Page 6 of His to Keep
Barevsky’s interest in Eilidh is not news to us. Our intel suggested he was prepared to outbid any offers made for her, but we didn’t know a deal had been struck. Ryan, our inside man, isn’t high enough on the ladder to be trusted with that information.
It wasn’t until I got to the hotel and saw how many of Barevsky’s men were present that I realized something was off. Thankfully, it didn’t take long to find someone drunk enough to reveal what was happening tonight. From that moment on, I kept a close eye on Eilidh, waiting for my opportunity to act.
“Did you leave a mess?” Danny asks.
“Yeah, I knocked Jasmine Henry out and I had to stab Ryan.”
I don’t feel good about doing either of those things. Although Jasmine Henry is a vicious bitch, I gained no pleasure from hurting her. She’s a lot smaller than I am and went down hard when I hit her.
As for Ryan, I had to inflict a convincing wound on him, so Henry doesn’t suspect him of being a traitor. I could have told him to leave with me, but the Irishman is a valuable asset. We need him to stay where he is for now. He’s been feedinginformation to Niamh for two months and it’s thanks to him we knew they were bringing Eilidh here tonight. The advance notice gave me time to get to the Highlands before they did and establish a secure base close to the hotel. As far as Henry’s concerned, I drove up from Glasgow tonight for the honor of meeting him.
“You didn’t kill him, did you?”
“He’ll live, but he’ll hurt for a while. I had to make it look real.”
Danny nods. “Witnesses?”
“No.” Thankfully, the corridor was quiet, but I left Ryan and Jasmine where they fell. They must have been discovered by now. Though there’s no one on the road behind us, it won’t be long before someone’s on our tail.
“Okay, so what’s the plan?” Danny asks.
That’s an excellent question. I need to come up with an answer fast. The house we rented is close by, but there’s nowhere to conceal a car outside the single-story dwelling. The property is surrounded by trees and can’t be seen from the road, but if Henry sends a drone up, the car will be spotted.
“Drop me off at the church.”
Danny meets my eye in the rearview mirror. “What?”
“The church at the bottom of the road by the rental,” I tell him. “Drop me off there. I’ll take Eilidh to the house and you can drive into town to ditch the car.”
“The lass is out cold,” Danny says, as if I needed a reminder. “Are you planning to carry her all the way up that hill?”
There’s a steep incline from the road to the house that will prove challenging. “I guess I’ll have to.”
“Through the forest? In the dark?”
“I’ll manage.” Before I got shot, taking bullets in my leg and chest, I’d have answered with more conviction. Now, I’m less certain about my physical capabilities. Though my doctors declared me fit before I came to Scotland, it’s been more challenging than I expected. I intended to climb over two hundred hills, but I’ve been here for several months now and have only managed eighteen. Every exertion takes more out of me than it would have a year ago. Even carrying Eilidh to the car was harder than it should have been.
“Okay, I’ll ditch the car and lie low in town until morning, just in case. I’ll get in touch with Niamh to plan a route out of here.”
“Sounds good.”
“You’ll be okay until I get back?”
“Yes. The house is secure and nobody’s going to be looking for us so close to the hotel. They’ll assume we’re heading for an airport.”
“Aye, that makes sense.”
I’m glad he thinks so because I have doubts. Given more time, I might have come up with a better plan, but this will have to do. Gathering Eilidh into my arms so she’s straddling my thighs with her head resting on my shoulder, I slide across the seat. I’m ready to jump out of the car as quickly as possible when Danny stops. It’s imperative we get out of sight fast.
“Church is up ahead,” he announces.
A couple of seconds later, Danny slams on the brakes. I’m thrown forward. Instinctively, I shoot out a hand to brace myself on the back of the seat while holding Eilidh securely against my chest.
As soon as the car stops moving, I fling open the door and get out. The moment I slam the door shut, Danny drives off, the car tires kicking up stones from the roadside.
I readjust my grip on Eilidh, lifting her higher so I can position her over my shoulder. Still dead to the world, she doesn’t stir as the cooler night air wafts over her skin. We’re barely ten feet into the woodland before I hear the roar of car engines behind us. I glance over my shoulder as headlights flicker through the trees. They’re gone in a flash as several cars speed by. None stop. I breathe a sigh of relief, but I won’t be happy until I’ve got Eilidh safely indoors.
The forest floor is uneven, and I stumble over tree roots as I make my way up the hill. Twigs snap beneath my feet and a slight breeze rustles the leaves overhead. Bats squeak as they fly through the darkness. If I was easily spooked, I’d be freaked out by the way the trees seem to close in on me. But I’m not afraid of my own shadow.
