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Chapter 24

Charlie rolled the print up and put it her bag. She changed into a black turtleneck sweater and pulled her long hair back in a ponytail. Kian had stopped by earlier, trying to get her to change her mind about dinner, but she convinced him she wasn't feeling well.

"I need you to stay here," she said to William at the door. He narrowed his eyes and started to bark loudly. "Shh. You can't come."

He continued to bark. She looked down the hallway, expecting to see someone coming due to the commotion the dog was creating. "Fine," she said. "But you'll stay in the car."

William stopped instantly, following her out. She locked the door and quietly walked down the hallways until she found the door leading outside. Mist hung low in the sky. What was left of the sun was shrouded in the white fog, obscuring all visibility. It felt like she had stepped into a dream, where everything appeared disoriented. She located the car from memory, pressing the button on the key fob to unlock it. The red brake lights flashed, giving her a reference point. She opened the driver's side door and William jumped in the back as she set the bag at his feet.

"You'll never get where you're going in this mess," a voice called from somewhere in the thick haze.

She froze, recognizing the voice instantly. A murky figure came into view. "I, um—"

"Don't worry," Phinneas said. "I won't tell anyone. In fact, I'm leaving myself and would rather no one know." He had the type of looks that might be described as dashing—well defined bone structure, full lips and keen eyes, not unlike Michael. He could be either an angel or a demon hiding in the clouds.

"I'm not leaving—"

"Have you ever driven here? In Scotland?" he asked, interrupting her again.

"No."

"Well, I wouldn't start now. Most accidents in Britain are caused by foreigners driving on the wrong side by mistake. Add the fog, and it's a disaster in the making."

She knew he was right, but he was holding her up. "Either way, I'll take my chances."

"Where are you going if I may ask?" He stepped closer, coming into full view.

"Glasgow." She knew she should lie, but from the looks of the weather, he was right, she wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon.

"That's where I'm headed." He gave her a smile and a dimple appeared on his cheek. "I would offer you a ride, but I'm sure Sin has warned you to stay away from me."

She didn't say anything, trying to decide what to do. This would be her only opportunity to get close to Cumbernauld and it was getting late.

"Ah, I see he has. I don't blame him. The business with Sokolov going wrong. I know he thinks I'm at fault."

"I don't think Sin truly understands how evil he is," she said.

"I know I didn't until that night. He let his thugs beat me to a bloody pulp, then left me for dead."

"Well, you were there to kill him," she said.

"Touché." He raised an eyebrow and laughed. The dimple was back. "Still, I glimpsed a part of him that scared me to my soul. Scared the bloody shite out of me so much, I stayed hidden for days," he said. "I should get going. The offer still stands, I can get you to Glasgow."

Her mind turned to Imogen. She had to help her. If she could get to Glasgow, maybe the fog would let up and she could get a taxi or Uber to Cumbernauld. It was worth the chance.

"Okay," she said, retrieving the bag. William jumped out of the car, growling when he saw Phinneas. "Do you mind if we take him? I'm afraid he won't leave my side."

"No, as long as he stays in the back." Phin took her bag from her and led her to his car, holding the door open as she got in. He shut it and got in himself, sitting down behind the wheel.

"How long before they know I'm gone?" she asked.

"Not long," he said, pulling out and heading down the curvy road. The fog was so thick, Charlie couldn't even see the gate when they approached it. "Duck down," Phin said. "That way, they won't see you in any camera footage. Worst case scenario, they'll think you're hiding on the premises."

She bent over, coming back up when they were long past the gates. Step one was done, now all she needed to do was get to Glasgow and hire a taxi.

They made idle chit chat for the first hour, but the driving conditions became more treacherous and she was quite frankly afraid to distract him. She could no longer see past the hood of the car. It wasn't until they reached Stirling that things began to improve. "How much longer?" she asked. It was going on ten and if Alex was right about the time, she would miss the drop off. The fog had slowed them down.

"Not much farther. We're just turning off on the M80. If the weather holds, it will be about an hour."

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