Last True Hero (14 page)

Y
ou did
what
?”

The Admiral's voice was deadly calm as he asked me to repeat what I'd just said.

“I turned down Grisham's proposal. I'm not marrying him, Daddy. Grisham and I are friends, that's all.”

I can feel the rigid set of my jaw as I finish, staring steadily at my parents as they glare at me from across the kitchen table.

My dad puts down his fork and wipes his mouth with his napkin. He steeples his fingers above his plate of eggs, meeting my stare with an angry one of his own.

Momma speaks up. “Berkeley. What are you saying? Of course you're going to marry Grisham! He picked out a beautiful ring. His mother and I have already been discussing the event!”

My mother's tone is a little hysterical. I know I'm crushing all her well-planned hopes and dreams. But seriously? Did they never even notice that Grisham and I aren't boyfriend and girlfriend? Have they never noticed that we don't kiss or hold hands? Are they really this freaking blind? Jesus.

The Admiral only stares, chewing his last bite of food so slowly and thoroughly it must be liquefied as it finally slides down his throat. When he speaks, his voice is low and even. Oh, boy. The Admiral is scariest when he's calm, cool, and collected. I brace myself.

“Sweetheart,” he begins. Oh, God. Every time he calls me sweetheart, I live to regret whatever ill-advised decision I've recently made. “Sweetheart, do you really think your mother and I have planned out a promising,
secure
future for you only to let you throw it away? You're not thinking clearly right now. You and Grisham will work this out. He'll be here during the annual children's hospital fund-raiser, the garden party your mother has spent hours organizing. It's only a few weeks away.”

Shit. Shit, shit,
shit.
I completely forgot about the garden party fund-raiser. It's a navy function, officer-level only, and each family pays a donation in order to come and have dinner in our backyard. It's exhausting for my mother to painstakingly plan each year, and I'm always required to attend.

Momma sighs. “I already bought you a dress. I knew you'd forget.”

I nod. “Fine. But what I said about Grisham stands. We're not going to end up together. I wish you two would just accept it.”

A thought formulates in my brain then, twisting and turning itself into an exciting idea. My heartbeat flies away from me as I consider it.

I haven't seen Dare for over a week, since I spent the night with him. We didn't have sex, but lying in his arms while he tasted me and touched me was causing lingering dreams of want. I miss him, but I can't continue this dance with him when he doesn't trust me enough to let me in on more of his life. So I've backed off considerably, and he's let me.

But now, I'm thinking there's a garden party I'd like to invite him to.

Having Dare with me as my date will shock and appall my parents, but what better way to introduce him to them than with a party full of onlookers? They'll have to behave.

I leave them stewing. Hell, what can they do? I've finally asserted my independence, and I'm nearly airborne with the satisfaction of it.
Damn
, why didn't I tell my parents what was up long ago? I'm a freaking adult, for God's sake. This isn't the nineteenth century. I'm not participating in an arranged marriage.

I hightail it to Drake's garage to see Dare. I'm off work today, but I know he isn't. When I arrive, I park in the lot instead of pulling up to the quadruple set of garage doors. The same young guy who pulled my car in for me when I had my oil changed and discovered my favorite new addiction in Dare is standing at the counter. His face breaks into a flirty grin when he sees me, and I restrain myself from rolling my eyes. The guy has never seen Dare and I together, so he can't know that Dare might physically remove that grin from his face if he catches him.

“Hey,” I say politely. “I'm looking for Dare.”

His smile falters a bit, but then he plasters it right back in place. Spunky one, this guy. “Dare? Like, you want him to answer a question about that sweet ride you've got out there?”

I narrow my eyes, walking up to the counter and placing my palms flat on the top of it. His eyes grow big and round, and it's just a smidge fun how intimidating he finds me. Okay, it's super fun.

“Nope. More like…I want him under my hood.”

Now I just feel sorry for the guy as he splutters, choking and pounding his fist on his chest. I look through the glass door behind him and spot Drake. I walk around the counter, ignoring Mr. Flirty, and catch Drake's eye. I point to the door, and he grins, waving me in.

“Thank you,” I say sweetly to the choking artist.

I put my index finger to my lips as I enter the bay, hoping Drake will understand that I don't want him to alert Dare to my presence. He raises his eyebrows but complies with my request, pointing toward a blue VW Jetta where a pair of muscular legs covered in navy coveralls are sticking out from beneath.

I tiptoe over, easygoing in my Chucks, and stand directly next to Dare's legs. I use my toe to nudge one booted foot, and wait. I know he's partial to my legs, so I hope the bare-leg view in my cutoffs is something he'll enjoy.

There's a pause, and then I hear his intake of breath.

“
Goddamn
,” he mutters as he slides out from under the vehicle. He stares up at me, his lips quirked up in his sexy half-grin, his long, nearly black hair splayed out around his head. God, he's beautiful.

“Hey there.” Now it's my turn to take in a quick breath as his rough voice meets my ears. My thighs immediately clench together as I register the hot pulse of electricity that travels between us when we lock eyes.

I kneel next to him just as he sits up on his little scooter, wiping his hands on a rag that's lying beside him. I reach out and rub my thumb lightly over one of his cheeks, erasing a dark smudge.

He turns his head, eyes still locked with mine, and takes my finger into his mouth. When I feel his teeth bite down gently, I reach out a steadying hand to clutch his thick bicep.

He releases my finger, taking my hand in his. “Did you come here to start trouble, honey? Because I haven't seen you in a week.”

I hope my voice doesn't fail me. I shake my head slowly, so lost in this sexy moment with him that it takes me a minute to shake clear of it.

“You know I can always start a little trouble, soldier. But I'm here to talk.”

He stands, pulling me up with him with my hand still clasped tightly in his. He leads me past Drake, who coughs “Get a room” as we pass. I glare at him, and he grins.

Dare leads me through the building and back out to my car. He leans me against the driver's-side door and boxes me in with his arms braced on the shiny black paint on either side of me.

“You've got my attention,” he says casually. “But I don't know how long you have until I have to taste you. Start talking.”

“You're not mad I've made myself scarce this week?” I whisper. “I'm sorry. I miss you, Dare.”

“Times up,” he mutters, before taking my lips. He kisses me hard, pinning me to the side of my car with his hips. I lose my freaking wits, moaning as I feel his hardness pulsing against my belly. Damn. Damn. Damn. What did I come here for? I have no idea, I'm lost in his soft lips and his punishing tongue and, oh
God
, his teeth as he uses them to nip at my bottom lip.

Finally, I gasp, my thoughts swirling hazily around my brain as I brace my hands against his chest and push.

He rears back only a few inches, his green eyes blazing dangerously as he focuses on mine.

“Berkeley.” His voice is husky as he utters my name, and I swear I could fall apart right here on the scalding hot pavement.

“I-came-to-ask-you-to-be-my-date-to-my-mother's-garden-party.” The words tumble out in a rush, because if I don't hurry and get them out I'm going to spend the rest of the day plastered against him, our lips and bodies fused together. Somehow, a week's break has ramped up the attraction between us, made me the fuse to his lit match, ready to ignite as soon as we touch.

His eyes widen, and then he chuckles. “Somehow, I doubt that your parents will be thrilled about that. What's going on?”

“I'm sick of them.” I sigh. “I'm a damn adult, I can make my own decisions. And one decision that I really want to make, Dare, is you. Will you come?”

He contemplates, absently raising a hand to brush the hair out of my eyes, and then leaning forward to brush his lips against mine. He does this as if it's second nature, as if it's not even a conscious effort on his part.

“If you don't go, my parents are going to spend the entire night pushing me onto Grisham,” I warn him. Somehow, I have a feeling that will light a fire under his ass.

His eyes narrow as he presses himself firmly against me once more, taking my face into his hands. “Not happening. I'll be there.”

Those are his words before we are lost in another round of the hottest kissing I've ever experienced. Only with Dare. Only with my soldier.

“Do you have a tux?” I ask against his lips.

He groans. “Of course not. I guess I better have one by…”

“Three Fridays from now,” I offer.

He sighs heavily. “Three Fridays from now. I'll be there, Berkeley. Promise.”

I smile, reaching behind me to open my car door. As I climb up, I feel his helpful hands on my waist, squeezing me firmly as he lifts me into my seat.

I look out at him and smile.

“That's weeks away, Berkeley. Are you going to make me wait until then to see you again?”

I shake my head. “Can't. A week was long enough. Come have dinner at the restaurant tomorrow. We can hang out after.”

He nods, closing my door. Just before it shuts, he says, “I'll see you then, beautiful.”

Breathless. Dare's words, his hands, his lips, his
presence.
It all leaves me feeling breathless. It makes me wonder how long a girl can go without taking in air.

T
his is different, Dare.” Chase's voice carries over the roar of the waves as they crash into the sand where our legs are stretched out in front of us.

I have the day following my encounter with Berkeley off at the garage. Chase and I decided to spend it surfing. Our surfboards sit beside us in the damp sand. Chase never travels anywhere without his, and I'd purchased a new one as soon as I'd arrived in Lone Sands.

“Oh, yeah?” I pull my legs in until I can rest my forearms on my knees, my bare feet digging into the sand. “Oh, good! I must be completely wrong about the fact that you made a bad bet and lost money that you never had to begin with. Again. Thanks for setting me straight, bro.”

Chase throws his head back and groans. “I did
not
miss your dry-ass sense of humor. At all.”

I stare at him, waiting.

“I mean it. I didn't just make a bad bet, Dare. I hadn't been gambling for a while. I got my shit straight. And then I met this girl.”

Now it's my turn to groan. I want to take both sides of my hair and just pull.

“A girl.” I shake my head, sending droplets of water flying in all directions from my saturated hair. I'm thinking the worst.

“Yeah, a girl. I met her when I was playing a sanctioned poker game. I was trying to go legit. You know, playing the circuit whenever I could. Poker's the only thing I'm good at, Dare. I'd just finished my game, and…there she was. This beautiful redhead. She smiled at me, and I was done. Then I bought her a drink, and talked to her. She was bright and open and full of this light that I've never seen before.

“The way I've seen you look at Berkeley? I know I must have had that dopey-ass grin on my face the night I met Shay. We talked all night, until the place was closing. And then…then her boyfriend showed up.”

My groan was lost in the waves, but Chase didn't miss the way my eyes screwed up and my fist went to my mouth. The word
idiot
came to mind, but I restrained myself.

“He grabbed her, Dare. Hard. Jerked her up by the arm, and I was out of my seat. I got in his face, told him to let her go and stop talking to her the way he was. Then she looked at me…she looked at me, and the look in her eyes told me that she was leaving with him, and that if I didn't stop what I was doing it was going to be so much worse for her. And then they left.

“I asked around about her after that. All I had was her name, but it didn't take too long before I got her story. Her boyfriend is a major dealer and loan shark back in Florida. He uses her like he owns her, and roughs her up all the time. He has her doing dirty work for him most dudes wouldn't do, Dare. She's also not the only chick he stakes claim on. So I made it a point to get in on one of his games.”

I'm shaking my head, staring at Chase like he'd just descended from the sky on the end of a rainbow. I've never heard him talk this way. He's usually only out for himself, and trying to see how far he can stretch whatever little bit of luck he's run into. The way he's talking about this girl is totally new and unrecognizable to me. I think my mouth is hanging open, but I'm too worried about what his next words might be to push it back into place.

“I bought a place at the table and showed up early. I had my eye out, but I didn't see her until about halfway through the game. She came in the door, and I thought her eyes were going to pop out of her head when she saw me. I folded immediately, and met her in a back hall where we could talk.

“I asked her about her boyfriend. His name is Chavez, and he treats her like shit. He holds an old bet of her brother's over her head, threatening every time she wants to walk out on him to make good on collecting. She's stuck, and she's miserable. She deserves better.

“So then…you're not gonna like this part, Dare.”

I sigh. I don't like anything about this story, so I can only imagine that the next part is going to spin my head around in circles.

“I started seeing her. Behind Chavez's back. We would just, you know, chill. Eat lunch or dinner. Watch movies. We just spent time together. And every time I saw her…I fell harder for her. So I came up with a plan.”

I bury my head on my arms then. Never,
never
has Chase come up with a plan that ended well. His plans were often the reason why I ever got into trouble growing up. He comes up with these ideas that he thinks are foolproof, and then they end up coming around to bite him in the ass.

“I know that this guy, Chavez, loves money more than he loves Shay. So I made a bet. I told him that I'd win in the poker tournament that was running through town at the time. And when I won, I'd turn the money over to him. In exchange for Shay.”

I suck in a breath. As I level my gaze at Chase, disbelief runs rampant through my head. “You bet
her
? Shit, Chase, I thought you said you cared about this girl.”

He nods firmly. “I do. That's why I had to get her freedom. She's like a prisoner with Chavez. I had to do something.”

“Well, obviously, things didn't go like you planned. You didn't win?”

Chase shook his head, anger coloring his face. “Fucking Chavez rigged the game.” He spoke animatedly, using his hands to demonstrate his agitation.

“He rigged the game?”

“Yeah. He rigged it. So I lost everything, including Shay. And now, I know he's hurting her. I owe him the money, but of course I don't have it all. That's why I came to you. It's not just another dumb-ass scheme I was trying to work. Shay's life depends on this. If I can get enough money together, I want to try again. To free her.”

I blew out a breath I didn't know I was holding and shook my head slowly. “Damn.”

He finally tore his dark eyes away from mine and stared out at the ocean. “Yeah. Damn.”

We let a few minutes of silence slide by, just watching the waves, the horizon beyond, the clouds shifting lazily in the too blue sky. I close my eyes and try to imagine what I'd do if Berkeley were the one in trouble. If she were being controlled by someone, unable to escape her situation. The thought sends anger burning through my blood, causing my skin to become fiery and slick with a sheen of sweat. I would never let anyone hurt her. By nature, for whatever reason, all I want is to protect her. For her to be safe and happy. It's funny to think about. I've never needed to protect anyone but myself, and Chase when he needed it. My brothers in my Ranger Battalion didn't need protecting. We all just watched one another's backs. Somehow, Berkeley broke into my bubble of independence and singularity. If what Chase feels for Shay is even a fraction of that, I understand his sentiments fully.

“Stay here while we figure it out,” I hear myself saying. Drake might murder me, but this Chase, this protective, focused Chase, isn't the Chase I grew to know. He's different, and his reason for needing my help is legitimate. I won't turn my back on him.

He nods, visibly relieved.

“We gotta be able to outsmart a thug like Chavez, right?” I give him a half smile. “We need to get out of here. I need to get cleaned up so I can meet Berkeley later.”

We pick up our boards and set off for the little bungalow just behind the beach.

I enter See Food and earn a giant smile from my new friend Lenny. She's evidently a big encourager of Berkeley and me, and I'll take all the cheerleaders I can get. Judging by the look on Berkeley's mother's face the day I dropped her off and from what I hear of her father “the Admiral,” I'm not sneaking in under the radar where they're concerned.

“How ya doin', Dare?” she asks kindly.

“Not too bad, Lenny,” I say, returning her smile. “Is our girl almost ready to clock out?”

Berkeley comes around the corner from the kitchen then, busily untying the apron strings around her waist. When her eyes collide with mine, her face breaks into a gorgeous smile that sends my heart flipping around in somersaults.

Fucking
dimples.

“All done, Lenny!” she calls brightly as she makes her way toward me. I restrain myself, stopping just inside the entry to the restaurant and opening my arms. If I had let myself, I would have run to her and scooped her up. I still have some semblance of my self-respect, even though more time with Berkeley is likely to send it crumbling to pieces.

“What are we doing tonight?” She breathes as she folds perfectly into my arms.

Sliding her arms around my waist and looking up at me with those big brown eyes, she's causing my thoughts to muddle, making me forget exactly what I have planned for tonight. I shake my head slightly.

I slide my arm down until it's around her shoulders as I guide her to the door, holding it open while I push her through gently.

“Did you remember to pack a change of clothes?” I ask her as I open the passenger door on my truck.

She hops up with my assistance, then grins down at me from her perch on the seat. She nods excitedly. “Yeah. What are you up to, Dare?”

I reach up and brush a thumb across the little wrinkle in her forehead. “We're going camping.”

I shut her door and let that sink in as I walk around to my side of the truck and climb in. After I've started the ignition and back out of the parking spot, I turn to her as I pull out onto the road.

“Camping?” Her mouth forms the word as if it's foreign to her.

“You've never been?”

“Of course I have,” she says, smiling. “I just…didn't expect it. Just you and me?”

I nod. “You can call Mea if you want.”

She shakes her head, her smile lighting up the truck in a way the lights on the dash never do. “Just us is good.”

She shoots me a bemused glance as I pull into the driveway at Drake's.

“We're camping in your bedroom?” she asks, her eyes glittering.

“No, smart-ass. We're camping on the beach.”

Her eyes widen, and I smirk as she nods. She's surprised, and the sparkle in her eyes lets me know it's a pleasant one.

We bypass the inside of the house and weave around the side yard and into the back. We follow the walkway down to the sand, and Berkeley's gasp is all I need to feel alive and fierce, like I'm the man she needs in her life. The feeling leaves me almost drunk with joy.

“You gotta stop surprising me like this, Dare,” she murmurs as her eyes reflect the flickering light from the torches. “I'm going to end up spoiled.”

I roll my eyes. “Have to keep treating you to the life you're accustomed to, Berkeley.”

The private beach behind Drake's is set up with a small tent. I had the camping gear already. Sleeping outside is second nature to me, although I've never done it on a beach. I know that Berkeley feels smothered by her parents, and I wanted to give her a sense of sleeping outside, with not only the great big sky above her, but also the big, wide ocean stretching out beside her.

I reach out for her and wrap her in my arms. She leans back against my chest, staring at the tent and the pile of wood I'd set up just in front of it.

“This is amazing,” she whispers. “Thank you.”

I nod, nuzzling my lips into her neck. She smells so sweet, I'm tempted to nibble on her warm skin as an appetizer. But I'll wait. The night is young.

“You sit on the blanket,” I say, nudging her back toward the plaid spread I've set beside the little fire pit. “No beer tonight. You can open that bottle of wine and pour us some glasses, and I've got some cheese and French bread in that basket over there.”

She gets busy on the task while I light the fire. The night is warm, but a cool breeze has kicked up down here by the ocean, and I want every excuse to be able to keep her wrapped up in my arms.

“So,” she says, when we're settled and staring at the fire. “Did your parents take you camping a lot when you were a kid, or is this solely a product of the U.S. Army's training?”

The question is completely innocent and natural, but my body tenses at the mention of my parents. I've never shared my story with a female, I can't even think of a time that someone has asked about my family. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“Dare?” Berkeley tilts her head back to look up at me from where she's situated against my chest. “What's wrong?”

I shake my head, glancing down at her. “Uh, nothing. No, my parents didn't take me camping. They probably would have, if they'd gotten the chance. My parents died in a car accident when I was seven.”

Her bottom lip disappears instantly into her mouth, and the crease in her forehead deepens. “Oh, Dare. I'm so sorry.”

I bend down and kiss the top of her head. “I should have told you the night you met Chase. It's just not an easy subject to talk about.”

“Who raised you and Chase?” she asks tentatively. “Grandparents?”

I bark out a laugh, harsher than I intended. I can't remember how many times in my screwed-up childhood I'd wished for grandparents to swoop in out of nowhere and take me away from this foster family or that one. I've heard there are some great foster homes out there, but I was never lucky enough to be placed in one. I saw way too much violence and heartbreak at way too early an age, and it forced me to build walls around myself for my own protection. It made me strong, but it also crippled me emotionally.

“No. Actually…Berkeley, Chase isn't my blood brother. He's my foster brother. We met in the same for-shit home when we were eleven, and he's been like blood ever since.” I glance at her out of the corner of my eye, gauging her reaction. If there's pity in her eyes, I'd rather not face it head-on.

“You don't have to talk about it, Dare. Not if you don't want to.”

God, I don't want to. I grab her offer like a life raft and change the subject.

“Your parents are the ones who took you camping?”