Page 17 of His to Keep
“Are you mad?” Danny asks. “She’s the enemy.”
“Not mine.” That is something I will stand firm on. What happened to my family at the hands of her father is unforgivable, but the blame doesn’t sit on Cara’s shoulders. “Jason intends to marry her to legitimize his claim on the Drummond organization. He’s going to take everything her father left herand…” I make a slashing motion across my throat, so they get the message.
“That’s not your problem,” Gio says gently. “You need to worry about your own future.”
Angered, I step back from him. “How can I think about myself when I know something terrible is going to happen to her? She didn’t ask to get caught up in this bullshit, just like I didn’t.”
“Don’t worry about Cara Drummond, kid,” Danny says. “She’ll be taken care of.”
That doesn’t reassure me.Taken care ofcould be either good or bad. “What do you mean?”
“Just what I said. She’ll be taken care of.”
My lips set in a firm line as I shoot him what I hope is a forbidding glare. “I don’t want her hurt.”
“She’ll be fine.” Turning to his phone, Danny dismisses my concern. “I’ll call Niamh now and see what she makes of the plan. If she doesn’t approve it, you’ll be getting on that helicopter even if I have to handcuff you and carry you onboard.”
I glower at his back as he walks off to speak to his boss. Whether Niamh approves the plan or not, I don’t care. If anyone tries to get me on a helicopter against my wishes, they’ll see a side of me I’ve never unleashed before. I’ll make them sorry they were ever born.
CHAPTER 7
Gio
Watching Eilidh browsing through the magazines in the little shop at the railway station makes me smile. Even from a distance, I can see the crease at the bridge of her nose. Her lips are pursed as if she’s pouring every ounce of concentration she can muster into weighing the pros and cons of each publication.
I gave her the prepaid credit card Danny gave me. It only has a couple of hundred pounds loaded onto it, but it’s not as if we’ll have much opportunity to spend it on the train. The advantage of the card is that it can’t be traced back to me. I told Eilidh to spend whatever she wants, but rather than gathering up an armful of magazines, she seems to be agonizing over which to buy.
“Your girl’s resilient.” The admiration in Danny’s voice is clear. “But nobody lives through what she has and comes out unscathed. Right now, she’s running on adrenaline or some shit, but eventually she’ll crash.”
“I know,” I reply tightly. The same thought has occurred to me. So far, Eilidh seems to be taking the change in her circumstances in stride, but I don’t trust her apparent calm. While I don’t doubt she has remarkable inner strength, I fear she’s putting on a show. When she does crash, I’ll be there to help her pick up the pieces.
Danny claps me on the shoulder, a hint of approval I haven’t seen from him before now. “Your train’s about to board. I think it’s safe to leave you.”
He didn’t really need to accompany us at all. The drive to the station was uneventful and since we arrived ten minutes ago, there hasn’t been any sign we’re being watched. We’ve been careful to shield our faces from the security cameras that are everywhere, but it seems like Eilidh’s plan to catch the sleeper train is going to work. She was right that nobody would expect it. We’ve had a report of Barevsky heading to New York with several men, and Henry’s people have been spotted at the main Scottish airports and ferry terminals.
“You’ll be met when you get to London,” Danny says. “Niamh will message you with the details.”
“Thanks.” I offer him my hand and he shakes it. “For everything.”
Danny nods and walks off just as Eilidh emerges from the shop with a couple of fashion magazines.
“He didn’t say goodbye.” She pouts as she watches Danny leaving the station.
“I don’t think he’s the type for long farewells.” I motion to the magazines she has in her hand. “You got everything you want?”
“Yes, I thought it would be fun to see what the cool kids are wearing these days.”
“I’ll buy you a new wardrobe when we get to Italy.”
“I should probably raise some feminist objection, but I have to admit it will be nice to get some new clothes.”
“You’ll need them for your new life.”
“Ah, yes. If I’m going to be a mob wife, I’d better look the part.” Eilidh twists her lips into a sardonic grin. “I’m thinking lots of leopard print and leather.”
“I don’t know which mob wives you’ve met, but the women in my family tend to go for something more sophisticated.”
“Are there a lot of women in your family?” Eilidh asks.
