by MacKay, Cali
Her face was flushed, and the fire in her eyes had returned, even if it was tainted with pain. “It’s just a necklace, Iain. You get that, right? And though you may be willing to get your head bashed in over it, I’m not going to help you do it. Those men aren’t like James and Malcolm—they’re dangerous. And you bloody well know they’re not going to stop until they get what they want.”
“And ye think they’ll leave just ‘cause we’ve given up looking for it? Well, that’s where ye’re wrong, Cat. The only hope we have of keeping safe is to find the necklace before anyone else does. Once it’s safely locked away and the find is made public, then there won’t be any point to them threatening us.” He didn’t want to have to say it, but knew it might be the one thing to make her stay. “Ye’re the one who brought this to my doorstep. My family and I are now under threat because of it, and I’ll be damned if ye think ye can just leave without first putting things right. None of us are safe until it’s found. Not me and my father, nor you, even if ye flee to Cambridge.”
At his accusation that she’d put them in harm’s way, the blood drained from her face, leaving her freckles to stand out against now too-pale skin. He wanted to comfort her and tell her it wasn’t her fault, but knew they’d both be better served if her hurt was turned to anger.
“Ye’re staying put, Cat. Ye hear me? Once ye find the necklace, ye can take yerself off to wherever ye bloody want to go—but not before that.”
Anger sparked in her eyes, but there was also a keen intelligence there, and he knew, despite her anger, she was not fooled. “I’m sorry that I dragged you into this, Iain, but short of tying me up, I’m going.”
Her words had his control slipping as he pulled her to him and nuzzled her, his arm wrapped around her waist to keep her from escaping. “Don’t tempt me, love. It’d be a lovely sight to see ye trussed and squirming.”
“This isn’t funny, Iain.” She pried herself from his embrace, and with a shake of her head, turned to go.
Well, he’d be damned if he was going to let her walk out on him without giving it a second thought. He pulled her around, ignoring the tears that welled up in her eyes. “You’re not leaving, Cat. Not until this is over.”
“I’m sorry. It was a mistake to involve you. You see that, right? I can’t bear to have you get hurt again.” She struggled to get free, but he held on tight, as the tears finally spilled over and rolled down her cheeks. “Let go of me, Iain. I can’t do this.”
“Ye can and ye will. We’ll find the Hope, aye? Cause they’re not going to go away, love. We’ve no other choice.” He kissed her tears away until she stopped struggling and let out a weary shudder. He hated to see her so upset, but hoped he could turn her mood around. “So… are ye going to stay or do I need to get the rope?”
She let out a laugh, which helped to ease his worries. “I think we might both like that far too much—and you’re still injured.”
Relief washed over him. He brushed a curl from her face, his touch lingering against the warmth of her skin. “Does that mean ye’re staying?”
She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his bare chest, sending his heart racing. “I guess I’ll have to for now. Someone’s got to have your back.”
“Well, I’m glad it’s you, love.”
***
The police had come and gone, taking their report and promising to look into the matter. In the meantime, they had new company and problems to contend with.
A sharp pain set Iain’s nerves on fire as Angus poked and prodded. “Bloody hell. Could ye be a bit more gentle?”
Angus finished his examination and tossed Iain his shirt, his mood serious. “Ye’ve got severe bruising and may also have a cracked rib, though that should heal on its own. What the hell happened to the two of ye? Her head, yer back. This was no accident, Iain, and I’d appreciate some honesty.”
Iain glanced at Cat in question, knowing the decision was hers to make. She nodded. “Might as well—enough people already know, and for once, I’d rather have it be someone who’s on our side.”
Iain let out a sigh of relief, happy to no longer have to keep things from Angus. “We’ve been looking for the Highlander’s Hope. Cat thinks it was last in the hands of one of my ancestors who hid it somewhere on our estate.”
Angus let out a low whistle of surprise. “I can’t believe it. The Highlander’s Hope, aye? I thought that was nothing more than legend.”
Cat shook her head no, her eyes alight, clearly in her element. It made Iain smile to see her like that, happy that the day’s uncertainty was behind them. “My research shows that it did indeed exist, but got lost or hidden along the way.”
Angus grabbed a seat next to Iain and across from Cat. “That still doesn’t explain what happened to the two of ye.”
“Unfortunately, her ex and my eejit brother figured out what we’ve been up to, without taking into consideration that they could easily be overheard. Somehow, a bunch of thugs caught wind of what they were discussing, and decided to come looking for it.” Iain slowly worked his way into his shirt, trying his best to ignore the pain.
“And that means it’s gotten dangerous.” Angus sat forward and propped his elbows on his knees. “What are ye going do? They’ll likely not stop until they get what they want.”
That was exactly what Iain was worried about. “It’s why we need to find it—and soon.”
“Don’t know if I can be of any help, but I’m here should ye need me for anything.” Angus sat back, his gaze shifting between the two of them. “So the two of ye?”
Iain knew what Angus was asking. “We thought it’d be best if people didn’t know the real reason why Cat was here, and thought it’d be easy enough to hide behind a romantic involvement.”
“Ye had me fooled, I’ll tell ye.” Angus looked at the two of them again with a tilt of his head, scrutinizing them, before giving her a smile. “Does that mean ye’re single, then?”
Though Cat laughed and smiled at Angus, she threw Iain a furtive glance, as he attempted to squash the unexpected jealousy that sparked within him. “I can’t imagine you’re still single, Angus. Surely you already have someone who’s head over heels crazy about you.”
Angus turned to Iain, with his head cocked and a solicitous smile. “And here I thought we were being honest with each other. That’s fine though. If ye don’t want to tell me what’s really going on between ye, I understand.”
Iain groaned. It wasn’t like he even knew what the hell they were doing. They’d spent last night together, and shared more than a few…moments, but he hadn’t a clue what to call it. The honest truth was that he’d never had any reason or desire to call it anything at all with the other women he’d been with. But with Cat? He found he actually wanted to define what they had.
“All I can tell ye is that Cat is unlike any other woman I’ve met, and I’d consider myself damned lucky if she were to even give me a second glance.” Iain found himself looking in her direction as he spoke the words.
When she looked away, his heart sank, leaving him to curse himself for being fool enough to care about her. How ironic that she was acting the way he normally did with the women he dated.
But then she surprised him.
“Don’t listen to him, Angus. He knows damn well that I’ve been far from immune to his charms.” She flashed her green eyes at him, and got to her feet. “I’m starving. Do you two want something to eat? I’m cooking.”
Iain cocked his head, unable to refrain from teasing her. “That depends—can you manage it without cutting off a few fingers?”
She patted his cheek, a sly smile upon her lips. “See, Angus? Such charm. I don’t know how anyone could resist.”
Chapter Fifteen
After their meal, they retired to the library with a drink in hand. Cat showed Angus the paintings and the clues hidden in the brushstrokes, while Duncan sprawled at his feet hoping for a scratch. “Iain was the one who figured out that there were p
arts of the landscape that didn’t belong. We checked it out, and there are tunnels leading from the loch to the Bleeding Heart, though we didn’t find any flashing neon lights pointing to the necklace.”
“We’ll go back and take a more thorough look tomorrow. According to my Da, there are supposedly more tunnels near the ones we already explored. And then we still have to finish going through the ruins at the other end of the house.” Iain turned to Angus. “Ye’re welcome to join us. Ye can stay in one of the guest rooms if ye’d like.”
“I’ll come back mid-morning, if that suits ye. I’ve got a herd of sheep to vaccinate, and need to check in on a colicky horse.” He checked his watch and got up with a stretch, when his eyes fell on one of the paintings. “What about this one here? Did ye notice, Iain? That tree is on the other side of the clearing, not near the rock face.”
Cat and Iain both took a closer look, though Cat had no way of telling if what Angus was saying was true. Iain, however, started to nod. “Aye. I didn’t notice at first, thinking it just another tree, but ye’re right—that’s the big oak with the splayed branches and carvings. And though there may have been a tree there at one point, there is currently no tree in front of those rocks.”
“It could be another cave, if we’re lucky.” Cat tried to remain optimistic, and with this new information, it was easy to do.
Iain pulled her to him with a smile. “We’ve got to be close, love. It’s only a matter of time.”
“I hope so.”
The day’s attacks were still worrying her. Seeing Iain injured made it clear that Cat’s feelings for him had gotten away from her, and things were now more serious than she’d wanted or anticipated. It’d be easy enough to tell herself that it was nothing more than a bit of fun when her life was too busy for anything serious, but she now suspected it’d be nothing more than a lie.
Ignoring her feelings for him might work. If there was one thing she was good at, it was burying herself in work so she wouldn’t have to face her emotions—James had certainly given her enough practice doing just that.
But Iain was not James, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to ignore the way he made her feel. Whether the feeling was entirely mutual, she didn’t know. There was a definite attraction, yet he might not feel any different about her than he’d felt about the dozens of other women he’d dated. She’d like to think so, but she was also pretty realistic about who he was and the life he led, and knew better than to trust the words men spoke in the heat of the moment.
Angus said his goodbyes with a promise he’d be back late in the morning. While Iain saw him to the door, Cat curled up on the sofa with the love letters, desperately needing to distract herself from her own love life. She was curious to see if there were more clues or references that might stand out now that she had more pieces to the puzzle. With the letters set in chronological order, she noted that the letters between Nessa and Robert hadn’t started out as love letters but rather a genuine friendship and deep affection after the death of Nessa’s husband.
Cat set those early letters aside, knowing they predated the existence of the jewels. She’d go through them again, but only after she’d gone through the more pertinent correspondence.
“Any luck?” Iain sat down next to her, and pulled her legs into his lap.
“Nothing yet.” She continued to scan the letters, quickly translating things in her mind, when she realized Iain had said something. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“I’m glad ye’re staying.”
“I am too, though…” She let out a sigh, cursing herself for going down this road. Why on earth she felt the urge to discuss her feelings for him was beyond her. “I’ve got to warn you, Iain. I don’t know if I can keep up this thing we’re doing without starting to fall for you.”
“Ye’re only starting? Bloody hell, woman, what’s a guy gotta do?” His smile helped erase her worries, despite his mood becoming more serious. “Cat, if ye think I’m normally like this with other women, then ye’re mistaken.”
He shook his head with a sigh, not looking at her as he continued. “The thought of ye leaving – or worse, the thought of ye coming to harm—has my stomach in knots. Ye may only be starting to fall for me, love, but I’m already a goner.”
Setting aside the letters, she turned back to him, her eyes locked on his, as she slipped her arms around his waist and he held her close. She kissed him with just a brush of her lips, while her head swam with uncertainty.
She took a good look at him. Bloody hell, he was handsome. She loved how his blue eyes stood out in contrast to his dark unruly hair, and that he’d let the stubble come in over his strong jaw.
With a deep breath, she steeled herself to be honest not only with him, but with herself. “The truth is, you scare me.” The shock and concern in his eyes had her quickly trying to explain. “Not like that—not ever like that. But I’m not naïve, Iain. You don’t get to be Scotland’s most eligible bachelor by being in a committed long-term relationship, and I like you too much for this to be casual.”
“Aye, I deserve that. But I swear things are different with ye, Cat.” He brushed the back of his hand down her cheek and kissed her sweetly, a whisper of lips meeting in a promise of love and desire. “I don’t want this to be casual, love. Ye mean too much. And I know it seems crazy to feel this way in such a short amount of time, but truth is ye’ve had my heart from the start. From the moment ye pulled yerself out of that muddy puddle and gave me a good tongue-lashing.”
When he laughed, she smiled and smacked his chest playfully, her heart’s beat tripping over itself. “I guess it’s a good thing you drive like a maniac.”
The uncertainty she’d felt between them melted away in his kisses and in his words. She could lose herself in him for an eternity, but he soon pulled away and the look in his eyes had her uncertainty returning.
“If we’re going to be serious about each other, then there’s something I need to tell ye, love. It’s about Malcolm… and the Hope.” He let out a weary sigh. “My brother’s an irresponsible arse and unfortunately he managed to involve others in his mess this time around. He thought he had a sure thing going, but didn’t have the funds—until he convinced my father to turn over all his savings. Of course, it all failed miserably, and now he needs more funds to try and recoup the money my father gave him, and more than likely to save himself from a severe beating.”
It all made sense now. “That’s what you were arguing about when we dropped your father off in Edinburgh.”
“Aye. My father doesn’t know, and I want to keep him from it for as long as I can, since he’d do nothing but worry.” His jaw tightened in anger as he ran a rough hand through his hair in frustration. “All my funds are tied up in other ventures, and the banks won’t touch this house with the current real estate market.”
The pieces fell into place, leaving her gut knotted with dread. “You want to find the necklace so you can use it as collateral.”
She got to her feet, desperate to get away from him, her breath coming in shallow gasps, leaving her dizzy. Tears stung her eyes as she tried to work through his betrayal. “You said you wouldn’t sell it. I trusted you, Iain.”
“I’m not going to sell it, Cat.” He grabbed her arm, preventing her from leaving and forcing her to turn and face him. “It would just be on paper as a guarantee until I could free up my funds.”
“And if you couldn’t come up with the money in time? What then?” She saw the guilt and uncertainty wash over his face and had all the answers she needed. “I’m so glad that being a highlander and a Scot had so much influence in your decision. Or was that just another line you fed me to keep me from your true motives?”
“It’s not like that, love, and ye know it.” He’d yet to let go of her, which only heightened her emotions.
“Let go of me, Iain.” She tried to get her arm free, but his grip was like iron.
“Not until ye hear me out.” Iain slowly loosened his hold as if testing to
see if she’d run. When she didn’t, his shoulders relaxed a bit. “Please sit so I can explain.”
“I can’t. Not right now.” She felt like she couldn’t breathe. “I need a bit of space to think and I can’t do that here. I’m going back to the inn.”
He let out a sigh. “Will ye be gone long?”
She shook her head, but didn’t look at him. She couldn’t, or he’d weaken her defenses. “I’ll probably come back tomorrow, but I’ll call to let you know. I just need a little bit of time to clear my head.”
“Cat, please don’t go.” He gave her a hand squeeze, but she slowly pulled away.
“Goodbye, Iain.”
***
She fought back tears and feelings of betrayal all the way to the inn, where she was lucky enough to find they still had a room available, and unlucky enough to run into James.
“Go away, James.” She hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and started to go around him, when he grabbed her arm. She glared at him. “Unless you want to lose a hand, I suggest you let me go.”
“Trouble in paradise, my dear? You know I’d be happy to cheer you up.”
His smile made her want to punch him. “Have you lost your mind, James? Not if you were the last thing with a pulse.”
She started to move towards the stairs when his words stopped her. “So you don’t want to talk about the Highlander’s Hope? I could help, you know.”
“Help yourself to the fame and credit is more like it.” She shook her head, gritting her teeth. “How the hell did you find out about it? Given that you’re a rat, it really shouldn’t surprise me, but I want to know what underhanded tactics you used this time around.”
“I’m a historian, Catriona. I followed the clues just you like did.” He let out a sigh, looking at her as if she were a petulant child. “I just want to help you find the necklace. The sharks are circling, my dear, and you have little time left. We work well together—or have you rewritten your memories so as to not have to face the truth?”
