Chapter Thirty-Two
Kirk
Dougal MacWraith is going to die, and I will be the one to wring his bloody neck.
The rage burning inside me is like nothing I've ever felt before.
My pulse pounds in my ears as I stare at the door where that bastard just exited as if he owns the place---and the whole Highlands.
I've always known for years that MacWraith was a villain.
But I hadn't comprehended the full scope of his evil until now.
Kenny was the opening act. Gretchen is now Dougal's leading lady in the most treacherous play of all time.
"Kirk?" Gretchen's voice draws me out of my thoughts. "Talk to me. Please."
I spin round to face her, still trembling with fury. "That watch...Kenny's watch...he'd never part with it willingly. Never."
She approaches me cautiously, as if I'm a wounded animal that might lash out. "You think Dougal did something to Kenny?"
"Dinnae know," I confess. "But I mean to find out. Kenny would sooner cut off his own hand than give up his grandfather's watch."
Gretchen wraps her arms around herself. My shirt hangs loose on her frame. The sight of her seeming so vulnerable only fuels my rage. But anger isn't the best response, not yet.
"I need to call my brothers," I tell the lass, already reaching for my mobile. "And then we need to find Kenny."
"You think he's in even more danger than before?" Gretchen asks.
"Aye. Or worse." The possibility that Kenny might already be dead makes my nostrils flare and my fists tighten. I can't afford to think like that right now. "MacWraith wouldnae have that watch unless something had happened to Kenny."
I dial Tam's number, pacing the length of the living room while I wait for him to answer. Every ring feels like an eternity. When he finally picks up, I waste no time with pleasantries. "Tam, I need you to drop everything and meet me at my flat. Now."
"What's happened?"
"Dougal MacWraith showed up at my flat with five of his goons." I explain as I glance at Gretchen. "He had Kenny's grandfather's watch. The silver one with the Celtic knot."
I hear Tam's sharp intake of breath. "Shite. Kenny would never---"
"Exactly." I clench my fist, my nails digging into my palm. "I need ye here. As soon as possible."
"I'm on my way," Tam confirms grimly. "Twenty minutes at most. Should I bring Neil?"
"Aye, that's a good idea." Tam's experience as a former military medic might come in handy, though I pray we won't need those skills. "I'll call Mam and Da next."
"Be careful, brother. If MacWraith's making moves this bold, there's no telling what he's capable of."
"I know. Just get here, please." I end the call and immediately dial my parents' number.
Gretchen sidles up to me, resting her cheek on my upper arm. The gentle touch grounds me, pulling me back from the edge of blind rage. "Let me help, Kirk. What can I do?"
I cover her hand with mine, squeezing gently. "You being here is enough. But I need ye to stay close. After what just happened, I dinnae trust MacWraith not to send his men back."
The mobile rings in my ear. My mother answers on the third ring.
"Kirk, dearie. Is everything all right?"
"No, Mam. We've got trouble." I explain about Dougal's visit, the watch, and the threats. As I speak, I can feel Gretchen's eyes on me, her worry evident.
"That bloody erse," my mother hisses, her usual calm evaporating. "Your father and I will be there as soon as we can. Have ye called Tam?"
"Aye, he's on his way with Neil. Mam, I think Kenny might be---"
"Dinnae say it," she cuts me off. "We'll find him, Kirk. The Balfours stick together, always have. Kenny might not be our flesh and blood, but he's a good laddie."
"I know he is. Kenny's like family to us." I pause, watching Gretchen's face, and change my mind about something. "On second thought, Mam, wait for us to come to you. Be on the lookout for anything unusual. Da will know what to do. Take care, see you soon."
I hang up, wondering how to proceed now.
But then it hits me. "Gretchen, I'm going to contact Archie MacIver."
"The ethical hacker guy you told me about?"
"Aye. Maybe he can help." I grab my phone, scrolling through my contacts until I find Archie's number.
I force myself to focus despite the dire situation.
Archie might be our best chance at getting information quickly.
He's a computer genius who walks the fine line between legal and illegal hacking, though he prefers the term "information specialist."
"Kirk, mate! It's been ages. What's the craic?" His cheerful voice grates on my nerves, though only because I'm worried---about too many things.
"Archie, I need your help. It's urgent." I keep my voice low, glancing at Gretchen who's now pulling on a pair of my sweatpants to go with my shirt. Even in this dire situation, I cannae help but notice how bonnie she looks in my clothes.
"That sounds serious," Archie says, all traces of lightheartedness vanishing in an instant. The laddie is just nineteen years old but already a computer genius. "What can I do?"
"Need ye to look into Dougal MacWraith in depth. Anything ye can find. Business dealings, properties, connections, especially anything related to Kenny MacDonald. He's missing, and MacWraith has his grandfather's pocket watch."
"The watch with the Celtic knot? Kenny would never part with that willingly."
"Exactly. Something's very wrong. I need information fast, and I'm willing to pay whatever it takes."
"Keep yer money, Kirk. Kenny helped me out of a tight spot last year. Consider this my way of returning the favor." I hear typing in the background. "Give me a few hours. I'll dig deep---offshore accounts, property holdings, surveillance footage if I can get it."
"Thanks, mate. I owe you. Just find Kenny," I tell him before hanging up. As I set the mobile down, my mind is already racing ahead to what we should do next. Gretchen is watching me with a determined set to her jaw that tells me she's not about to be sidelined in this fight.
"We need to go," I tell her, moving toward the bedroom to grab proper clothes. "Tam and Neil will be here soon, and then we're heading to my parents' place. It's safer there---more people, more eyes watching out for trouble."
Gretchen follows me, her bare feet silent on the wood floor. "Kirk, what exactly are we up against here? Who is this Dougal MacWraith really? I think it's time you told me more about him."
I hesitate, shirt in hand, considering how much to tell her. But after what just happened, she deserves the full truth, no matter how ugly.
"Dougal MacWraith is the head of one of the oldest, most dangerous crime families in Scotland," I explain, strictly to remind her, while I pull on a fresh shirt.
"His clan has been operating in the Highlands for generations, dealing in everything from illegal whisky during prohibition to modern-day weapons trafficking and extortion, sex trafficking too. "
I snatch up a pair of jeans and step into them quickly. I need to focus.
For Kenny. For Gretchen.
"Okay, I get it, Kirk. They're super bad hombres." She gets fresh clothes out of the closet we've been sharing while I hunt about for mine. "But how are we going to take down the Scottish mafia? Even with your whole family ready to fight, things could get dirty and nasty pretty fast."
"We won't take them down all at once," I reply, pulling on a pair of thick socks.
"We find Kenny first, make sure he's safe, then we work on dismantling MacWraith's operation piece by piece.
My family has connections too---legal ones.
The Loch Fairbairn Police might need to get involved too, eventually. "
Gretchen slumps her shoulders, and I recognize the worry etched on her face. I must look the same way. She slips into a pair of my joggers and one of her own shirts.
"I'm sorry ye got dragged into this mess, gràidh." I reach out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "This isnae what ye signed up for when ye came to Scotland."
She grasps my hand, holding it to her cheek. "I'm not sorry, Kirk. I'm with you in this, no matter what. You said it yourself---the Balfours stick together. Well, I'm sticking with you too."
Bod an Donais, I love this woman.