Chapter 23 Lachlan #3
“No, let me. Once this,” she said, gesturing to her face, “looks better, I’ll catch up with her. I keep meaning to have dinner with her, anyway.” Arrochar stood to follow me to the front door. “Is something going on between you two?”
“Why would you ask that?” I asked blandly, glad my back was to her.
“Just the way you kept watching each other at the ceilidh.”
“She was watching me?” I threw over my shoulder and then almost rolled my eyes at my idiocy.
Arrochar’s lips twitched, but she did me the favor of not laughing. “Oh, it’s that way, is it?”
“It’s nothing serious.”
“Does Mac know?”
“Like I said, it’s nothing serious. We’re both on the same page.”
“You can have nothing serious with anyone. Why her? It’s not like you to put sex before your family, and Mac is family.”
Her admonishing tone chafed. “Arro, I love you, but I’m not discussing this with you.
I’ll be back tonight. Lock the door behind me, and lock your bloody kitchen door.
None of us should have our guard down right now.
Especially not you. And if that bastard comes here after I boot him off the estate, you get straight on the phone to me.
” Something occurred to me. “Does he have a key?”
“No. I would have changed the locks if he did.”
“Still …” My brow furrowed. “How would you feel about relocating to my place until I can get the locks changed? Just in case. If the arsehole can hit you, he can go behind your back to have a key copied.”
“You’re so paranoid.”
“For good reason.”
At my implacable stare, she threw up her hands. “Fine. But I’ll need to grab some things.”
After following my sister to my coastal home in the tiny settlement of Caelmore, just outside Ardnoch, happy she was secure inside, I didn’t just call a locksmith to change out Arro’s locks but arranged for a security company to update her standard house alarm.
I didn’t care if it was overboard.
Then as I was driving up to the castle, I called Jock to prepare some men to escort Guy off the estate. I didn’t explain why, and Jock didn’t ask questions.
The rage that I’d dialed down to simmering began to boil over, but my promise to my sister kept it under control as I stormed through the trade entrance and into the castle kitchen.
Guy was there with his sous chef Rafaella and four junior chefs.
“Everyone but Guy out of the kitchen. Now,” I barked.
The chefs startled, hesitating for a moment before Rafaella clipped at them to remove themselves. She followed, throwing a curious look at me over her shoulder as she left.
I turned to my sister’s ex-boyfriend and my soon-to-be ex-employee and knew the bastard knew that I knew.
Guy dropped the large kitchen knife in his hand and walked toward me with his hands raised defensively. “Whatever she said, let me explain.”
I raised a finger, pointing at him. “Stay the fuck there. Take one more step toward me, and this conversation will end less civilly than I promised Arro.”
The chef abruptly stopped. He swallowed hard. “Lachlan—”
“You’re fired. No ifs, buts, or maybes about it. I want you off this estate immediately.”
Guy had the audacity to look shocked. “Do I get a reference at least?”
A red mist crept into the corners of my vision. I seethed, holding it back. “You beat my sister. You’re lucky I’m not calling the police.”
The man didn’t seem to understand the peril he was in. “If you don’t give me a reference, my reputation is ruined. I left a five-star hotel for this job!”
I counted to five in my head. Then, “Not. My. Problem.”
“This is my career! And over what? Your whore of a sister!”
The word whore hit me with the impact of a punch to the face. I bowed my head, glared at my feet, tried to count again, got to three—
I lunged at Guy with a downward swing of my fist that knocked the piece of shit to the ground. Blood sprayed across the side of the stainless steel island from the force of the blow to his nose.
Groaning, Guy pushed up off the floor, and I helped him to his feet, hauling him by the front of his chef whites so the fucker dangled off the ground.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jock stride into the room with two men at his back.
Blood dripped down Guy’s nose and mouth, the former of which was already swelling up.
“If I ever see you near my family again, I’ll end more than your career. Do you understand?”
Guy glared at me.
“Do you understand me?”
The arsehole nodded, and I shoved him at Jock, who caught and pushed him at the men at his back. The security guards each took one of his arms.
“Escort him so he can gather his shit, then get him off my estate. Make sure he never sets foot in Ardnoch again.” The men nodded. “Jock, wait a minute.”
Guy didn’t struggle against my men as they manhandled him out of the kitchen. I waited until they were gone to say to Jock, “I want it made perfectly clear to him that he’s not welcome in Scotland. Understood?”
My man understood. “On it.”
Once Jock was gone, I finally felt the pain in my knuckles and hissed as I flexed my fingers.
Grabbing a bag of ice from the large walk-in freezer, I then went in search of Rafaella.
I found her and the junior chefs in the small staff room off the kitchens.
They looked a little pale-faced, and a lot concerned.
I didn’t explain, even though they all noted the ice pressed to my knuckles. “Rafaella, you’ve just been promoted to head chef. We’ll start interviewing for a sous chef next week, if that works for you?”
She nodded, wide-eyed. “Absolutely.”
“Good. Any problems adjusting to the new schedule, let me know.” I turned to leave, throwing over my shoulder, “There’s blood on the side of the island. I’d disinfect the whole thing and the floor and get rid of any food prep that was out.”
“Okay,” she replied in a tone that suggested I was a little crazy.
I felt a little crazy.
In fact, I was practically buzzing with animal energy that needed release.
Pulling my phone out of my back pocket, I dialed Robyn. She didn’t answer.
Fuck.
Ten minutes later, I’d changed into workout clothes and was beating the shit out of a boxing bag in the gym.
Sex with Robyn would’ve been my first choice, but apparently my American wasn’t as keen to see me as I was to see her.
It was probably for the best. I was due home to Arro in a few hours.
Just the thought of my sister and what she’d gone through had me hitting the bag so hard, a crack opened in the ceiling.