“The water is rough.”
“I’ll go now before it gets worse. I’ll let you know if I find her.”
“I’ll come.”
“No. Quinn would have my head if anything happened to you. Anyway, I need you to watch Akiva.”
Twenty minutes later, I left Akiva behind on shore with Cammie and headed out toward Kiln. The rain battered down, so I’d pulled on waterproof trousers and a hooded jacket to make the crossing. As the waves rocked my small boat, I cursed Tierney Silver and whatever this fucking hold was she had on me.
Beneath my irritation was something I didn’t want to consider.
Because what if someone had gotten to her on Kiln?
“Fuck,” I growled, steering the boat through the choppy waters. I could barely see a thing and knew too late I’d taken a big risk. Still, I’d been in worse situations in my life. Far worse.
By the time I reached the dock at Kiln, my boat had almost capsized twice and I knew I’d have to find shelter for the night too. There was no way I could chance traveling back in this weather. With sheer strength and physical will, I managed to get the boat tied to the dock next to Donal’s and hiked up onto the main footpath. I had a backpack with supplies, including a portable VHF radio so I could update Cammie and Leth Sholas on our situation.
The SUV took me by surprise, because I hadn’t heard the rumble of its engine over the crash of the water against shore. Its headlights blinded me before it suddenly swung to the side. I lowered my hand from my eyes and made out Donal Macintosh’s bearded face in the driver’s side.
“Donal?”
“Who is that?”
I approached the vehicle so he could see me better. “It’s me! Ramsay!”
“McRae?”
“Aye!”
“Are you crazy coming over in this weather, man!”
“I’m looking for someone! You brought her over this morning!”
“The blond lass? Aye, I’m out looking for her meself! Bloody tourists!”
“Do you know which way she went?”
“She took the coastal trail!” He pointed ahead of us. “If she’s smart, she made her way to the bothy!”
I knew which one he spoke of. The islanders here maintained the shelter for hikers who wanted to spend a night on the island. “I’ll head that way. You head home. I’ve got this!”
He scowled. “Let me drive you a ways. It’s ninety minutes by foot!”
Grateful, I nodded and rounded the SUV, jumping inside.
The sound of the weather dulled only somewhat as Donal righted the SUV and started down the coastal road.
“This lass something to you, then?” Donal asked quietly. “Considering you risked your very life in that water to get to her.”
“Honestly, I didn’t realize how bad the crossing would be. But she’s a friend of Cammie’s and Cammie was worried.”
Donal nodded. “Well, she seemed like a smart enough lass. I wouldnae fash yourself too much.”
“Is that whyyou’reout looking for her?”
“I dinnae like to think of anyone out here by themselves in this weather. And once my wife heard there was a young woman out here alone, she radioed everyone on the island to see if they had her. No one has seen the lass. The wife wouldnae stop nipping my ear until I went out to look for her.”
Because that was what a small community did for one another.
