“If I can scare the deer into running, hopefully the dog will hear, and follow. The brothers won’t be able to get it off the scent. Don’t worry, Snow White, I’m not going to hit it.”
“Snow White now?”
“She loved animals, didn’t she?”
He threw the paperweight at the trunk of an oak, right next to the deer. It bounced off and disappeared into a clump of grass. The stag bolted, swishing through the undergrowth. Seconds later, one of the dogs erupted from nowhere, bounding after the deer, barking. Tom raised his eyebrows. For once today, a plan of his had actually worked.
“What became of Snow White’s prince?” he whispered.
“Nothing much. He came out unscathed.”
“Good to hear.”
“Psychopath, though.”
“Huh?”
“He forced the evil queen to dance in red-hot iron slippers until she dropped dead.”
“Blimey.”
“Are you saying you’re my prince now?” Amelia’s mouth was so close that her lips touched his earlobe.
A whistle cut through the air. Tom grabbed for Amelia’s hand, catching her wrist instead—as if she needed the warning to be quiet. Her pulse tapped hard against his fingers. Hell, his heart rate was skidding along, and he hadn’t been through what she’d been through. She repositioned her hand so she could hold his properly, tightly.
Another whistle, followed by rustling and low, murmuring voices. The Pritchard brothers were directly underneath.
Chapter 16
Tom
Suddenly, the tree house seemed like less of a hideout and more of a trap. Through the gaps between the floorboards and the thick canopy, Tom discerned movement, and the flash of a blue jacket.
“Bungo definitely caught some kind of scent,” Griffin said.
The other dog was circling the tree, sniffing the trunk.
“Ah, look,” Rhys said, with a note of disappointment. “Fresh droppings. It’s a bloody deer he’s sniffed out. Told you this was a daft idea.”
“Well, we’ve got to find them somehow, don’t we?”
“I don’t like this, Griff.”
“You think I do? Who even is that woman with him?”
“Girlfriend? This is all giving me the willies. I don’t even care about the money anymore.”
“It’s about a lot more than bloody money now. We have to find them. Oi!” Griffin shouted, making Tom flinch. “Mac! Here, boy. It’s just a deer, you great knob.”
He whistled. They moved on, their voices trailing away.
“Money?” Amelia whispered to Tom. “For what?”
Tom shrugged. How could money be involved with Duncan’s disappearance?
“Do we go now?” Amelia said. “Walk to the village?”
The light was falling fast, but he could sense her reluctance to leave their little sanctuary. Hell, he shared her reluctance. “We’re safe enough here for now. Let’s give them time to clear out. It’s almost nightfall, which will give us better cover.”
