Chapter 24
Twenty-Four
SLOANE
Walker being Walker, he got out of the SUV early the next morning to round the hood and take from me the bakery boxes I couldn’t see over.
He laid them carefully in the back seat and then opened my door for me.
I tried to meet his eyes as I brushed past him to get in, but he stared stonily ahead.
It was just like him to open my freaking door like a gentleman even when he was pissed at me.
It made me want to kiss him.
And it didn’t seem possible that the last time I kissed him was the last time.
When he got into the driver’s side, I opened my mouth to speak, to clear the air, but he spoke first.
“I had someone talk to one of Andros’s friends. Kyle Brixton.”
Startled, I nodded as Walker pulled away from Aria’s. “I remember Brix.”
“They got Andros’s whereabouts out of him.”
My heart raced. “And?”
Finally, Walker shot me a look before returning his eyes to the road. “He’s in Scotland, Sloane. On a fake passport that cost him thousands of dollars.”
Fear thrummed through me. Nathan had dropped a ton of cash for his revenge. My stomach churned. “This is for real?”
“Well, we can’t know for certain, but my guys put the fear of God into Brixton.
He didn’t have any more details other than Andros bought a fake passport to come find you.
If he’s telling the truth, and we’re going on the belief that he is, we know now.
We can cross Hoffman off the list of suspects and focus on finding Andros. ”
I let loose a shaky exhale. “I guess that’s good.”
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he promised again.
That pricked my pride. He was so set on protecting me, above all else, that he’d forgotten one crucial bit of information. “Neither will I. I beat him last time, Walker. I did. And I will beat him again.”
Walker’s hands tightened around the steering wheel, but he said nothing. We lapsed into a tense silence as we drove off the estate and into the village.
Walker pulled up outside Flora’s, and she spotted us and walked across the café to open the door.
Walker insisted on carrying in the boxes of baked goods.
Then he strode away to stand guard at the door.
I moved to the counter to explain all the treats to Flora as she unboxed.
Pride cut through my fear as she oohed and aahed over my fall cupcakes and decorated biscuits.
She smelled one of the cinnamon swirls, and I swear her eyelashes fluttered.
“These will go in the first two hours,” she said, gesturing to the baked goods. “Sloane, they’re proving to be such a hit with my customers.”
“I’m glad.”
“You know, I was talking to Gordon, and he said it might be possible for you to get a permit for a stall that could sit on the square.”
Confused, I wrinkled my brow. “A stall? Like at the Christmas fair?”
“Aye, but this would be permanent. There are stalls that look like wee buildings. Gordon said, depending on the design, you should be able to plonk one down near the square. You know, instead of renting a shop to run your bakery from. It would be cheaper to have a bakery stall, hut, whatever you want to call it. You’d have to do most of your baking off-site, but it would get you up and running quicker. ”
Excitement cut through my nerves. “Gordon thinks this is possible?”
“Yes. You’ll have to apply to the council for a permit and possibly planning permission, depending on the stall design, but he seems pretty confident they’d be open to reviewing it.”
I didn’t know how much a thing like that would cost, but I smiled brightly at Flora. “Thanks. I’ll definitely look into it.”
She asked me how I’d feel about baking two large cakes for next Saturday that she could sell by the slice. We were chatting about flavors when her shop phone rang.
“One second.” She pulled it off the wall and answered it. I glanced back at Walker to see if he was getting impatient, but his back was to me, his eyes to the street outside. I took in the strong breadth of his shoulders, remembering the feel of his naked back beneath my hands.
Longing and hurt flashed through me, and I turned back in time for Flora to hold the phone out to me with a frown. “It’s for you.”
“Me?” I started around the counter, thinking perhaps it was Callie. “Who is it?”
“He didn’t say.”
That knot in my gut intensified as I took the phone from Flora. “Hello.”
“Well, if it isn’t my rat of an ex-bitch,” Nathan’s voice drawled down the line.
The fluttering rapidity of my pulse nauseated me. “Nathan? How …”
“You think I don’t know every move you make, you cunt?
” He chuckled darkly. “I’ve spent the last few weeks watching your every move.
You come to this bitch’s place every Saturday before eight.
You’re fucking that asshole who won’t let you out of his sight.
And I know he got some guys to break Brix and that you know I’m here.
So I thought I might as well say hello.”
“Nathan …”
“I used to love the way you said my name, you know. Now you’re going to say it pleading for your fucking life.
You know how I know that? Because I know everything.
I know our kid spends way too much time with people that aren’t her daddy.
Like right now. Got my eyes on sweet Callie as we speak.
When did you see her last, slut? Think about it, treasure it …
’cause it was the last time.” He hung up.
Callie.
Fear and rage unlike anything I’d ever felt froze me to the spot.
“Sloane. Sloane?”
Suddenly, hands gripped my shoulders and Walker’s face was in mine. “Talk to me,” he demanded.
Flora’s phone slipped out of my hand as I stared into those aquamarine eyes. “Where are your keys?”
“Sloane?”
“Where are your car keys?!” I screamed in his face.
Walker’s expression tightened with alertness. “Talk to me.”
“Give me your keys!” I lunged for his pockets.
He grabbed hold of my wrists as gently as possible and drew me up against him. His voice was soft, calming. “Talk to me.”
Fear was making it hard to breathe. I panted, “He … he’s near Callie. He’s going to get Callie.”
“Nathan?”
“We have to go, we have to go.”
“Sloane, baby, I need you to take a deep breath. In and out.” Walker demonstrated. “Like this. Come on.”
“Callie.”
“We’re going to get Callie, and nothing will happen to her. But I can’t have you passing out on me right now. You try to calm down, and I’ll call Adam. He’s watching over Callie today.”
I didn’t know that. Why didn’t I know that?
As Walker called Adam, I attempted to breathe slowly, but I couldn’t stop shaking. Flora wrapped her arms around me and tried to help, murmuring soothing, reassuring words even though she probably had no idea what the heck was going on.
“Where are you?” Walker barked at his phone.
Adam’s voice came through the speaker. “Mrs. Adair got up early and took the kids to a morning market in Golspie,” Adam replied instantly. “Got my eyes on them now. Problem?”
“Get to them. Andros is there. He just called in a threat.”
“On it. I’ll let you know when I have them in hand.”
Adam had barely finished talking when Walker took my arm. “Flora, appreciate it if you kept this to yourself.”
“I’m not really sure what I’m keeping to myself, but okay. Let me know Callie’s all right, please.”
He nodded and I followed him out of the café, my legs like jelly even as I powered toward the SUV’s passenger side. Though I knew Adam had Callie in sight, it didn’t matter. My fear and panic wouldn’t dissipate until I had Callie in my arms.
Nathan was definitely here.
He was trying to hurt me. Us.
Would we never be free of the bastard?
Walker did a U-turn and then sped out of Ardnoch way above the speed limit.
I braced my hands on the door, willing him to go faster even though he was already going way too fast. Not surprisingly, he handled the road like a professional, slowing into the bends so the SUV didn’t topple, and then accelerating on the straight.
Neither of us said a word, the tension thick and excruciating.
My daughter’s face remained a fixed image in my head, and I tried not to think about what I’d do if anything happened to her, but failed.
It would end me, I realized. All of my strength was in Callie. If someone took her from me, there would be nothing left but unfixable, broken fragments.
“Callie,” I whimpered.
“She’ll be fine,” Walker promised.
Then, as if he was a prophet, his cell rang through the car. His thumb hit the Answer Call button on his steering wheel. “Adam?”
“I’ve got them. Callie is secure in the car with me, and we’re heading back to Ardnoch. Mrs. Adair, Lewis, and Eilidh are in their vehicle following us back.”
“Where’s Mom?” I heard Callie cry in the background, frightened tears in her voice.
A sob burst out of me, and I smothered it with both my hands.
Walker reached across and squeezed my shoulder as he replied, “Callie, we’re coming. Thanks, Adam. We’re on our way. We’ll meet you and transfer Callie to us so you can escort Regan and the children safely back home.”
“Got it.”
They hung up.
“Callie’s fine,” Walker reiterated. “She’s fine, Sloane.”
I nodded, sucking back my tears and the nausea that had come in the wake of relief.
A few minutes later, Walker said, “That’s them.”
A desperate need to get to Callie overtook me, and I rested my hands on the dash, leaning forward as Walker safely executed another U-turn and pulled off to the side of the road behind Adam.
I unbuckled my belt before he’d even stopped, and he’d barely drawn to a halt when I launched myself out of the car.
“Sloane!” Walker yelled, but I was already racing down the side of the road, past Regan’s car to Adam’s. I’d almost reached it when the back door flew open and Callie jumped out.
Sobbing hysterically, she ran to me and we slammed into each other so hard, I had to hold tight so she didn’t fall over. “Mom!” she cried, her fists knotted tight in my T-shirt.
“I’ve got you, baby girl. I’m sorry. We scared you, and I am so sorry. But we’re okay. We’re okay.”
“What’s going on?” She hiccupped, lifting her tear-streaked face to look up at me.
“We can’t do this here.” Walker was suddenly at our sides. “Get to the car.”
“Walker?” Callie’s face crumpled.
Without a word, he lifted my daughter into his arms and she wrapped herself around him like a monkey. His face was grim as he ran a soothing hand down her back and jerked his chin. “Sloane, get to the car.”
He glanced at Adam, who stood by his SUV, expression hard. “Follow Mrs. Adair home. Let me know she’s safe.”
Adam nodded and approached Regan’s car to explain.
I turned to Callie in Walker’s arms and ran a hand down my daughter’s back before I followed them to the SUV to open the door for Walker. He murmured soothing words to Callie, who unlatched herself from him long enough to climb into the car. Then we both hurried inside too.
For the first time since we’d moved onto the estate, I couldn’t wait to return to the safety of one of the most secure places in the country.