More smiles and some happy squirming ensue during our ride up the floors. I hope, eventually, the bratty little iscomfortable enough to chatter away like a magpie at me. It may never happen. Tavish is pretty quiet, but one can hope.
The doors slide open, and I lead us down the hall to our room. Opening the door, I wave Tavish in ahead o’ me. He stops dead in his tracks. I step up next to him, looking down at him, and I grin. His mouth has dropped open. As I look around the room, and after having lived in the little cottage next to Bridget for so long, I can see the appeal and why he's probably locked up tight.
The room is massive. One o’ the largest and nicest I’ve ever stayed in. I may have spent the last few years o' my childhood in an orphanage, but before that, I had an extremely privileged upbringing. Once I came o’ age and came into my inheritance, I treated Simon and myself to every luxury I could. Now it is time to do the same for Tavish.
The boy had lived amidst some o’ the wealthiest men in the world, but he’d been sorely neglected. I’d asked Damon and Zayn about the boy, and both said he’d been kept under lock and key. I dinnae ken if Tavish even went to school. He’s fucking bright, but he’s experienced nothing o’ life. This is just the first o’ many experiences I’m making sure he gets to have.
“Wow!” he whispers in awe.
“I’ve always wanted to stay here, but Simon and I werenae able to make the trip,” I say, leaving him standing in the entryway while I head to the kitchenette with the few items I got from the market.
After a few moments, his silence draws my attention, and he’s chewing his lips again. I hate how hesitant he can be at times. Before I can pull him out o’ whatever thoughts he’s lost in, my phone rings.
I glance at the screen, swearing under my breath as I answer.
“Yes.”
“Where are you?”
“Why? What’s wrong?” I answer vaguely.
“Tavish is missing.”
I want to lie to them, but I dinnae. “He’s nae lost. He’s with me.”
“Thank fuck!”
In the background, I hear Everly demand the phone, so I wait for her to come on the line.
“We’ve been searching high and low for him. He went missing from the back of the van while we were taking out Elijah.”
Waving to Tavish, he joins me at the bar in the kitchen. I lay the phone down on the counter and turn the speakerphone on. “He’s here with me, Everly.
“Tavish! Are you okay?”
“Yes, Everly. I’m fine. Thank you for asking.”
“Why on earth did you leave the van? Did something happen?”
He stares up at me, and I answer for him. “I took him from the van, Everly. He was too exposed. Luckily, I did because Samuel showed up.”
They dinnae need all the details.
“Did he see you, Tavish?” Everly asks.
Tavish’s eyes well up and he nods.
“Go start the shower, mo ghille. I’ll be there in a bit,” I tell him.
“I need to speak with him, Draven.”
Tavish stops. Picking the phone up, I take it off speaker and point toward the shower. I wait until he’s in the bathroom before walking to close the bedroom door.
“To answer your question about Samuel, yes, he saw Tavish. To answer your question about where we are, we’re in Scotland. Samuel chased us through the city. We just barely got away fromthe bastard. Instead o' bringing them down on the mansion, I brought Tavish to Scotland to hide him away.”
She curses, then relays the info to whomever is there with her. When she comes back on the phone, she says, “Ghosts are supposed to leave their prior lives behind.”
“I’m aware, but the safest place for my boy isnae in that fucking basement. He’s been locked and hidden away for fucking years. All he’s ever experienced is imprisonment, abuse, and neglect. He deserves to experience life. So, while he’s searching for Samuel, I’m going to make sure he can live a little.”
