Page 43 of Edinburgh Escape
Maggie stepped back, giving the men room.
When Callum released his hold, Ewan spun his cousin around. “Never hit one of my people, ever again.”
Rory’s shoulders sagged, and he shook his head. “They’ll kill me.”
“That’s your problem,” Ewan said.
“Yeah, but now it’s yours as well,” Rory said.
“Then you better start talking,” Ewan said.
“Who are these people?” Maggie asked.
“I don’t know.” Rory pushed a hand through his hair. “When I ran out of money at the casino in Edinburgh, a man loaned me more and said that when I made it back, I could make good on my loan. I was playing craps and was winning...until I wasn’t. I lost everything and the money the man had loaned me. I didn’t see the man who’d loaned me the money as I left the casino, but I had a personal visit from some of his collectors. They came to my flat and threatened to remove parts of my body if I didn’t pay my debt. When I said I had no way of coming up with that much money immediately, they told me to get it from my family.” Rory met Ewan’s gaze. “They specifically mentioned you. They knew your father had recently passed and that you had inherited his estate.”
“They expect me to pay your debt?” Ewan snorted. “Bloody hell.”
“Did you notify the police?” Maggie asked.
“They said it would do me no good to go to the police,” Rory said. “They have members of their organization embedded with the police.”
“You don’t have the name of the organization?” Callum asked.
“No,” Rory said. “Although the man who loaned me the money had a slight Russian accent, and their collectors spoke to each other in what sounded like Russian.”
“Brilliant,” Ewan said. “You have our family at the mercy of the Russian mob?”
“I think so.” Rory shook his head. “The only way to get them to leave all of us alone is to pay them.”
Ewan shook his head. “And what happens when you take money from gangsters again to gamble it away. You’ve placed our family at risk through your actions. I don’t trust that you won’t do it again. For now, you have to leave.”
“But I need that money, or they’ll kill me and come after you.”
“Then you had better leave the country and get as far away as you can,” Ewan said. “I don’t want you anywhere near me or my family.”
“But—” Rory started.
“Enough,” Ewan said. “You’re not staying here.”
“What about the money?”
“You’re not getting any from me or anyone else in this family.” Ewan turned the man toward the door. “Leave on your own, or I’ll throw you out myself.”
Rory squared his shoulders. “I’m leaving. But mark my words, even if they kill me, none of you will be safe until they have their money.”
“We’ll handle it,” Ewan said. “And before you go, apologize to Fiona and Gregory.”
Rory drew in a breath and said, “Fiona, please, accept my apologies.”
Fiona nodded. “Apology accepted.”
Rory turned to Gregory.
Gregory stood as straight as he had when he’d welcomed Maggie to Drummond Manor, his face a solid mask.
“Gregory, I’m sorry I hit you.”
The butler gave Rory a hint of a nod, turned on his heel and led the man out of the dining room to the front entrance.
