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)
If I went back to the hotel, I’d stew and panic and worry.
If I went to the game, I’d be too distracted to think about the masked attacker or the break-in or the car nearly mowing me and Quinn down.
I licked my dry lips. “Did you call Ramsay back while I was being interviewed?”
Ramsay had called back multiple times after Quinn hung up to chase after me and the attacker.
He frowned at the subject change. “I did. When we return to Leth Sholas, he’ll need your phone to see if we can track who actually called you. Especially now.”
Okay. We were doing all we could to figure out who was behind this. I didn’t want to leave Quinn’s side because, despite our history, he made me feel safe. It occurred to me not for the first time in my almost thirty-seven years that learning self-defense might not be a bad thing.
“I’ll come with you.” I shrugged wearily. “I don’t want you to miss Angus’s game.”
29. Quinn
Restlessness jittered through me as I tried not to seethe over what had happened this morning. I attempted to focus on my son and his game, cheering as I watched my wee boy execute maneuvers with his hockey stick that never ceased to amaze me.
“We should get him on skates next,” Gary mused as we stood together on the edge of the field. “If he can skate, he’d make one hell of an ice hockey player.”
“Considering the nearest rink is Dundee, that might be an issue,” I murmured dryly.
“Some of the parents are talking with the council about fundraising for a permanent rink.”
Good luck with that, I thought, knowing how difficult such an endeavor would be.
Gary chatted to me about the ice hockey initiative and I hopefully nodded in all the right places. It wasn’t that I wasn’t interested. It was just that I couldn’t get the look of terror on Taran’s face when that man dragged her away out of my head.
I glanced over my shoulder for the fifty millionth time. She sat on the benches with Heather on one side and Kiera on the other. Heather was too busy texting on her phone to pay attention to either her brother’s game or the fact that her mother was murmuring with intensity to Taran whose expression was carefully neutral.
Taran hadn’t wanted to tell the kids or Kiera and Gary about what happened. She didn’t want the fuss, she’d said. I’d abided by that.
I hadn’t expected Kiera to be excited to see Taran considering their history, but it seemed she had a reason.
My gut churned, wondering what the hell my ex-wife was saying to her.
Gary nudged me.
“Aye?”
He gave me a knowing look. “Ever since Heather mentioned you and Taran were talking again, Kiera has been itching to see her.”
“Why?” I practically barked.
Gary chuckled. “Nothing to worry about, Quinn. She just feels bad about the past and wants to say sorry and assure Taran that there’s nothing between you anymore.”
“Fuck. Things are delicate. I don’t need Kiera—”
Gary grabbed my arm, his usual jovial expression hardening. “As much as you are in the middle, mate, Kiera has her own guilt to bear with Taran, and that’s got nothing to do with you. She has a right to apologize if she wants to.”
I relaxed ever so slightly as I processed his words. It never occurred to me that Kiera held any kind of remorse toward Taran. When it came to Taran, I suppose I could be a bit self-involved, thinking the two of us existed in a bubble.
But we didn’t.
I looked back at my two exes and Heather caught my eye instead. She’d looked up from her phone and was watching me and her stepfather carefully. She looked pointedly at her mum and Taran and then gave me a small reassuring smile as if to say, It’s all good.
Nodding, I turned away from them and Gary released me.
“It’s amazing you and Kiera lasted as long as you did,” he mused aloud. “You watch Taran like you’re afraid she’s about to disappear.”
I grunted because she almost fucking did this morning. At that, I knew I wouldn’t be able to concentrate unless I had Taran in my direct line of sight. “I need a seat.” I waved off Gary’s protestations. “I’m not interrupting them. I just need a seat.”
With that, I nudged Heather out of the way (she laughed at me) and settled next to Taran, my thigh pressing against hers. “Everything all right?” My gaze bounced between her and Kiera.
My ex-wife rolled her eyes at me and looked toward the game. “Aye, Mr. Overprotective.”
I waited for Taran’s confirmation.
She gave me a small, weary smile but nodded.
With her warmth pressed against mine, I more easily focused on Angus’s game.
“Did you see my jab tackle in the fourth quarter?” Angus’s voice was several decibels above where it should be for a public place.