by India Kells
She looked at him, raising her brows in mocked horror. “And what we just did was bland and lacked intensity?”
Wesley licked his lips. “Point taken. When I think about it, it’s a good idea I didn’t know who you were from the start, as it would have spoiled your dominatrix character. Or maybe you could have donned a tiara, to make it more realistic?”
Mac growled at his teasing. “Don’t make me regret telling you my secrets.”
Wesley turned very serious. “I may joke with you, but I don’t care about titles. In even more ways than you think. I care about the woman in front of me, how courageous and crazy she is. Your merit only lies there with me.”
“I appreciate it. Now, I’d better get my clothes and my courage and prepare before we hop on that plane and I need to face my brother.”
As she pushed herself again, he gathered her back one last time against him. “You’re not alone. A whole team will help you protect your brother. Calvi doesn’t stand a chance.”
Mac would never admit it, but she could have dissolved into tears, right then and there, as he spoke those words. Instead, she kissed him, silently thanking him for his support. How she wished she could make him such a promise to never again push him away. But deep down inside, in a place where she could barely admit to herself yet, life was bound to play against her, making her lose. At this moment, she prayed for strength. For both of them. And for the future.
Chapter 24
So long had passed since she came back home, and the Scottish Highlands stood, magnificent, as if she had never left. Purgatory had already deployed teams around the MacKinnon estate and surrounding villages, making sure they would see Calvi or his men coming from afar. Fortunately, the territory was vast, complicated, often inaccessible.
Now, the next step was to convince her brother that the threat he faced was real, and allow her, all of them, to help. Mac was used to keeping a level head, but this was different. She would have preferred to jump into a firefight instead of returning to her childhood stomping ground to reopen old wounds. And all this was her fault. If she would have killed Calvi, as it was required of her in her initial mission, she wouldn’t be here.
The truck swerved a little, pulling her out of her reverie.
“Lance, if you can’t drive on the other side of the road without killing us, I would rather take the wheel right now.”
“Shut up.” Eyes glued on the road, Lance grumbled his answer.
Sullivan sitting beside his friend in the front seat punched him on the shoulder, mocking him in a very brotherly way. Gabrielle was already setting up the center of operations in a house they leased about a mile from the estate.
Wesley stayed silent beside her, but when her head turned to look at the landscape again, he took her hand in his. “I’m sure it won’t be as bad as you think.”
Oh how she hoped it would be the case. The MacKinnons were renowned to be a proud bunch. Not only would she need to make amends, but also announce that because of her mistake, his life, as well as his wife’s, was in danger.
The view finally opened, and there it was, Castle Mirth. Memories flooded her mind for a moment, before she could lock them away safely again. Good or bad, they would influence her judgment, making her sluggish when she needed to be at her peak performance.
Lance whistled. “I googled the place when you told me who you were, Mac, but this is beyond what I imagined.”
Mac could see what he was talking about. Nestled between mountains, the castle was a structure built at the end of the medieval period. Renovations had been made, but always with respect to the original architecture. It was a stunning castle for an outsider. From the inside, it had been a very lonely place at times. The hills had provided more comfort, welcoming her with open arms. Nature, offering more warmth and peace than her parents ever could.
Mac braced herself when they drove inside the inner courtyard, and saw her brother coming out to greet them. In five years, he had changed in some ways, and not in others. He was still the red-headed giant she remembered. Not the exact image of their father who was slimmer and more elegant, but with the definite features of the entire MacKinnon lineage, that looked more like highlander warriors from the storybooks. What had changed, except the thick reddish beard he now sported? Gone was the long hair, too. The wildness had disappeared, replaced by authority and duty.
When the car stopped, she gave one last bolstering squeeze to Wes’ hand before getting out of the vehicle. She had asked for the others to stay inside until she had the chance to talk to her brother alone.
Mac was always envious of how tall he was; where she topped more on the shorter side. But despite their height difference, they looked alike, from their features to their red hair and green eyes.
She walked up to him, trying to gauge his state of mind, guess what to expect. Almost impossible, even for her.
“Hello Matt.”
He looked at her, silent. The only giveaway was the storm she saw brewing inside of him. And before she could analyze him any further, she was in his embrace, engulfed into a bear hug.
“Ellie.” His voice deep and filled with emotion that made her throat squeeze painfully.
Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his waist. There were so many things she needed to tell him, but only one came out of her mouth. “I’m so sorry. Forgive me, Matt.”
She didn’t really know why she was apologizing or what for, but she needed to, badly.
After a long moment, Matthew released her and quickly wiped at his wet cheeks. “Ellie.” He cupped her face. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
Mac smiled sadly. “It’s been a difficult all these years away.”
Matt nodded somberly. “And from what I hear, difficulty is still in the news.”
Mac followed her brother’s gaze to the car where three men awaited.
“Tell me, Ellie, would you have come if I wouldn’t have been in danger?”
“Tell me, Matt, would you have answered my call if I wasn’t warning you of impending danger?”
Matt shook his head and sighed deeply. “Let’s take care of the emergency first. Why don’t you enter with your friends? We’ll be more comfortable.”
Matthew turned and walked back inside as Mac turned to wait for Wes, Lance, and Sullivan to get out of the truck.
Wesley came by her side. “Did the reunion sound as sweet as it appeared?”
“Not entirely. He was glad to see me, but I felt resentment. I’m not given a free pass on that one, and to be honest, I’m not giving him one either. The most important is that he accepts my presence and yours. Even if we do not reconcile, I prefer to have him alive than happy.”
Lance nodded at her before looking up at the castle. “What’s the saying? Better to be unhappy in a big ass castle, then live happily in a tent?”
Sullivan elbowed his friend. “You invented that one. Lance, I never thought you were a vain man.”
“I didn’t know I was until now. Mac, if you’re entitled to any of that, I have a very important question to ask you. Will you marry me?”
Mac didn’t believe she could find anything funny enough to laugh about on this trip, but she had underestimated Lance’s sense of humor.
“Well, Lance, I will consider your proposal very carefully. But as I’m not a man and not interested in you, I don’t think we would make a happy marriage. And let me remind you that my brother is the rightful heir of our clan and all this.”
Lance perked up. “Do you think he would be interested?”
“We would need to ask his wife.” As Lance’s face fell comically, she made her way to the door, very glad for Lance’s antics, dimming the anxiety building up in her belly.
The three men on her heels, she came inside the great entrance. Nothing had changed in her eyes. The room opened into a vast hall with a large staircase at its center. The dark wood gleamed and when the sun peeked out of the clouds, the stained glass added a joyful carousel of colors around the room. It was the very
place where she had her last fight with her father. She remembered it well. Maybe too well. Her mother, stern and disapproving, stood beside him, but never said a word. When she slammed the door on her way out, Mac didn’t turn back.
Wesley came at her side, putting a warm and comforting hand at the small of her back. “Bad memories have a way of taking you by the throat when you least expect it, don’t they?”
Mac smiled a little and shook her head. “Wes, my memories would never hurt as much as yours. Not all of them were painful or sad. And I wasn’t tortured here. I wouldn’t dare compare my ordeal with yours.”
Grinning, he took her hand. “Your soul has been tortured here, and you fought and sacrificed a great deal to have it back. Never forget that.”
She lifted on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. A side door opened, and Matthew came out again, this time helping a very pregnant woman. Blonde with a healthy glow and smiling face, her face welcomed them all before she zoomed in on Mac.
“Ellie!” She escaped from her husband’s arms and waddled at an alarming pace in her direction. Mac walked toward her, mostly to protect her brother from succumbing to a heart attack.
The woman was slightly a bit taller than Mac, with pale blue eyes and creamy complexion. Her eyes misted as she squeezed her hand even harder.
“My name is Jenny, but I’m sure you already knew that. I’m so happy you’re here. Matt would never admit it, but he missed you terribly. I begged him to invite you to our wedding—”
“It’s okay. Matthew had every right to keep me away. We have many things to sort out, and family matters are always difficult.”
“Look at you, you’re exactly as Matt described. And you came with friends.”
“Yes. Jenny, Matthew, may I present you Wesley and Lance Sorenson, and Sullivan Thorne.”
All three man smiled at the pregnant woman and slightly bowed in her direction. However, Jenny would have none of that and went to each of them to kiss them soundly on their cheeks.
“All friends of Ellie are welcome here. Please enter, I have tea and cake in the drawing room.”
Mac noticed that Matthew wasn’t so pleased about his wife’s welcome, but kept silent. Instead, he escorted her to the drawing room. Again, nothing had changed, except perhaps the sofas, which looked new. Matthew helped Jenny onto one of them and sat beside her. Mac sat on a love seat in front, and unsurprisingly, Wesley came by her side. Lance and Sullivan sat on deep chairs close by. A minute later, a servant came and installed a tray with a tea pot and cups on the low table before disappearing. The tray was filled with cookies and pastries and the tea fuming. Mac tried to remember when the last time she had tea served like this was. Probably here, a long time ago. Jenny scooted forward to do the service, and Mac rose.
“Let me do the service, Jenny.”
“Oh no, just let me get to my feet.”
“Please. It would be my pleasure.”
Jenny sighed good-naturedly and rubbed her belly. “Well, only for this time, if you don’t mind. My back hurts all the time these days. I guess you know how to do this better than me anyway.”
The longing in her sister-in-law’s voice didn’t go unnoticed, especially to her husband.
Mac smiled kindly. “Jenny, I may have learned how to pour tea, but I’m certain you can serve it with more elegance than I ever could.”
To her surprise, Jenny laughed. It was incredible how this woman could instill pure sunlight into a room. It was a no-brainer why her brother fell for her.
As gracefully as her mother had taught her years ago, she offered a cup to Jenny and her brother, then to her companions, before preparing one for herself. As expected, Lance and Sullivan couldn’t resist the plate of goodies in front of them. She put cookies on a delicate dish and placed it before Wes, as she suspected he wouldn’t allow himself to them otherwise.
When Mac sat back down, everybody stayed silent. Matthew looked at her, a warning in his eyes. Of course, it was obvious he didn’t share the information concerning Calvi’s threat with his wife, and most of all, he didn’t want any of them to talk about it.
“So, Ellie, your brother told me you’re in the British Army.”
Whoa, that’s to the point. As she suspected, Jenny wasn’t a woman to fiddle with niceties.
“Yes, when I left Castle Mirth, I went and enrolled in the British Army. I spent several years with them. Afterward, as I had specific talents and expertise, I was offered a job in the private sector. I’ve been with that firm ever since.”
“Fascinating. I suppose that your skills as a marksman, or should we say markswoman, would make you a perfect candidate.”
Mac paused. The ray of sunlight in front of her had much more to her than it appeared.
“I see you have done your homework on me.”
“I wanted to understand to what kind of family I was marrying into.” Jenny smiled as she took a sip of tea. The way she asked her questions were matter-of-fact, to a point where Mac wasn’t sure of her intent. However, she sensed that Jenny needed her answers both for herself and to protect her husband.
Matthew growled something low to his wife, who ignored him. Mac didn’t see any threat, only the desire to come clean and dust off secrets, starting with the elusive Elorian.
“Very understandable. And you, Jenny, what did you do before marrying my brother?”
“I’m still a policewoman.” She said it with defiance in her voice, as if to warn that it would take more than a ring to make her anything else.
Mac laughed. “Really? That’s great! This family needs strong women, in my humble opinion.”
“Ellie!” The tone of her brother made Wesley shift in his seat. From a corner of her eyes, she saw Lance and Sullivan, silent so far, abandoning their cookies.
Jenny elbowed her husband. “Matthew, I love you with everything I have, but you knew I wasn’t, am not, and never will be a cookie-cutter, perfect lady-of-the-manor wife. No need to growl at your sister for that. Let’s be clear, Ellie, he’s not angry at your career choice, he still hasn’t found a way to deal with the manner you left. How he had to take over everything here all by himself.”
“Enough!” Matthew rose and raked his fingers through his thick red hair.
Jenny leaned back on the sofa, her hands cradling her belly and an ominous frown on her face. “My love, if your next words resemble something like you should go and rest while I talk to my sister, think again. I’m not leaving this room until I hear the reason why she suddenly reappeared, with three obvious American soldiers, putting a constant frown on your face and motivating you to start lying to me and hiding things for the first time since we got married.”
On her left, Mac heard Sullivan whistle softly. “I thought I married a badass, but Gab has nothing on her.”
Matthew started pacing the room as Jenny gazed at Mac with a serene expression on her face.
“I have nothing against you, Ellie, on the contrary, I’m overjoyed to have you here. But if you’re bringing trouble to our door, I’d rather understand why. I may be in a vulnerable state, but my mind isn’t. I’m stronger than I look.”
Mac glanced at her brother who appeared more than defeated as he sat back beside his wife.
“I only want to protect you, Jenny. I would be lost without you.”
The love that shone on her face, made Mac envious for a moment. “I know, husband. I love you more for that. But we can face anything together. Don’t leave me in the dark, it would put me even more at risk.”
For the first time, Matthew smiled. The very same one, full blown, that Mac remembered from ages ago. Matthew took his wife’s hand and kissed it, before turning back to them.
“Elorian, please repeat everything you have told me on the phone. So we are sure to be all on the same page.”
Bracing herself for an uncomfortable tale, Mac started telling the story from the beginning, from her screw-up mission with Calvi, to her fleeing to Seattle, their encounter with Rodriguez, minus certain detai
ls related to what happened in the dungeon, and the latest confrontation at the Day of the Dead, where Calvi revealed his intention and target. She tried to sound and look as stern and factual as possible, but inside, anger and helplessness bubbled. When she was done, she realized that Wesley had his hand on her lower back, rubbing soothingly.
While Matthew was still analyzing the information, Jenny had switched to her cop mode. “This Jorge Calvi, how can he be the head of an organization without popping up on official radars?”
Lance leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “We’ve been after the man for some time now. The basic problem was the structure, not the name. At first sight, they look disorganized, but the structure is solid. It’s only after two years of following drug trails and random assassinations, that we could finally reach the upper crust. Again, no names, until we ultimately saw a pattern in the money flow. That led us to Calvi.”
