Dare to Love Read online

  “So, if you feel more comfortable meeting us someplace locally, how about here, tomorrow night? Maybe around seven?” he asked as he held her gaze. He had blonde hair and the cutest dimple in his left cheek. He seemed preppy and conservative. He wore a blue Ralph Lauren polo shirt and his friend wore a Dior one in navy blue. He had a bit more olive complexion and his hair was darker, like Kurt’s. As she thought the thought she felt guilty again. Now she was comparing two guys she’d just met, and was making plans to meet again, with Kurt and his brothers. When would she get them out of her head and stop comparing every guy she met to them?

  “Okay, we can meet here tomorrow night at seven. I’d better get back to my friends. I’ve already made them stay too long.”

  “We could give you a ride home,” he suggested and smiled softly.

  She shook her head. “I don’t know you, remember.”

  “Well, we’re going to take care of that tomorrow night. I was just being helpful, not trying anything,” he said to her and his tone was a little odd, but she figured it was just her. She wasn’t used to dating. She never said yes, until now, and probably because she was trying to get the Dawn brothers out of her head.

  “Bye,” she said and they shook hands even though he leaned a little closer and lower as if he may kiss her cheek good-bye.

  She headed toward her friends and the questions began as they made their way out of the club.

  “They are very good-looking. So when is the date?” Adel asked her, and she told them all the details and they talked about what she should wear.

  “Maybe even the new panties and bra set you just purchased,” Alicia teased and winked.

  “No way. I’m not that kind of girl,” she replied and they smiled and told her they were kidding and then talked to her about being careful and she loved them for it.

  Chapter 3

  Mercedes was a nervous wreck as she drove her little beat-up Jetta to Wager County. She had mixed emotions about this date. Initially it was just the typical expectations of first dates, getting to know Jeff and Damien and how this could turn out. Like what if she liked them and they didn’t like her or if one of them liked her and the other didn’t. Then her mind traveled to Kurt, Taylor, and Warner. She felt sick, guilty, and of course began to compare all five of the men.

  She almost cancelled as she thought about her feelings for Taylor, Warner, and Kurt and how she was truly avoiding them out of her own fears. Maybe Jeff and Damien would be better for her and more compatible. Hell, maybe just Jeff would be and she would be fine with that. As she parked her car she hoped that they were nice and that they didn’t try to kiss her. The thought gave her more guilt and she had to yell at herself for being stupid. Kurt, Warner, and Taylor were too old for her, too experienced, and too unreliable. Plus they didn’t like her like that. If they liked her it was probably just for sex because the attraction was there. She didn’t need that. This date was an opportunity to get more experience and see what types of men were out there. Nothing more would come of it unless it went really well and they asked her out again. But first she needed to get through this first date and her nerves. God, she was so inexperienced, she probably looked like a clueless virgin at age twenty-six. Damn it.

  She got out of her car, locked the door, and then placed her keys in her bag. She smoothed out the pale green dress she wore that hit right above the knees, only showing off some thigh skin, but the matching heels made her legs look sexy. The dress had spaghetti straps and was cut right across where her cleavage began. Not too low, conservative, sort of considering she was well endowed and it was difficult to find nice dresses that didn’t show off too much.

  She walked through the open doorway and was greeted by the hostess but before she could explain that she was meeting someone, Jeff appeared. He was alone and she felt her heart sink a little. The feelings of not being good enough for Damien hit her at once. That was her own lack of self-confidence but she smiled wide and shook his hand hello. Jeff stepped closer and kissed her cheek then stepped back, still holding her hand and looked her over. “You look so beautiful and so sweet. Like an angel,” he said and winked. She supposed that was a good description of her character. She was conservative, soft spoken, and sort of shy. Suddenly she wondered if she should have worn the low-cut, black, slim-fitting dress that Adele had suggested. Then Jeff would be drooling over her.

  He led her inside to a table where she saw Damien sitting and talking on a cell phone. He held it in front of him and it seemed like he took a picture or two of her as she approached. A compliment or kind of creepy? She wasn’t sure. He put the phone down and stood up, kissed her cheek hello, looked her over as if appraising her dress and seeing if it were designer or not. He definitely had expectations in his women. She could dress designer but not on her salary. She felt a little strange.

  She sat down and they had already ordered a bottle of wine. Jeff poured her a glass.

  “I have to admit, it was torture not seeing you for so many hours,” Jeff said and then clinked his wine glass to hers. Damien did the same and held her gaze.

  “That’s very sweet of you,” she replied.

  “You are the sweet one, Mercedes,” Damien said and took another sip of his wine.

  “So, you live in the town after Wager, how are the restaurants and bars there?” Jeff asked her and she told him about Spencer’s.

  “I have to be honest, I’ve never been there before. Our work tends to bring us to more exotic places like the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, and even Hawaii. How about you? Travel a lot?”

  “No, I’m a secretary for a business in Chance. I work a lot of hours,” she said and didn’t want to tell them that it was the sheriff’s department. Some guys were intimidated by that. They might feel like she could get them into trouble if they overstepped their bounds or hurt her feelings. She probably could if she wanted to but that wasn’t her. She just wanted to be liked for who she was and not for anything else.

  They looked over the menus, ordered, and then talked some more. Jeff took many opportunities to touch her skin, to caress her hair, and even stare into her eyes.

  “Your eyes are hazel, not brown. Very nice,” Jeff said and smiled softly.

  “I thought they were brown, but they do look so stunning and stand out, especially with your hair. It’s brown with red highlights. I like it,” Damien said and then she saw him with his phone again. Jeff pressed his fingers to her chin, turning her face toward him. She had a funny feeling. The more she talked to these men it seemed like they were sizing her up as much as she was sizing them up. Damien looked at his phone a lot and Jeff occupied most of the conversation, but the little comments Damien added still made her think he found her attractive. She was so confused and clueless about men and dating. She needed to really pay attention and learn, but she wanted to see if there was an attraction. They seemed to be shopping.

  “Our business tends to keep us very busy and we get interrupted often, but don’t worry, that’s why there are two of us,” Jeff said and touched his finger to her lip, pulled back, and smiled.

  She felt intimidated to say the least as she glanced at Damien.

  “Does that interest you, or are you shy, having two men wanting to pay attention to you, date you?” he asked.

  She swallowed hard.

  “I never considered it before,” she replied. A total lie. She considered three men. Warner, Taylor, and Kurt. What was she doing here?

  “Really, you’ve never been involved with multiple men at once?” he asked and brought her hand to his lips and kissed the top. She shook her head. He smiled, glanced at Damien, and then lowered her hand.

  “The food is here.” She clasped her hands together as she saw the lobster tails. She hadn’t wanted him to order something so costly but he insisted that she would love them, and he and Damien were in the mood for them.

  “Perfect. Let’s enjoy our meal and then maybe go to the bar for a drink or perhaps a walk out by the marina. It’s a lovely night,
” he said and she smiled then went about eating. They talked some more and Jeff made her laugh a few times. He was funny, and seemed very nice, but she wasn’t really attracted to him. But she hadn’t been out on a date in forever so she enjoyed their company.

  * * * *

  “He picks up her hand and fucking kisses it one more time and I’m going to lose my fucking mind,” Kurt said to Taylor.

  “Join the fucking club,” Taylor said into his wrist mic. Warner had stayed home. He was sick and felt that he’d make them lose their opportunity with Mercedes. They all knew how gorgeous she was and kind, and any man who grabbed her attention would be in heaven to have her. They should have made a move. Now they were watching over her and this first date with two dickheads they knew nothing about. But they took a lot of pictures. If these guys broke her heart, they would make their lives a living hell.

  * * * *

  Mercedes walked along the boardwalk by the marina with Jeff on one side and Damien on the other. They ran out of things to talk about and she turned toward them as they stopped by the end and near a set of stairs that led back up to the parking lot at the side of the building. It was darker down here, and only two low-lit lampposts lit the area.

  “Well, I think I should call it a night. I have to drive back and I have a lot to do tomorrow,” she said and Damien squinted his eyes at her but Jeff pulled her closer. He cupped her cheek and looked down into her eyes.

  “Do you have to? The night is young,” he said and as she went to answer him, he kissed her.

  She knew instantly that she didn’t have those feelings for him. She pressed her hands against his chest and pulled back. She took a retreating step.

  “I’m sorry, Jeff. I think I should go.”

  “Are you sure?” Damien asked her and she nodded her head and headed up the stairs. She got to the top of the stairs and Jeff stopped her.

  Damien wasn’t in sight.

  “I’m sorry if I came on too strong. You looked so pretty in the moonlight and I truly enjoyed our conversation this evening. I hoped that you would consider getting to know us better,” he said and caressed her skin.

  “Your skin is so soft and you smell so good. You’re exactly what they had in mind.”

  “They?” she asked as he walked with her and held her hand. She heard the screeching sound of tires and then felt him lift her up and hurry toward a dark Navigator. The door swung open. She was scared and instantly began to fight. She didn’t know what the hell was happening and she kicked him hard. He dropped her to the ground and then went for her and she punched him in the eye. He swung at her.

  “Stupid bitch,” he yelled and swung again, hitting her jaw, her cheek, and then he ripped her dress as he pulled her up by the top.

  “Stop right there. Stop!” a deep voice yelled. Jeff shoved her, jumped into the Navigator, and sped out of the parking lot.

  “Mercedes. Baby, are you okay?” Kurt asked her and she could hear Taylor yelling into his phone and giving a description of the vehicle and asking for police to respond to an attempted abduction.

  She was crying. The pain and the fear of what happened set in and Kurt pulled her into his arms and held her tight. She cried against his shoulder, the feel of his body—hard, comforting, protective—easing her hysterical state.

  She slowly pulled back and Taylor bent down on his knee and softly pushed her hair from her face. She looked at both of them.

  “Son of a bitch. I’m going to find those fucking assholes and kill them,” Kurt said and she shook in his arms.

  “You’re scaring her, bro. Ease up. She’s safe. Thank God we were here,” Taylor said and used his thumb to brush away the tears from her eyes.

  “I don’t know what happened. Why were you here?” she asked them.

  “We were watching over you, Mercedes. Things are going to change. This shit is never going to happen again,” Kurt told her. Dark blue eyes held hers and then he placed his hand against the back of her head and pressed her face back to his chest and held her tight. She couldn’t stop shaking. Jeff and Damien tried to abduct her. What were they planning on doing to her? Crazy thoughts went through her head as sirens blared in the distance. Then it hit her. Taylor and Kurt had been there watching her. They’d known she was on a date. They seemed angry, but they saved her life. Did they have deeper feelings for her than what they revealed? Where was Warner? Maybe he didn’t care. This was a mess. I could have gotten taken, raped and even killed tonight. How stupid of me to think they were nice guys. Oh God, how embarrassing. Kurt and Taylor will think I’m naive and stupid, immature and a child.

  She pulled back.

  “Let me up. I’m fine,” she said and he looked at her strangely then helped her to stand on shaky legs. The police were there immediately and they looked angry as they looked her over. Kurt pulled up the material of her dress that lowered so much that her cleavage was showing. Someone handed Taylor a police windbreaker and Taylor handed it to Kurt who helped to cover her.

  “They lost sight of the Navigator. We have patrols out looking,” the officer said.

  “Fuck,” Taylor yelled, and she jumped and Kurt pulled her close to him and wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her by his side.

  “But we have the full license plate and a description of these guys. They won’t get away with this. We’ll find them,” the officer said and Taylor mumbled something incoherent.

  “Miss, can you come with me? I have some questions for you and we need to document those injuries,” the officer said.

  She went to move.

  “We’ll bring her over. She’s with us. We’ll get her home to Chance,” Kurt said and she didn’t say a word. She knew better than to argue with men from Chance and especially Kurt and Taylor. They would get her home safely, and then it would all sink in and she would be scared to go anywhere. I was attacked and nearly abducted by two men I had dinner with? This is so embarrassing.

  * * * *

  “I want to know who the fuck these men are and how the hell they disappeared and no one can find their vehicle or their whereabouts.” Warner yelled into his cell phone. He was standing outside of Mercedes’s home along with his brothers, Mike, and the sheriff. Dr. Anders was inside with Mercedes and all her friends were there with their men, too. It was a fucking madhouse.

  But Kurt was still on edge and angry at what took place. If they hadn’t been there, watching over Mercedes, then those men would have abducted her. They’d meant her harm. They’d hit her like it was nothing and the sight of those bruises enraged him. If only he had gotten to her sooner, he could have at least grabbed the guy who assaulted her. But he and Taylor were calling it an end to the night when they saw the guy kiss Mercedes. Their hearts were heavy and as they headed out to the parking lot they heard the squealing of tires, saw Mercedes fighting off the guy who held her over the shoulder, and then him hitting her. He would never get the images out of his head. Never.

  Kurt paced and Taylor was talking to Mike, Will, Leo, and Hank.

  “Well work on it. I want full involvement and if you don’t have the fucking answers I want by nine a.m. then I’m taking full control and calling in my people,” Warner said and disconnected the call. He placed his hands on his hips and explained what the police and detectives in Wager County had thus far along with the state police.

  “They don’t seem like they’re on top of this or taking it too seriously,” Max said, looking upset.

  “They aren’t. They almost sound like they fucking think it was just two guys trying to take advantage of a young woman on a date. They tried to tell me that no other similar situations have occurred in Wager or any nearby locations. I just think they don’t have the man power or the resources to really investigate this properly. It’s not their fault, but I’m not leaving this up to them. I’m going to get involved. We’re going to,” Warner said and looked at Kurt. Kurt nodded his head.

  “I am, too. She’s our responsibility,” Taylor stated and he was straight-faced
and firm.

  “So you’re making an official claim to Mercedes? As protectors?” Max added as he asked them and held Warner’s gaze.

  “She’s ours. This never should have happened and nothing like this will ever happen to her again. That good enough for you, Max?” Warner asked but didn’t wait for a reply. He looked at Kurt.

  “Let Taylor remain here for the night with her. You and I have some investigating to do and some calls to make. I want those assholes behind bars within twenty-four hours. They’re already hours ahead of us. You know what we need to do,” he said and Kurt nodded his head.

  “Take care of her, Taylor, and we’ll touch base later,” Kurt told Taylor and Taylor nodded.

  Kurt glanced toward the house and worried about Mercedes’s safety. But she would have lots of people around her for the next week at least. Plus Taylor was there. He’d stay right in her room with his gun cocked and ready if necessary just for peace of mind.

  He caught up to Warner and got into the truck.

  Warner stepped on the gas and got out of there.

  “Call Breaker, have him notify Slick, Pinto, and Gemini that we need their skills.”

  “Seriously?” Kurt asked as he pulled out his cell phone. Warner looked at him.

  “You guys went over your part of the story of what happened tonight and Mercedes went over hers. This was not some slick game two assholes wanted to play out with some innocent unknowing female. It has all the indicators of something bigger,” Warner told him as he stepped on the gas and headed home.

  Taylor didn’t like the sound of that and he instantly knew where his brother was heading. He thought about the conversation at Spencer’s with Mike, Danny, and Jack.

  “You think this could be part of one of those groups you mentioned at Spencer’s?”