Always You (Adair Family 3)

So alone. “Yes.”

“I left for Inverness at the crack of bloody dawn, so I’m too far away, but I’m sending someone over now.”

“Not Mac.”

“Why?” Lachlan bit out. “What’s going on between you two?”

“Uh, nothing. I just … I don’t want to worry him,” I said lamely.

“Too late. I texted him as soon as you called. You’ll stay on the phone with me until he arrives. I’m texting him as we speak to inform him you don’t want the police involved. I’m sure that will go over well.”

Wonderful.

“Is it the same words?” Lachlan asked quietly.

“Yeah. ‘Why don’t you see me?’”

My big brother muttered a curse under his breath, then vowed, “We will figure out who’s doing this, Arro.”

I stared out at the darkness, my pulse racing as I imagined someone watching me. “I believe you,” I whispered.

Only five minutes later, after making small talk to distract me from my fear, Lachlan hung up when I told him Mac had pulled onto the site. A different apprehension filled me as the tall, powerful figure of Mackennon Galbraith cut across the muddy yard. I opened the door and then retreated into the cabin as he hurried up the steps. He was so tall, he had to duck his head to enter. His gaze moved to me first, his shoulders relaxing. “You’re okay?”

“As good as anyone can be in a situation like this.”

His features turned to granite, and I suddenly pitied the poor bastard who was doing this. Between Mac and my brothers, whoever this was, they were really taking a chance with their life.

Mac’s attention cut to the Post-it notes, and as he approached them, he pulled on a pair of disposable latex gloves and unfolded a large Ziploc bag. He reached for a Post-it, scowling at it before he put it in the bag. “I’ll have my friend in forensics look at them for prints, but I doubt we’ll find any.” Mac took every single note off my desk, computer, and wall, and put them into the bag. “When do Marcello and the team arrive?”

“Marcello will probably be here in about half an hour. I come in early every morning to do admin.”

Mac zipped the bag closed. The cabin was clear, every inch free of Post-it notes.

Free of the crime.

If only I could say the same about myself. Anxiety wearied me, wondering who the shadow at my back was.

“I’m putting security on you,” Mac announced.

I bristled. “No, you bloody are not.”

He took a step toward me, and I had to stop myself from retreating. “Arro, the next message your brother received arrived along with a deer carcass.”

I flinched.

“If you won’t involve the police again, then I need security on you and …” He straightened, his expression set, determined. “It’ll be me. I’ll talk to Lachlan. We’ll put Jock in charge at the estate so I can guard you.”

The very thought of being forced into proximity with Mac for the foreseeable future made my palms sweat. “No.”

His nostrils flared like a goddamn bull preparing to charge. “I’m one of the few men on our team with bodyguard experience, and I trust me with your safety more than anyone else.”

“Well, I don’t,” I snapped. No way was I spending day in and day out with the one man who made me feel out of control. “It’s a hard no.”

“For Christ’s sake!” Mac’s famous patience abandoned him. “Put our shit to the side and let me take care of you while this is going on.”

“Our shit?” My body propelled forward with growing rage. “Our shit?” Is that what we were calling the devastation between us?

“You know what I mean.” He raised a hand, palm out defensively.