Fire Maidens Scotland (Billionaires & Bodyguards #6) - Anna Lowe Page 0,52
sea, staring into Holly’s eyes, something inside him stirred, suggesting things might not be so clear-cut after all.
A moment later, he found himself closing his eyes. Cutting out vision and relying on scent, sound, and above all, touch. Like the heat of Holly’s hands on his arm, and the brush of the sea breeze on his cheek. The dull weight of Mungo, leaning against his leg. The light of the sun making itself felt through his closed eyelids and…
Something else, his dragon breathed.
His heart skipped a beat. It was true. There was something else. Something vague and indescribable, but there. Nothing as clear as a ghostly vision of Trevor smiling and saying, Lad, you must believe. Just a vague, fuzzy something that defied his senses.
Like love, his dragon whispered. Like hope. Like destiny. All those things you can’t pin down. And yet, they’re there.
His throat went dry. Were they? Or was he all mixed up? Maybe Holly was rubbing off on him in a bad way. Maybe…
Maybe it’s true. Maybe she’s right, his dragon whispered.
“Um, Lachlan?” Liam murmured.
Slowly, he opened his eyes. Ignoring the others, he studied Holly.
We have to do this. For Trevor, her pleading eyes said.
They did, he realized. And not just for Trevor. They needed to do this for themselves too.
He put his hand over Holly’s. She trusted him. It was time for him to trust her.
He turned to the others. “We’re going. On the next tide.”
He’d meant to speak the words casually, but his voice came booming out. Still, he half expected the others to voice their discontent.
To his surprise, Tony clapped him on the shoulder, as if he’d just gambled with the devil and won. Liam’s eyes sparkled in approval, bouncing between Lachlan and Holly, and then over to Gemma, his mate. Holly glowed, looking all the world like she wanted to kiss him. And damn, Lachlan burned to kiss her too.
A good thing Gemma spoke up. “Two hours? Great. Holly and I can talk.”
Holly’s eyes stayed on him for a long time, but then she gave herself a little shake and joined Gemma. “Two hours, then. It’s a plan.”
Lachlan suppressed a sigh. It wasn’t a plan. It was another fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants improv no self-respecting soldier would settle for. But it was a start, he supposed.
“See you soon,” Holly called, setting off on a round of the promontory with Gemma and Mungo.
“Fine,” Henry grumbled. “But your ‘plan’ needs details. Shall we?” He motioned to the communications center.
Lachlan ached to follow Holly and spend the next two hours staring out over the ocean at her side. But Henry was right, so Lachlan followed after cursing Liam and Tony.
“What do you two look so bloody amused about?”
The lion shifters exchanged knowing looks, then faked innocent shrugs. “Nothing,” Tony said. “Just thinking about your new plan. Come along.”
Liam pointed Tony toward the barracks. “We need Duncan. Will you see if you can drag him away from his bagpipes to join us?”
“With pleasure.” Tony’s eyes shone with the appeal of separating Duncan from his bagpipes.
“Oh, and tell him I have a letter from Penelope.”
Tony broke into a smile. “That will get Duncan moving.”
Lachlan wondered what he meant. But, hell. His head was already full of enough mysteries. He didn’t need another.
Just then, Henry hurried back out of the building, his face grim.
“What?” Liam asked.
“The helicopter was doubling back to base, but it spotted a bridge down near Kelso.”
Lachlan frowned. Kelso was on the route he’d deviated from. “What do you mean, down?”
“Down. Gone. Nothing official from the authorities yet, but the pilot just flew over the ruins, reporting a lingering dust cloud and the scent of ammonium nitrate.”
Lachlan’s blood went cold at the mention of the explosive. Had he, Holly, and Tony unwittingly avoided another ambush?
Henry gestured everyone inside. “Come on. There’s more information coming in now.”
Lachlan hesitated, looking toward Holly, but Liam shook his head. “You go. I’ll keep an eye out for trouble.” Then he hesitated, looking toward Gemma. “Maybe Henry is right. Are you sure you want to go to the island?”
Lachlan slowed and glanced at the dark hulk of Gleninnis, far out on the horizon. He wasn’t sure of anything, except that they had to go. The question was, would it be a quick in-and-out operation, or did more surprises await him and Holly there?
Chapter Fourteen
Holly clutched the handrail as the boat skipped over the waves, grinning from ear to ear. “This is great!”
Mungo gave a meek wag of his tail, still cowering against her legs.