Chapter 20
Twenty
SLOANE
When Brodan walked through the door of the cottage a little while later, my immediate feeling was guilt.
He and Monroe had just had a son. They didn’t need to deal with my crazy life.
However, Walker had insisted on calling him after he called Thane to ask him to keep Callie with them until we’d dealt with this.
Honestly, thank God for Walker, because I think I was in shock.
Until this point, even with Hoffman’s assault and the attempted kidnapping in Inverness, I think my mind had diminished the danger in order to cope with it. Yet, seeing the fury that had devastated our beautiful little cottage finally drove it home that my daughter and I were in trouble.
“Jesus fuck,” Brodan said a few minutes later as he came downstairs from touring the upstairs. I hadn’t gone up, but Walker told me about the rat on my bed and that someone trashed both our bedrooms. “We need to deal with this bloke now.”
“We need to call the police,” Walker insisted, his expression stern. “This has gone too far without reporting it.”
My racing heart pounded. “I have a deal with the Howards. If we call the police, then we have to explain why Nathan is coming after me.”
“No, you don’t.” Walker shook his head, leaning against the damaged sideboard. “All you need to tell them is that he’s an abusive ex. We need them to dust the cottage for prints because Andros will be in the US system, and we can crossmatch them to rule him in or out.”
“Walker …”
“Run it past the Howards first, but you have to protect you and Callie, too, Sloane. The Howards have enough money and manpower to protect themselves.”
Knowing he was right, I waved my hand toward the door. “My cell is in your car.”
He nodded and left to retrieve it.
“How are you doing?” Brodan asked.
“I feel bad for dragging you into this.”
“You’re not dragging me into anything. Sloane, you’re our friend. You and Callie have become like family. We take care of our family.”
Tears burned my eyes. It had been such a long time since anyone had wanted to take care of us. “Thank you.”
“I don’t know what to tell Monroe.” Brodan stared grimly around the cottage. “She’ll be worried sick if I tell her the truth.”
“Then don’t. I don’t want her stressing about this.”
He grimaced. “As much as I’d love to protect her, she’d be angry if I didn’t tell her the truth. Roe can handle it.”
That was true. The woman had been through more than most in her life. “She should concentrate on her new son and husband, not her best friend’s crazy-ass life.”
“She can do both,” he assured me with a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
Walker returned with my cell, and I took it with trembling hands.
I called Aria first to explain, and with her usual blunt efficiency, she took charge and told me she’d call her father right away.
Five minutes later, my phone rang.
“It’s Wesley,” I told the guys before I answered. “Mr. Howard.”
After I explained what was happening, Wesley informed me that his people couldn’t find Nathan, either, and he insisted I call the police. I promised to keep any mention of Allegra out of my story, and he seemed relieved to hear it.
Walker called the police immediately.
We only had to wait in my broken cottage for about fifteen minutes before two constables arrived from the police station in the nearby town of Tain.
Ardnoch was too small to have its own station.
They took my statement while Walker stood at my side.
Brodan had gone outside to call and update Lachlan.
I was careful about what I told the police, explaining my past with Nathan, minus the incident with Allegra.
That he’d recently gotten out of prison, etc.
We had no proof, however, that it was Nathan.
Thus, the police informed us the cottage was now a crime scene.
Until detective inspectors and a crime unit could arrive from Inverness, I had to move out.
Not that Callie and I could stay while it was in its current state.
The female constable escorted me upstairs, and I packed an overnight bag for me and Callie.
The intruder had destroyed some of our clothes.
The bastard. Like I had money to buy a new wardrobe.
Upon returning downstairs, wondering where on earth we’d stay and how much it would cost, I followed the constables and Walker out of the house as they locked it up. They told us they’d be in touch and departed.
I stared after them in a daze, wondering why life continued to throw this kind of mess at me. Had I done something bad in a past life? Had I done something in this life? Yeah … I’d been a stupid kid who had sex with the wrong guy. I didn’t think that was worthy of punishment, though.
“Sloane.”
At Walker’s hard voice, I unglued my eyes from the retreating police vehicle and noticed faces peering out of windows, a few stray folks walking past us, staring and whispering.
I flinched inwardly.
“Sloane.”
I looked at Walker, who kept his distance from me. After I was sick, he helped me clean up and hugged me. But since then, we hadn’t touched.
“I spoke with Aria,” he said. “We agreed you’re safer on the estate for now.”
Great. Back in the tiny staff lodge where we stayed before Monroe got me the deal with the cottage. I knew I shouldn’t be ungrateful, but I had orders to fill and I needed money more than ever. And the lodge didn’t cut it for baking.
“We know you need a kitchen, so you’re staying with Aria.”
That news shocked me out of my stupor. “With Aria?”
“At her house on the estate. No arguments. We’ll collect Callie now, and I’ll drive you over.”
Brodan stepped forward to hug me good night. I squeezed him and said, “Tell Monroe I’m fine. Please. I’ll call her later.”
He looked like he didn’t believe me, but he agreed.
Then it was just me and Walker, driving toward Caelmore to pick up my daughter. I barely even noticed his quietness. Butterflies raged in my belly—what would I tell Callie?
My daughter was ten years old. She’d already been traumatized by what happened that night with me and Allegra. I did not want to have to tell her that her dad was possibly terrorizing me.
I felt like I was outside my body as we pulled up to Regan and Thane’s. My legs seemed to move without my permission, taking me to the door. Regan opened it before I could knock and pulled me into a tight hug.
“Where is she?” I asked softly.
“In the living room. She knows something is going on.”
Those butterflies went wild, and I sucked in a breath to tamp down my nausea. Walker was at my back as we followed Regan into the living room.
Eilidh called out hi and Thane shot me a worried look.
But my eyes drifted past them both to where Callie sat with Lewis on the couch.
She hopped up at the sight of me and flew across the room to wrap her arms around me. “What’s going on?” Her little voice trembled.
“Come with me,” I urged, leading her into the laundry room for some privacy.
I saw Walker in my peripheral, standing in the doorway. But my focus was on my daughter as I smoothed her hair off her face. Her cheeks were pale, eyes so filled with worry.
No ten-year-old should ever look like that.
Rage burned through me. I wanted to hurt Nathan.
“We had an issue at the cottage. A … a flood.” The impromptu lie slipped out. “So, we’re going to stay with Ms. Howard in her house on the estate for a few days.”
Callie scowled up at me, her blue eyes bright with anger. “You’re lying. You’re lying!” She pushed away from me, her little mouth trembling as tears slipped down her cheeks. “Stop lying to me!”
When Callie cried, I cried. Our connection was so deep. Everything she felt, I felt too. I sobbed as I reached for her, but she kept batting my hands away and screaming that I was a liar.
I glanced helplessly through my tears at Walker, noted his expression of distress, before he turned on his heel and walked away.
For some reason, watching him walk away gave me strength.
I got down on my knees and gripped Callie’s arms to pull her to me. “You’re right, you’re right.”
It took her a second, but she calmed, her chest rising and falling with her softening sobs.
“Baby girl, I’m so sorry. I was … I just want to protect you.”
“From what?”
“Someone … someone broke into the cottage and vandalized it.”
She grew still in my arms. “Why?”
“We don’t know.”
Her eyes narrowed.
I hurried to say, “It might be your dad.”
Callie stiffened, fear entering her expression.
I hated Nathan.
I loathed him with every inch of my being.
“He’s out of prison?”
Nodding, I pulled her closer. “But we don’t know for sure it’s him. Okay? We just … we’re taking precautions. So we’re going to stay on the estate, and Walker and his team are going to look after us.”
My daughter slowly relaxed, and she nodded calmly. “Walker won’t let anyone hurt us.”
“No, he won’t,” I promised. “Neither will I.”
“I know.” She threw her arms around me, and I hugged her tight, probably squeezing too hard. “Sorry I yelled at you.”
“It’s okay, baby girl. I’m sorry for lying.”
“I understand.”
She shouldn’t have to understand. I took a deep breath to bury my seething. He wouldn’t do this to me. He wouldn’t make me bitter and angry. I’d worked too damn hard to make sure of it.
When we walked back into the living room, Callie burrowed shyly into my side, embarrassed the Adairs had heard her outburst. Lewis hovered near the island, concern marring his face as he watched Callie like a hawk.
“We better get going.”
“Call if you need anything,” Thane insisted.
“Thank you. We will.”
Regan looked like she wanted to rush Callie and hug her, but Thane held her back, which I thought was for the best. Even Eilidh, who was not known for her tact, remained quiet, her expression troubled.
“See you later, Cal?” Lewis asked quietly, gaze questioning.
She nodded. “Yeah.”
He nodded back, still not taking his eyes off her.
“Let’s go,” Walker said from the doorway.
In answer, Callie left my side to hurry over to Walker’s. She looked up at him and reached for his hand.
Tears choked me as Walker took it without hesitation. He made her feel safe. And I knew it should make me happy. But it scared the crap out of me.
I murmured my thanks to the Adairs again as Regan handed me Callie’s overnight bag and then I followed my daughter and Walker out to the car. Callie held tight to his hand the entire way, and I heard him murmuring reassuringly as he helped her into the back seat.
We didn’t speak on the drive to the estate.
I’d never been as far as the Howards’ home.
The road led away from the castle, passing the building that housed the spa, and then turned left.
Soon the woods cleared and we were driving down a private lane.
I could see the shadowed outline of four large homes sitting on the coast overlooking the North Sea.
We pulled up outside the biggest of them all, and I stared numbly at the New England-style house with its wraparound porch. Exterior lights lit it up in the dark.
A shade of embarrassment warmed my skin as I realized we were taking charity from my boss.
“The house is protected by the drone perimeter around the estate. An intruder would need to bypass security on the estate side or the massive dune cliffs on the beach side, neither of which is possible. So you’ll be safe here,” Walker announced matter-of-factly before he jumped out of the car and helped Callie.
He took hold of our overnight bag, too, and I fumbled with my seat belt.
As I slid out of the car, the house’s huge front door opened and Aria stood in the doorway.
She wore jeans and a sweater, looking casual and so unlike herself.
We were intruding on her privacy. To my surprise, she walked down the porch steps to give me a hug.
She enveloped me in her warmth and expensive perfume.
“Are you okay?”
“I think so,” I whispered.
Aria released me, her gaze assessing, before she turned to where Walker stood with Callie. She gave Callie a beautiful smile and held out a manicured hand that was, for once, bare of any jewelry. “It’s nice to see you again, Callie.”
Callie gave her a small, tired smile as she took her hand. “You too.”
Aria tugged on her gently. “Come on in. I was just making hot chocolate. You want one?”
“Yes, please.”
Aria shot me a look as if to say “your kid is adorable.” It almost made me smile.
“Go on inside,” I urged Callie. “I’ll be in, in a minute.”
She gave me a reluctant nod and looked up at Walker. “Night, Walker.”
“Night, wee yin.” He squeezed her shoulder, and then she followed Aria into the house.
I waited for Walker to say something reassuring. To hug me.
Instead, he stared stonily at me as he handed over the overnight bag. “We’ll talk in the morning.” With that, I got an abrupt nod, and he jumped into his SUV.
Hurt scored through me.
Stupid freaking hurt.
Steeling myself against it, I walked into the house without looking back.