by Kera Faire
She cut off what else she’d been going to say. If he’d finished his sentence instead of adding, “Or you’ll know who’s boss and…” then lapsing into unconsciousness. “Still bossy even when injured,” she finished lamely.
Jenna looked at her keenly. “That sounds like Euan. Who before you say anything is no more to me than a good co-worker, a great friend, and a surrogate brother. We argue, make up, and only really fall out when we play Scrabble and he cheats. I swear he learns a page of the thesaurus every day.”
“Wouldn’t surprise me. So,” Lila said as casually as she could manage. “You’re a doctor as well?”
Which was a stupid question because if she was, why the need to get Lila?
Jenna gave her an incredulous look. “Yeah, right, you know I’m not. And I can’t say what we do exactly. It’s a … a survey for the government.”
Which was a load of old cobblers. “If you say so,” Lila replied dryly. “Not sure what you’re surveying unless it’s midges or tourists who hire a boat and can’t sort out north or south.” And if they worked for the government, she’d bet her next month’s pay she was on the island in the middle of the loch. The one that the locals called Dark Isle, and she’d heard through the grapevine some called it Death Isle.
Whichever one, it wasn’t the sort of place she wanted to stay on for a second longer than she had to.
Jenna smiled wryly. “Need-to-know basis.”
Lila rolled her eyes. “Fair enough. Therefore, from me, what you need to know is I’d prefer him to be x-rayed.” Why was she saying that? An infinitesimal movement of Euan’s head showed he liked what she said, and also somehow, he was with her on the fact it wasn’t really necessary. He did have a hard skull and his stab wound wasn’t that bad.
“Can’t.”
Lila raised her shoulders and then let them drop again. “Then if he dies, it’s not on my head.”
“Thanks, pet.” The voice might be slurred, but it was definitely Euan in masterful mode. “Got to say … p—”
Once upon a time, that voice would have sent erotic, exciting, arousing shivers down her spine. Now she was determined it would have no effect on her.
She didn’t quite manage it, but she had no intention of letting it show. Pet hadn’t been in their repertoire, and he knew it. Did that mean he thought she was someone else?
Her heart sank, and Lila felt betrayed even though she knew she had no right. She’d been through all that years ago and chucked the t-shirt out when she had other things, more important than a broken engagement, to think about.
“Ba, ba, moo, miaow. You’re welcome, sugar plum,” she said in a saccharine voice, forgetting they had an interested bystander watching them.
“Bitch,” Euan muttered in an undertone. “Not ever sugar p … pl…”
“Yep, true, so what now?” Lila asked. “Insults apart.”
“Jenna?” A look passed between Euan and Jenna that Lila couldn’t decipher. “You’ll have to … have to…” If a look could convey a shrug, that one did.
“I’ll need to head to the mainland and hunt out Darke?”
It was as clear as mud to Lila, but evidently, it made sense to Euan, who sighed. “Needs must.” He coughed and winced. “Lila, you’ll need to stay.”
“Can’t. I need to get back.” Liar, liar pants on fire. Why was she being so antagonistic when she’d already agreed to stay? The remembrance of past hurts? More than likely.
“No surgery ’til Monday, though,” Jenna put in. “He needs someone with him. Can’t you see that?” And you agreed was inferred.
“She might not mind if I kick the bucket. Say serves me right,” Euan said, his voice stronger with every word he spoke. “Do … don’t blame her.”
“True, except now, I’ve put all that hard work into patching you up, I don’t want my handiwork wasted,” Lila retorted. She made sure they both heard her long-suffering sigh. “I suppose I can stop a short while.”
“Thanks.” Euan closed his eyes. Lila stared at him intently. He was still much too pale but not as bad as when she’d arrived. Jenna touched her on the shoulder and gestured toward the door.
Lila nodded and headed that way. After a swift glance toward Jenna, Euan followed her.
“Don’t mind me,” Euan muttered.
“We won’t. Now behave,” Lila snapped. “Or I’ll think you need a sedative. One that’s delivered with a big needle. In your ass. With no soothing rub afterward.”
He half grinned. “Yes, ma’am. Now who’s the dom … domineering one.”
Jenna sniggered.
Lila did her best to keep a dignified silence. Trust him to manage to have the last word.
She closed the door with a definite click.
“The Wi-Fi is down, the 4G signal’s hit and miss, and the generator is playing up,” Jenna said in a worried voice as soon as they were out of earshot. “I’ve done a quick sweep for bugs and disabled the three I found. Now they’re all looking at and listening to The Green Hornet, an old American TV series.”
“Oh, good, I forgot my spray.”
Jenna grinned. “Well, if only it were that easy. But as far as I can tell, no hidden cameras now, except ours.” She sighed. “Maybe I better stay just in case.”
Lila shook her head. “Maybe just go and get back ASAP.”
Jenna had explained she had to go and physically find Darke as she was certain, by his last message, he thought someone was interfering with their communications. He daren’t say where he was or how long he’d be. However, Jenna got the clues from his cryptic reports and answers and as she said to Lila, had to head across the loch to help him access the island. It wasn’t a regular crossing place, but it seemed he had no other option. Therefore, it was up to Jenna to find him and bring him back. Or so she said.
“If you’re sure you’ll be okay if I go?”
Lila wasn’t, but she had no intention of saying so. “Vamoose, take care and see you later. With this Darke bloke.”
Jenna nodded, and Lila waved her off after a quick lesson on how, if the island miraculously got all the necessary Wi-Fi and technical stuff back, everything worked.
“I get it,” Lila said with more confidence than she actually had. She opened the door and shot a swift glance toward Euan, who had his eyes closed but who was breathing much too evenly and carefully to be asleep. “We’ll be fine. He should sleep for a while and hopefully feel a lot better when he wakes up.” She moved her eyes in the direction of the doorway and raised her eyebrows. Jenna caught on and nodded infinitesimally.
“I bet, right, I’m off. Come and see how the alarm on the door works and see me on my way. I should be back by mid-morning if he’s where I think he is.”
“Try Stream House,” Euan said faintly without opening his eyes.
“You should be asleep,” Lila said. “Snap to it or I’ll give you a jag to make you.” She used the Scottish slang for an injection. “And I don’t mean a car either.”
“Spoilsport.”
“That’s me,” she said cheerfully. “Back in a jiffy. Do not move.”
“Are you sure you’re not a switch?” he asked deadpan and spoiled it with a groan as he moved unwarily.
Damn him.
Lila followed Jenna out of the room and hoped to hell there’d be no awkward questions asked.
There weren’t.
“There’s a safe room in the attic,” Jenna said rapidly as she opened the front door and pointed out the safety features. And lots of island to hide in. Wi-fi in old pig pen if it starts to work and in the boatshed. Wish you luck. He’s a bugger when mumpy, but I’m guessing you might know that.”
“I might yeah, long story, not very edifying.”
“Sounds familiar, for me as well,” Jenna remarked. “Though not with Euan. Right, I better get away. Sooner I go, hopefully, sooner I get back. With or without Darke. He’s a good bloke, by the way. Our … boss of a sort, I guess. Well, good luck anyway, and if you hear anyone say The Bonnie Que
en, head for the hills and hide out. Charlie’s Away means it’s safe to show yourself. Okay?”
It all sounded a bit cloak and dagger, but Lila nodded. “Okay, good luck.”
“Right, see you ASAP.” Jenna turned away and began to walk almost silently across the gravel drive.
Lucky sod. Lila decided she’d have to ask for that trick. Then she had another thought. “Wait, how are you gonna get across? Take the boat?” Leave us stranded? Is there plenty of coffee?
“Nah I’ll hide that by the mermaid rock. Over there.” She pointed to a rock that looked like a mermaid’s tail. “It can go right under the overhang and you’d have to be bloody psychic to know it was there. I’ve passed within three feet and if I hadn’t known it was there, I’d’ve missed it. I’ll swim.”
“Swim?” The loch was bloody freezing. “You do know how dangerous that is, don’t you?”
“Yeah, but I’ve got my wet suit and it’ll only take half an hour.” Jenna grinned as water dripped off her hair and onto her slicker. “I’d enjoy it if it was for any other reason. Right, go back in and keep our patient safe. I don’t envy you, I’d rather be me.”
Lila laughed. “Each to their own.” I’d rather be at home.
Chapter Four
The door opened slowly as if whoever was there was wondering just what would greet them. Euan stiffened and began to move toward the side of the bed. He cussed as his foot caught in the cover and stopped him mid-move. Where the hell was his knife? Even though he didn’t have an immediate itch of danger, he was antsy. Who knew if that sense had gone AWOL as well?
He swore under his breath at the shitfest he seemed to have found himself in. He still had no idea how or why, or what his next move needed to be. Unless, he thought with graveyard humor, he added with caution. Not only with regards to the danger but the neat stitchery on his stomach as well. He smiled at the words of warning from Lila and her lack of sympathy for what she called a wee scratch. If he were honest, the injection she’d given him to save his silly self from any infection hurt as much as the wound. What irked him more was not knowing why he was now in his present situation.
Lila came into the room and stared at him, her hands on her hips, and scowled at him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Do you not understand those few simple, straightforward words just stay still and rest? Am I speaking in a language you don’t know? I thought you were sort of sensible even if you are a bastard. Did the bump on your head take away any sense you had?”
“Mum married Dad a good two years before I was born,” he said with a grin that turned into a wince as he moved unwarily. “I plead the fifth for the rest.”
“If you pull open those stitches, I’m not sewing you up again. What the hell were you thinking, Euan?”
Euan felt blood rush to his cheeks and scowled back. “I didn’t know if you were friend or foe.”
“Tangling your legs in the covers and swearing wouldn’t help if I was intent on doing you an injury now, would it?’ Lila said in such a reasonable tone he wanted to throw something, kiss her senseless, scribe her… Anything to jolt her out of that air of indifference toward him. When she sewed him up, she hadn’t flinched or shown he meant more to her than any anonymous patient. That, he acknowledged, hurt. Even though he accepted she was a professional, a wee bit of personal angst would have been nice.
Who was he kidding? There were no pigs flying! He’d hurt her. Dumped her in the worst way possible. A week before the wedding with no explanations except, ‘Sorry we can’t get married.’ Then he’d probably compounded things by adding, ‘I do love you, and this is for you.’
What an asshole.
It was amazing it wasn’t Lila who stabbed him.
He knew she hadn’t. He’d recognize her anywhere. That visceral tightening of his cock whenever she was within holding distance. Like now. He forced himself to relax and willed his cock to behave. Not only was Lila not a man—he mentally rolled his eyes at that obvious thought—she would have done her own dirty work and told him why herself and not involved anyone else. Someone he thought she didn’t know.
“Sorry,” Euan muttered as Lila continued to stand and stare at him. “Gut reaction.”
She inclined her head. “Grudging apology accepted. Now for God’s sake, stay still for a while. I need to try to discover why you’ve lost all communication channels.”
He blinked. How had he missed that? “All?”
“All,” she confirmed. “I’m hoping I can have a look at some of it, if you’re up to helping me later. Later, not now, so stop trying to move.”
Euan stopped still. “God, you’ve changed.”
“Well, is it any wonder…” She stared at him, her eyes narrowed. “I don’t call anyone Sir now unless it’s a peer of the realm.”
Ouch. He deserved that. “Fair enough. What else?”
It was obvious Lila had expected more of a reply, and he was arsy enough to be pleased to see her nonplussed.
After a few seconds, she shrugged. “Been bugged here, which Jenna assured me she’d fixed with the Green Hornet.”
Euan smiled involuntarily. “Ah, the good old Green Hornet. What would we do without him?”
“Batman? Road Runner, the facts of the wedding that never was?”
That was below the belt. Deserved but a punch in the sewn-up gut.
“Sorry,” Lila said shortly. “Bit unsettled. I had the boat trip from hell, an upchuck session, unsighted, and arrived somewhere, I know not where, to discover my rat of an ex-fiancé had been stabbed. By another ex, I wonder?”
“Doubt it, there’s been no one since you. My cock wonders if it’s been pensioned off.”
“Really?” Lila looked pointedly at the sheet over his groin, which was nicely tented. “I don’t think it agrees with you.”
Euan glanced down and grinned. “It recognizes you.”
“Through a sheet?”
“Yup.”
“Poor thing. Right, I need to be serious. Get your mind on higher things.”
“Your boobs?”
Lila rolled her eyes and Euan laughed. “Sorry, okay, serious time now. What do you need to know?”
“So much, but I’ll start with the most serious. Who stabbed you, why did they stab you, who exactly is Darke, why do you need him, is your assailant still around, do I need to find a knife or do you have one handy, and…”
“Whoa.” Euan held his hand in the air in the universal enough gesture. “Slow down. My brain is only half in gear.” He waved to the chair next to the bed. “Grab a seat and let me think. First off, you sure there are no more bugs?”
“Of course, I’m not,” Lila said impatiently. “How the hell would I know? But Jenna said so, so I guess there isn’t.”
Euan inclined his head in agreement. “Right, then. On to my assailant. No bloody idea. He seemed to know me, said I was the first but…” He closed his eyes to concentrate. “But not the last, and mentioned Darke. Darke is … was my boss. I say was because to all intents and purposes, the organization he heads up is no longer in operation.”
“Which means it still is but not admitted to?”
“Something like that. And obviously rattled someone’s cage.”
“Hmm.” Lila sat down on the chair he’d indicated. “You?”
“Could be, but no idea. What Darke is up to at any one time is on a need-to-know basis and I don’t know.” He didn’t say he had a good idea. There was no point in worrying Lila, and if he said just whom Darke and he were investigating, it would unsettle her. That was the last thing they needed at that moment. “As for around … that’s something I wish I knew the answer to. We need to get stuff up and running. Are all of our cameras down?”
“According to Jenna, everything is, including your electricity supply, and the generator had been attacked. So, I guess, first thing, do you have lamps and candles? Oh, and where’s the generator?”
Euan’s mind balked at all the questions and the need for answers. “Um, lam
ps and candles in each room in theory, but as I have no idea how long the fucker who attacked me was about, they might not be. And before you ask, I’d trust Jenna with my life.” He paused. “I think. She’d gone to check out one sensor that was down, I’d gone to another. Literally only a few yards apart. But I didn’t hear or see anyone, and I’m guessing nor did she. The first thing I knew was I was stabbed, the next was Jenna asking me what the hell was up. Then you, here in this room.”
“Right, fine,” Lila replied impatiently and stood up. “Generator.”
“Room off kitchen, but don’t turn anything on. Give me a sec.”
Lila glared at him and pointed in his direction. “You are not getting out of bed.”
“How you gonna stop me? By getting in and holding me tight?”
“Nope. But I’ve got enough bandages to tie you to the bedposts.”
He grinned. “Ooh, now who says she’s no Domme?”
Lila scowled and rolled her eyes before she crossed her arms and glared at him. “Oh, shut up, Euan. Why can’t I fix the generator?’
“Because if you do and things start working, anyone around who might not be very friendly could surmise that either I’m okay or someone else is here.” He hoped she understood what he was getting at. “I’d like us to have the element of surprise. Just in case.”
She shivered. “Jeez, thanks for that reassurance. Not. Surely for any element of surprise, you need your sensors and things?”
She had a point. Euan thought for a second. “Could you help me walk about 400 meters? Outside.”
Lila bit her lip. “Maybe. Why?”
“Because I think we’d be better not here if anyone decides to pay us a visit. I know somewhere it’s about ninety-nine point nine percent likely we’d not be discovered, and it’s a great spot to see if anyone approaches. There’s only one place to land easily on the island unless you’re a mountain goat, or come by chopper, and we’d hear that. I’ve got an itch.”
