Chapter 38 Thane
THANE
Iwatched numbly as paramedics loaded Eredine into an ambulance despite her protests she was fine. She wasn’t fine.
Jock and I had come home to find the SUV Regan had been driving in my driveway. My relief was short-lived when I discovered Eredine knocked out on my living room floor and my children and Regan missing.
Eredine had come to and told us what happened. She’d been knocked out twice, so there were no arguments about her going to the hospital.
The shared driveway was a mass of activity. Lachlan’s security. The police. My family.
I watched from a distance, my emotions locked down so tight I couldn’t feel anything.
Because if I let myself, I’d lose my goddamn mind.
Sean McClintock had kidnapped my children and Regan.
“We should never have taken security off them.” I heard Mac growl at Arrochar. She tried to soothe him, but Mac paced up and down the driveway like a caged animal. The police wanted his team out of it while they tracked down McClintock, and Mac had not taken kindly to the order.
I hadn’t either.
Walking toward Mac, I caught his eye and gestured for him to follow me down the side of the house toward the annex.
According to our calculations, Regan and my children had been missing for forty-five minutes. Time was passing too quickly. My family was getting farther and farther away. I stopped near the annex and turned to face Mac.
Checking over my shoulder to make sure the detective inspector in charge wasn’t nearby, I waited a second and then said, “Fuck what they want. I want you out there, using whatever contacts you have to find this bastard.”
Mac’s expression hardened, and he nodded sharply. “Done.”
“When you find them”—because I had no doubt Mac could—“no police. I want at him first before we hand him over.”
Retribution raged in Mac’s eyes. “That I can do.”
I nodded, trying to keep a lid on the seething rage I’d bottled. I’d actually felt gutted for Sean, was determined to speak to the procurator fiscal on his behalf when the attempted kidnapping case went ahead because I knew grief did bizarre things to people.
And the bastard had come for my family again!
I had to keep calm, keep calm, keep calm. I moved to leave, but Mac’s head suddenly snapped back, and he held up a palm toward me.
I froze. “What is it?”
Mac cocked his head. “Did you hear that?” he whispered.
My pulse leapt. “Hear what?”
“Shh.” Mac strode past me and placed his ear to the annex door. I cautiously followed him and strained to hear.
A dull thud sounded from inside.
“Fuck!” I lunged toward the door, but Mac held me back. He shook his head and reached slowly behind his back to pull out a gun he’d tucked into the waistband of his kilt.
“Behind me,” he murmured. I reluctantly fell back.
Mac twisted the door handle, and it opened.
I frowned. That should have been locked.
Stepping quietly through the small entrance, my eyes fighting to adjust to the darkness, I stayed at Mac’s back even though I was desperate to push ahead. Then Mac suddenly halted with a hoarse “Jesus Christ.” And then, “Thane, get the light.”
“Lights on,” I called, but the annex didn’t light up. The smart device must have been disconnected.
A muffled squeal from within the main room caused a score of renewed fear through my heart, and I lunged for the light switch at the door. Mac was already striding into the room, and I moved with him.
Fury and relief were all I felt at finding Eilidh and Lewis each tied to a garden chair. Lewis’s chair was on its side, my son on the floor. Tears streamed down my children’s faces, and their yells of relief were muffled by the duct tape over their mouths.
“Jesus Christ,” Mac repeated in controlled rage as he hurried to Eilidh, tucking his gun back into his kilt and out of sight under his dress jacket.
I fell to the floor behind Lewis, struggling to untie the tightly knotted ropes binding his wrists behind the chair. “Knife!” I yelled at Mac.
“One second.” Mac pulled a Swiss Army knife out of his sporran and proceeded to saw at Eilidh’s bindings.
“It’s okay, Eilidh-Bug,” I promised, holding her teary gaze. “I’m here now.” I turned to Lewis, embracing him over the chair. “Dad’s here, bud. I’m going to take off the duct tape, okay?”
My son nodded frantically.
“It might hurt a bit, but I’ll be quick.”
Lewis nodded again.
Swallowing hard against the angry tears in my throat, I grasped a corner of the tape and yanked it off in one fast flick.
My son cried out in pain and then promptly burst into tears.
“It’s okay, bud,” I murmured through my own tears as I peppered my son’s cheeks with relieved kisses. “I’ve got you, you’re safe.”
He strained to look from the corner of his eyes as I tried to untangle the ropes again. Lewis hiccupped. “I heard you outside. Tipped my chair.”
Pride seared through me. “Good, that was good, Lew. I’m so proud of you.” The fear I’d been trying to keep at bay clawed at me. “Where’s Regan, Lew? Was she with you?”
Lewis stilled from his struggles to get free. “She wasn’t here. The bad man took us out of our beds. He threatened to hurt Eilidh if I didn’t go with him. I didn’t want him to hurt her, so I went,” Lewis cried.
Fuck.
I squeezed my eyes closed, wondering how on earth my kids would get through this latest trauma.
“You did the right thing, Lew. I’m so proud of you for looking after your sister.”
“Daddy!” Eilidh shrieked as Mac removed the duct tape. She sobbed and then pushed off the loosened ropes to fly across the room. I caught her in my arms, probably holding her too tight, but nothing was better than feeling her warm and alive. Even as her tears soaked my shirt.
“Shh, my darling,” I hushed, rocking her as she sobbed and hiccupped in my arms. “I’ve got you.”
I nodded gratefully to Mac as I moved out of the way to the let my friend free Lewis.
“Was it the man who tried to take Eilidh last time, Lew?” Mac asked as I worked at the ropes.
“No, Uncle Mac.” Lew’s answer winded me.
I met Mac’s gaze.
If it wasn’t McClintock …
“Who the hell has Regan?” Mac uttered the question that made me light-headed with renewed terror.