by Diane Darcy
Her sister glowered at her as they each packed a bag. “Not those! Those are my favorites.” She snatched a pair of capris out of Sarah’s hand.
Sarah simply grabbed a different pair.
Fifteen minutes later, all four of them were in the car, Murdoch beside her in the front seat, Mom and Jessica in back.
“Antonio might be coming over later.” Her mother sniped.
Sarah checked her mirror then eased onto the road. “And when he finds you’re not home, he’ll turn around and leave.”
“I gave him a key.”
“Mom! You’ve only known the guy for about a month. Get real.”
Mom folded her arms over her ample chest. “I don’t need dating advice from you, and I’m not interested in going wherever it is you’re taking me.”
“Well, get interested! Grandpa said to keep you safe so that’s what I’m doing!”
“I don’t want to go, either.” Her sister was petulant. “There’s a party at the club tonight. I bought a new outfit and everything.”
“Look, both of you! Stop acting like brats.” She glanced at Murdoch, and could feel heat rising in her cheeks. What must he think of her family? “You didn’t used to act like this, so knock it off.” And it was true, before their father died and left Mom a bunch of insurance money, neither of them acted like spoiled brats. Granted, her mother had lost the love of her life, and Jessica had lost her father, but so had Sarah. She wasn’t squiring about town, going to clubs, and getting her hair and nails done weekly.
Mom sniffed. “We’re not happy about this.”
“You don’t have to be. Grandpa said to get you out of there, and he said that if you don’t go, you’re both to be cut out of his will.”
No one spoke from the backseat.
Okay, he hadn’t said that, but she wanted to shut them up.
Murdoch turned around. “I believe yer sister is tryin’ to keep ye safe while all is considered. Mayhap listening to her at the present time is the best course of action.”
Sarah glanced in the rearview mirror to see both ladies exchange a glance, and then smile at Murdoch. “So, where are you from?” Jessica asked.
“Scotland, near Inveraray.”
“What do you do for a living?”
“Fight.”
Sarah glanced at him, then back at the road. Fight?
“Are you and Sarah an item?”
“She belongs to me.”
She briefly closed her eyes and hunched in on herself. It was just a kiss! She didn’t bother looking in the rear view mirror. When she found her grandfather, they were going to have a talk about what he could and could not promise when hiring someone. “Look, leave him alone for a minute, will you? I’m trying to think.” She set a course for the freeway.
“You know what? No,” Mom said.
Sarah breathed in deeply hoping to find patience. “No, what?”
“I’ve changed my mind. I’m not going into hiding. I have too much to do. This is ridiculous. If we’re in some kind of danger, we need to go to the police and get it worked out. Your grandfather is a paranoid old coot and you know it.”
“He is not! He’s the smartest man I know!”
“Fine, but even you have to admit he’s absent-minded.”
“Plus he spoils you rotten,” Jessica said resentfully.
“What about the two men who tried to grab me right out of my classroom. If Murdoch hadn’t been there…” She swallowed hard.
Murdoch’s chin jutted. “Ye’re better with me than without me.”
“I can’t disagree.”
Murdoch turned around to look into the back seat again. “If yer grandfather told ye not to go to the police, there’s likely a reason. Doonae forget, I’m here to protect ye and will keep ye safe.”
Jessica hit the back of Sarah’s seat. “I vote no too. Where are we supposed to go, anyway?”
Sarah was indecisive. Just because she put them somewhere didn’t mean they’d stay, not unless they wanted to. Would it really hurt to go to the police? What if there was a camera in the school parking lot? The whole kidnapping attempt could have been captured on film. The police could run a license plate number, and maybe even identify the men who’d tried to snatch her.
And grandfather sometimes really was a little absent-minded and tended to stress.
And they did have Murdoch with them. Not only could he protect them, but he was a witness too.
She didn’t have to mention the package grandfather had sent. She didn’t have to show them the note. She didn’t have to drag Murdoch into it at all.
“All right.” She changed directions and headed toward the nearest Boston police station.
Murdoch placed a hand upon her bare knee. “Ye’re sure, lass?”
Very aware of his touch, she nodded. “Yes. Let’s try the police.” Maybe they could straighten this whole thing out by tonight.
~~~
The receptionist behind the desk shot Donovan a nervous glance and checked her computer. “One of the men is in the ICU. He can’t have visitors at the moment. The other is on the second floor in room 2220. Take the elevator to the second floor and turn left.”
Donovan’s gaze followed the pointing finger. Her hand shook. Good to know he hadn’t lost his touch.
He found room 2220, pushed the door open, and went inside. His man, Alec, straightened in bed and guilt flooded his face. “Boss?”
“Injuries?”
“I have a concussion and stitches, Ivan is in a medically-induced coma while they check for brain swelling.”
“What happened?”
Alec touched his newly formed black eye with an embarrassed expression, seemed to realize what he was doing, dropped his hand and sat straighter. “Uh … we went to get the teacher, like you said.”
“Are you trying to tell me a fourth grade teacher did this to you and put Ivan in the ICU?”
Alec shook his head. “No! She was no problem at all. We took her from her classroom and shoved her in the car, easy enough.”
“So what happened?”
“A man showed up to help her. A big man. He wore an outfit like, uh, one of those Scottish people. With the dress.”
Donovan stared. He’d never known Alec to be a jokester before. “You’d better not be messing with me. Not now.”
Alec shook his head vehemently. “No. I swear it.”
“A Highlander?”
Alec snapped his fingers and pointed. “Yes! That’s it. A Highlander. Like those sword fighting men in the movies.”
“He came at you with a sword?”
“No, he had a knife.”
“So a guy in a dress beat you up and put Ivan in ICU?” Donovan’s voice rose at the end, and he tried to compose himself. He was never going to be like his dad, yelling all the time and losing control. He ruled his emotions, not the other way around.
Alec shifted nervously. “He was big. Huge.”
“Still, two against one and you had guns. How did you let that happen?”
Alec shook his head and his eyes glazed as he tried to remember. “I don’t know. I haven’t ever seen anybody fight like that before.” He lifted his arm to show the bandage that covered his entire forearm, then threw back the covers to show his thigh, bound the same way. “The doctor said an inch to the right and I’d have bled out. It was unexpected, brutal, you know?” He shook his head again. “I had to have over one hundred stitches. I don’t know. Maybe he knows Kung Fu or something like that. Only it didn’t look like that. He was so fast with the knife and had fists like anvils.” Alec hesitated. “He went with the girl. I saw him get in her car.”
“So, he was with her the entire time? A bodyguard or something? How could she possibly know about any of this?”
Alec shook his head. “I don’t know, Boss. Maybe her grandfather got to her before we got to him.”
Donovan’s phone rang. He checked the caller and felt the blood drain from his face. Fredrickson. He swallowed. He wished he dar
ed ignore the call, but he didn’t. He pushed a button. “Donovan here.”
“I want an update,” the American on the other end said. “What do you know?”
Donovan breathed in. “We’ve had a setback. Just a slight one. We’re working it out now.”
There was silence on the other end of the line. Finally, “I don’t like the sounds of that.”
Join the club.
“You’d better get me that microchip, or I’m going to mail your tongue back to you in a box. Do you understand me?”
“I’ve got it covered.”
The phone clicked and went silent.
Chert voz’mi. Donovan realized he was sweating. He rubbed his tongue over the roof of his mouth, then realized he was checking to make sure it was still there. He glared at Alec. “In between getting your beauty rest, call all of our contacts. Let everyone know I want that girl and I want her like yesterday. When that’s done, I want you looking for her too. I’ll send Vanko to pick you up. Find her relatives first. Call Armstrong in case she goes to the police. Find her!”
He gritted his teeth. He’d yelled the last words. He inhaled a deep breath. He controlled his emotions, not the other way around.
Alec was already on the phone as Donovan left the room.
They had to find that girl.
Chapter Four
It took Murdoch a while to ken what he was feeling.
Happiness.
He hadn’t experienced the emotion in such a long while it took him time to recognize it.
They headed over to the police station and as they drove, there were plenty of new sights: buildings, parks, and chapels such as he’d never seen. He was going to have to thank Soni when she returned for him. She’d been right about the adventure.
He’d found himself in the middle of a fight.
He’d rescued and kissed the prettiest lass he’d ever seen.
Riding in a car and seeing the tall, colorful houses and narrow streets of the city was interesting and new. Driving up hills in a vehicle that displayed no effort at the task was amazing.
He’d even tasted the foods in Sarah’s mother’s kitchen while the ladies had packed. He’d recognized some, others had been a mystery, but all were tasty.
All in all, a good day with more to come.
It wasn’t yet clear why Sarah was the target of villains, but Murdoch was very clear on the fact that he needed to keep her safe. He glanced over at her. He didn’t mind the chore in the least. The lass was feisty, easy on the eyes, and felt like pure heaven in his arms. Nae, protecting her wasn’t a hardship. Hopefully he’d soon have a chance at another kiss, as he’d not mind repeating the experience.
Mayhap every hour or so.
But did he deserve this? After what happened in the past?
He should have known! He should have recognized the man for a spy!
Why hadn’t he?
They’d gathered the clans.
Rallied round the Bonnie Prince on the shores of Loch Shiel at Glenfinnan. Their people had risked much, hiding them at Edinburgh because they’d believed in their cause.
With few muskets, broadswords, knives, and shields they’d taken a hidden path to come up behind the enemy and won at Prestonpans, attacking dragoons at either side. Four hundred killed. Fourteen hundred taken prisoner. Only forty highlanders dead.
Carlyle, Preston, Manchester – all taken.
Uncontested, they’d marched two hundred miles in a month. They’d felt unstoppable. They’d been unstoppable. The French were to invade by sea as they took London by land.
When they’d reached Darby, the road to London lay open before them.
And then Dudley Bradstreet.
A black-hearted spy with a face so sincere he’d fooled even Murdoch. He’d told them nine thousand soldiers to their five blocked the road to London. Though Bonnie Prince Charlie had wished to press forward, to fight, Lord Murry wouldn’t risk it. Murdoch, witness to it all, could have stopped it if he’d recognized Bradstreet for what he was.
Murdoch could have been a hero instead of a dupe.
Sarah, hand in front of his face, snapped her fingers. “Hey, big guy? You there?”
Murdoch sucked in a breath, grateful to see her face rather than those from his past.
“I just called your grandfather and no one answered.” Sarah’s mother, in the backseat, sounded fashed.
Murdoch hadn’t heard her call out, and didn’t know why she would say so. He realized belatedly that she meant she’d called on a telephone. He’d seen those aplenty at Culloden Moor. People talked on them to others, supposedly from great distances away.
“I tried earlier,” Sarah admitted.
They pulled next to a large building and Sarah parked the car and shot him a worried look. He reached out and gave her thigh a squeeze, glad he had the right, and nodded his reassurance.
Her lips curved in a slight smile. Was she accepting him? The thought filled him with pleasure. “Stay here.” He rounded the vehicle to open the door for Sarah, then followed the ladies as they departed the vehicle. Murdoch glanced around the populated area but didn’t see anyone suspicious. At least nobody watched them or took an interest.
He’d thought he was used to the differences in clothing, speech, and hair as those touring Culloden Moor over the years had changed in style often. But seeing this many people, in the flesh, was startling and he found himself staring at impossibly colored hair, legs on display, and clothing of so many different types.
The last he’d been alive, most people dressed alike.
He trailed behind Sarah and her family up some stairs and into a building. He followed as Sarah headed toward a desk surrounded by a window, with a door off to one side. She glanced at him, relief in her expression, and he gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile before moving to stand beside her.
“Hello,” she addressed the man behind the glass. “I’m Sarah Davis and I’d like to report the fact that someone tried to kidnap me.”
At that, she had the man’s full attention as his back snapped taut and his gaze sharpened. He glanced from Sarah to Murdoch. He glanced curiously at Murdoch’s clothing and lingered on his scars.
“Can I see some identification?”
Sarah dipped into a small pouch, removed a card and handed it over.
The officer tapped on an instrument and looked at a square screen in front of him. “Same address?”
She gave him an address and the officer continued to tap. “All right, tell me what happened.”
Sarah told him about being at the school, how two men had come inside and taken her from her classroom, and how Murdoch had rescued her.
The officer studied the monitor. “Do you know Detective Armstrong?”
She shook her head.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded. “Should I know him?”
“Let me just give him a call. Why don’t you have a seat and he’ll come out as soon as he’s available to talk to you.”
She nodded and sank onto a seat.
Murdoch gave the man a hard stare. “What was that about?”
“Have a seat, sir.”
Murdoch nodded. Knowing he wasn’t going to get anything out of the man, he turned away and approached Sarah. “Are ye sure ye dinnae know this man, Armstrong?”
Sarah shook her head. “I don’t know anyone by that name.”
After a long wait in which Sarah’s family complained incessantly, a sandy-haired man with sharp features came in from the outdoors. “Sarah Davis?”
Sarah stood. “That’s me.”
“Alright. come with me, will you?”
Her sister and mother stood and Murdoch pushed off the wall. He narrowed his eyes at the other man, took in his hard eyed-stare, muscular body, and the gun strapped to his side. He wished for a gun and regretted leaving the two behind after his fight earlier. “She stays with me.”
The man tried for a smile and it made no difference to his watchful eyes. “I ne
ed to talk to Sarah alone. If the rest of you will just wait here, I’ll have her back in a jiffy.”
Murdoch stepped forward and pulled Sarah tight against his side. “I doonae think so. Where Sarah goes, I go.”
The smaller man squared off with him. “That isn’t how we do things here. You’ll have to wait.”
Murdoch’s jaw firmed. He knew his duty. He was not to let the lass out of his sight. Besides, it had been a long while since he’d trusted any government man. “As I said, I’ll be coming as well.”
“He was there for most of it, and he saved me from those men,” Sarah’s soft voice interjected. “He’s a witness, so I think it’s a good idea if he comes too.”
Murdoch squeezed her shoulder in appreciation.
“And I think I’m trying to do my job. I’ll be glad to talk to him after I’m done with you.” Detective Armstrong glared as Murdoch glared right back at him. “Now, you either wait here, or I’ll have you arrested and placed behind bars while I interview Miss Davis. What’s it to be?”
Hot rage simmered, and Murdoch could see the man behind the desk stand, ready to come to the other man’s aid should need be. Murdoch released Sarah. If confined, he’d be of no use to his lady. But somehow, somewhere, he had every intention of getting his revenge against the blighter.
Something was amiss. He could feel it in his bones.
Sarah placed her hand on his chest and gave him a reassuring smile as a noise sounded and the door unlocked. “I’ll be fine.”
She followed the detective and Murdoch resisted the urge to rush after her before the door shut once more. He shouldn’t have let her go. Something inside him knew it. He should have taken her away from this place. After a moment he strode forward and tried the door anyway. Locked.
“Can I help you?” The officer behind the desk asked in a hard tone.
Murdoch shot him a dark look then turned away. “Come.” He gestured to Sarah’s mother and sister and they obediently followed him out the front door. They headed around the side of the building and Murdoch checked each door as they passed by. All locked.
“Are you sure you should be doing this?” Jessica asked.
Sarah’s mother made a noise of disapproval.
