Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 94512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Liza called out her brother’s name, the distraught look on her face pushing all sorts of emotional buttons Dare hadn’t known he possessed.
Brian turned her way, his glassy gaze focusing on his sister. “Liza Lou! What are you doing here?” he slurred.
“I think you’ve been at this long enough. Let’s go get a soda or something.”
“It’s still my turn,” Brian said, winding his arm and tossing the ball at the target that would release Sam into the tank. Brian’s pitch missed by a mile. They’d be lucky if he didn’t hit someone with his wild throws.
Dare was torn between stepping in and possibly embarrassing Liza with his presence and letting things play out. A glance at the booth told him Sam sat in a relaxed pose, arms folded across his chest, obviously unconcerned about a possible dunking since McKnight’s aim was way off.
And unlike when the high school kids tossed balls at him, Sam didn’t yell back any taunts or reply to the smart-ass remarks with good humor. He knew better than to engage a drunk.
“Brian, please,” Liza said once more.
Dare saw the pointing and heard the murmurs of people around him. They were talking about the McKnights and the scene they were making.
Brian wasn’t listening to his sister, his sole focus on Sam. “I wouldn’t look so cocky if I were you,” the drunk man called to Sam. “You’re going down, Officer Asshole!”
Liza visibly winced at his language, knowing as Dare did that they were surrounded by kids and their parents, some of whom started to drag their children away. Others chose to stay and watch the spectacle.
Someone had to take control. “McKnight!” Dare stepped forward. “Why don’t you move it along and give one of the kids a chance?”
Hearing his voice, Liza turned and met his gaze. Where he’d been hoping she’d be happy to see him, now pure mortification settled over her pretty features, and her cheeks burned a bright shade of red.
“Brian, let’s go!” she said, her jaw clenched in anger.
“Listen to your sister,” Dare suggested.
Brian shook his head. “I paid for this last ball, and I’m going to take my shot.” He stumbled but righted himself before he fell.
Dare needed to get that ball away from McKnight before his next throw hurt someone badly. “Hand it over,” Dare ordered, using the tone he would use for “Drop your weapon.”
“No damned cop’s going to tell me I don’t have the right to get what I paid for,” Brian spat. Brian wound his arm, ready to pitch.
Dare bolted forward, intending to grab him, but Liza was closer. She reached for Brian at the same time her brother pitched his arm forward, his fist and the ball cracking against her head with a solid thud.
The sound echoed in Dare’s ear as she fell to the ground. He immediately dropped to his knees at Liza’s prone body.
Another cop grabbed Brian, who seemed unaware that he’d clocked his sister.
“Okay, everyone, show’s over,” Cara said.
Dare wasn’t aware of anything around him except the injured woman on the ground. Heart in his throat, he bent his head close to hers. “Liza?”
She didn’t respond.
“Baby, you with me?” He stroked his hand down her cheek, unable to believe the fear that had settled deep in his gut.
Memories of another time Brian had taken someone out with his fist came flying at him, the image of Stuart Rossman hitting the ground, the sound of his head cracking against the floor reverberating in his head.
“Let me through.” The guy Dare had seen Liza with earlier stepped forward.
“She needs space,” Cara said, immediately blocking the man from getting near Liza.
“She came here with me,” the man said.
“But I’m taking over from here.” Dare spoke low, his tone dark even to his own ears.
“Jeff, let’s go. You can check on her later,” a redhead said to him.
“But—”
“No buts,” Cara said in cop mode.
Dare owed her one.
“We’re leaving,” the other woman with Jeff promised.
Liza’s sudden moan of pain caught Dare’s attention. She was conscious. “Liza?” Dare asked.
He glanced at her pale face as her eyes opened. “Brian. I need to get to Brian.”
“He’s being taken care of,” Dare said, keeping his voice level and calm. If he expressed even half of the anger he was feeling toward her sibling, she wouldn’t want anything to do with him. And right now, he desperately wanted to be with her and make sure she was okay.
“I need to see him.” Liza lifted her head but winced and stopped the sudden movement.
Dare settled cross-legged beside her and gently moved her head into his lap. “The paramedics are on their way,” he assured her, hoping he was right.
“So is Alexa,” Cara said. “She okay?” Cara gestured to Liza.
“I think so,” Dare said. But he wasn’t. He was grateful Liza couldn’t stand because Dare would lay odds his own legs wouldn’t be steady just yet.