Page 83 of Undercover Savior

He finished what was in his glass. “I appreciate the sentiment, Ash, but I’m not worthy of it.” He stood. “I’ll take my leave now. Thank you for the drink.”

“Must you go? You’ll join us for dinner later, yes?”

He shook his head. “I think not.” When he walked out, I wanted to run after him. I still had so many questions, but that was hardly fair to him. I’d avoided conversing with the man most of my life, and now, I only wanted to in order to get information out of him.

22

SULLIVAN

“He meant well,” Fallon said when David left us on our own.

“I’m unaccustomed to being shut down that way. In fact, it’s reminiscent of both my mother and her brother.”

“Clive?”

I nodded. “My dear uncle Clive.”

“The situation with him is problematic.”

I laughed. “Problematic?”

She laughed too. “Apologies. It is far worse than that.”

“I’d say,” I muttered.

“You may not want to hear this, but I agree with Ash about not confronting him. Better to see what he does next. There’s a good chance he’ll lead us to Weber.”

“You’re right.” I looked up at her. “I never liked him. Even before I thought he set me up to be assassinated. Is that what they’d call it?” I lowered my voice an octave. “‘Breaking news this evening. An unidentified female was assassinated outside Edinburgh Castle, where a fundraising gala was taking place.’”

“Probably not. They likely would’ve said ‘fatally shot.’”

“Assassinated sounds far more dignified, though, doesn’t it?” I shook my entire body, much like a wet dog would. “Okay, change of subject. I can’t talk about this anymore.” I folded my arms. “What about you and Con?”

Her nostrils flared, and she made a growly noise in her throat. “The man makes me stark-raving mad.”

“You seem to get on okay.”

She shook her head. “Not at all. In fact, if I wouldn’t be putting Ash out, I’d ask if I could stay here rather than at Blackmoor.”

“I don’t think he’d mind. There’s another cottage. I quite liked it.”

“You really think he’d be okay with it?”

“I don’t see why not. And as far as your safety, it seems to me they’ve employed every available security officer in all of Scotland.”

She rolled her eyes. “I noticed. There are more at Blackmoor. At Glenshadow too.”

“So, every bodyguard in all of the UK.”

“As it seems.”

“David was surprised I noticed them.”

Fallon laughed. “You’re kidding.”

I shook my head, hating that I’d been so standoffish with him. He’d saved my bloody life, and I’d shown my appreciation for it by giving him the cold shoulder. Well, I hadthankedhim. Many times, in fact. Still.

“I wonder if they’re making progress.”