“Don’t saywhatlike that.” Delia snickered with a high-pitched hissing sound that grated on Sadie’s nerves even more. “You sound as though you don’t trust me.” Delia prissed around the room, lightly scratching her manicured nails across the back of the loveseat like a cat searching for the perfect place to sharpen its claws.
Sadie blew out a disgusted huff and turned the chair to fully face Delia. Alec always said,Meet yer enemies head-on. She did her best to concentrate on the warm weight of the brooch snuggled between her breasts. It was all she could do to keep from snapping that there wasn’t enough time in eternity to list all the reasons why she didn’t trust Delia. She still needed apaycheck to pay off some debts before she married Alec. She wouldn’t hang her burdens around his neck, even though she knew he would gladly take them.
“What do you want from me?” Sadie asked. The only way to get rid of her sister was to find out what Delia wanted, then sort through it for hidden traps later. Sadie glanced back over at her laptop, checking the time. “I’m due over at the park in less than an hour. Out with it so I can get changed and go.”
Delia snapped open a designer bag that probably cost more than Sadie’s college education and pulled out a folded manila envelope. Her expression was unreadable as she held it out to Sadie. “I need you to get the entire MacDara clan, Dwyn included, up to Wilmington for a few days. Here’s the itinerary. Food, lodging, and transportation are all taken care of courtesy of Realm Spinners Productions.”
“Why?” Sadie gingerly slid the envelope out from between Delia’s long, thin fingers as though it could explode at any minute.
Flipping a hand with a dismissive shrug, Delia tucked her bag back tight against her too narrow waist and attempted a smile. “Publicity, of course. I’ve spoken to the museum there and they’re very interested in helping the MacDaras set up several rooms to depict the Scottish influence here in North Carolina. Your Highlander should love it. Scots are totally besotted with sharing their history.” Delia turned, her spike heels shining with a malicious gleam in the late afternoon sun streaming in through the French doors. “It’ll spur more talk about the park and the filming. Talk about the filming equals chatter about the movie. Delightfully cheap promo compared to a standard campaign through who knows how many cities.” Delia rolled her eyes and groaned. “Involving actors and directors in meet-and-greets and red-carpet nights nearly bankrupted my last project. The alcohol, drugs, and escorts alone cost me more than you do.”
Sadie didn’t doubt that. Most of Delia’s promotional events ended up as drunken orgies aimed at luring in investors so Delia didn’t have to risk any more of her own capital. She slid her thumb under the flap of the envelope and peered inside. Everything seemed in order for a group trip to Wilmington. Absolutely innocent and just as Delia had said—a totally legit itinerary with contact names and phone numbers. Sadie resealed the envelope, a hollow sense of impending doom growing. “It’s a little early for promo about the movie, don’t you think?”
“It’s never too early for promo. Have you listened to nothing I’ve taught you?” Delia tossed her hair in a perfect cascade of bleached blondness over one shoulder. “You know the ‘Rule of Seven.’ Potential moviegoers have a lot of noise to sort through. I want to make sure they hear us loud and clear, repetitively, and often.”
Sadie nervously tapped the envelope against the palm of one hand. There had to be an angle. This was too strategically by the book and on the level. Delia never did anything without a hidden agenda. “I’ll bring this up to Alec, but I’ll have to let you know when they’d be willing to go. I’m not sure about everyone’s schedule. I know for certain they won’t want Esme missing any school and they won’t leave her here alone.”
Delia paused with her fingers on the door, holding it partially open. “The limo bus will be here at eight a.m. All reservations start tomorrow—nontransferable through this weekend. I already checked with the park’s activity director for any scheduling conflicts. The girl doesn’t have school on Monday. Some sort of teacher’s in-service day or something.” Her strained smile disappeared as she pointed a long, manicured nail at the envelope. “You’ll see that this gets done, Sadie. Don’t get difficult just because you think I’m afraid of your alpha Highlander.” Delia walked out the door, then stuckher head back in the room and gifted Sadie with a blood-chilling smile. “It takes more than a smashed laptop and an incompetent gnome of a lawyer to scare me.”
Bile burned in the back of Sadie’s throat as Delia closed the door with a threatening bang. What the hell was Delia up to?
CHAPTER 21
He didn’t like leaving the park for an entire weekend, but Esme was beside herself about spending a few days in Wilmington. “Shopping!” she’d said, clapping her hands and hopping around as though the fine town of Brady had no stores that offered her any shiny beebaws and baubles.
Alec hooked an elbow over the banister and felt for the first step with the toe of his boot. He couldn’t see a feckin’ thing over all the infernal bags his sister had loaded into his arms. The top bag slid a bit to one side, threatening to abandon ship and dive over the railing. He caught the handle between his teeth and bit down hard. Damn it all to hell and back. What the devil did she need to buy in Wilmington? The girl was taking half of MacDara keep with her.
His mother hadn’t helped his cause either. The woman had quickly sided with Esme, her eyes sparkling a wee bit too brightly when she’d assured him that she and his father would rather enjoy a rare few days alone without their rowdy brood clamoring about the keep.
Alec huffed out an irritated grunt and dumped the armload of bags into the growing pile of luggage at the bottom of thesteps. It was as if they were going away for three months rather than just three days.
Grant leaned against the open front door, watching for the rental. He leaned farther out the doorway and scowled up at the sun. “I thought ye said eight a.m.? ’Tis nearly ten.”
“With any luck, they’ll not show up at all and we willna have to go.” Alec glanced back up the staircase, shaking his head in disbelief as Esme dumped four more suitcases at the top of the stairs and headed back to her room for more. “What the hell is she packing? The entire second floor?”
Ross brushed past Alec, meeting Ramsay at the top of the stairs, and took two of Esme’s bags. “If we dinna go, I’ll not be the one to break the news to Esme. She’ll set up a howl for sure.”
“Damn right,” Ramsay chimed in. “’Twill be yer duty to break our wee sister’s heart. Yer the one that doesna wish to go.”
“Esme!” Alec shouted up the stairs. “Ye’ve brought enough. Now get yerself down here.”
Esme appeared at the railing and leaned out over the balcony. “Is the limo here yet?”
Alec looked back over his shoulder at Grant.
Grant shook his head.
“Not yet,” Alec said. “But it’s sure to be here any time.”
Esme held up a finger as she backed away. “I just thought of a few more things I might need. If it gets here, tell them I’m almost ready. I’ll be down in just a minute.”
“Lore a’mighty,” Alec muttered under his breath. He clenched his fists so tight all his knuckles popped.
“You’re going to stroke out. Calm down. She’s a teenager. It’s what they do.” Sadie patted his arm, then held out her bag. “Here’s mine.”
“Just the one?” Alec said with an exaggerated wave of both hands. “Ye dinna feel the need to take along the entire contentsof yer suite?” He was in a foul mood. Something was amiss. He felt it in his bones as surely as he felt the beating of his heart.
“Don’t be pissy.” Sadie stretched and pressed her lips close to his ear and whispered, “I called ahead and found out our room has a private Jacuzzi and heated pool. Pissy people don’t get to swim naked, then have certain parts of their body rubbed with the special flavored oils I got in the mail yesterday.”
