Ride Wild(40)

"God, I was so focused on my own problems that I didn't see this," Haven  said. "I'm so sorry, Cora. What a terrible friend I've been."

"No. Stop that right now. I hid this from you on purpose, and I made up  all kinds of reasons why it was a good idea. And you're right. You did  ask. I just . . . I wanted to be strong for you, to get us out of all  the trouble we were in. And I felt like admitting what'd happened would  mess everything up."

"You're the strongest person I know," Haven said. "Seriously, I never  would've gotten away without you. Or found Dare, or this place. I just  wish I could've been there for you the way you were for me."

"You don't give yourself enough credit," Cora said. "Maybe neither of us  do. But it's never too late, and I promise never to keep a secret from  you again." Now that she felt the relief of finally coming clean, it was  hard to remember why it had ever felt so important to keep her secret  in the first place. She should've known Haven would be nothing but  supportive, but sometimes your brain was your own worst enemy.

"Me too," Haven said nodding. They both sagged against the couch, as if  the conversation had drained them. "Do you think these Raven men have  any idea what they're getting into with the two of us?"

Cora grinned, almost giddy at being unburdened by secrets after all these months. "No freaking idea at all."

They were laughing again when the front door opened a little while  later, and there was a sudden commotion of voices and footsteps.

"Oh, sorry," Cora called, remembering the mountain of bags she'd left in  the living room. "I'll be right there to clean up that mess."

"Don't worry about it," Slider said. The boys laughed, and then there was an excited round of shushing.

What in the world were they doing? Cora pushed off the couch to  investigate when she caught movement from the corner of her eye. A  dog-Bosco?

"What . . . how? Bosco!" she exclaimed.

Cora sank onto the floor and the height-challenged old man got right  into her lap, put his paws on her shoulders, and licked her on the  mouth.                       
       
           



       

Laughter rang out from the doorway, where Slider and the boys had  gathered with the happiest, most triumphant expressions on their faces.

Cora hugged Bosco, and Haven chuckled as he licked her hand when she  petted his head. "What's happening?" Cora asked, her brain struggling to  catch up with this roller coaster of a day.

"Surprise," Slider said, unable to hold back a grin.

"Are you serious? You adopted him?" she asked, so happy she could barely  stand it. She hugged and petted and kissed Bosco until he squirmed to  get away.

"Look at the name tag," Ben said, coming to his knees beside her.

Cora did, and she couldn't decide which amazingly sweet thing to react  to first. T.L.B. The Lovable Basset. Or Campbell. "Campbell. You adopted  him . . . for me?"

Slider nodded, his expression so soft and intense her heart almost melted. "He's yours."

"And we'll help!" Ben said, making them all laugh.

"Wow." Cora could hardly believe they'd done this, but it just showed  that Slider Evans had a wide streak of sweetness inside him that he  didn't let many people see, but she saw it. Oh, man, how she saw it. She  looked up at Slider. "Thank you. I can't believe you did this."

Slider held out a hand and helped her up, and then they were standing face to face. "I did it for you."

Cora couldn't hold back. She threw her arms around Slider's neck, making him laugh. "I love him so much."

"I know," Slider said, his arms coming around her, too.

She let go of him before she wanted to, because she didn't know how his talk had gone with the boys.

Slider wasn't having it. He grasped her face and pulled her close.  "They're happy," he whispered. "And so am I." He kissed her then, just  one soft press of lips on lips.

"Argh, Dad!" Sam said, as Ben wrapped his arms around both of them and yelled, "I want in on this hug!"

Haven laughed out loud. "Y'all are so sweet you're making my teeth hurt."

Slider slanted her a glance. "Don't mess up my reputation with that sweet crap."

Rising from where she'd been petting Bosco, Haven chuckled. "Too late,  Slider Evans. I'm pretty sure everyone who's ever seen you with your  boys already knows."

He grunted, making Cora laugh. "She's not wrong."

Haven planted her hands on her hips and gave Cora a loaded look. "Now I think it's time you deal with that other thing."

"What other thing?" Slider asked.

Cora groaned, but Haven was right. She couldn't put this off. Slider needed to know. "I had a visitor today. Sheriff Davis."

Slider's brow cranked down. He turned to the boys playing with the dog  in the doorway. "Hey guys, why don't you take Bosco out to the kitchen  and unpack his new stuff?" The kids couldn't leave fast enough, both of  them excited to show their lovable basset his new toys.

"Oh, I want to help," Haven said, very obviously wanting to give her and Slider some privacy.

When they were gone, Slider turned back to her. "What the hell did Davis want?"

"Ostensibly, to go over my statement, but the whole thing was so weird.  His tone was combative and dismissive, almost accusatory. He kept  discounting what I'd seen and heard. And then he left with this warning  about how men involved in dogfighting are dangerous, and that I should  be careful."

Slider released a frustrated breath that was almost a growl. "Davis has  been a thorn in the side of the club for as long as I can remember. Him  coming here about your statement I could almost buy, but the way he  talked to you . . . something doesn't add up."

"I can't lie. It felt odd to me, too," she said. It worried Cora all  over again as she thought about it. Talking to him had made her want to  take a shower afterward. Nothing concrete, just . . . a feeling. A bad  feeling.

His hands landed on her shoulders, and his expression was filled with so  much emotion. For her. "Why didn't you call me right away? I would've  come home."

"I know you would've, and I thought about it. I promise. But I wanted  you to have time with the boys. And Davis wasn't even here for fifteen  minutes." Cora put her arms around her man, because she could claim him  now, right out in the open for everyone to see. And she adored that. "If  I'd have really been upset, I promise I would've called."

Slider nodded. "I don't want to be overbearing, Cora, but I care. Some  asshole gets up in your face, even an asshole in a uniform, and I want  to know."                       
       
           



       

"Okay," she said, pushing up onto tiptoes to kiss him. "It's nice getting to do this without worrying about getting caught."

"Aw, damn, does that mean no more sex against your car?" he asked with a grin so sexy she wanted to go find her car right now.

She chuckled. "I sure as hell hope not, Slider."

He heaved a deep breath, the smile slipping off his face. "I don't like  this thing with Davis. He comes again, don't let him in. You aren't even  obligated to answer the door."

"I can do that."

"Good. Because the more I think about it, the more this all feels  wrong," Slider said. "But I promise you, Cora, that I'm going to get to  the bottom of it."





Chapter 20




After lunch at the clubhouse on Sunday afternoon, Slider and his  brothers met up in Dare's office to talk about Davis. The evening  before, Slider had texted everyone what Cora had said about Davis's  visit, and the wrongness of it had been like shrapnel under his skin  ever since.

"I have some news from Marz that's pertinent to this Davis thing," Dare said, sitting behind his desk.

Slider hadn't been around to get to know the Hard Ink guys, but he sure  as hell appreciated their expertise and assistance now. Because thinking  about Davis being inside his house hassling Cora was making him crazy.  Last night, the only thing that made him feel any better was slipping  over to Cora's room to sleep. Bosco had lifted his head long enough to  grunt an acknowledgment, and then gone back to sleep on her floor. Next  to the dog bed. Go figure.

Maverick sighed and dropped into the chair in front of Dare's desk. "Let's hear it."

Dare opened an e-mail on his desktop computer. "I talked to Marz for a  long time yesterday. The guys at Hard Ink are opening a security firm of  their own, and they've gotten some new toys that he was only too happy  to try out on our behalf. He said he'd dig into both of our situations,  and then first thing this morning, he sent me this." He turned the  monitor so that they could all get a better look.