Here With Me (Adair Family 1)

Her worksite was only a thirty-minute drive from the castle. Lachlan checked his watch, noted his sister would most likely still be on-site, and decided to find her for himself. It was a good distraction from a certain American consuming his thoughts. Or the fact that he hadn’t seen Mac since he’d slept with his best friend’s daughter.

That sounds very wrong.

“Damn the man for having a kid at sixteen and making it weird for everybody,” he muttered dryly as he left his office.

Stopping in at security, he informed Jock where he’d be.

“All right, sir,” Jock replied. “A quick update, though. Our geofence disabled a drone. McHugh has gone out to collect it.”

The news irritated and concerned Lachlan. “The paparazzi already? They usually hold off until summer.”

“Could just be a local who got too close to our perimeter.”

“Or our little problem is trying to find a new way to scope out the estate.” He referred to his stalker and the fact that the estate’s security system was no longer vulnerable to the hacker.

“I wouldn’t assume so, sir. It’s an isolated incident. We’ll check the drone for prints and keep you posted.”

Grateful for the efficient team Mac had put together, Lachlan thanked Jock and moved to leave when the guard said his name again. He glanced over his shoulder. Jock looked a little uncomfortable.

“Mr. Galbraith was here earlier this morning. When our system detected the drone.”

“And?”

“He inferred that he would be returning to work this week.” Jock winced, clearly hating the position he’d been put in.

Lachlan tried not to show his agitation at his friend’s restless impatience. “I’ll have a word with him upon my return.”

The security deputy seemed relieved.

Not looking forward to a discussion about postponing Mac’s return to work, Lachlan threw the thought out of his head for now and jumped into the Range Rover Fergus had brought around from the mews.

The thirty-minute drive to Blairnie Forest passed in a blur as Lachlan veered between concern for his sister and wondering if he should visit Robyn or give her time to adjust to their affair.

He liked to think of himself as a fairly patient man, but she brought out this fervent covetousness. With her, he was greedy to the point of craving.

Definitely a bloody addiction.

Turning off at the site Arro told him she was working from, he noted the parked cars of the site crew and the fact that Arro’s Defender wasn’t there. Seeing her colleague Marcello, a project manager, Lachlan got out of his vehicle. The Italian spotted him and moved away from the two colleagues in construction hats to meet him halfway.

“Lachlan.” Marcello held out his hand in greeting. “Good to see you.”

The Italian wasn’t just a coworker of Arro’s; he was a friend and had been invited to a few family dinners with his fiancée in the past. They had a young daughter who regularly played with Lachlan’s niece, Eilidh.

“You too. I hope you’re well.”

“Fine, fine. Is all okay with Arro?”

Lachlan stiffened at the question. “That’s what I came to find out.” He gestured to the site.

“Oh.” Marcello frowned. “She called in sick two days running. Said she had food poisoning.”

Scowling at this news, he replied, “I better check on her.”

Marcello’s brows drew together. “Tell her I’m asking for her. It’s not like her. I’ve seen Arro try to work through flu.”

It was true. His sister was always on the go, driven by a need to be useful, and she despised being ill to the point where she would deny it until her family stepped in to force her to take care of herself.

Bidding the manager goodbye, Lachlan jumped into his SUV and tried not to race to her house.

Something was wrong. He felt it in his gut.

Arro’s home was a midcentury bungalow on the northern outskirts of Ardnoch. He’d offered her Adair land to build a home on, just as he’d offered his brothers, but Arro and their youngest brothers were holding out on their dream homes until they were ready to settle down. He’d teased Arro about the house she’d bought with her inheritance. In a quiet, nice neighborhood, the bungalow wasn’t exactly fashionable. However, it was spacious enough for her library of books and the collection of inherited family objects Lachlan granted her permission to remove from the castle. Plus, she was surrounded by good neighbors. That’s all his sister cared about. To be surrounded by family and friends. And books. Lots of them.

Seeing her car in her drive, he relaxed marginally, but it didn’t show in his charging strides as he hurried to the front door and pressed the doorbell.

Lachlan’s calm did not come when minutes later she still hadn’t answered the door.

He tried the bell again.

Stepping back from it, he stared into the front windows, searching for movement. Nothing. Following the paving stones around the house, he made his way into the decent-size back garden that Arro had spruced up with decking and a seating area off the kitchen. Designated veg, fruit, and potato patches had been planted in the back near the greenhouse.