by Cali MacKay
“Aye. She’s spent the last six weeks trying to figure out yer identity. It’s why we were at Imogen’s that day-and it’s why I think she’s now in danger.” Angus sat forward, trying not to shake the man into action. “Yer sister-would she have a reason for wanting to keep Rowan from ye?”
Rory nodded, finally looking up into Angus’s eyes, a fire and intelligence there fueled by anger. “Aye, she would. I’ve been threatening to step down from running our company. If I found out that my father and sister somehow coerced Iona to leave-pregnant with my child-and then kept Rowan a secret from me, it’d be the last straw.”
That gave Imogen motivation. “Would Imogen harm Rowan to keep ye from finding out?”
The poor man looked as if he’d been struck. “By the gods, I’d hope not, but the way she’s been acting as of late, I wouldn’t put it past her. We need to find them. Now.”
Panic now threatened to consume Angus, but he had to push through it. Had to keep his head clear so he could think. “Give me yer sister’s cell number. I’ve got a friend who might be able to track its location. If Imogen has Rowan…”
“Aye. Imogen’s not been thinking straight. Even contacted lawyers to try and keep me in my current position.” He went to his desk and jotted something down. “Here’s her number. Call yer friend and see what he can do. I’ll make a few calls of my own to see what I can find out.”
Angus relayed the information to Conall, who said he’d call as soon as he managed to track Imogen’s phone. Time seemed to be running slower than honey in the winter, and it felt like they were getting nowhere fast. If anything happened to her… he didn’t know how he’d manage.
Rory hung up the phone. “She took the family yacht from where we keep it moored. I don’t know where she’s taken it or if Rowan’s with her, but taking the yacht isn’t something she’d normally do.”
Angus answered his ringing cell within a second of the call coming through. Conall had come through for him. He jotted down the information as Conall relayed it. “Thank ye. Call me if they move from that location. Aye. We’re on our way. I’ll let ye know.”
While Angus hung up with Conall, Rory looked at the address. “I know this place-we used to summer there when we were quite young. It was my mother’s family cottage, though we’ve not been there in decades. It’s about forty minutes from here. Should we call the police?”
“Depends. How do ye think yer sister will react to the police surprising her?” The last thing he needed was Imogen panicking.
“Aye, ye’re right. We’ll call once we’re there. That’ll give us enough time to try and get the situation under control, but will give us the backup we’ll need if things don’t go to plan. I’ll make a few more calls to see if I can get more help.” Rory already had his cell out as he followed Angus out the door.
Angus insisted on driving, not wanting to risk Rory being a slow driver. And though they were making good time, it still wasn’t fast enough as far as Angus was concerned. He didn’t dare think of what trouble Rowan might be in, knowing his mind would think the worse. He needed to stay positive. Needed to know he’d find her unharmed.
“What if ye call Imogen and tell her ye know of Rowan?” It was the only thing Angus could think of to try and get Rowan back safe.
Rory shook his head. “Aye, ye’d think it the logical conclusion, but at this point, I’d worry she might hurt the lass out of spite.”
Angus didn’t quite understand. “For what?”
“My eldest brother was groomed to take over for my father when he retired, but he died before he ever got the chance. Busy studying art, I had no desire to do it, even though I was good at it. Imogene on other hand had all the desire in the world, but her strengths lay elsewhere. She’s only ever wanted to please my father and get his attention, but instead, my father insisted I run the company. It’s made her bitter, aye?”
“And by the sounds of it, just a bit insane. I swear, if she hurts Rowan…” He pounded the steering wheel, unable to bear the thought. By the gods, he loved her. From that first email. That first kiss. There could be no other.
“We’ll get to her, lad. And she has to be all right. I can’t have anything happen to her when she’s only just come into my life. All those years between us lost…” Rory looked down and shook his head, his shoulders slumped. “I should have been there for her-and for Iona. I would have given it all up for her, but she broke things off between us and left without a word. Now I know why.”
“Well, if I have any say in the matter, ye’ll have plenty of time to make it up to Rowan. We can’t be far, aye?” They were near the coast, the salt air filling his lungs. It should calm him, yet instead he found himself fearing the dangers of the sea. Even a conditioned swimmer would have a hard time keeping their head above water around here-if they didn’t freeze to death. And Imogen had taken the family yacht.
“Nearly there. I’m calling the police. They should get here shortly.” Rory gave the police their details and pointed Angus down a different road. “That’s the cottage in the distance.”
“There’s more than one car there-do ye recognize them?” Either Imogen had back up or there were others involved.
“Just Imogen’s vehicle. I don’t know the other.” They pulled up to the cottage and got out, but before Angus could go charging in after Rowan, Rory put a hand on his arm and held him back. “Let me go in first and do the talking. I might be able to get her to see reason, aye?”
“Aye. But I’m telling ye now-Rowan’s my priority. I’ll do whatever it takes to get her out of there safely.”
Chapter Twenty-One
“Let go of me.” Rowan tried to pull her arm free of the goon’s grip, but his fingers dug in, bruising the flesh as panic rose up in her chest. Unable to think past the pounding of her heart, she brought her knee up to his groin, her hit fueled by adrenaline. As he doubled over with a groan, she brought her foot down on his instep. It was enough to loosen his grip. She got free, but the other guy grabbed her by the waist and lifted her off her feet as she screamed and lashed out at him.
“Stop it now or I’ll shoot. Do you hear me?” Imogen held her gun in a shaky hand, her eyes narrowed and the tendons in her neck standing out.
As crazed as Imogen looked, Rowan slowed her struggles. The man put her down on her feet, and then transferred his grip to her arm to keep her from escaping. He gave her a hard shake, and Rowan took her chance, worried she wouldn’t get another. As he shook her, she lashed out a flaying fist in Imogen’s direction.
The gun went off and chaos erupted around them. The guy holding her ducked and let go. Rowan lunged at Imogen, tackling her to the ground when the door burst open.
Angus-and her father.
Seeing them distracted her enough to make a mistake. Another shot went off as Imogen struggled to get free, this time finding a mark.
Rory jerked backwards, his shoulder and chest erupting in red as he dropped to his knees. Rowan screamed and tried to make her way to him as Angus dove for the gun, beating one of the other men to it. Angus spun and pointed it at the guy, slowing him in his tracks as Angus got to his feet, a wary eye on the scene.
“The three of ye, to yer feet and yer hands where I can see them. And if ye think I don’t know how to use a gun, ye’re mistaken.” Angus didn’t take his eyes off them. The two men did as he asked, but Imogen was wailing and inching towards her brother, hesitating while Angus had a gun pointed at her. “Help’s on the way, Rowan. Just apply pressure to the wound.”
“I’m trying.” Rowan’s shaking hands were covered in blood as she leaned forward, using her weight to help stem the flow. He couldn’t die. Couldn’t. Not when he’d been taken from her all these years. Not when she’d just found him.
Rory reached up and brushed her cheek, his touch weak. “Dinnae cry, my darling lass.”
She tried to shake the tears free, not even aware they’d fallen until he mentioned it. All that time lost, time she should have spent with him-and f
or what? The greed of people. So a father could force his son into the family business. So a sister could manipulate a situation.
When the sirens could be heard approaching, her tears turned to ones of relief. “Help’s here. Just hold on.”
“Forgive me, my dear. I wish I could have been there for ye.” With his words spoken on a ragged breath, his eyelids fluttered shut.
***
Rowan took comfort in Angus’s embrace, his strong arms holding her to him as they continued to wait, her father taken into surgery hours ago. She didn’t know how she’d ever thank Angus for all that he’d done.
The police had taken Imogen and the men she’d hired into custody. Worried as Imogen had been about her brother, she’d made a full confession to the police. Not that Rowan was ready to forgive her for nearly killing Rory and kidnapping her at gunpoint. Somehow, it wasn’t exactly the family reunion she’d been hoping for.
And speaking of family-the police said they’d contact Rory’s family, though he was divorced from him wife, and neither of his two sons lived in Scotland. Two brothers. She actually had family once again.
But how would they feel about her when she was the reason their father was fighting for his life? And what if they thought she was only after the family fortune and business? Would they think she was only there for her share of the money? Would they even accept her-or would they question the authenticity of her claim? With her worries pushing her towards desperation, she held onto Angus, and tried her best to keep her thoughts at bay.
It was another hour before the surgeon approached. Rowan sat up out of Angus’s arms, her back stiff and her muscles wound tighter than rigging on a full sail. “He’s out of surgery, and we were able to repair the damage, but he’s lost a lot of blood. We’re keeping him comfortable. Still, it’ll be a while before he wakes, so I suggest going home and getting some rest. We’ll call if there’s any change.”
She waited until the surgeon left before turning to Angus, knowing he’d want to take her home. Looking up into his blue eyes, she reached out and took his hand, the feel of it strong, capable. “I don’t want to go.”
“Och, love, ye need to get some rest. Ye’ve had a long day, and it won’t do ye any good to wait here when there’s no chance of him waking. We can stay in a hotel close by, and come back at the crack of dawn. Ye’ve likely not even eaten since this morning.” He tucked a red curl behind her ear. “Let me take care of ye for a bit, and I promise to have ye back here first thing.”
“What if he wakes and no one’s here?” She closed her eyes to keep her emotions from overwhelming her. “I can’t bear to lose him, Angus.”
“Aye, love. I know. But ye’ll want to be in good form when he awakes, and that won’t happen if ye’re neglecting yerself. With the medications they’ve given him, he won’t awake tonight.” His hand wandered to her cheek, his touch lingering as his gaze flicked to her lips.
She could see he wanted to kiss her, and more than ever, he meant the world to her, yet her life was still in an upheaval and he deserved better. He could have also been injured, and for something he’d tried to warn her about, no less. She just had far too much uncertainty in her life-and wondering if she was pregnant certainly wasn’t helping matters.
As if he might read her thoughts, she looked away and took a step back. She couldn’t imagine what he’d think if he found out she might be pregnant. Maybe she could get away for a few minutes and pick up a test. She was finally far enough away from Dunmuir to not be recognized. And if she got some answers, then maybe she’d feel a bit more settled. After all, she’d finally found her father.
“I guess you’re right. And if we stay local, we can get back here early enough.” She managed a smile, hoping to set him at ease, and then, unable to resist him when he was so near and needing to feel the solid comfort of him, she slipped her arms around his waist. “Thank you.”
“Anything for you, love.” He kissed the top of her head. “I don’t know what I’d have done if I lost ye.”
“I’m just sorry you’ve had to deal with so many of my messes. And you… you could have been killed today, and it would have been my fault.” The thought of it had her gut in knots, her chest tight and tears stinging her eyes. “You’d be smart to get as far away from me as possible.”
“Now, how could I possibly do that, love, when ye’re my very heart?” He tipped her chin up towards him. “Look at me, love. None of this is yer fault-ye weren’t the one with the gun, and ye weren’t the one who put us in danger. That was Imogen. Do ye hear me?”
“I know.” And she did-yet she still felt responsible. Still felt guilty.
“Do ye really?” He ran a hand down her arm and linked his fingers with hers, a sigh escaping his lips. “Let’s get ye out of here. Maybe once ye get some rest ye’ll see the reality of the matter.”
Angus found them a hotel nestled in the outskirts of Glasgow. Thoughts of their room accommodations left her debating what she should do about him, but Angus didn’t give her an option, and instead booked them two separate rooms next to each other. She was at once both relieved and disappointed.
“Are ye coming, love?” Angus looked at her, worry creasing his brow.
“Sorry. Just a bit distracted.” She let him steer her towards their rooms, while she tried to decipher her feelings for him.
Truth was, if she stuck around-if she gave in to the feelings she had for him, she knew she’d be a goner. She’d fall heart and soul, head over heels with every fiber of her being in love with him. And that scared her. She’d been burned before, and she knew that if she let herself fall in love with Angus, she’d fall far harder than she had for any other man. That left her wanting to put on her racing shoes and find the nearest exist, her wounds from Stephen still too fresh to want to acquire new ones.
Yet the thought of being left alone with nothing but her thoughts had her tightening her grip on him as he saw her into her room. “Angus, I don’t want to be alone.”
“I can stay if ye’d like.” He sat down on the bed. “Come, love, and rest yer head.”
And so she did, curled up against his side, his strong arms holding her close until exhaustion swept her away into a mercifully dreamless sleep.
***
Come morning, her body felt like it’d been twisted like a pretzel and run over by a truck. She was hoping a good night’s sleep would have settled her worries about Angus, but with uncertainty about her father’s health looming, it only made her question things further.
Not having thought to bring a change of clothes to a kidnapping, she did her best to freshen up and then got ready to head to the hospital. “Are you ready to go?”
He pursed his lips as those knowing eyes of his took her in. “Aye, love. I’m ready, but ye have me worrying about ye. It’s not just yer father is it?”
She wanted to groan. And curse. “Isn’t that enough? I mean, what more do I need?”
“Is that really all there is, then?” His eyes narrowed as if scrutinizing every detail of her. “Because ye have a tendency to roll yer eyes for just a flicker of a moment when ye’re trying to avoid discussing something.”
“That’s not true.” The man was infuriating. “There’s nothing bothering me other than my father being on death’s door before I ever get the chance to know him.”
“Och, lass, I get that ye’re worried about yer da, but the eye roll ye just did again tells me there’s more bothering ye.” He took her hand and slowly pulled her to him, and though she resisted, it was only for a moment. “Tell me what else is on yer mind, love. Ye can trust me-despite all my screw-ups.”
And then before she had a chance to think, before she found the strength and courage to deny him, she spoke the words she’d been keeping to herself. “I think I’m pregnant.”
Angus swept her off her feet and twirled her around as he let out a whoop of joy-which only made her feel guilty that she couldn’t be as enthusiastic about the whole thing. He finally set her down, and whe
n he looked at her, his smile faded, his brows drawn.
“Och, love. Dinnae fash yerself. A bairn could be a good thing.” He brushed her cheek, his touch gentle.
She let out a weary sigh and fought to keep the frustration from her voice, but failed miserably. “Yeah, it could be a good thing-when my entire life isn’t in an upheaval. When I’m in a relationship-or married. Not when I’m single, in the middle of opening a new gallery, and just survived a kidnapping. So don’t tell me not to worry-or fash myself. Because I’m fashed up to my eyeballs, Angus. And I can’t do this. It was a mistake to think I could settle down and a have a normal life.”
“Rowan, I get that this isn’t ideal-and ye may not even be pregnant-but ye can’t go panicking. Ye’ve ne’er been so close to getting what ye want, yet ye’re getting ready to run again-just like ye always have.” He looked away with a shake of his head. But when he looked back, it was with an intensity that stole her breath away. “Don’t ye see… ye can be happy, love. Even if it’s not with me-though I sure as hell hope it is-ye can’t keep running if ye want to find happiness. Ye’ve got to take the bad with the good and stand yer ground-fight for yer happiness. It’s the only way, love.”
“Didn’t I warn you? I’m no good at this, Angus.” How many relationships had she ruined? He meant too much, and she couldn’t bear to have the same thing happen between them. She started to turn away but he grabbed her hand, her emotions overwhelming her. “I just can’t think of this right now. I need to get to the hospital.”
“Very well. Let’s get ye to yer father, though we’re not through discussing this, love.” He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, her curves pressed against his solid form, his lips too close, his gaze intense. He had her head spinning as her breath hitched-and he looked ready to devour her. Brushing the hair from her face with his free hand, his touch lingered, and then he kissed her once, twice, and then again in a thorough exploration, until she clung to him, her hands fisting his shirt.