His words and body language played with my head as he said the one thing that all but melted me. aIad never hurt you, Airen. If you believe anything, please believe that.a Moving back a step, I used the wall to support me. Aiden, with his disheveled blond hair, and broody looks made me question my own sanity, because after everything Iad been through, the last thing I ever wanted to do was trust someone again.
People were liars. They cheated you out of the things you worked hard for and left you. Abandoned you when you needed them the most, but yet, there he was, asking me to put my trust in him.
Could it be that easy to forgive and forget? Surely not. I shook my head against his words, saying, aYer asking me to trust you?a The blue of his eyes deepened as he gathered himself to answer. aI am. Do you think you can do that?a aI should tell ye to leave. Thatas what I should do,a I said, turning around to head to my room.
aDo you want me to leave?a he asked, sliding his hand under my elbow.
aYesa noa I donat know,a I said, giving my confusion over to him.
aWell, when you decide, let me know,a he answered back with something close to humor in his voice.
He stayed with me until head walked me across my bedroom and made me sit on the bed.
Watching me intently, his eyes squinted as if trying to get inside my head to sift through my thoughts. I looked away, clasping my hands in my lap and pressing them against my legs, angry that theyad failed me when my life had depended on it.
When I opened my eyes, he was in front of me, arms crossed, waiting. aWhat?a I asked, wondering why he was staring at me.
aDid you run into any trouble while you were away from home?a he asked.
I snorted. Trouble. You could say that since I was robbed by my own roommate, who was supposed to be my friend. aNothing coming home couldnat fix.a Aiden shifted, nodding his head slightly, and then asked, aSo the guy who was just herea he could have been a guy you met at some point?a Unbelievable! aI dinna care very much for the way yer nosing into my past, but I can tell ye, Aiden, that whoever came here and shot at ye was no ex-boyfriend of mine!a I stood, brushing past him, not caring that my elbow accidentally jabbed out, catching him in the arm. Anger fueled me to move, which was better than sitting on my bed, fretting over something I couldnat change.
To think that Aiden wanted to question me about what had happened when the target had clearly been him. Hadnat it? Surely, no one had fired at me. Who the h.e.l.l would want to shoot at me anyway?
My uncleas face flashed in my mind. It wouldnat have been him, but his final words of, aIall be seeing you,a made me fumble for the neck of my robe as my hand caught the dresser to steady myself.
Why had he sought me out before? Fear skittered down my spine. Could he have been keeping tabs on me the whole time? That didnat make sense though. Iad been on my own for some time. If it had been him, why wait until I came home to Scotlanda to Aunt Brendaas?
As unrealistic as it was, I had a hard time shaking the idea that it could have been him. Call it a sixth sense, a warning of some kind, but head been in my head ever since I boarded the train to come home. If it was in fact him, it would be as if Iad called him to me.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Aiden pace across the floor. His back was to me as he muttered and grumbled to himself. With one hand clasped tight against his neck and the other shoved deep into the front pocket of his jeans, he turned, giving me a profiled view of his chest.
The action pulled his shirt tight over the bulge there. I took an involuntary step back, my eyes locked on the spot where I knew the gun was.
aAre you okay?a he asked, dropping his hand from his neck, turning to fully face me. His shirt straightened out, with no telltale sign of what was underneath.
I shook my head no, wondering how in the h.e.l.l Iad managed to get myself tied to not just one gunman, but possibly two. aYouare asking me all these questions, but I have one for you.a His shoulders lifted slightly as his head bobbed in response. aCanat say as I blame youa What is it?a I felt my brows pull together as I hugged my arms around me. Giving him my back, I grabbed a well-worn pair of jeans out of the dresser.
I wanted an honest answer from Aiden, but I had the sinking feeling he wouldnat tell me. Even if I asked nicely. And I wasnat up for arguing with him dressed in nothing more than a robe. Grabbing the rest of my clothes, I turned back to where he stood and said, aIam going to change first.a His eyebrow kicked up as his gaze went from my face all the way down to my feet.
I left the room before he could see the blush that flooded my cheeks. d.a.m.n him.
AS SOON AS AIREN CROSSED the hall and closed the bathroom door behind her, I grabbed my phone and sent a text to Grant.
Robert de Fleur is in Scotland, and I may have just shot him.
Grant would take my cryptic message and run with it, checking around to see if anyone had gone to seek medical attention from a bullet wound.
Slipping the phone back in my pocket, I wandered over to the far wall where a small desk and chair sat, taking a quick peek at the ancient computer sitting there.
My fingers twitched to turn it on, but Airen would be back by the time it booted up. Iad have to try and come back when no one was home to check it out.
The sink turned on in the bathroom, telling me I had one, maybe two, minutes left to snoop around before she returned.
Looking around the room, there wasnat anything that flagged my attention. Nothing that spoke of secrets or deception. If anything, I was the only thing out of place there.
Pulling out the desk chair, I sat down and turned my focus to the wall the desk sat against. A corkboard hung with crisscrossing pieces of ribbon. b.u.t.terfly-shaped pins held old movie ticket stubs in place, and an a.s.sortment of cut-out pictures. One in particular caught my eye, and I couldnat help but smile at the white-gloved mouse posed in front of a castle, waving.
The water cut off, and Airen opened the bathroom door. Shead made it to the bedroom when something heavy pounded on the front door below.
She jumped, hands flying up to her chest, eyes widened as she looked to me as if unsure what to do.
I pushed myself up from the chair, crossed the room, and put my hands on her shoulders. Her body trembled under my touch, but her eyes never left mine.
aItas probably the cops,a I told her, squeezing my hands slightly as if that would rea.s.sure her.
She nodded, pulling in a deep breath and dropping her hands, shaking them as she pulled herself together. A notch of something like respect or maybe even admiration rose inside of me as I watched her.
Unsure what that even meant to me, or why I had a feeling like that at all, made me take a step back and put much-needed distance between us.
aWhat are we going to tell them?a she asked.
And there it wasa"the glimmer that she, too, was hiding a secret. Unfortunately, I didnat have time to fish it out of her. Not with the possibility that it was in fact a cop downstairs waiting for us to come and open the door. However, it would work to my advantage.
aWe stick as close to the truth as we can. Just, will you do me one favor?a I asked.
Shead already turned toward the door, but she looked back over her shoulder, waiting for me to ask what that favor might be.
aCan we leave out the part about me having a gun?a Her eyes narrowed. I couldnat tell if she was mad, or thinking about my request.
Downstairs, the door rattled in its frame, breaking the tension between us.
Airen stormed out into the hallway, yelling as she jogged down the stairs. aAye, I hear ye, d.a.m.n it! Ye dinna need to bash the door down!a I stayed right on her heels and when she came to a complete stop on the bottom step, I had to wrap my arms around her and lift her up to keep us moving, or I would have crushed her had we fell.
She jerked in response, but she didnat scream. Thankfully. I set her down right away and took a step back to give her s.p.a.ce to straighten her shirt before she moved to the door.
She peered out the window and raised her voice to be heard. aWho are ye then?a I reached into my shirt, ready to pull out my 9MM Beretta and use it if necessary. She saw me and shooed me back with a flick of her fingers.
The voice on the other side of the door answered her as I dropped my hand and took a step closer to see whoever it was on the other side.
aThereas been a report of gunshots fired in your area. By the looks of your car, Iad say they were fired here. May I come in, please?a an American man asked from outside the door.
Grantas voice was well cultured and nonthreatening as he asked for permission to be let inside the house, but that didnat seem to matter to Airen. In fact, it worked in reverse for her.
She looked at me over her shoulder and asked, aWhat should we do?a I stepped around her and put my hand on the door as she hissed from behind me. aWhat if he was the one that came before and shot at ye?a I hated seeing her afraid, but I couldnat blow my cover either. aDonat worry, the man that was here earlier was dressed in rags. The man outside is in a suit. I doubt he would have had time to go home, shower, and change, then come back to pretend to be an American.a It was the worst excuse Iad ever given, and I knew it when her face pulled into a look of complete disbelief. I didnat give her a chance to argue as I turned and opened the door.
Grant stood before me, face blank of all expression. aAre you the homeowner?a he asked.
I put my hand against the doorjamb and pulled the door close to my side. Grant wouldnat be able to see in, and Airen wouldnat get much of a view of us from where she stood.
aNo, Iam just a friend visiting,a I replied, flicking my eyes at Grant to let him know that the woman he heard earlier was behind me.
The door was s.n.a.t.c.hed out of my hand as Airen sidled up next to me in the doorway, forcing me to put my arm around her waist to keep her from stepping outside the house.
She stopped immediately when I did and shifted until her back hugged the spot where my gun was holstered.
Grant looked between the two of us and narrowed his eyes briefly. I knew without a doubt Iad get my a.s.s handed to me when I returned to the church.
Grant cleared his throat and gave Airen his full attention. aAre you the homeowner, maaam?a Airen chuckled at that and nudged me with her shoulder, making me take a step back into the house. aIam not. If itas the homeowner yer wanting to talk to you, youall need to come back when she gets home.a Grant didnat miss a beat as he smiled, pulling a notebook and pen out from the inside of his suit pocket. aIall be sure to do that. In the meantime, Iad like to ask both of you a few questions.a Airen planted her feet, squared her shoulders and made the word stubborn stand out with a red flag as she harumphed at him. aAnd whatas to make ye think Iad be tellina ye anything? For surely, there should be a constable with ye, and ye no tellina me who ye are and who yer with. I dinna think so, sir. Good day te ye.a She stepped back, giving me no choice but to move or be stepped on as she grabbed the door and tried closing it on Grant.
He was faster. aMy name is Agent Jackson. Iam with Interpol, and Iam looking for a wanted man who may be in the area. Iave been looking for him for a very long time, and it seems I may have a lead on him. Now, if you would, give me just a few minutes to ask some questions, please, and then Iall leave. Itas very important, Missa?a Airen blew out a long breath, indecision clearly oozing out of her. So I put my hand on her shoulder and moved her back, stepping around her. aIall answer your questions. Airen was inside when the gunman showed up on her doorstep. Other than witnessing the damage done to her auntas car, she didnat see anything else.a The pen in Grantas hand clicked as he put the tip of it to the notepad. aI thank you.a aIf you can give me just a minute?a I asked, motioning in Airenas direction.
Grant nodded, turned on his heel, and made his way down the porch steps, heading over to the pa.s.senger side of Brendaas car.
Airen grabbed my arm, her fingers biting deep into my flesh. aWhat the h.e.l.l are ye doing?a I put my hand over hers, noticing how cold her fingers felt. Instead of pulling her hand free, I covered her fingers with mine. aIam going to tell him what happened.a Her eyes widened. aYe canna do that! Heas an American man who just showed up at the door wia no even a constable in sight.a I dropped my hand from hers. aYou say American like itas a disease.a She huffed at me. aThatas no what I mean, and ye ken it. Ye dinna even ask te see his badge. How de ye ken he is who he says he is?a She had me on that, or at least, she thought she did. I hadnat asked because it was Grant that had showed up. If anyone else had, I would have done just that. aIall ask to see his badge before I speak to him. Does that make you feel better?a She shuddered, wrapping her arms around her waist. aNo. I donat like this at all. What if he thinks ye have something to do with this and hauls ye off? What the h.e.l.l am I supposed to do then?a aHeas not going to arrest me. Heas just gathering information. Why donat I go talk to him and you can finish getting ready to go to your momas? When he leaves, Iall get the car cleaned up and drop you off,a I said, watching her as she dragged her bottom lip between her teeth and bit down hard enough to leave a white line along her lip. aItall be fine. I promise.a aWho do ye thinka?a Her voice trembled as she spoke. aDo ye think he might tell ye who heas looking for?a That was pretty much all I needed to see and hear from her to know that she was for sure hiding something. Something big that she was afraid of.
The phone rang, the shrill tone making Airenas hand fly up to her chest and emit a strangled squeak. As she turned to answer the phone, I tried to make my escape.
I stopped short at the front door when I heard Airen ask, aAre ye all right, Mum?a Forgetting Grant outside for a minute, I walked over to where Airen stood, phone clamped in one hand as she listened. Whatever Airenas mother said made her face look pinched. When she noticed me watching her, she turned from me, speaking in broken sentences as if her mother cut her off every time she tried asking a question.
She hung up the phone slowly, taking the extra seconds to school her features before turning around to look at me. aChange of plans. Mum will be around later to see me.a It took everything in me to not pelt her with questions. aOh? Is everything all right?a She jerked her head in a brief nod. aAye, she has some errands to run so she wonat be home this morning.a aOkay. If everythingas all right, Iall just be outside,a I said, leaving her in the kitchen and making my way outside, not wanting to leave Grant waiting for too long.
GRANT WAS CROUCHED DOWN, KNIFE in one hand, baggie in another, gathering evidence as I rounded the car. aIam glad it was you that showed up and not the cops.a Grant turned to briefly look over my shoulder. aI heard the call come in on the scanner and was able to divert the dispatch.a aDid you find a bullet?a I asked, crushing a piece of gla.s.s to powdered dust under my foot.
He kept working as he answered me. aThe bullet came through the window, thatas obvious enough, but I havenat found it yet.a I looked up at the house and saw the curtain twitch. Airen was keeping close tabs on the situation outside.
aNothing much gets past her,a I said, reminding Grant that he was supposed to be a stranger.
Grant caught my meaning and stood, stretching his hand out as if introducing himself. aPlease tell me youare not involved with her.a I squeezed his hand hard. aItas your fault. But no, Iam not involved with her like youare implying. Not to say her aunt hasnat tried already.a Grant snorted, flipping his wallet open as if showing me his badge. aLike that, is it?a I caught myself before I could shrug. aYou might want to look at the corner of the house. He fired from the tree line back there, and it hit right there,a I said, pointing at the splintered wood on the corner of the house and then towards the backyard.
aWalk me through it,a Grant said, moving towards the backyard.
When we got enough distance between us and the house, I told him what happened.
aSo Brenda asked you to pick up Airen and drop her off at her motheras. When you arrived, Robert de Fleur was standing at the front door, but there was no car in the driveway. Youare sure it was him?a Facing the back of the house, I saw where the bullet had hit and ran my hand down over my face. Close. It had been very close. I nodded at Grantas last question; there was no doubt in my mind who it had been. Iad studied every photo we had on him, could pick him out of a crowd, even if he tried disguising himself. There was no mistaking his face, not with the almond-shaped eyes and the pointed slope of his nose. In all the photos we had of him, his hair had been a dark reddish brown, which told me he didnat go through any lengths to hide it. Besides all of that, there was a way he always carried himself. A telling trait that was noticeable from the front or back, because his left shoulder sat lower than his right.
aHe took off as soon as he heard the car, heading for cover back here.a I lifted my hand, gesturing at the thin line of birch trees.
There werenat very many of them between Brendaas backyard and the house behind her, but just enough to give you the feeling you were in the country. aI got out of the car, thinking I might be able to run him down, but heas fast. Faster than a man of his age should be.a Grant snorted at that. aHeas two years younger than me, and a d.a.m.n criminal with good reason to be fast.a I covered my mouth to keep my smile hidden. aYeah, well, I could probably beat you in a foot race too. Anyway, I made it halfway across the yard when he stepped out from where he was hiding, and I saw the gun. That brought me to a quick halt, Iall tell ya.a Grant made a noise of approval as I continued on. aI hauled a.s.s back towards the house and hit the ground about the same time as the corner of the house exploded where my head had been. I came rolling around the porch. When I got by the car, head made it along the trees this way.a I pointed to my left between Brendaas yard and the other neighbor. aAnd Airen yelled at me from the porch. As far as I can tell, he stuck to the tree line all the way up to the front of the driveway, where he fired again at where I was hiding on the driveras side of the car. Why is everything so d.a.m.n backwards here anyway?a I added, not really looking for an answer.
aThat was when I pulled my gun. I didnat want to, but he left me no other option. Airen was an open target on the front porch. I fired two rounds, pretty sure I winged him, heard a police siren, and used that to my advantage by getting us inside before he returned fire.a Grant made note of what I said, stopping only to look at the various spots in the yard that I pointed at. aSince we intercepted the call, Nadiaas been making inquiries at local clinics to see if anyoneas showed up with a bleeding wound.a He saw my eyebrow quirk at the injury description and added, aCanat really ask if someoneas come in with a gunshot wound. It would raise too many red flags.a I nodded in agreement.
aYouare sure it was him?a Grant asked again as we made our way back to the porch.
aPositive. Even with his homeless look, I know it was him. Do you think heas looking for family to help him?a I asked.
Grant slowed his steps, moving his hands as if we spoke of something else. aI doubt theyad help him. From what intelligence weave gathered, the family wants nothing to do with him.a A flicker of relief bloomed within me. I liked Brenda and her niece. It would suck if they were tied to Robert de Fleur in the wrong way.
But there was something wrong, something happening with Airen. I could tell, but I didnat dare speak of it with Grant until I could get to the bottom of it myself. That thought reminded me of the phone call Airen received from her mother before I came outside. I needed to tell Grant about it, because if it was what I thought it was, Airen and her aunt werenat the only two in danger of Robert de Fleuras presence.
aAiren got a phone call from her mom before I came out. Iam not sure what happened, but Airen was supposed to go over to her house, and now her motheras coming over later after she runs some errands.a aSo you think he left Brendaas and showed up at Airenas motheras house?a Grant asked.
aI donat know. I mean, he could have, right? It seems odd that Airenas mother would put off seeing her this morning after being angry with her for not coming to see her when she arrived yesterday,a I answered, realizing it had been less than twenty-four hours since I first met Airen.
Grant sighed, nodding as we came to a stop at the corner of the house, pulling out his knife, and the evidence bag. aIall make note of it and add her momas house to the list of places heas visited or will be visiting.a aWhy is he all of a sudden interested in family? I mean, he has all these contacts around the world, but he chose to come home. It doesnat make any sense,a I said, keeping my voice low enough so if Airen were listening, she wouldnat hear me.
The misshapen bullet landed in the see-through bag with a plop. Grant closed it, stuck it back in his jacket, and said, aMy guess is heas p.i.s.sed off someone he shouldnat have, namely us, but maybe even someone else. Now heas scrambling to find a spot to lay low. Coming home puts his family in danger, but I donat think he cares much either.a Grant shrugged as he squinted across the yard towards the road. aIt makes him a very dangerous man though.a I walked Grant to his car, knowing wead recap everything wead talked about later when I got to the church. aHeall be back. You know he will.a Grant pulled the car keys from his pocket and looked at me over his shoulder before getting behind the wheel. aI know. Which is why youall need to stick close to Airen and Brenda without blowing your cover. Iall work on getting surveillance in place, but you need to stay here tonight.a He was halfway down the driveway when Airen opened the front door and pushed a vintage-looking vacuum cleaner in front of her to the edge of the top porch step.
aWell?a she asked, fumbling with the end of the plug. aWhat did your American have to say?a I lifted the vacuum from the step and nearly dropped it, not expecting it to weigh as much as it did. aMy American?a She smirked. aAye, yer American,a she said, disappearing back inside the house.
I hefted the old vacuum over to the car, grumbling at the mess of gla.s.s fragments that littered the inside, wishing I could pick the car up and shake it all out instead of the hours of cleanup it would take.
aYer all plugged in,a Airen called out as she came down the stairs with another vacuum, one that didnat look like it came out of a Victorian Renaissance catalog. aYou take that side and Iall get this side, aye?a A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER, the car was clean, but it was still missing the pa.s.senger side window. aIs there a body shop close by?a Her head snapped up, looking at me in an odd way. aOh, aye. Thereas a place no far from here.a I couldnat help but laugh at the look on her face. aWhat did you think I meant?a She rolled her eyes. aGrab that and Iall lock up.a Avoiding my question, she turned around and went in the house, leaving me to carry both vacuums back inside.
aThatas all right; Iall get both of them,a I muttered at her back.
I had no idea where to put them, so I left them against the wall in the living room and walked back outside, wishing I was on the hunt for Robert de Fleur instead of on my way to get Brendaas shattered window replaced.
It grated against me that I was being used as a babysitter for Brenda and Airen, but there wasnat anyone else they could depend on.
There was one thought that niggled at the back of my mind though, and that was the fact that Robert de Fleur was set on contacting his family. If he had no idea I was sticking close, I might be able to catch him when he tried contacting them again.
Wouldnat he get the shock of his life when I put my 9MM in his face and threatened to pull the trigger? Sadly, I wouldnat be able to do that either. Iad have to settle on getting him under custody and back to Grant and Nadia.
I slid in behind the wheel as Airen closed the front door and wiggled the handle, double checking that it was firmly closed and locked before she made her way to the car and got in.
Before we could even leave the driveway, the sky turned from bright and clear to a dismal gray as the clouds rolled in, threatening to rain down on us.
Airen leaned forward to look out the windshield and made a huffed sort of noise. aWe better get going before the rain starts.a Cold air with the sharp tang of rain howled through the open window as Airen directed me between squeaks of warning, followed by clutching at everything, including my leg at one point, throughout the entire ride. The half-moon marks shead surely left behind throbbed, but not from pain.
After the second time she fired off a warning, making me swerve and almost taking out the car next to me, I got mad. aSit back and stop freaking out, d.a.m.n it, before you get us in an accident!a Her eyes narrowed when she looked over at me. aIam no the one driving. And yeave taken years off my life with the way yer doing it!a aMe?a I snapped out at her. aYouare the one over there carrying on.a aMake a right at the next street.a She stopped giving me a hard time only to direct me. aYe have no business driving, Aiden. Yer terrible at it!a I clutched the wheel in my hand, making the turn, and felt the need to shove my foot on the accelerator and show her how aterriblea I was at driving. I kept myself from doing it. Barely.
I couldnat let her goad me into forgetting what I should be doing, and that was keeping eyes on everything from the rearview mirror to everything else in front of and beside me.
Thankfully, the garage wasnat too far away. Getting the window fixed would be the next problem. The shop owner wanted to ask a million questions, starting with what had happened to the old window and ending with asking Airen if she needed a ride somewhere as he cut a menacing look my way.
I cut one right back at him, handed over my credit card, wrapped my arm around Airen, and told him to f.u.c.k off with my eyes, while politely asking if there was any place we could rent a car until Brendaas was fixed.
With the receipt in hand for the window, I led Airen out of the parking lot and we set out on foot to a used car dealership.
I WASN"T SURE HOW HE did it, but within an hour, Aiden had keys in hand and we were on our way to The Grounded Bean.
The car, much bigger than Aunt Brendaas, seemed to fit Aiden. It also put a little more s.p.a.ce between us, so that our shoulders didnat b.u.mp the entire drive.
Closing my eyes, I leaned my head back and blew out a long sigh. I could already hear Aunt Brenda when we told her about what had transpired that morning. Not to mention what shead say about the call from Mum. That had been a very weird conversation to say the least.
My stomach knotted, and I swallowed hard against the tightness in my throat. I knew deep down that it had to have been Uncle Robert that had shown up on Aunt Brendaas doorstep, and then at Mumas not long after that.
She hadnat said it, but the tremor in her voice did. When Iad asked her what was wrong, shead claimed she had some errands to run, and that she hoped I wouldnat be too upset if she put off our visit until later. When I pushed her, she seemed to get angry, but she tried keeping her tone neutral as she told me shead be round to Aunt Brendaas later to see me.