Page 74 of Savage Redemption

“No. I need to speak to him.”

“That’s not possible today. Are you sure I can’t?—?”

“I need to go to the mainland,” I blurt. “Now.”

His brow furrows. “May I ask why, miss?”

I think fast. “Shopping. I need to buy a present for… for Eva. It’s her birthday next week.” At least that much is true. “I need to go to Glasgow.”

“Why the urgency?” he persists. “If it’s not until next week?”

“I ordered a pair of earrings. They’ll only hold them until today.” Such a slick liar. Where did I get this talent from?

Tony’s eyes narrow. Maybe I’m not such an accomplished liar after all. He clearly doesn’t believe me.

“Look, if you like, I can take a guard with me. Do you have anyone to spare?”

“No, I’m afraid not. Ethan took most of the men with him.”

That’s exactly what I was hoping for. I summon up my finest disappointed expression. “Please, surely, I can just nip over. I won’t be long, and I’m not a prisoner here. Am I?”

“No, you’re not. But I’m responsible for your safety.”

“Just there and straight back,” I plead.

There’s a pause, then, “Okay. As it happens, Magda will be flying over on the school run in an hour. She can drop you off, you do your shopping and be ready for her to pick you up half an hour later. Will that do?”

“Yes! That’s brilliant. An hour, you said?”

“An hour. Be out on the forecourt ready to go.”

I thank him and dart from the room. I have stuff to do, and only one hour to do it in.

CHAPTER 20

Ethan

The only soundis the drone of the rotor as we skim over the choppy surface of the North Atlantic. There’s a storm heading our way, and Magda is flying low to avoid most of the turbulence. Hopefully we’ll be back on Caraksay before it hits.

As if she hears my thoughts… “ETA twenty minutes.”

“Good.” On a clearer day the island would be visible by now, but not today. Today, Caraksay is shrouded in grey mist. It’s already starting to rain and will only get worse, but I know better than to ask her to hurry. The best pilot I know, Magda makes all the calls when it comes to flying.

We touch down right on schedule, the chopper buffeted by winds which must be close to eighty miles an hour. The rain is horizontal and bitterly cold. I leap down onto the tarmac, pull my collar up around my ears, and sprint for the castle entrance. Jack, Nico, and Rome are hard on my heels, and we all burst into the hall together.

“Christ, what shit weather,” Rome mutters unnecessarily, making a beeline for the fireplace where a roaring blaze has been lit.

The rest of us dump our soaked outer garments and join him to warm our hands. I offer up silent thanks for Mrs McRae whose work this surely is, but the flames remind me of the odious Mr Burnside who I gather has been badgering Tony to arrange a meeting. I suppose I’ll have to phone him, but tomorrow will do. Right now, all I want is to find my wife and?—

“Savage. I need a word with you.” The angry tone rings across my great hall.

I turn. Slowly. “Mr Darke. How nice.”

He marches across the hall to plant himself right in front of me. “She’s gone,” he announces. “And I blame you.”

“Do you want me to…?” Jack raises his eyebrows and nods in the direction of the irate Nathan Darke.

“Yes, probably. Just a moment, though.” I regard the man briefly and decide to hear what he has to say. “What seems to be the problem, Nathan?”

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