Chapter 15
LACHLAN
Light rays spilled across the wooden floor in Mac’s suite, the first sign of sun for days in this part of the country.
Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to make a difference to Mac’s mood.
Like the weather, it, too, was foul.
“How much bloody longer do I have to stay in here?” he snarled.
Refusing to react to my friend’s tone, I calmly took another sip of coffee as I sat on the edge of the desk at the bay window.
Mac’s head whipped toward me. “Well?”
“You’re not trapped in here,” I reminded him. “We just went for a walk.”
Mac scoffed. “Around this floor and the one below.”
“Doctor says gentle exercise. You work your way up to more.”
“I’m perfectly capable of more. I’m not a slight wee thing that can be blown over by a stiff wind. I’m strong and recovering well, and being cooped up in here with Rob—” He cut off, shoulders bowing.
I knew what Mac was about to say.
This wasn’t just about being stuck in the castle for days on end. This was about Robyn.
Of course, I had told Mac what happened between her and Stone.
I was always going to because I didn’t keep secrets from my friend, but if I hadn’t, the security team would have.
The men had watched the footage of Robyn’s takedown of Stone from the security cameras, and it was clear they were all impressed by her.
Curious, I watched it. Jock showed me the footage running up to the event with Robyn beating the shit out of a boxing bag with a power and energy I had to admit was sexy as fuck.
But the part with Stone got my blood boiling again.
I hated seeing Stone approach Robyn as he had.
Even though she’d handled it, I could tell it had shaken her up.
By allowing that bastard on my estate, I’d inadvertently allowed that to happen to her.
And now I couldn’t help but worry Stone might have cornered female members of my staff in the past without my knowledge.
Ones who might not have been able to fend him off.
After my warning to Stone, as I had known there would be, there was quiet on that front. However, thinking of the mistreatment my friends (of all genders) had faced at the hands of powerful men, I wasn’t satisfied with merely ending Stone’s membership.
I wanted to end the bastard’s power, power he wielded over women. His sense of power came from his fame. A few whispered words in the right ear, and work might just start drying up for Sebastian Stone.
“What are you thinking so hard on?” Mac asked.
Shaking off thoughts of Stone, I considered my friend and decided to put what was pissing Mac off out there. “Just thinking you’re acting like a grumpy shit because of Robyn.”
Mac scowled. “She’s not been to see me in days.”
“She’s not been on the estate in days.” I frowned. Not since Stone.
“Lucy says it’s because she’s working. Driving around Sutherland, taking photos.” Mac didn’t sound convinced.
I wasn’t entirely either. Although it could be true that she was out taking photos for her business.
Arrochar found Robyn’s photography site and Instagram account.
She showed both to Mac. Being a nosy bastard, I’d looked too.
To my shock, I discovered Robyn’s work was exceptional.
No wonder she had so many followers on her Instagram account.
I thought of her as a cop, not just because she was investigating the stalker/attacker case but because of her manner.
But there was no denying where her true talent lay.
Her shots were interesting city perspectives on Boston and New York. And lately, incredible scenic shots of Ardnoch and Sutherland. So beautiful, in fact, I considered commissioning work from her that I could display on the estate.
“Lucy’s probably right.”
“She’s avoiding me.” Mac ran an aggrieved hand through his hair. “I’m not a stupid man, Lachlan. She was fine one second and then the next, I’m Uncle Mac with Eilidh and Lewis, and Robyn can’t get out of here fast enough.”
My brows furrowed as I remembered the moment.
Robyn looked so panicked, I had instinctively reached for her.
When she’d eluded me, I’d chased after her, bumping into Lucy on the way.
Lucy had gone after her in my stead, but it had surprised me how concerned I’d been for Robyn.
Later, when I’d inquired about her to Lucy, my friend was closemouthed.
She assured me, however, Mac’s daughter was okay.
It didn’t occur to me that what was wrong with Robyn was watching Mac interact with my niece and nephew. Belatedly, I pieced together what Mac had perceptively already done. “She found it hard to see you being parental?”
Mac gave a slight lift of his chin in answer. I noted the way the muscle in my friend’s jaw ticked. And ticked, ticked, ticked.
Sympathy moved through me as I stood from the desk to approach the bed. “Mac, you need to give her the letters.”
“I don’t want her to think her mother is to blame for this. I’m in the wrong too.”
“I never said you weren’t. But things might have gone differently if her mum hadn’t made it so bloody hard for you.
” I thought of Robyn again, looking so young and alone that morning she’d run from Mac’s suite, like savage ghosts of the past were chasing her.
I found the idea of cocksure, tough Robyn Penhaligon so easily broken by Mac’s behavior oddly disconcerting.
While I still wanted to protect Mac, I knew it was in Robyn’s best interests, too, to discover the truth.
“Who got hurt the most in the end? Clearly Robyn. And she should know that losing you isn’t just on you. ”
Mac’s eyes narrowed as if he heard something in my voice. “It is. I hurt Stacey.” Mac referred to Robyn’s mother. “And she hurt me back through Robyn.”
“Only to hurt Robyn too.”
“Well … it’ll be up to me to tell Robyn. If I decide to tell her. She already hates one parent. She shouldn’t have to hate two.”
“She doesn’t hate you, Mac.” Her big, wounded eyes flashed in my mind. “She wouldn’t be here if she hated you. She wouldn’t be gunning for the person who attacked you if she hated you.”
Mac studied me closely. “You won’t tell her. I mean it. There are things I will forgive you when it comes to Robyn…” He gave me a pointed look I pretended not to understand. “But telling her about her mother is not one of them.”
“I wouldn’t dream of interfering,” I semi-lied, even as I crossed the room with that purpose in mind.
I wouldn’t tell Robyn about her mother, but I’d certainly give her a kick up the backside to come visit Mac and sort out their shit.
“I’m going back to work. Arro should be here soon.
Said she’d pop by to have lunch with you. ”
“I don’t need to be babysat,” Mac grumbled.
“Then I’ll tell her not to bother.”
“Well, I never said that. She’s probably already on her way here. Would be silly to stop her now.”
I hid a grin as I pulled open the bedroom door. “Enjoy lunch.”
As for work, I technically hadn’t lied about returning to it. I needed to ask Robyn about commissioning those photographs.
And if I happened to remind her while I was there that she had a duty to look after her father’s well-being, then so be it.
ROBYN
“Isn’t it still early there?” I held my phone up to my face so Autry and Jaz could see me in the dim light of the trailer.
We’d exchanged DMs on social media since my arrival in Scotland, but this was the first time we’d all had a chance to video chat.
When I’d gotten Jaz’s text a few minutes ago about the call, I’d been surprised but delighted.
Once upon a time, these two people were my closest friends, but ever since I’d left the force, I’d felt them slipping away.
“It’s nearly seven in the morning,” Jaz replied and pulled back the phone so I could see her silk robe. “Still in my pj’s.”
“If that’s what you call pj’s,” I teased. “Do I even want to know what’s under there?”
“For my eyes only.” Autry wrapped an arm around Jaz and pulled her back into his chest.
A twinge of jealousy moved through me.
How wonderful would it be to have what my friends had together?
“I miss you guys,” I said honestly.
The last few days had been a test on my emotions. More than once, I’d considered packing up and going home. Yet, it wasn’t in me to admit defeat. And I still wanted to find out who had attacked Mac.
“We miss you too.” Jaz narrowed her gorgeous dark eyes. “Are you okay? You look tired, Robbie.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“I’m serious.”
I glanced between Jaz’s and Autry’s concerned faces.
“I haven’t been telling the truth about what’s going on here.
” I went on to explain what happened to Mac, what was happening at the estate, and that I didn’t want Mom or Seth to know.
While they weren’t close to my parents, Autry might have occasion to see Seth now and then, considering my stepfather was a detective at our precinct.
“Shit, is your daddy okay?” Jaz asked.
I nodded. “He’s strong. Recovering. Though I’ve avoided him this past week.”
“Why?”
I then explained my meltdown after seeing him with Thane’s kids.
Autry listened patiently, and I knew he was processing and would have an opinion on the matter, but it was Jaz who spoke first. “Robbie, you might as well come home if you’re going to hide out in what looks like the most depressing trailer I have ever seen.”
I chuckled. “You can barely see any of it.”
“I can see some nasty-looking, poo-colored floral sofa situation going on, and that is enough.”
I laughed harder. “Okay, the trailer is bad, but it’s cheap rent.”
“It’s money you don’t need to spend if you aren’t going to face your dad and your problems.”
As always, straight to the heart of the matter with blunt precision. It’s kind of why I loved her.
“Am I right?” she asked her husband over his shoulder.