Fire Maidens Scotland (Billionaires & Bodyguards #6) - Anna Lowe Page 0,49
a right to know.”
“But?” she filled in at his weighty pause.
Lachlan grimaced. “The less you know, the safer you are. But if you insist…”
She opened her mouth, about to protest. Of course, she would insist. She wasn’t a child, and she refused to be treated like one.
But Lachlan’s voice wasn’t condescending, and there was real fear in his eyes. Fear for her sake.
“I mean it, Holly. I’ll tell you. But this man has connections — dangerous ones. One off-the-cuff remark to a friend or family could rain trouble upon them, and more innocent people would be at risk.” He gripped her hand — no longer the gentle hold of a loved one, but the vise grip of warning. “Worse, our investigation into his network could be at risk. As much as we’re working to pull information out of him — where his clan will strike next, when, and with whom — I suspect he’s studying us, too. Our investigative team may be on the verge of a breakthrough… On the other hand, it could all lead to another dead end.” He ran his fingers through his hair, frustrated. “As I said, I’ll tell you if you wish. But the fewer people who know of the prisoner and his identity, the better. This man knows no bounds, and neither do his associates.”
Trust me, his eyes begged.
Holly knotted her hands. Was that the issue? Or did he not trust her?
The helicopter’s rotors cast a shadow over the ground, making her pause. Back in Edinburgh, the spooky warnings about a threat on Gleninnis had been easy to dismiss. But here she was, accompanied by hardened military men, on a mission that wasn’t as straightforward as she’d initially thought.
Please trust me, Lachlan’s eyes said.
She gulped hard. She’d been raised to ask questions. To inform herself. To think critically, not to accept being kept in the dark.
They drove around another few turns, then crested a rise, from which a stunning seascape was visible.
“Nearly there,” Lachlan murmured before she got an answer out.
Her breath caught as she made out the lumpy form of Gleninnis far on the horizon, miles offshore.
He shook his head, reading her mind. “We’re nearly to our guard post on the mainland, I mean. We’ll get a boat from there.”
Holly nodded as if it were obvious, but slowly, it sank in. Guard posts. Ruthless criminals. A top-secret prisoner. How many details did she really want to know?
As few as possible, Lachlan’s grim look told her.
She took a deep breath. Okay, she would trust him on this one. For now, at least.
Slowly, she took out the next part of Trevor’s instructions — the envelope marked To be opened on Gleninnis. She held it up to the light, but there was no hint of the message inside. Then, after a moment’s hesitation, she slipped a finger in the flap and opened it.
“Not cheating, are you?” Lachlan half teased.
She flashed a thin smile. “Just previewing.”
Why? Because if Lachlan could stop and smell the roses, she could learn to plan ahead. A little, anyway. And as for skipping ahead, she felt sure Trevor would understand, given the circumstances.
She skimmed the instructions then folded the letter quickly as if Trevor were there to catch her in the act.
“And?” Lachlan asked as they drove past a tiny fishing town. Farther down the coast, several buildings clustered on an isolated promontory. The guard post?
Holly looked out at Gleninnis before answering, still processing Trevor’s instructions. She let out a deep breath and glanced at the urn. This was definitely not going to be as simple as she’d originally thought.
“Well?” Lachlan asked.
Even Mungo stuck his nose in the letter, then her face, wearing an expression that said, What are you getting us into?
She gulped. That was a good question. And frankly, she didn’t know the answer.
Chapter Thirteen
“Holly…” Lachlan prompted as he drove. The more she hesitated, the more he worried. What exactly did Trevor have in store for them next?
“Well… Um…”
Not good, his dragon concluded.
Finally, she came out with it. “We’re supposed to work out some kind of puzzle, then read a few poems aloud.”
Lachlan groaned.
She cracked into a smile and poked his side. “Gotcha. No poems. Just a puzzle of some kind.”
He exhaled. “Don’t do that to me.”
She laughed. “Now I know the ultimate weapon to use against Highland dragons — unicorn poetry. Watch that you never cross me, mister.”
He grinned in spite of himself. Holly had a way of making the worst situation more manageable, and her only weapons were