Fire Maidens Scotland (Billionaires & Bodyguards #6) - Anna Lowe Page 0,6
own request, I leave her nothing,’” the lawyer quoted.
Holly exhaled, and the glares faded.
“‘Except…’” The lawyer paused to adjust his glasses.
Holly tensed all over again, and a dozen cross hairs aimed her way.
“‘Except one last request, if she will be so kind as to honor it.’”
Holly bit her lip, gazing at the urn. You, Trevor, are the kind one.
Then she nodded, because everyone was waiting. Of course she would do her best for Trevor.
The lawyer nodded back and continued. “‘I task Miss Jennings with returning my ashes to my ancestral homeland.’”
Holly exhaled. A trip across Scotland was no problem. That would give her the chance to say goodbye in private — to Trevor and to the places she loved.
“‘Half of my ashes shall be scattered at Creag Aerden…’”
She nodded, picturing just the place on Trevor’s Highland estate — the rocky hillside he loved to watch the sunset from.
“‘…after the other half is scattered over Gleninnis, as per the attached instructions.’” The lawyer patted the package beside him.
Holly’s pulse skipped. Gleninnis was a magical little island off the west coast of Scotland. Trevor’s most special place, and hers too, for reasons she couldn’t quite explain.
She pictured herself there, whispering a final goodbye and thank you as she shook out some of Trevor’s ashes. Then she would take a last walk around the private island, from the rocky bay on the lee side to the highest peak. She could see it now — wide views all the way from the windswept coast to the rugged mountains of the mainland in the distance.
Gleninnis. Just thinking of the island made her heart race.
For some reason, everyone went totally silent. Holly looked from one anxious face to another, wondering what was wrong. A moment later, everyone murmured at once, breaking into a hubbub.
“Gleninnis?”
“There must be some mistake.”
“Are you sure?”
The lawyer pointed to the document.
“Gleninnis is out of the question,” Angus MacGregor said gruffly.
Even Lachlan looked alarmed. “Not Gleninnis. Not now.”
The other protests made Holly curious, but Lachlan’s made her angry. Probably because everything about him got under her skin. Being brutally dumped could do that to a gal.
“Trevor says Gleninnis, so that’s how it has to be,” she insisted.
Lachlan pinned her with his intense gray eyes. “Gleninnis is off-limits.”
She folded her arms in challenge. “Even to Trevor?”
“To everyone.”
“Including the owner?”
“Trevor is dead,” Natasha shrugged.
Holly couldn’t believe her ears. “That doesn’t give us license to ignore his wishes.”
The lawyer held up his hands. “Now, now, everyone. Let’s stay focused.”
Holly formed her hands into fists. Oh, she’d be happy to show Natasha focused.
“Yes,” Holly said. “Let’s. Trevor’s instructions clearly say Creag Aerden and Gleninnis.”
“It’s not that simple,” Lachlan interjected.
The very words he’d uttered when she’d caught up to him the morning he left her. He’d mumbled some excuses about duty, honor, and plans that couldn’t be changed. But she hadn’t asked him to change his plans. Only to do their best to work things out in the long run.
But Lachlan was a man on a mission, impossible to sway. It’s not that simple, he’d said without bothering to elaborate.
Now, as then, Holly’s blood boiled.
“No? What’s so complicated, then?”
“The island is strictly off-limits.”
“Says who?”
Lachlan nodded at some of the elders in the room. “Say the Guardians of Scotland.”
Holly’s eyes went wide. She didn’t know much about the Guardians, but she knew they were not to be messed with.
“Oh, for goodness’ sake.” Natasha flapped a hand. “Just scatter the ashes at Creag Aerden. What difference does it make?”
Penelope shook her head. “That’s not what Trevor wanted.”
Holly frowned. Damn. Why did Lachlan’s new flame have to make herself so hard to hate?
“Trevor didn’t know about the current…er, arrangement,” Fergus MacGregor said, choosing his words carefully.
Holly frowned. “How could he not know about his own island?”
“A small portion of the island is owned by a separate party, and that has been turned into a…a…” Fergus searched for words.
“What? A casino? A brothel?” Holly couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of her voice. “An exclusive golf course? No? What, then?”
Fergus looked to Lachlan, who simply muttered, “Too dangerous.”
Holly snorted. “You know what Trevor would say to that?”
Behind Lachlan, old Fergus broke into a begrudging smile. “He would say, To hell with dangerous.”
Holly grinned. “Exactly.”
Besides, how bad could it be? Over the years, she’d learned that Scotland’s shifters loved drama — especially the unicorns. The more dangerous they made something out to be, the braver they would appear after facing it.
“I agree that we must honor Trevor’s wishes,” an older man said. “But perhaps