Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 105748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
Quinn skidded to a stop, lowering to his knees. “Taran, fuck, Taran,” he gasped, his wild gaze searching for injury. “Are you all right?”
I groaned, pushing up. “What the hell just happened? Who was that?”
“He wore a mask.” Quinn glowered over my head.
“Let’s go after him.” I tried to push to my feet, but my legs were like jelly.
“No, we’ll call the police, and we need to get you checked over.” Quinn’s hands rested on my hips, steadying me as I straightened.
I winced at my aches and pains as horrifying realization set in. “Someone wanted me here. To do this.”
He nodded, his jaw clenching. “Aye, it seems so.”
By the time we left the police station, my adrenaline had crashed, I was exhausted, and I hated to admit it, but I was anxious at the thought of being alone.
Thankfully, the blow to my head hadn’t been hard enough to cause concussion and the first aider at the police station had left it up to me to pay a visit to the hospital or not. That was an “or not” for me. It was bad enough having to explain the situation to the puzzled police officers. They did quite quickly find CCTV footage of my assailant (Quinn ID’d his clothing), but the man, whoever he was, kept his mask on until the cameras lost track of him. The police promised to keep searching. Unfortunately, there was little I could tell them. All I’d smelled was a mix of sweat and something like pickle on the hand he’d clamped over my mouth. Otherwise, my senses hadn’t picked up on anything that would be helpful in identifying him.
Quinn finally informed the police of his suspicions over Eoghan McCall. Even though he knew from the man’s build that it wasn’t Eoghan who had attempted to kidnap me in Oban, he thought there might still be a connection. McCall was the only suspect we had. The police forwarded that information onto Leth Sholas police, but there was little they could do other than speak to Eoghan.
I’d been asked several times whether there was anyone I’d had a confrontation or altercation with in the past few weeks or months. There was no one, other than Quinn. I was at a complete loss as to who, other than Eoghan, would want to harm me.
It was chilling.
If Quinn hadn’t insisted on accompanying me to the post office, there was every chance my assailant would have succeeded in kidnapping me right off the street. I’d like to think a member of the public would have tried to help, but you never knew these days.
Whoever this was, they’d been desperate enough to plan to get me here and reckless enough to chance taking me in a public place.
“Are you returning to Glenvulin today, Ms. Macbeth?” PC Lewis, a young female officer asked as Quinn and I prepared to leave the police station.
“No,” Quinn answered before I could speak.
I gaped at him.
He reached out to take my hand in his, squeezing it tight. “We’re here until tomorrow.”
Eh … what?
“All right, well, we caution you to be vigilant while you’re in Oban. Contact us if anything else happens. And we’ll be in touch if any more information comes to light.”
Dazed by the entire morning’s events, I asked quietly as we walked out, still hand in hand, “We’re here until tomorrow?”
Quinn’s features were strained. “I just watched a man in a balaclava drag you up an alley … if you think for one second I’m letting you out of my sight, you have another thing coming.”
Tears pricked my eyes as I turned away. I hadn’t cried at all since the attack, and I didn’t want to now. I didn’t want to give whoever had done it the satisfaction. And while I was irritatingly afraid to be alone, I reminded Quinn, “You have Angus’s game. You can’t miss it.”
“You’re coming with me.”
I shook my head. “Quinn …” To hell with my pride. “I don’t think I can see Kiera today of all days.”
He squeezed my hand, bending his head so I had no choice but to meet his eyes. “I won’t force you to come along. I can drop you off at my hotel where I know you’ll be safe. But … maybe if you saw how happy and in love Kiera is with Gary … maybe that’s not a bad thing.”
At my hesitation, he winced. “Fuck, Taran, ignore me. You’ve just survived a botched fucking kidnapping attempt by Christ knows who. I’ll call Kiera and explain. She can drop the kids off at the hotel instead. You and I’ll just go back there and wait.”
Shock rooted me to the spot.
He would miss Angus’s game … for me?
I didn’t want that. No. There was no scenario in whatever was brewing between us where I would ever put Quinn in the position of having to choose between me and his kids. No matter the extenuating circumstances.