Robert Taylor cornered Sophie and hurt her.
Red lights flash at me as I tear through them, ignoring the blare of horns and cursing truck drivers. The Bugatti fishtails as I take the corner leading to my neighborhood and I twist the steering wheel, wasting precious seconds as I regain control.
My mobile lights up and I stab the button.
“Where’s Martha?”
“She’s okay,” Angus pants. “Two trucks tried to box us in, but we got around them. Gary shot out the tires of one of them and called for backup. We might be able to get something out of the driver. She’s frantic, asking about Soph- Mrs. MacTavish.”
“Tell her Sophie’s safe.”
He hurt my wife.
“I’m getting her medical attention now. I’ll have her call her mother when she’s taken care of. Let Martha know.”
Angus sounds a little unnerved by my tone. “Aye, sir. On it.”
I nearly break through the iron gates when they dinnae open fast enough and I race into the house, leaving the door open and the motor running.
“Sophie!”
“She’s in here, boss,” Ian calls from the great room.
My lass is sitting on the couch, blood’s dripped down the back of her head, staining her white shirt and her throat is already blooming ugly purple and blue bruises.
“Butterfly.”
Her arms go out, fingers making frantic grabby-hand motions and it feels like a punch to my chest. I carefully pull her onto my lap. “Your mum’s okay, aye? Dinnae worry. Martha’s fine.”
“She is?” Her poor, swollen face looks up at me. “Are you sure?”
“Aye, sweetheart. Taylor’s men tried to kidnap her, but her security took them out. She wasn’t hurt. Your poor throat…” I look up at an ashen-faced Ian. “The doctor’s on the way?”
“Aye, Dr. MacTavish.”
Oddly, Sophie seems to find this hilarious because she starts laughing until the pain in her throat makes her stop, coughing weakly.
“Shh… love. I have ye.” Wrapping my arm around her, I hold the pad of bloody gauze against the back of her head. I’m so angry that it takes me a moment to form a proper sentence as I stare at Ian and Torrin.
“What happened?”
“We stopped at Boots so Mrs. MacTavish could pick up a few things,” Torin says formally, standing soldier straight. “After Ian accompanied her in, I noted two men enter the store and startsmashing it up, knocking over shelves, punching the staff. I ran in and neutralized them both as I searched for Ian and Mrs. MacTavish. I found them in the restroom.”
Ian speaks up. “The attack drew me to the entrance of the hallway leading to the bathrooms. I pulled back to check on Mrs. MacTavish and she dinnae answer my call. The door was locked, I broke it down and Taylor had his arm around her throat, pressing a gun to her head. He threw her at me and escaped. I did not give chase, I stayed with Mrs. MacTavish.”
“Robert told me he had Mom,” Sophie rasps out. “He told me he wanted me to spy on you, find out about the Matsumori Yakuza. He knows you have another deal going.” Her face crumples. “He said he’d send back pieces of Mom if I didn’t get him what he wanted.”
“Ye did the right thing.” I nod to them all. I want to kill Ian for letting Taylor slip past him, but this isn’t the time. “Bring the doctor in as soon as she arrives.”
The room is quiet then, just Sophie’s poor, rasping breaths.
“Sweet lass, my brave girl.” I kiss her forehead, her nose. “Are ye in a lot of pain?”
“M’okay. Please tell me about Mom. You’re sure she’s safe?” Her face is resting against my neck, and I feel her take a deep breath, her fingers curling around my jacket.
“I promise. As soon as the doctor treats ye, we’ll call her, aye? The car she was riding in wasn’t even hit.”
Dr. MacTavish arrives, a no-nonsense woman with prematurely grey hair that she blames on us. Which is fair.
