Chapter 15 Ramsay
Iwas finishing up for the day when I heard Cammie’s familiar voice frantically shouting my name.
Hearing her distress, I jumped off the platform I’d been working on in one of the bedrooms as Cammie burst into the room. “What’s wrong?” I demanded.
Her brows drew together, concern glimmering in her blue eyes. “It’s Tierney. She wasn’t on the ferry back from Kiln. Donal said she never showed, and he’d warned her to get back in time. It’s lashing down out there now.”
An image of Silver on the island by herself in this weather caused me discomfort, but I merely answered, “She’ll find shelter.”
Anger flared in Cammie’s eyes. “There’s someone threatening her, Ramsay.
I tried to tell her not to go alone, but she was convinced since no one else got on the ferry, she’d be fine.
But who is to say someone else didn’t follow her out there?
Maybe she missed the ferry because whoever is threatening her found her. ”
“Fuck.” The word hissed between my lips as I considered Cammie’s concern. If there was even a remote possibility … “I’ll take the boat over.”
“The water is rough.”
“I’ll go now before it gets worse. I’ll let you know if I find her.”
“I’ll come.”
“No. Quinn would have my head if anything happened to you. Anyway, I need you to watch Akiva.”
Twenty minutes later, I left Akiva behind on shore with Cammie and headed out toward Kiln.
The rain battered down, so I’d pulled on waterproof trousers and a hooded jacket to make the crossing.
As the waves rocked my small boat, I cursed Tierney Silver and whatever this fucking hold was she had on me.
Beneath my irritation was something I didn’t want to consider.
Because what if someone had gotten to her on Kiln?
“Fuck,” I growled, steering the boat through the choppy waters. I could barely see a thing and knew too late I’d taken a big risk. Still, I’d been in worse situations in my life. Far worse.
By the time I reached the dock at Kiln, my boat had almost capsized twice and I knew I’d have to find shelter for the night too.
There was no way I could chance traveling back in this weather.
With sheer strength and physical will, I managed to get the boat tied to the dock next to Donal’s and hiked up onto the main footpath.
I had a backpack with supplies, including a portable VHF radio so I could update Cammie and Leth Sholas on our situation.
The SUV took me by surprise, because I hadn’t heard the rumble of its engine over the crash of the water against shore. Its headlights blinded me before it suddenly swung to the side. I lowered my hand from my eyes and made out Donal Macintosh’s bearded face in the driver’s side.
“Donal?”
“Who is that?”
I approached the vehicle so he could see me better. “It’s me! Ramsay!”
“McRae?”
“Aye!”
“Are you crazy coming over in this weather, man!”
“I’m looking for someone! You brought her over this morning!”
“The blond lass? Aye, I’m out looking for her meself! Bloody tourists!”
“Do you know which way she went?”
“She took the coastal trail!” He pointed ahead of us. “If she’s smart, she made her way to the bothy!”
I knew which one he spoke of. The islanders here maintained the shelter for hikers who wanted to spend a night on the island. “I’ll head that way. You head home. I’ve got this!”
He scowled. “Let me drive you a ways. It’s ninety minutes by foot!”
Grateful, I nodded and rounded the SUV, jumping inside.
The sound of the weather dulled only somewhat as Donal righted the SUV and started down the coastal road.
“This lass something to you, then?” Donal asked quietly. “Considering you risked your very life in that water to get to her.”
“Honestly, I didn’t realize how bad the crossing would be. But she’s a friend of Cammie’s and Cammie was worried.”
Donal nodded. “Well, she seemed like a smart enough lass. I wouldnae fash yourself too much.”
“Is that why you’re out looking for her?”
“I dinnae like to think of anyone out here by themselves in this weather. And once my wife heard there was a young woman out here alone, she radioed everyone on the island to see if they had her. No one has seen the lass. The wife wouldnae stop nipping my ear until I went out to look for her.”
Because that was what a small community did for one another.
We fell into silence as he cautiously followed the road.
However, fifteen minutes later, as we came over the brow of a hill, we saw the light.
“That’s the bothy,” Donal told me. “Looks like she found it and the solar lamps.”
Something in me eased. “Good.”
“We’ve got another five minutes of track and then I’ll need to drop you off at the path. From there you’re probably another ten minutes by foot.”
“Thanks.”
A few minutes later, Donal stopped the SUV and I got out.
He stayed there, lighting my way with the headlights until the footpath took me downhill out of sight.
I couldn’t hear him drive off over the crash of water against the coastline and I could barely see through the rain battering down around me.
At the sight of the bothy and that light shining in the small side window, I felt the sudden urge to throttle Tierney Silver.
Not so much for dragging me out here in this fucking weather …
But for making me worry that I might not find her.
Or worse, I’d find her and be too late.