Dare to Succeed [The Dare Series 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)
The Dare Series 2
Dare to Succeed
Knocked down and discouraged she needs a new motivation. Alicia finds it in Chance along with love triple style. They dare her to succeed, to make her dreams a reality because Monroe, Caldwell and Max support her, believe in her and love her. What could go wrong?
Well for one she’s not exactly a confident person. Her heart’s been broken, her money stolen out from under her, and her only family, her brother, is a culprit through it all. She’s been manipulated to believe she can’t succeed without her ex or her brother. Alicia needs to learn to trust and to follow her heart. She’s had enough and despite the attempts at making her fail and trying to control her, her ex loses power, as Alicia realizes true love is a powerful thing in deed and noble men always come out on top.
Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre
Length: 48,088 words
DARE TO SUCCEED
The Dare Series 2
Dixie Lynn Dwyer
MENAGE EVERLASTING
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
DARE TO SUCCEED
Copyright © 2015 by Dixie Lynn Dwyer
E-book ISBN: 978-1-63259-569-0
First E-book Publication: July 2015
Cover design by Les Byerly
All art and logo copyright © 2015 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
Dear Readers,
If you have purchased this copy of Dare to Succeed by Dixie Lynn Dwyer from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.
Regarding E-book Piracy
This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.
The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.
This is Dixie Lynn Dwyer’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Dixie Lynn Dwyer’s right to earn a living from her work.
Amanda Hilton, Publisher
www.SirenPublishing.com
www.BookStrand.com
DEDICATION
Dear readers.
Thank you for purchasing this legal copy of Dare to Succeed.
Life can be difficult enough to live and succeed in. Throw in being harassed and controlled by an ex-lover and your own brother, and you’ve got the formula for heart ache and disaster.
When Alicia gets to the town called Chance and makes new friends, she also begins to rebuild her life and her self-confidence. But she needs reassurance, support and people she can trust. Caldwell, Max and Monroe are three brothers set out to gain her trust and ultimately her heart. The last thing she expected was to find success, find strength, and ultimately find love in the arms of three brothers despite her painful past. May you enjoy their journey and Alicia’s ultimate fight for freedom and success.
Happy Reading,
Hugs!
~Dixie~
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Epilogue
About the Author
DARE TO SUCCEED
The Dare Series 2
DIXIE LYNN DWYER
Copyright © 2015
Prologue
Alicia Waltz meticulously sealed the final piece to her newest stained glass mosaic. She smiled as she lifted the 12 x 14 piece up against the sunlight watching the glow of numerous colors shine through. It was another masterpiece, a custom order from a Ms. Wynona Flood in San Francisco, California. “Thank you, eBay.”
Alicia set it back down and then rolled her chair over toward the computer and created the e-mail and invoice for the order. She printed out the eBay receipt and shipping label then rolled back over toward the table and gathered the shipping supplies. She had a method to securing the packages and ensuring that each handmade piece made it to the customer in perfect condition. She even applied thin, hard pieces of wood around the cushioning of the frame to ensure it wouldn’t get cracked or broken in transport. Once she secured the package and labeled it, she stood up and prepared to head into town to the post office.
Her phone rang. She reached out to read the caller ID and she felt her chest tighten. Tony. Damn it, what does he want? Why can’t he just leave me alone?
She felt that sensation in her gut, the one that pushed her to ignore his calls, ignore his ability to control her still, after all he did, but she couldn’t. She picked up the phone.
“Hello.”
“Darling, how are you? It took you a while to pick up. Is everything okay?” he asked and she rolled her eyes as she glanced at herself in the mirror.
“Everything is fine, Tony. I was just in the other room and couldn’t get to the phone fast enough. What’s going on?” she asked, although she didn’t even care. He was successful and making good money off investments and schmoozing the right people. After all, he took the money from the store he sold out from underneath her and reinvested it into stocks and trades he was tipped off on. Did he give her any of it? Hell no. He kept pushing it off and saying he was letting the money sit and ride the market. Meanwhile he had a new sports car, a new townhouse, new women, and she was left struggling to make ends meet, to save what she could and to continue hustling for every penny.
Asshole.
Alicia looked at herself in the mirror before slipping on her tennis shoes and smoothing out her floral skirt. She pulled the
white sheer blouse off the hanger and placed it over the tan camisole she wore. She hadn’t wanted to take the chance of getting anything on it while she worked.
“Nothing is going on. I just wanted to check in on you. Your brother said he tried to call you a few times and you haven’t responded.”
She was shocked. Her brother held allegiance to Tony despite everything he did to her. That was why she wasn’t bothering speaking to her brother so much. She loved her brother Alvin, but he took Tony’s side over hers every time. She was sick of it. Tony had a way of manipulating everyone he met. She wanted to be done with him. Why couldn’t she just blow him off?
“Your silence tells me that you know you should call Alvin. He loves you, darling. He cares about you just like I do.”
“Tony, we’re not an item any more. I think—”
“You don’t know what’s good for you, Alicia. You never did. It’s like you can’t grow up and take charge of your life and the choices you make. You need Alvin and me to help you.”
He cut her off and rambled on about her needing him.
I don’t need you or Alvin. You’re a manipulating asshole who screwed me over in every possible way. You piece of crap weasel.
“Are you listening to me, Alicia? You need to call your brother. Now, as soon as we hang up. He’s worried about you. He was going to drive out there to that little town you’ve disappeared to. God, you better still have that great body of yours. That town sounds like the place rednecks wearing plaid and dirty sweatpants roam around in. You’re too pretty for that. Do you need a little money or something? You’re not still doing the eBay thing are you?”
“Well, actually I am and I’m doing very well—”
“You need to get a real job. Some of the investments are paying off a little. There are charges to remove money early but if you’re willing to pay the fees then I can give you some of the money.”
Pay the fees? That’s my money, too, and you want me to pay the fees and you take more of the money? God, I need to tell him off. I need to get him out of my head and get over the fact I lost my virginity to him. He doesn’t love me. He never did and never will. No one can love me. I don’t have what it takes.
“I don’t need any money. I’m doing fine. Listen, I need to go.”
“You’ll listen to me, Alicia. You know that I know best. Call Alvin. I’ll check up with you in a few days.”
The line went dead. He didn’t even give her the chance to respond, never mind the chance to hang up first.
She growled as she put the phone down.
“Why do I let him get away with this? Why?” she asked aloud then looked in the mirror.
She hadn’t lost her great figure, probably because she was stressed all the time, and filled with excess energy working out, running, then sleeping very little, all because of her past. Why did Tony still have such a hold on her? Why when she looked into the mirror she saw a failure, someone who needed Tony and her brother to guide her and support her? She wished that Alvin would support her as her brother and the only family she had, but he was caught up in his own corporate world. He’d gone through two divorces and he thought he had all the answers for her. His idea of her being successful and happy was her being married to Tony and being at Tony’s command. Little did her brother know that Tony was a liar, a thief, a manipulator, and a cheat. Her brother was fooled by Tony. For all she knew Alvin probably owed Tony money, too. Maybe that was why Alvin was always asking her about her finances and about getting money from Tony after he sold their business? Why couldn’t they just leave her alone?
She had truly loved the small gift shop, and as soon as she started adding her own stained glass pieces to the inventory the orders began to start. Tony didn’t even care. It was like one day the store was theirs and thriving with potential, and the next day it was gone. Sold and without her knowledge. She couldn’t believe that she almost got engaged to the man. He didn’t even care about her designs and her love of creating stained glass artwork. He destroyed the trust she gave him. She wouldn’t trust so easily ever again.
She looked at the package and took a deep breath. Her excited feelings in completing such a beautiful piece lessened after the call from Tony. He’d never believed in her talent and ability. He’d never accepted her insight into the small business they owned. All he wanted was her money and when they established the little storefront on a tourist strip in Dallas, it could have been a gold mine, their gold mine, but he had other plans. He sold it out from underneath her. She had been stupid. Falling in love with him. Trusting him as the contracts for the business were made and things took off. It was all in his name and under his power to sell. Even though it was a large chunk of her money that was used to get the loan started, he convinced her that it was better to be in his name so if the business failed her credit wouldn’t be ruined. He always acted like he was putting her first, and it was too late when she realized he put himself first. Everything Tony did was for Tony.
She couldn’t do a damn thing about it, but the money made from selling it was significant and he reinvested it. He tricked her into believing his ideas were best and she signed where he told her, trusting him, believing he was her everything. Meanwhile, he was cheating on her with other women, and using money to live the life of a bachelor. Fighting with him and Alvin got her nowhere. She left Dallas in hopes to start over and take control of her life. She should change her phone number so Tony couldn’t call her.
She couldn’t. They would worry. They would head out here and the last thing she needed was a confrontation with them. They would flip out about her living arrangements over a garage. They would minimize her business and her art. They would put down her friends and the lifestyles here in Chance. They would insult her, beat her down, and ultimately make her leave Chance. So she would continue to appease their phone calls and their belief they still held control over her. Maybe one day she would have the self-confidence and ability to break free, but for now, she would roll with the punches and do what she loved. Create stained glass pieces with the hope to one day open her own storefront and be successful. A pipe dream? Probably, but she had to have something to hold onto, some hope, some goal, or life just wasn’t worth living and waking up every day for.
She grabbed her keys, her purse, and the nicely packaged stained glass mosaic and headed out the door. As she walked down the long flight of stairs above Dr. Anders’s garage, she noticed his wife Lisa Marie and her other husband, Troy, getting into the car.
“Good morning,” she called out and both of them smiled. Mrs. Anders was beaming. She was expecting another baby in just a few months. It was their third.
“Good morning, Alicia. Is that another brilliant creation of yours that you’re shipping out?” Lisa Marie asked.
Alicia smiled as she joined them. “Sure is.”
“I hope you took a picture of that one, too. I love seeing the finished product,” Lisa Marie said.
“I did. Are you off to the doctor’s office?” Alicia asked.
Lisa Marie smiled.
“Sure am, although my husband assures me all is well. I think he likes me coming into town to his office and handling everything in a professional manner. He should know by now after two babies that I‘m going to try and deliver natural and with a midwife. Clara is exceptional.”
“She sure is. I heard that Monica had some trouble with her delivery and Clara was able to help immensely. I think Dr. Anders just likes to show off his beautiful wife and how fit and amazing you look. I don’t know how you do it.”
“Thanks. Good luck with the piece, and send me the picture of it through the cell, okay?”
“Sure thing. Have a great day,” Alicia said to them and then made her way to her own small car parked on the side of the garage.
The apartment she rented from the Anders was beautiful. It sat above their two-car garage and overlooked the back meadows of their home. It was an ideal location with a separate room filled with windows for her to create
an art studio for her work.
Alicia headed down the road and toward town. Once she got this delivered she planned on stopping by the diner to talk with Marlena She was working a couple of days a week now. Her men didn’t want her working so many hours.
Once she got to town she found a parking spot and then walked around to her trunk to get the package out.
“Need some help with that, ma’am?”
She heard the voice and immediately recognized it as Caldwell’s. How did she not see him before she opened her trunk? She looked up, and up, finally finding his eyes then having to place her hand over her eyes to shield the sun.
“Oh, hello, Caldwell. I’m good. But thank you,” she said and then leaned forward to get the long well-packaged box out of her trunk. She went to close the trunk but Caldwell did it for her. She gave him a small smile and tried to ignore the pull she had toward the man. He, like his brothers, Monroe and Sheriff Max Gordon, seemed to have an effect on her like no other men ever in her life, but they were so hard, powerful, and tough. She shied away from them every time one of them came around her. She found the three men attractive, but so did most women in town and anyone passing through. She was sure they had their share of women. Hell, Monroe and Caldwell were away on business a lot and the sheriff, well, he oozed sex appeal. She often wished they didn’t intimidate her so much so that she could pick Monroe’s and Caldwell’s brains about business and how they succeeded, but that normal conversation would never happen. She was an introvert, thanks to Tony and her brother.