Page 102 of Lochlan

“He tried to convince me to come home; he even said Granda sent him. I didn't believe him and told him to leave me to enjoy my night.

“Harris began berating Geordie, accusing him of supporting me in my downward spiral. When I told Harris to fuck off, he listed why I was a worthless disappointment and said that if Granda had any sense, he would disown me. I responded that he wanted me cut out of the inheritance.

“As I said earlier, Harris likes to be in control. It angered him that his younger brother, who he despises, wasn't afraid of him.

“He asked Geordie to leave us to talk. Geordie reluctantly left the room. I remember being slumped in a chair, watching my brother pace back and forth, trying to convince me to come with him. After a time, he threw up his hands in disgust, walked back to me, placed both hands on the armrest of my chair, and leaned in.

“I always thought that in a few months, my binge would run its course. That I'd find a way to forgive and move on. That notion was taken away when Harris told me he'd been having an affair with Fiona for months and that she was carrying his child. He assured me he didn't want my whore or her wee bastard.

“The world turned black in that moment. I sank deeper than I ever thought was possible. I cried out that he was lying, that after everything Fiona had done, there was no way she was going to have his child.

“The thought of them in the cathedral, with her saying that she was his... My anger became blind rage. He walked away with a sadistic satisfaction that he'd hurt me.

“Before he walked out the door, he turned, calling me pathetic, and that's why Fiona came to him begging to fuck her every chance he could.

“The pub I was drinking in was in a small village outside of Edinburgh. I'd been dominating the front covers of the press since I called off the wedding. I wanted to avoid another story about me and that's why I was drinking in a new place, instead of my usual haunts.

“Anger propelled me out of the chair to follow Harris through the back door that exited into a deserted parking lot. When I caught up with him, he was about to open his car door. I spun him around and struck him in the face with my fist. He slumped, but I caught him and continued punching him. He didn't fight back. I don't know if he could; me being bigger and stronger.

“I don't know how long I was out there. When Geordie found me, Harris was on the ground while I was kicking his unresponsive body. Geordie pulled me away. Called an ambulance and the police, pushed me into our car, and left. The local police found me later at my flat and took me in and quietly held me in a room until Granda arrived.

“I was lucky that the officer knew who I was. They brought no charges, on the condition I leave the country. Harris spent several weeks in the hospital and had to undergo some reconstructive surgery. I don't know if he remembered it was me or if Granda convinced him to say nothing. My guess is that he doesn't remember, because Harris would never let that go unpunished.

“The official statement he gave was that several men accosted him, and it was too dark in the parking lot to identify them. My granda offered a reward to legitimize the story. Within two weeks I was in the tabloids again. A minor Royal, who I’d never met, had accused me of breaking up her marriage. I left the country shortly after the story appeared.”

I stare at Lochlan, imagining the brutal scene. Fiona said that he could be violent at times, but she would say anything to turn me against him. I'm safe from responding when my cell phone buzzes. I scoop it up and answer.

“I hope the two of you are decent,” Logan says. “We're in Geordie's truck on the way down.”

“We haven't straightened up from last night. The place is a bit of a mess. The candles are still in the living room—”

“Don't worry. The cleaning service will be in today to straighten the studio. I'm glad you had a good time; Lochlan is a lucky man. I'd like to speak to him for a few minutes.”

I hand the phone over to Lochlan. He walks into the adjoining room, joking a bit, and no sign of the disturbing tale he just told me. I know he's going to ask, but I'm not sure how I feel about him after listening to that story.

CHAPTER43

LONG TIME COMING

LOCHLAN

Logan and Geordie are in the drivewaybefore I've hung up the phone. Kenzie grabs her coat and is out the door with Geordie, with only a pensive goodbye wave as they pull onto the road.

Maybe she needs time to process something that still haunts me, or maybe this time I've finally driven her away. I've played it over and over, remembering every nuance of her face, her reaction as I told her the last of my story. It's no use. I can't tell what she thought.

* * *

A bell chimes,interrupting my rambling thoughts. “We'll be landing at Edinburgh Airport shortly, please fasten your seatbelts,” an official voice says over the intercom.

I study the sleeping Fiona and brush the hair out of her eyes. She's fallen asleep on my shoulder again, where she's been most of the flight. “Wake up, Fiona, they're starting their descent.”

The fringe of dark lashes flutters open like an exotic flower to a glint of happiness in her brown eyes. “We're home, Lochlan.” Her hands thrust into the air above her as she stretches like a beautiful cat. “I can't wait.”

The wee portal window catches my attention. We're low enough to see land. I always try to pick out landmarks; it's a way for me to forget this massive plane is about to hit the runway.

“I don't know how you do it. I never could sleep on a plane,” I say.

Her arms snake around my bicep. “It's easy. Start with an uncluttered mind.” She gives me a squeeze. “What should we do first?”

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