“I’ll give you slow.” He pulled her into a kiss.
“Hey!” Eddie hollered. “You two comin’, or what?”
Dare and Billie laughed.
“We’re coming!” Billie yelled.
“Reminds me of a pushy little girl I once knew. Let’s go, Mancini.” He slapped her ass, and she took off running and laughing with Dare on her heels.
BY MIDAFTERNOON THE event was in full swing. Kids were running around with cookies and hot dogs while adults trailed behind them, mingling as they went from one activity to the next. The lawn was covered with tables of food and drinks prepared by club families and Dwight, all of which were being sold to support the campaign efforts. Throughout the morning, Dare and several others had given brief talks and answered questions about struggles they’d faced as kids, what it was like to be a Dark Knight, and the work they did on the ranch. Birdie made a brief announcement offering a flyer with coupons for free chocolates at her shop. Everyone took turns overseeing the activities, and between the Dark Knights and dozens of volunteers, there were plenty of people to help.
Dare and Billie were on pony-ride duty. He lifted a little girl off a pony, and she ran to Billie, waiting by the gate. He watched Billie talking animatedly with the little one as she walked her out. Billie was a natural with little kids, just as she was with Kenny. They were in no rush to have a brood of their own, but Dare looked forward to the day they would.
Billie looked up as she closed the gate behind the little girl, and the love in her eyes hit him square in the center of his chest. She mouthed, I love you, and he winked, feeling like a king as he went to get the next kid.
Gus was at the front of the line, holding Ezra’s hand and jumping up and down, his dark curls springing around his face. “It’s my turn!”
“Yes, it is, little man.” Dare and Ezra shared a laugh as he lifted him onto a pony. “Do you remember what to do?”
“Uh-huh! Hold the horn!” He held the saddle horn with both hands, beaming at Dare and his father.
“Attaboy.” Dare nodded at Ezra. “Okay, Dad. See you in a few minutes.”
As Dare walked Gus around the ring, Gus shouted, “Look at me, Dad! I’m riding.”
“Looking good, Gus.” Ezra took out his phone and snapped a picture.
“Sasha! Look at me, sugar!” Gus hollered.
Sasha waved as she walked up to the corral. “Be careful, Gusto. Hold on tight.”
“I am!” Gus yelled. “Billie, look at me!”
“You look like a real cowboy,” Billie said, falling into step beside Dare.
“I am a real cowboy,” he exclaimed.
Billie looked seductively at Dare. “I like rugged cowboys.”
“I believe you mean a rugged cowboy.”
“My rugged cowboy.” She leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Is it my imagination, or is Flame looking at Sasha like he wants to eat her for dinner?”
Dare shot a look in his sister’s direction and saw Flame leaning on the corral beside her with a flirtatious grin and too-damn-hungry eyes. He sure as hell hoped Sasha had been honest about just being friends with him, because most of Flame’s female friends came with benefits. “That’s not happening.”
“Oh, I think that’s happening.” Billie laughed. “Unless a certain someone’s daddy has something to say about it.”
Dare followed her gaze to Ezra, and hell if he didn’t look like he wanted to tear Flame apart. “What is going on around here?”
“Maybe Birdie gave Sasha body wash, too.” She giggled.
As they finished Gus’s ride and walked him back to Ezra, Dare saw Cowboy riding Sunshine up from the lower corral, where he’d been managing the horseback rides with bigger kids. He stopped to talk to Hyde, who was running the hayrides. Hyde swapped places with a ranch hand and ran over to the bouncy house, grabbing Taz, Pep, and Otto, the four of them clapping other Dark Knights on the back and talking jovially on their way up the hill, then spreading out as they each made their way up the lawn in different directions. A group of guys wearing black leather cuts walking determinedly would call attention to whatever was going on, which was why if they got a call during an event, they acted like they were now. Visitors would simply see guys having a good time.
Cowboy was heading for Dare and Ezra, his expression even more serious than usual.
“Good job, Gus.” Dare handed Gus to Ezra, Ezra’s nod telling him he saw what was going on, too. Dare turned his back to the people waiting in line so he could talk to Billie. “Babe, can you take over for a bit?”
“Sure. What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure, but Cowboy’s rallying the Knights.” Dare walked out of the corral just as Flame and Sasha joined Ezra and Cowboy rode up.
“Hey, Cowboy! I rode a horse, too!” Gus said excitedly.
“That’s great, buddy,” Cowboy said.
Gus began talking a mile a minute, and Sasha reached for him. “Hey, Gusto, how about we play in the bouncy house and then get one of Birdie’s yummy chocolate pony pops?”
“Yeah! Bye, Dad!”
She winked at Ezra and carried him off.
“Hey, guys, what’s going on?” Flame asked.
“Tiny needs help carrying some stuff from the main house,” Cowboy said. “I’m on my way to grab Doc and the guys from the paintball field.”
“I’ll let Mom know we’re going to help,” Dare said casually, so as not to alert nearby families. His mother would alert the rest of the club wives and make sure no attention was brought to the club gathering.
Ten minutes later Dare stood with the rest of the club members, their attention riveted on his father standing at the front of their largest meeting room. “We’ve got a situation. A young gal escaped from a cult in West Virginia and was picked up by a trucker who was heading this way. They need a safe haven for her while DNA tests are run and they figure out what’s what. Her name is Sullivan Tate, and she goes by the name Sully. She’s in her early twenties, and she’s tough but scared. She refused to go to a doctor or to the police for fear of being taken back to the cult. We’re bringing her to the ranch tonight after dark, where she can undergo therapy and be seen by our doctors. This girl needs complete protection. We don’t know if cult members are coming after her or not. Nobody can know she’s here until I get word that it’s safe—not even your wives—or you could be putting our entire family, and everyone on this ranch, at risk. Hazard, this needs to be kept off the records.”
“You’ve got it,” Hazard said.
“Cowboy, you’re taking the lead on this,” his father said. “I want you to have eyes on her at all times. No exceptions.”
Cowboy nodded.
“The trucker who picked her up and his wife are going to a safe house. Pep and Otto, I want eyes on his house from a distance. If you see anyone sniffing around, we need to know about it.” When they nodded their understanding, his father said, “When the event ends, take your families home, and then I need everyone who can come back and stick around to do so. We need extra security around the ranch for the foreseeable future. And remember, when you step out of this room, it’s business as usual.”