Dare (In Safe Hands Book 2)

by S. M. Shade

  Someone shouts my name, but I ignore it. He’s shot. Dare’s shot. Finally, I reach him, and when he spins around, there’s a small grin on his face. My mind can’t seem to process what’s going on. “He shot you,” I whisper.

  Dare removes his hand and swipes his cheek with his jacket sleeve. “It just grazed me, sweetheart. I’m okay. Might need a few stitches.”

  My knees buckle in relief and he catches me, pulling me into his embrace. “It’s okay. We’re both okay, darlin’. It’s over. I promise it’s over.”

  “I don’t understand what’s happening. The FBI?” I squeeze him tighter and he murmurs in my ear.

  “I told you not to worry. I had it all under control.”

  “Well, you got shot, so your control sucks,” I reply. I’m still shaking from the adrenaline.

  He chuckles as I survey the grisly scene in front of me. Senator Montgomery’s body lies face down on the floor while the agents search him. Too little too late. I guess being a senator was enough to get him through security without having to go through the metal detector.

  Talbot is ranting and raving that everyone is going to pay. Sadie rushes over and hugs me. “Never a dull moment with you in my life,” she says, her voice shaky. “Do you know what happened? Why they wanted him?”

  “Multiple crimes,” Dare explains. “Accepting bribes, bribing other judges, including the one who would’ve presided over my case today, embezzlement of campaign funds. Plus, he had child porn on his computer. That’s why I didn’t fight going to trial so quickly. We gave him the rope to hang himself with, and sure enough, he sprung into action to make sure I was convicted.

  “Talbot is just as culpable. They’ll both be going down for a long time. All the cases Montgomery presided over as a judge, and all the cases presided over by the judges he bribed will be re-examined.” His hand threads into my hair and he looks into my eyes. “Including yours.”

  “And your assault case?”

  Dare’s lawyer speaks up. “The state will likely drop the case now that the plaintiff is not a credible witness. They have plenty of evidence for his prior crime against you and the stalking. Derek was acting in your defense.”

  Relief floods through me. Dare isn’t going to prison. “So, it’s really over?”

  “Yes, it’s really over.” His blue eyes sparkle with happiness.

  “Did you know this was going to happen today?”

  “I hoped. The FBI wanted to wait until they could catch all the players off guard. The senator, Talbot, the judge set to preside over my trial, a prosecutor, even the court clerk who handed the judge the case, along with a few others who did his bidding.” He gestures to the line of people now cuffed and seated along one wall.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I couldn’t. It had to be kept close in case something went wrong, and I didn’t want to get your hopes up.”

  I’m overwhelmed by all the sudden revelations. “Can we go home now?”

  “The agents will probably want a word or two before they let anyone leave. Give me a second.” He walks over to talk with one of the suited men.

  We spend the next hour sitting in an empty courtroom as agents take our statements one by one. It seems silly to me since they were there and saw everything, but I guess when a standoff ends in death, it’s protocol.

  They finally let us go and Dare grins, grabbing my hand. “Come on, you don’t want to miss this.” Just ahead of us, Talbot is being lead out in cuffs. As soon as they step out the door he’s surrounded with reporters screaming questions.

  “Is it true your father paid off judges to keep you out of jail?”

  “How many women have you assaulted?”

  “Did you throw acid in a woman’s face?”

  Dare keeps us just inside the doors where we can’t be seen. “We don’t have to go out that way. I just wanted you to see. People care, Ayda. They care what he did to you and the other women in his past. He won’t get away with it anymore.”

  My heart thumps in my chest. I’ve hidden for so long, so ashamed of what had been done to me, when it was never my fault. I’m done hiding. “Let’s go,” I whisper, grabbing his hand.

  A reporter takes one glance at my face and rushes over, quickly followed by three more. “Are you Ayda Brooks?”

  Taking a deep breath, I face her camera. “Yes.”

  They all begin yelling over one another, and Dare intervenes, placing his large body in front of mine. “Ayda will answer a few questions. One at a time.” His commanding voice and stature says he won’t stand for any bullshit.

  “Did Talbot Montgomery attack you with acid six years ago?”

  “Yes, he did.”

  “Is that what caused the scarring on your face?” another woman speaks up, and Dare glares at her.

  Laying my hand on his arm, I tell him, “It’s all right.”

  “Yes, he threw acid on me at the request of his girlfriend, a fellow ballerina who wanted my scholarship. Thanks to his father, he got away with it, as did the dancer.”

  “Will you tell us the dancer’s name?” another reporter asks.

  The sight of Victoria in that wheelchair flashes before me, now all alone and destitute, removed from the dance world forever, and likely facing charges of her own. “Not today. I’m sure that will come out soon enough.”

  They begin clambering again, talking over one another, so I hold up my hand. “I’m not the only woman victimized by Talbot Coulter. I don’t want to go on about what happened to me. I’ve healed and I’m very happy with my life. I do want to encourage any of the other women he’s hurt to come forward, to make sure he never gets out of prison and never has the chance to hurt anyone again.”

  I refuse to answer any more questions, and we rush to the car. I’ve never been so thankful for silence. The last few hours keep playing on a loop in my head, and none of it seems real. Dare takes my hand, grounding me, and I smile at him. His love is a calm place in the middle of a storm.

  “Let’s go home.”

  Epilogue

  One month later.

  Dare

  “We’re almost there. Don’t be so impatient.”

  Ayda fidgets in her seat. I swear this woman can’t stand a few minutes of suspense. Okay, maybe it’s more than a few minutes, since I texted her over an hour ago to get ready because I had a surprise for her.

  Justus and Jeremy both warned me I’m moving too fast, that asking Ayda to move in with me would be a mistake, but Landon told me to go for it. It took falling in love with my own girl to realize how normal his seemingly erratic behavior was when he fell for Zoe. These women drive us out of our minds, but as I gaze at her, her dark curls blowing in the cool March air, I know I wouldn’t change a thing.

  I park on the neat, tree lined street only a few blocks from the dance studio, and she takes my hand, looking around. “Who lives here?” she asks as we climb the steps of a two story Craftsman style house.

  “We do,” I reply, nonchalantly, unlocking the front door.

  I stride in, and look back at her as she stands in the doorway, her feet glued in place. “What…did you buy a house?”

  “Rented, for now, but we have the option to buy.” A flick of a switch illuminates the living room and she gazes around at the rich wood and exposed beams overhead.

  “We,” she mumbles, taking it all in before turning to me. “Did you maybe forget something?”

  “I don’t think so.” My back rests against the wall while my arms cross my chest. “We can change the colors, of course, or lay carpet if you like.”

  Shaking her head, a small smile tilts her lips. “So, we’re moving in together?”

  “Yep.”

  “And when did you make this decision?”

  “A few days after we met.”

  Her expression betrays how much she likes that answer. She walks over by the large fireplace and leans against the wall, mimicking my stance and crossing her arms. “Maybe I don’t want to move in to
gether. I‘m trying to think back, but for the life of me, I don’t remember being asked.”

  Joy shines in her eyes, and I know she’s teasing. If I wasn’t a hundred percent sure this is what she wants too, I wouldn’t have rented the place. Stalking over to her, I drop a brief kiss on her lips, then walk around the corner, leaning on the other side of the wall that separates the living room from the foyer.

  “Ayda?” I say, a little louder than usual, so my voice can penetrate the wood and plaster. “Would you like to move in with me? I found a great little house near your job that you’ll love.”

  Her giggle makes me smile. She always makes me smile. “Hmm, I may have a few conditions.”

  “Name them, babe.”

  “One, you can’t store the peanut butter in the fridge anymore. It’s unnatural. Two, I get the right side of the bed, and three, you must pleasure me sexually every night.”

  Fuck, I love this woman.

  “I agree to all but the last one. I’m going to have to pleasure you every night and every morning.”

  “I suppose I can live with that.”

  She steps around the corner and leaps into my arms. “I love the house, and I love you. When can we move in?”

  “About that…”

  Justus and Jeremy burst through the front door carrying a couch and bickering. “Tilt it, asshole!”

  “I am tilting!”

  “No, the other way! Christ, are you always an idiot, or just when I’m around?” Justus exclaims.

  Ayda turns to me as Landon and Zoe walk in, carrying lamps and bags. “I don’t know whether to kick you in the nuts or just stand in awe of your confidence.”

  Wrapping my arm around her shoulder, I lead her through the room, so she can see the rest of the place. “What if I had said no?”

  “I’d have lost a security deposit and returned the furniture.” I shrug. “We can take back whatever you don’t like and you can pick.”

  Her smile gets bigger on our tour through the kitchen, dining room, guest rooms, bathrooms, and the master bedroom. She lets out a squeal at the sight of the large Jacuzzi tub in the master bathroom.

  “I have one more room to show you.”

  Her hand stays in mine as we walk into the hall and I open a door to a narrow stairway. “The attic?”

  Technically, it’s an attic, but it’s been completely renovated. The floors are smooth and shiny, and a ceiling to floor mirror runs the length of the room. I paid the renovators double time to get this room done quickly, and the look on her face is worth every penny.

  “The room will be filled with natural light during the day,” I tell her, pointing out the skylight above us. “Now, anytime you feel like dancing, you have your own place.”

  Her eyes well. “I can’t believe you did this.”

  “What, no argument this time?” I tease, pulling her into my arms.

  She shakes her head, speechless. “I love you, Ayda. I know living with me won’t always be easy. There will be times when things are happening with ISH that I may not be able to tell you, but I swear I’ll always keep you safe. I just want you to be happy.”

  Tears pour down her cheeks when she peeks up at me. “I am happy.”

  I wipe her cheek. “I can tell. By the way, I turned the basement into a man cave.”

  “Okay.” Her arms slide around my waist.

  “You can’t get in without the password.”

  Chuckling, she shakes her head. “What’s the password?”

  I lift the silver pendant from between her breasts, where it always lies, and her dark eyes stare into mine as she murmurs, “Hummingbird?”

  “Now I have to let you in.”

  Something crashes downstairs and the raised voices filter up to us. “We’d better get down there. I promised them beer if they helped us move.”

  Laughing, we make our way back downstairs. A king sized mattress lies in the middle of the dining room floor, and Justus dives on it, smiling up at us as Sadie walks in.

  “Knock knock!” she calls, and Ayda rushes over to her.

  “Did you know about this?”

  “Like I’d let him choose your furniture,” Sadie scoffs.

  “Hey, Sadist.” Justus pats the mattress. “Help me test out their new bed.” He turns to me. “You might want to go. I don’t want to make you look bad.” He regards Ayda. “You can stay.”

  “Do you want to kick his ass, or should I?” Sadie asks, and Ayda laughs.

  “Why is he calling you Sadist?”

  “Because he found out what happens when he waves his unicorn horn at the wrong girl.”

  It’s almost dawn when Ayda and I finally crawl into our new bed. The house is a disaster of boxes and scattered items, but we’ll worry about that tomorrow. Her warm little body presses against mine and a contented sigh raises her chest, echoing my feelings exactly.

  “Good night, Ayda.”

  “Good night, Dare.”

  The End

  Don’t miss Justus’s story, coming in February 2017.

  Acknowledgements

  I hate writing acknowledgements because I know I’m going to leave someone out. So many people help me make my books the best they can be, from readers to bloggers and promoters. So please know if I don’t mention you I really appreciate everything you do to help me and other Indie authors.

  That being said, I’d like to thank Lissa Jay, Mayra Pena, and Susan Rollinson for beta reading, sometimes at the last minute, and saving me from embarrassing plot holes and ridiculous mistakes. I want to say thank you to few readers who always take the time to review, share and promote my books. Teresa Hall, Chantal Baxendale, and Michele loves books Jones, I’m pointing at you.

  Thank you, Kim Ginsberg, for using those eagle eyes to beta and proofread my books.

  The beautiful cover was made by Ally Hastings. Thank you so much, Ally.

  Thanks to the members of the S.M. Shade Book Group for loving my books as much as I do (sometimes much more than I do) and sharing them constantly. Love you girls.

  Last, but not least, thanks to all the book bloggers and page owners who make it possible for Indie authors to get their stories out there. We couldn’t do it without you. There’s no way I can list the numerous blogs and pages that have reviewed and shared my books, but I want to call attention to a few who have been especially generous. Just One More Page, Saints and Sinners Books, Chicks Controlled by Books, and Romance Readers Retreat. You all rock so hard.

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  UK Link http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00UEVPO5G

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