“Aye, you?”
“Smashing.” He yanks out a little laptop from his shoulder bag and plunks it on the little table in front of him.
“What’d you find?”
My phone buzzes, and I quickly reach for it.
Bryn: Still on? Do you think you’ll rid yourself of me that easily, tough guy? You bet your arse I’m on for tonight, and bring your wallet. I’m awfully thirsty, and gentlemen don’t let women buy their own drinks.
“Jesus, Mac, what the hell is that about?”
I blink in surprise and look up at William. “What?”
“You didn’t hear a bloody thing I said.”
“Did so.”
He quirks a brow at me disbelievingly. “Oh? Then tell me what I just said.”
“You asked me what the hell that was about.”
“Before that.”
“Well, I didn’t hear that bit. So sue me.”
He snorts, shaking his head.
“I said I’ve got some more details for you.” He takes two sheets of printed paper and hands them to me. “But Christ, be careful with that intel, will you?”
I feel my eyes widen at what he gives me. He did a bloody good hack job. He’s got everything from the time and place of her birth, to her major at university, to the color of her bedsheets and her social media passwords.
“Bloody hell,” I mutter.
He smiles. “Good, isn’t it?”
This feels wrong. But no, I have to remind myself what I’m doing and why.
The Aitkens came after my family.
I clench my fists.
I have to avenge them.
A knock sounds at the door, and I yell over my shoulder, “Come in.”
Leith opens the door, Cairstina beside him.
She waves to me and smiles. When she first came here, she was mute, physically unable to speak because of head trauma she experienced as a wee bairn. But somehow, she found her voice again. Paisley, the more romantic of our two sisters, says it’s because she found love. Mum agrees. Islan thinks it’s likely. I’m not so sure I believe the power of love is that strong.
Still, even though Cairstina can now speak, she chooses her words sparingly and often only waves or keeps silent when we’re all together. The most I’ve ever heard her speak is when she gets all riled up, and that’s rare.
Bailey, Cairstina’s dog and the Clan watchdog, trots in beside her.
I snap my fingers at him. He trots over to me.
“That’s a good boy,” I tell him, scratching behind his ears. “What’s the story, brother?” I ask Leith.
“Came in to check on how things went in town today.” I look quickly to Cairstina, but she’s kneeling beside Bailey and patting his head. I can’t speak freely in front of her, though everyone in the Clan knows my plans.
“Went better than expected,” I tell him truthfully. “I’ll return this evening.”
He nods. “Good job, Mac. I know you’ll do this well. Has anyone seen Paisley?”
“Aye,” William says. He reaches for the papers he gave me and folds them into thirds. He slides them across the table to me, and Cairstina watches silently. “She and Islan were meeting with a mate, something to do with the wedding coming up?”
Cairstina nods her affirmation.
“Good,” Leith says. “I need to speak to her about who she’s bringing as her date.”
“She’s bringing a date?” I ask sharply.
Leith’s lips twitch. “Oh, she won’t call it that.”
“It isn’t,” Cairstina says, her normally placid voice tight with anger. “He’s making them bring bodyguards as dates.” She gives Leith a reproachful look, and I stifle a laugh. She’s normally very placid, but she loves our sisters as if they were her own.
I guffaw, looking at Leith. “Seriously?”
He sighs. “Seriously. I think they’ve both disowned me, but I’m not backing down. You know how dangerous weddings are.”
“Oh, right,” I say, barely tempering the need to laugh out loud. “Love in the air and all that? Fuckin’ dynamite.”
He rolls his eyes, walking over to the computer and gesturing for me to give him the folded sheets. He keeps them away from Cairstina, facing away from her. “You know what I mean.”
I do, though. Drinks flow easily, guards are down, blokes are looking for a hook-up. People do stupid things when they’re at a wedding.
“Aye, Leith, just takin’ the piss outta ya. I do. Anyway, our boys are right strappin’ young lads, the girls ought to like having them as their escorts.”
Cairstina blows out a breath and rolls her eyes so hard I wonder if she’ll blind herself. She shakes her head, tosses her hands on her hips, and storms out of the room.
Leith doesn’t even look up from the papers. “She’s lucky she’s cute. Jesus, William, you did your job thoroughly, didn’t you?”
William grins. “That I did.”
“Well done, you,” he says approvingly. He looks up to me, sobering now that Cairstina’s left the room. “What’d you do today?”
“Oh, just wiled her with my charm’s all,” I say smugly. I won’t feel guilty, I won’t. “You know. As you do with the ladies. Collective you, I mean, as I daresay you wouldn’t know how to charm a fucking blow-up doll.”