Chapter 13 #3
“Good,” Leith says, scowling down at our bloodied prisoner. “Tate, you finish this interrogation. Mac, you come with me.”
I give Leith a questioning look. I shake my head at him but he’s immovable.
“Now.”
Tate steps in front of our prisoner and the door shuts behind me.
I wish that Leith had let me be the one to interrogate that arsehole. I turn on him as soon as we’re alone.
“Why the bloody hell did you pull me out of there?”
“You were losing your mind,” he says, shaking his head. “You’re too invested in this, brother.”
“What do you fucking mean?”
He puts his hand on my shoulder, leading me away to the stairs that lead back to the main house.
“I haven’t asked you how you feel about her. But I don't need to ask. This is no mere prisoner that we have, and I don't think that you have the ability to be impartial. You’d kill the man before you got any information out of him. I know it."
I sigh. I know he's right.
“Do you think he’s telling the truth then?”
He shakes his head. “William ran his specs, and the man’s a fucking liar. For all we know, he’s here because Aitkens sent him. All I know is that he can’t be trusted, and anyone affiliated with Aitkens is our enemy.”
Anyone.
“And Bryn?”
Leith holds my gaze for long moments before he answers. “Do you care about her?”
I don't answer at first, because I don't truly know the answer. How does one even answer that question?
“I wouldn’t even know how to tell.”
Leith sighs. “I know. I was in the same position myself at one point. I hate to tell you, brother, but you've got all the classic signs. Are you going to be able to complete what you started?”
There's a hardness in his voice I haven't heard in a while, and I know that he's concerned, that he doesn’t know if he can trust me to seek the vengeance I’ve promised.
“I haven’t fallen for her,” I tell him. “I’ll do the job I promised you, I swear it.”
Leith doesn’t respond at first. Instead, he changes the subject.
“First, go to the wedding. There’s no need for a big skirmish or confrontation before then, is there?”
I shake my head. “No.”
“Go to the wedding. Enjoy yourself. But watch your fucking back.”
Jesus.
“Mac, I heard you tell Tate you confiscated something from one of the staff?”
“Aye.” I almost forgot about the notebook in all the commotion.
I tug the notebook out of my pocket. “The girl called Aisla. Was running from me. She’s always prowling about the place like she’s got something to hide.”
“Aye, I’ve noticed it myself.”
I nod. “So today, this notebook fell out of her pocket. I asked her to give it to me, and she gave me crap. She didn't want to.” I fill him in. “The girls are together now, sharing one guard. But Islan’s guard came to me, and just in time, because when I took the notebook away from Aisla, she tried to attack me to get it back.”
Leith’s brows rise in surprise. “Bloody hell. Attack you?”
I sigh. “Aye. She ran right to me, tried to yank it out of my hand. Caught me that much by surprise I hardly reacted at first.”
“Jesus. So she’s hiding something in that notebook, is she?”
“Aye,” I say while I pull it out of my pocket.
I flip through the pages, frowning, and feel my eyes go wide as I continue to read.
Spy on the premises. Taken to the dungeon for interrogation. Interrogation is what they do in the sound-proof dungeon like in the old days. They will abuse prisoner until answers are given.
Jesus. I keep reading.
In the dungeon, they keep instruments of torture and restraint. They cause pain and use intimidation to get answers.
I leaf through, reading more pages.
Chain of command:
Clan Captain (Leith Cowen, married to Cairstina)
Clan Chief (Tate Cowen)
Clan Warlord (Mac Cowen)
“Blood hell,” I mutter to Leith. “She’s got notes about… fuckin’ everything. Our roles. Who we’re friendly with and who we’re not?”
His eyes darken as he looks over the notes. "Everyone on our staff is privy to lots of information we wouldn't want to get to the outside world. This is why we pay them as well as we do.”
I know this, and yet it's disconcerting to see things written down on paper that could get into the wrong hands. We can't trust her.
“So the question is,” Leith says thoughtfully, “who’s she shared this information with?”
I leaf through more of the pages, shaking my head from side to side. “But some of these notes are a bit confusing. Not really sure what they mean?”
I frown, shaking my head as I read them.
Chr #1 — cave, biologist
Chr #2 — highlands, librarian
Leith frowns. “Jesus. Those are notes, aren’t they? We need to question Aisla ourselves.”
He follows me upstairs, and I won’t lie, I’m sick to my bloody stomach at the thought of having to question someone again, and this one a woman.
I want to get back to Bryn. I don't want to be here anymore, with thoughts of Bryn betraying me. And now, Aisla…
“I sent them in here,” I tell him, leading him to the study.
But it’s strangely quiet when we approach. I look to Leith, and he shrugs. I open the door.
Jesus.
The guard is passed out on the floor, sprawled out with his hands tied behind his back. Breathing, but unconscious, not a sign of blood anywhere.
Aisla’s gone.