been shouldering the past few weeks.
Instead, he felt more certain than ever that a shit storm was heading their way.
And that meant he needed to get Haven out of the line of fire while he still had time—and probably faster than he’d even originally planned.
WHO DO YOU want to be?
Haven had been thinking about that question for most of the past twenty-four hours. Yesterday afternoon, as the Ravens had fallen into a frenzy of activity preparing for some meeting that had unexpectedly taken a bunch of them to Baltimore, Caine had found Haven and Cora and asked them that question. He hadn’t meant it metaphorically, he’d meant it literally. They had to pick their new names by lunchtime today, which was when he needed to let his contact working up their new identities know.