Embrace the Highland Warrior

by Anita Clenney

  Cody grabbed the phone and put it on speaker.

  “Help…” the voice was scratchy, hard to understand.

  Shay’s hands trembled as she reached for the phone. “Renee?”

  “Help me…” There was panting, as if she was running. “Help me. He’s…”

  Shay turned to Cody, her eyes wide with fear. “Renee, where are you?”

  Everyone crowded in, listening, as heavy, rasping breaths filled the hallway. “He’s coming. Oh God. Forgive me… the letters. I was wrong. I hid the… No!” she shrieked. “No!”

  Shay’s fingers dug into Cody’s arm as they listened to the screams and sickening thuds. There was a loud noise, as if she dropped the phone, and then silence. After a few seconds, they heard even breathing, not Renee’s panting.

  Tears trickled down Shay’s face. “Who are you?” she screamed, but the call disconnected.

  Cody looked at the screen. “Try calling her back,” he said, handing the phone to Shay. He pulled out his own cell phone.

  Shay swiped her eyes and redialed. “It’s busy,” she said, staring at the phone as if it were a bloody knife.

  Cody punched in a number. “Sam, can you get a location on a cell phone? Shay’s friend is in trouble. I’ll owe you another one.”

  “I don’t know what Shay’s messed up in, but there’s no end to this mess,” Sam said. “There’s been another murder, someone Shay knew.”

  Cody moved a few feet away so he could hear the details. He listened grimly. “The police in Scotland found another body,” he told the others after he hung up.

  Shay wobbled like she might collapse. Cody took a step closer, but Jamie was already there. Bree stood on her other side, holding Shay’s hand.

  “One of my clients?” Shay asked.

  “No,” Cody said. “A guy named Nick Deet.”

  “Nick? From the pub?” Jamie asked, still touching Shay’s arm.

  “You knew him?” Cody asked, not bothering to hide the suspicion in his voice.

  “We stopped there in the evenings sometimes,” Jamie said.

  “How was he killed?” Shay asked.

  “Stabbed,” Cody said.

  “Any suspects?” Marcas asked.

  Cody nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Who?”

  “Shay.”

  ***

  “Me? They think I killed Nick?” Shay asked.

  “Your number was the last one he called,” Cody said, staring at Jamie’s hand on her arm. Cody had just told him Shay was his mate, and he still couldn’t keep his hands off her.

  “He called me? We weren’t even friends. We chatted in the pub, but that was it,” Shay said.

  “Sam wanted to give us a heads up,” Cody said. “The police in Scotland want to question you.”

  “There must have been more than just the one phone call,” Marcas said.

  “Try twenty-five over the past month,” Cody said.

  Shay’s eyebrows rose. “Nick called my house twenty-five times? He must have been the person who kept calling and hanging up. The number was blocked.”

  “Could he be the one who broke into Shay’s shop?” Lachlan asked.

  Faelan shook his head. “I doubt it. When I was in Scotland keeping an eye on Shay, the bartender at the pub said Nick had missed work the day before without calling, so he was probably already dead when the intruder broke into Shay’s shop.”

  “Maybe the intruder killed Nick,” Shay said, “but why?”

  “No idea, but we’ll need to leave as soon as possible. You’ll have to go to Scotland and talk to the police,” Cody said. “Marcas, see how fast the jet can get here. You, Lach, and Jamie can stay here and look for Renee. You know the area, and you know Renee.” He suspected Renee was past help. “The rest of you can escort us to Scotland.”

  Jamie shook his head. “I go with Shay. She still needs to be protected.”

  “I can’t leave Renee,” Shay argued.

  “You have to.” Cody’s voice was soft, but firm.

  “You can’t stay. It’s too dangerous here,” Jamie said.

  Bree looped her arm around Shay’s back. “They’re right, Shay.”

  “Another metal bird,” Faelan groaned.

  Ronan slapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll knock you out, if it’ll help.”

  “Not if you value that pretty face of yours,” Faelan said. “I’ll stay too. I can help look for Renee.”

  Cody rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Jamie and I will take Shay to Scotland. The rest of you stay here. There’ll be plenty of warriors at the castle to protect her.” If Renee was alive, she probably needed all the help she could get.

  ***

  Shay sat in Cody’s kitchen, only half listening to the Scottish police officer on the phone. She kept staring at the tattoo on Cody’s neck, looking for the mark he claimed meant they were destined mates. Mates? What was she supposed to do with that? Nine years she spent hating him, and in a matter of hours she found out that he hadn’t even gotten her letters, and he was her mate. Was that why she never got over him? Why hadn’t he told her? Was he hiding more secrets? Her head was reeling so badly she had to keep asking the officer to repeat his question. She hung up, relieved that she wasn’t a serious suspect, only a person of interest they wanted to see as soon as possible.

  “We need to talk,” Cody said.

  “Not now,” Shay said. She went upstairs, found her suitcase, and numbly gathered her clothes. Was Renee alive? Shay had spent the night snuggled with Cody, warm in bed, while Renee was probably bound and gagged, who knew where. Shay’s cell phone buzzed in her pocket. She grabbed it, staring at the display. Her pulse pounded. “Renee? Are you okay? Where are you?”

  There was silence, punctuated by heavy breathing. Shay’s throat tightened.

  “Renee?” she whispered.

  “Listen, carefully,” the raspy voice said. “Don’t get help. Don’t speak. If you want to see your friend alive, you’ll come to me. Alone.”

  “Where is she?” Shay picked up a notepad and pen by the bed.

  “Luray Caverns. Wait until dark. The door will be open. Come alone. If anyone follows you, she dies.”

  “I don’t know if I can get away,” she said as she scribbled on a pad beside the bed.

  “Then she’ll die.” The phone went dead.

  Chapter 10

  “Anyone seen Ronan?” Faelan appeared, dressed in jeans for once.

  Cody dropped the papers Sam had faxed and rubbed his eyes. “I thought you two were going back to Renee’s shop.” There had to be a clue somewhere to put them on the right trail.

  “Ronan took off earlier,” Lach said, selecting another knife. Some of the others were getting ready to search for Renee. “He said something about you staying here to watch Bree.”

  “Why’s he so bloody worried about my wife?” Faelan looked over Cody’s shoulder. “That’s the dead guy?”

  Cody nodded.

  “He’s just a kid. Damnation. If you need me to go to Scotland, I’ll go,” Faelan said.

  Cody knew how much Faelan hated flying, but there was another reason he wanted Faelan to stay in Virginia, away from the danger following Shay. Faelan didn’t know he was going to be a father, but Cody intended to make sure Faelan was around to raise his child. Maybe he and Bree could go on their honeymoon as soon as Renee was found, and Bree could share her news with him under more pleasant circumstances.

  “Stay here and help look for Renee. There’ll be more than enough warriors in Scotland to protect Shay. No one’s infiltrated the castle since it was built. She’ll be safe there. We’ve kept it hidden for this long.” Or had they? They still didn’t know who built the one in New York.

  “I’ve got a bad feeling about Renee,” Faelan said.

  “Me too.” Cody saw the lid was ajar on the box that held Edward’s talisman. Cody opened the box and frowned. “Did someone take Edward’s talisman?”

  “I saw Shay there earlier,” Lach sai
d.

  She’d have to return the talisman. It was sacred, to be worn only by the warrior it was made for, not to mention it was dangerous.

  “I’m going to try Ronan again,” Faelan said.

  “Is Shay packing?” Lach asked.

  “Aye. And she was going to take a nap before we go.”

  “I still can’t believe she’s your mate and you never even bothered to tell us. Your own brothers,” Lach said.

  Cody couldn’t believe he told the whole bloody lot of them.

  Lach grinned. “Mom will be overjoyed. She loves Shay. And Nina and Matilda—” His grin faded. “You think the two of you could elope?”

  “Who said anything about a wedding? I’ll be lucky if she even speaks to me after this.” Cody gave Lach a warning glance. “Keep your mouth shut. Shay already feels pressured enough.”

  “I’m not the one who keeps blurting out secrets,” Lach said. “We need to check Nina’s house, make sure it’s locked.”

  “I’ll check,” Cody said. He walked through the tunnel, one of the hardest things for him to hide from her. She always loved secret rooms and tunnels, but every time he was tempted to tell her, he remembered that sharing secrets could endanger her life. Cody checked the doors and windows and then noticed Shay’s car was missing. His throat went dry. He ran back through the tunnel and upstairs to Shay’s room. She wasn’t there, or in the bathroom.

  “What’s going on?” Marcas asked from the doorway.

  “Shay’s not here. Her car’s gone.”

  “Jamie’s gone too. Maybe he took her someplace he thought was safer,” Marcas said.

  Someplace away from Cody and his mate mark. The guy was still in love with Shay, whether she was Cody’s mate or not. Were her feelings for Jamie deeper than she realized? She almost married him. “Shay was upset with me. I probably scared her off.”

  “Blurting out that she’s your mate in front of everyone wasn’t the smartest thing you’ve done.”

  “I wasn’t thinking straight. I saw her kissing him,” Cody said, pulling out his phone.

  “What kind of kiss?”

  “A kiss kiss. His lips on hers, hers on his.” Cody punched in Jamie’s number, but he didn’t answer.

  “Maybe it was a sympathetic kiss or a good-bye kiss. Your head’s usually screwed on tighter than anyone else’s. That’s why you were assigned an ancient demon. If you don’t get your head on straight now, Shay’s going to pay the price for your jealousy. You can’t protect her if you’re worried about keeping her away from Jamie.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me he was dating her?”

  “We didn’t find out until just before they broke up, when Shay told Nina. Jamie didn’t want us to know,” Marcas said. “If I’d known about your mate mark, I’d have told you as soon as I found out. You should’ve told us Shay was your mate.”

  “Guess we’ve all been keeping secrets.” Cody shoved the phone in his pocket. “I hope I haven’t ruined my chances with Shay.”

  “She’s upset, but she’ll get over it. Let her make the decision on her own. No mate mark is strong enough to force a woman to marry a man if she doesn’t want to.” Marcas tapped Cody on the head. “Don’t worry. It’ll all work out.”

  What if it didn’t? What if she walked away? Could he live with it? Again.

  While everyone else searched the woods, the barn, and Nina’s house again, Cody checked Shay’s bedroom. Her suitcase lay on the bed, and he could see the top of her cell phone sticking out from underneath it. Why would she leave her cell phone? He picked it up and checked the calls. The most recent one had come from Renee’s phone thirty minutes ago, and lasted twenty-three seconds. If Renee called and asked Shay to meet her, nothing would keep Shay from going. Had she asked Jamie to follow her, instead of Cody? He couldn’t see her leaving without a note. She might be upset with him, but she wouldn’t worry everyone else. He picked up the notepad by the bed. Nothing. He remembered her tendency to scribble while she talked on the phone. He held the paper to the light and saw the impression her pen had made. Two words: Luray Caverns.

  He raced downstairs and across to Nina’s house. The others were in the foyer. “She’s gone to Luray Caverns.”

  “You found something?” Marcas asked.

  Cody held up the notepad. “See the indention? No one but Shay has slept in that bedroom for a year—”

  “And I just put that pad of paper there two months ago, when I was making a list of things Mom wanted shipped to her,” Marcas said.

  “Why Luray Caverns?” Lach asked.

  “Maybe she went to meet Renee there. They used to go a lot, when they were kids. She’ll probably take Skyline Drive. I’ll go after her on the bike. I can get around the sightseers.”

  “We’ll get the helicopter and meet you there,” Marcas said. “The mechanic’s making repairs, but it should be ready by the time we get there.”

  Cody’s phone rang. It was Ronan.

  “I just ran into four vampires behind Renee’s shop,” Ronan said.

  Cody put the phone on speaker. “Vampires? What are they doing there?”

  “I don’t know, but they have our book.”

  “What the… did you get it?” Cody asked.

  “No. There was a female with them. She disappeared with the book. And that blond from Druan’s castle was there, but he won’t be biting anyone anytime soon. I broke off one of his fangs. Someone else had already broken the other one. I can’t come back,” Ronan said, “just in case they’re following me. I don’t want to lead them there.”

  Fangs? Cody’s stomach plunged. He picked up the piece of ivory from the bookshelf. “Too late. He’s already been here. Shay’s missing. We think she’s headed to Luray Caverns.”

  “I’ll meet you there,” Ronan said.

  Cody hung up. His skin felt cold with fear. A vampire had been in her house. She had wounded him, and now she was missing. He shouldn’t have let her out of his sight. He prayed that Jamie was with her. At least he would keep her safe.

  Lach’s head tilted. He had the sharpest hearing of them all. “Here come the others now.”

  “We saw some footprints,” Duncan said. “I think someone’s been there, but no sign of him now.”

  Cody told them about Ronan’s call and showed them the fang. “I hope she’s with Jamie.”

  “I talked to Jamie about an hour ago,” Duncan said. “He’s alone.”

  ***

  Malek looked at the shrunken corpse of the woman. Strands of pale hair still draped a dark dress, moldy, probably expensive at one time. If this was Shay’s mother, the body should have been burned. Malek turned his attention to the man. He was tall, had good bone structure, but there wasn’t enough skin left to tell if it was him. A gold ring circled his finger, a thin gold band. He slid the ring over the knuckle and shriveled tissue. Something was engraved inside, a name, he hoped, though he wasn’t sure he would trust a name after this trick. He pulled a handkerchief from the pocket of his suit and wiped off the ring. The inscription was in a language he didn’t know. Unusual. He had lived in many places on this planet over the centuries and learned the human race and its languages well, but this he had never seen. The woman’s ring was the same. Were they Shay’s parents? He was almost certain Shay was really Dana, but he had to be sure. If he killed the wrong mother, all would be lost. If Shay was the one, she had to die, but not until she told him where the book was. In the meantime, he had to get her away from Cody MacBain. If they produced a child, it would ruin everything he had planned.

  Malek pocketed the rings and ripped a chunk of hair from both rotted scalps. If all else failed, he could check the DNA.

  ***

  Cody alternated between cursing and praying as he looked at the line of cars in front of him. There had been a head-on collision a few miles up the road. Someone had been thrown from the vehicle. Both sides of the road were blocked, with medevac on the way. Scenic Skyline Drive was quickly losing its appeal. He pulled his Texas Ch
opper motorcycle onto the side of the road. Ignoring the glares of frustrated drivers, he squeezed past the stopped cars. A few miles later, he spotted her, head out the window, chewing her lip as she stared at the traffic. She turned as he pulled up beside her. Her color drained. He killed the engine, got off the bike, and opened her door.

  “No,” she said, looking at him as if he held a gun. “You can’t be here.”

  “Are you insane?” he asked, climbing in her car. The relief was so great his legs felt like twine. He grabbed her and crushed her to his chest, muffling her reply. “What were you thinking?” He pressed a fierce kiss on her head, until she shoved him away.

  “You have to leave. If he sees you, he’ll kill her.”

  “Who is he?”

  “I don’t know who he is, but he has Renee. He said if I want to see her alive, I have to come to Luray Caverns, alone.”

  “So he can get you too,” Cody yelled.

  “I won’t let Renee die because of me. You have to leave. Please.”

  “I can’t.” He could no more walk away from her than he could harm a child.

  Shay whimpered like a trapped animal. Cody reached across the seat and gathered her close again, needing to feel her warmth. “We’ll get him. The others are on the way to Luray. They’re some of the strongest warriors alive. I’d trust any one of them with my life.” Even Jamie, if it came to that.

  “But—”

  “No. I’m taking you someplace safe.” He looked at the line of traffic. Darkness was falling, which would make things worse. “If I can get around this traffic, we’re going straight to the airport. If the jet isn’t there, we’ll take a commercial flight.”

  “I’m not leaving without Renee.”

  He knew she wouldn’t budge. He’d have to knock her out to get her on a plane. It was tempting, but he wouldn’t be able to protect her from inside a jail cell. He checked the halted traffic again. “We’re not going anywhere in this mess anyway. Move your car off to that wide spot so cars can get past. We’ll take the bike and find a place to stay. Without everyone there to guard the house, you’re probably safer here.”