Hot Blooded (12 page)

It normally calmed Laith, but he wasn't finding any peace today. Ever since Iona threw him out of her house, he had been in knots. Not even securing the prisoners and ensuring no one else would bother her helped.

He understood Iona's feelings. An omission was a lie. Laith purposefully didn't tell her he was a part of Dreagan. It wasn't to hurt her but to determine how much she knew about her ancestors. But it backfired on Laith. He should've known Iona wouldn't appreciate such tactics. She found it difficult—nay, impossible—to trust, and he just gave her reason not to trust him.

“I knew I'd find you here,” Warrick said.

Laith didn't bother to look at his friend. “What do you want?”

“Ryder said the men you knocked unconscious are finally waking. Thought you might want to be there to question them.”

“It's been almost twelve hours.”

“Apparently you hit hard,” Warrick said, a drop of humor lacing his words.

Laith sat up and looked at the doorway. “I do want to question them.”

“Then get your arse moving. Rhys is already on his way.”

Laith jumped to his feet and followed Warrick. They trekked through long corridors and past caverns of various sizes before they reached the tunnel they had carved millions of years before to connect one mountain to another.

“Is it just Ryder watching them?” Laith asked.

Warrick grunted. “As if the buggers would be able to find their way out of the mountain.”

“True, but we've encountered men like this before.”

Warrior glanced over his shoulder at Laith. “They're mortal, and we have them where no Dark Fae can get.”

Laith had been so upset after Iona wouldn't let him talk that he had taken to the skies—and remained there until dawn—once the prisoners had been secured. “I know exactly where they are, Warrick. It was my suggestion we put them there.”

“Then you know they are no' going anywhere,” he stated.

Laith didn't bother to say more as they reached the turn in the corridor that would dead end at the small cavern. He quickened his pace, ready to get some answers as to why they were following Iona.

Warrick was the first to enter, and then came to a dead stop. Laith had to shove him out of the way so he could step through the doorway, and then he too halted and simply stared.

“It happened so fast,” Ryder said as he stood over one of the five men who was prone on the ground, white foam falling from his mouth.

Laith looked from one man to the next and found the same foam. He was in shock at what he saw. “Cyanide? They had cyanide pills hidden in their mouths?”

“We were finally going to be able to get some answers,” Warrick mumbled irritably.

Rhys ran a hand down his face and scowled. “We're no' getting anything now.”

“I didna think to check them for poison,” Ryder said.

It was a setback, but Laith wasn't too worried. “There will be more. Whatever reason they were after Iona, as soon as these come up missing, more will arrive.”

“I hope you're wrong,” Rhys said. “I've had my fill of our enemies getting so close.”

Warrick kicked the feet of one dead mercenary. “Why do they want to harm Iona Campbell? She's no' associating with any of us.” He then looked at Laith. “Much. I doona think she even knows about her heritage.”

“John was murdered,” Laith reminded them. “Possibly by the same men. Who's to say they willna try the same on Iona?”

Ryder hefted a merc over his shoulder. “Good point. You need to find some way back into her life, Laith.”

He blinked at Ryder. “She's made it clear she doesna trust me now.”

“And you're going to let that stand in your way?” Rhys asked, then made a sound at the back of his throat. “Since when do you give up so easily?”

Warrick grinned from ear to ear. “I think the point, lads, is that he fancies her.”

“I doona fancy her.” The lie sat heavy on Laith's tongue, and all of them knew it. “She intrigues me.”

Rhys met his gaze, his face somber. “Then doona waste time. Find a way to earn her trust once again if you want to keep her alive.”

“Go,” Ryder said. “We'll clean this up.”

Laith started to turn away when he stopped. “I thought Con would be here.”

“We all did,” Warrick said.

Rhys bent and flung a mercenary over his shoulder, then straightened. “No one has seen Con in a few days. He's off on another of his mysterious trips.”

“After Ulrik, perhaps?” Ryder asked.

Laith said, “I doubt it. He'll wait until we can all see the battle.”

“If you think that, you doona know Con,” Rhys said before he walked out.

Warrick gave Laith a shove before he hefted another of the mercs and followed Rhys. Laith stared at the two remaining dead bodies and pivoted. He couldn't remember a time he had ever tried to gain the trust of a female. He wasn't even sure if he knew how.

*   *   *

Iona walked around her father's Range Rover for the second time that morning, stopping on the driver's side as she looked at the huge dents and scrapes caused by the boulders when the SUV fell off the mountain.

The driver's door was stuck, but the others worked fine. There was no sense in her keeping the rental car when she had a perfectly good vehicle to drive the few times she went into town.

Her decision made, Iona walked to the passenger side and climbed in before settling in the driver's seat. Once behind the wheel she put the key in the ignition and tried to start it. The battery wouldn't even turn over.

Iona dropped her head to the steering wheel for several moments before she climbed back out and opened the hood. Part of being independent meant that she knew how to do a little of everything. It was by necessity that she learned to work on vehicles, but she discovered she liked it.

She found where the battery had been disconnected quickly enough. Just as Iona was about to reconnect it, she took a look at the rest of the engine, a frown forming. Someone wanted to make damn sure no one could drive the Rover.

Iona looked in the small shed out back and found the tools she needed. Then she got to work on the Rover. She meticulously checked everything as she went. Despite the vehicle's age, her father had taken good care of it, replacing parts as required.

She stopped long enough to grab something to eat at noon before she was back under the SUV. A check of the water hose proved that all was good, as was the radiator. It wasn't until she got to the brake line that she noticed all the brake fluid gone.

There were a few other things she needed to pick up from town, so once her initial check was done, Iona took a shower and changed. She made a list of all that she required, then drove into town in her rental.

Iona pulled into M&M Auto Repair and parked. She had the list in hand when she got out of the car. No sooner had she closed the door than Michael MacDonald, the owner, walked out of the garage, wiping his hands.

“Hello, again,” he called with a cheery smile.

Iona noticed the smudge of grease on his cheek as she returned his smile. She handed him the piece of paper. “I've made a list of things I need to repair the Rover.”

His smile disappeared and a frown creased his brow as he looked from her to the paper. “You're repairing John's Rover?”

“I am. I do know what I'm doing.”

His gaze jerked back to hers. “Oh, I didna mean to imply that you didna, lass. Are you sure you want to handle this yourself?”

Sammi wasn't the only one who learned to read people. Iona hadn't had the pleasure of learning behind a bar like Sammi. No, Iona learned out in the real world hunkered down with different military squadrons during war, or asking tribal leaders to allow her inside their borders where one wrong mistake could get her killed.

That's how she knew Michael was hiding something from her. “I do. Do you have everything I need?”

“Uh … I believe so.” He waved her to follow him into the adjacent shop, and then proceeded to look through the shelves.

Iona leaned her forearms on the counter as she watched him. “Once I have her running, I'll drop by so you can beat out the door panel. I'm hoping that's all it'll take to get the driver's door working again.”

“It'll take a wee bit more than that,” he said as he walked around the aisle, a rag hanging from the back of his pants pocket.

“Maybe. We'll see.”

“Um, hm.”

She continued with the mundane questions and statements, putting him at ease. Then she asked, “Why do you think the battery was disconnected?”

Michael stilled for the barest of moments, then he walked to her with his arms loaded with items. “You say the battery was disconnected?”

“I did. The brake line was dry as a bone as well. What are your thoughts on that?”

His gaze lowered to the left. “I doona know.”

It was a classic sign of someone lying. She straightened and kept her gaze locked on him “It was my father who died.”

“I know, lass,” he said and met her eyes. “Everyone liked him.”

Honesty reflected in Michael's brown eyes. “You're speaking true now, but you didn't a moment ago. What aren't you telling me?”

“Lass,” he began.

Iona immediately cut him off by lifting her hand. “If you're going to try and feed me more lies, don't. I'm not in the mood.”

His shoulders sagged, and the lines on his face deepened. “I was hoping you'd never find out.”

“Find out what, exactly?”

“Please doona make me tell you.”

A knot of unease formed. “Who else knows?”

He wouldn't meet her gaze, which meant several others. “Iona, lass, perhaps it's better if you let this go.”

As if that would happen now. “Was it an accident that killed my father?” she pressed.

Michael sighed and looked at her for several moments before he gave a single shake of his head.

If it wasn't an accident, that meant it was on purpose. Iona held herself in check, refusing to give into the scream of denial that formed in her throat, as she asked, “Was he killed?”

“Aye.”

One word. One simple word had the ability to set her on her ear. She began to sweat the same time ice ran in her veins. Her ears rang, and her hands shook. She clenched her hands into fists to keep Michael from seeing how upset she was.

“How?” she croaked.

He put his weight on one foot and moved the items he had pulled for her around on the counter. “It took me a bit, but I found the pinhole in the brake line. It drained slow enough that John wouldna have known until it was too late.”

Oh God. She was going to be sick. Someone had murdered her father, but why? Was that why those men had come for her yesterday?

“John didna have any enemies,” Michael said. “We doona know why he was killed.”

Iona found something to focus on, something that she could cling to instead of drowning in the guilt. “Who is we?”

“Those at Dreagan. Constantine himself wanted me to look closely because he suspected something.”

“Is that so?” Iona had a destination. No longer would she be kept in the dark. She gave a nod to the items on the counter. “I'll be back for those.”

 

CHAPTER
FOURTEEN

Lily Ross thanked the tourist exiting the shop with their purchase of Dreagan whisky, two whisky glasses, and a sticker of the Dreagan logo. She came around the counter ready to see if the other customers needed help when the door opened and a tall blonde walked in. She removed her sunglasses and pinned Lily with her dark brown eyes.

“Welcome to Dreagan,” Lily said with a smile. “Have you just come from the tour?”

The blonde shoved the sunglasses on top of her head. “I haven't.”

“It's all right. You don't need to do the tour to buy from us. Is there something I can help you look for?” she asked, noting the way the woman's eyes scanned the shop.

“You can actually. I'd like to speak to Constantine.”

Lily blinked, her lips parting. She herself had never met Con. The closest she came was seeing him from afar, but he had yet to come into the shop when she was there. From the little time Lily had worked at Dreagan, she knew the people there liked their privacy, which worked great for her. There were things she wanted kept private as well.

“Do you have an appointment, Miss…?” Lily asked.

The woman's lips quirked at the corners. “Campbell. Iona Campbell, and no, I don't.”

“Oh.” It hit Lily who the woman was. “I didn't know your father, but I'm very sorry for your loss.”

Iona briefly closed her eyes and adjusted her purse on her shoulder. “Thank you. About Con?”

“I'm sorry. If you don't have an appointment, I can't help you.”

“Is he here?”

Lily smiled to the customers browsing and touched Iona on the arm so she would follow her to the counter where their conversation could be a little more private. “I don't know where he is, I'm not privy to that information.”

“I would appreciate if you could get me someone who can help.”

Lily had encountered demanding customers before, but this was a first. No one had ever barged into the store and demanded to speak to someone from Dreagan.

She grabbed a pen and paper and gave them to Iona. “If you'll leave your contact information, I'll make sure it gets to Con.”

“There's no need. Just tell him I know what really happened to my father.”

Lily watched her walk out of the shop. She set the paper down, perplexed. Without a doubt, Iona Campbell was furious.

“Well, that was interesting,” came a deep voice she recognized instantly.

Lily shivered in pleasure and looked over her shoulder to find Rhys standing just inside the doorway behind the counter. His dark hair was loose about his shoulders, and his aqua eyes ringed with dark blue were made brighter by the blue Affliction shirt. His head was cocked to the side as he stared at her, as if waiting for her to speak.