He holds up his phone with an image of a sentence spray painted against a brick wall, reading ‘Send her home.’
“Oh, Papa…” I bury my face in my hands. Of course, he would act against the MacTavish’s. The insult of being married against my will would set him off. But the potential for violence and our families going to war was the only reason I agreed to this travesty.
“I’d planned on letting you rest and eat before discussing this, but you’re quite the Bessie, so let’s do this now.” Dougal’s expression is cold and composed, and I feel my stomach tighten.
“By all means,” I say, keeping the little quiver out of my voice.
“Blackwood is unwilling to accept this union,” he’s barely holding on to his temper. I remember the night I’d visited Club Vixen for a job. I’d heard he was the one who’d overseen its development and it was quite grand. He must have been out of his mind with rage to find out it was leveled. He’s keeping calm with an iron will. “We’re expecting the violence to escalate.”
“Have you retaliated?” I ask between numb lips.
“Not as of yet. Cormac agreed to hold off for twenty-four hours before making a move. Which means…” he checks his watch, “we have eight hours left to handle this.”
I know what he means by ‘handle.’ I am going to have to convince Papa to stop.
“You realize what’s at stake here, wife?”
“Aye,” I snap. “You were quite clear about it when you were pinning me to this very couch during mycompletelyconsensual wedding vows.” Rubbing my face, I try to focus. “It doesn’t change why we did it. Let me talk to Papa.”
He hands me my phone. “We took the tracking app out of it, if you’re hoping for a rescue.”
Glaring at him, I call my father. He answers on the second ring and it hurts my heart to hear his urgent, “Isla, love?”
“Papa, I’m all right. I’m safe, I’m not hurt.” That last bit’s a lie, but since I did this to myself, I can’t really lay the blame on Dougal.
His deep sigh makes me want to cry, and I bite the inside of my cheek to hold the tears at bay. “It is grand to hear your voice, love. Where are you?”
I know Dougal’s listening; one corner of his mouth turns up. Not a smirk, exactly, but close.
“Truly, I don’t know. A safe house. Listen please, Papa. You must stop.”
“I’ll not leave you in a life with one of the MacTavish bastards!” he thunders, “You deserve so much more than that.”
“Please listen, Papa. I am not more important than the dozens of soldiers who could die in this war. Or straining your alliances to bring in more men. I am not more important than the destruction of all our holdings.”
He says the oddest thing. “Diamonds don’t burn.”
Dougal’s head jerks back like he’s been slapped, which makes this all that much stranger. “No, our gem business may not be disturbed, but that could be the only thing that’s left. I’m begging you to stop. This union was certainly not my choice, but I vastly prefer it to the alternative. Please. You must stop.”
“I canna lose you to them,” he says, I can hear the agony behind the words. “Not again.”
Frowning, I try to make sense of it. “What do you mean? Who did you lose?”
There’s silence for a moment and I wonder if the call dropped. “Papa?”
“Aye, I’m here love.” He sighs heavily, “Which son?”
“They didn’t even tell you that much?” I ask crossly, glaring at an unrepentant Dougal. “It’s Dougal, the third son.”
“That one?” Papa explodes, “No one in their right state of mind would trust that lunatic with a toaster, let alone a wife!”
Desperately shoving down the chortle that wants to break free after seeing Dougal’s expression of outrage, I say, “It’s going to be all right. He’s… fine.” He glares at me. “I’m being treated well. Papa?”
“Aye?”
“I don’t want anyone to die for me,” I say firmly. “It’s done. We will find a way past… past what happened or is happening or… there’s a lot to talk about. But please for now, just stop, all right?”
Dougal lets me talk to my father for another ten minutes before he circles his finger in the ‘wrap it up’ motion.
