Page 38 of One Night in Glasgow
“Yeah, I saw you called earlier,” Kinna admitted. “I was avoiding you. And Beth’s fine. Or she will be, if people like you leave her alone.”
I winced at her honesty. “Look, I know I messed up. But the last time I saw Beth... Jesus, Kinna, she didn’t look good. I think she’d been drinking, and I can’t shake this feeling that something’s seriously wrong. I just need to know she’s safe.”
“It’s best if you stay away from Beth,” Kinna cut me off, her voice sharp. “You’ve caused enough trouble already.”
Her words stung, but I wasn’t about to back down. “I get it. But I genuinely care about her, Kinna. More than I probably should. If she’s in a bad way, I want to help. I never meant for this to happen.”
There was silence on the other end, and for a moment, I thought Kinna had hung up. “Kinna?”
I heard her sigh heavily, a long, drawn-out sound that seemed to carry the weight of Beth’s entire dramatic history. “Sean, I get that you’re concerned. But Beth’s trying to make a fresh start. She’s… she’s taken on a new foundation project, thrown herself into it. She’s in New York, trying to get away from all the drama here. The last thing she needs is you showing up and derailing that. She needs peace, to figure things out on her own, withoutyoucomplicating things further. Can you understand that?”
My adrenaline spiked.New York?It was a concrete location, a place. Not just an abstract worry anymore. Kinna’s tone was still dismissive, a clear warning to stay away, but she’d given me the city. Was it an intentional slip, a test?
“If she’s really trying to start over, that’s…good. I just wanted to apologize, to let her know I’m here if she ever needs me.”
“Yeah, right,” Kinna scoffed, though it lacked some of its earlier venom. “She knows where to findmeif she needs anything. Look, Sean, just leave it. Let her heal.”
The line went dead, leaving me feeling not hopeless, but wired. A jolt of pure adrenaline shot through me. New York. It wasn’t just a place; it was a target. It was a starting point.
My mind, which had been a chaotic mess of guilt and longing, suddenly kicked into a gear I knew well: problem-solving mode. Okay, McCrae, you preach about strategy and taking massive action. Time to practice what you preach.
I didn’t just grab my jacket. I pulled out my phone, my thumbs flying across the screen. I wasn’t just going to hope; I was going to move.
First text, to Danny:
Need to talk. Now. Meet at the usual spot.
Second text, to my long-suffering assistant, Maria:
Maria, I need you to clear my schedule for the next week. All of it. Call it a personal emergency. I’ll owe you one. A big one.
Third, I scrolled through my contacts, past business associates and casual friends, until I found the name I was looking for:Fury Gracen.My cousin, who recently relocated to New York. If anyone understood high-stakes situations andthe crazy things a woman could make you do, it was him. I hit dial.
He answered on the third ring, his voice smooth and confident, with that undercurrent of playful arrogance that was pure Fury.
“Sean. What’s up, cuz? If you need bail money, my price has gone up since your twin’s last stunt in London.”
“It’s not for me,” I said, a small smile touching my lips despite the knot in my stomach. “But I do need your help. Or a favor, at least.”
“For you? Anything. What’s her name?” he asked, cutting straight to the chase.
I let out a breath. “Beth. I met her in Glasgow. It’s… complicated. Now she’s in New York, and I need to find her. I’m flying out tonight.”
“Say no more,” Fury said, his tone shifting from charming swagger to the sharp, focused intensity I knew well. “Family needs help, I’m there. I have people in New York, best in the business. Ghosts. You need eyes on the ground, someone found? Just give me a name.”
“I appreciate it, man. More than you know,” I said. “But I need to do this part myself first. I just… I needed to know I had backup if I hit a wall.”
“You’ve always got it,” Fury said, his voice firm with a loyalty that was absolute. “You go find your girl, Sean. But if you hit that wall, you call me. My people will be ready.”
“Thanks, Fury.”
“Anytime. Go get her.”
I ended the call, a new, more potent resolve settling over me. This wasn’t just a lovesick puppy chase anymore. This was a targeted operation with serious backup. I finally felt like myself again, but with a new, sharper focus.
I finally grabbed my jacket and headed out, the earlier frustration gone, replaced by the thrum of purpose.
Fifteen minutes later, I pushed through the door of The Bar Next Door, the familiar smell of beer and peanuts hitting me as I scouted the room. Ah, there he was, parked on a stool at the end of the bar, cradling a beer.
