His heart pumped hard as he ran to her. Kilian released a breath of relief to see that she was unharmed. “What is it?”
“I found it, the spot.”
Kilian looked at where she pointed. A gravestone tilted backwards. It was set apart from the rest of the graves that butted up against the decaying wall of the monastery. There was a small set of trees off to his right. She was right. He opened the shovel, locked it in place and started shoveling. His sense that something was off continued to grow.
“Too bad we didn’t bring two shovels.”
“We’d just get in each other’s way,” he said, as he stood waist deep in a square hole that he had made. “The book isn’t that big.”
“I still say that we’d find it faster if I could help you dig.”
“Just stay up there and keep an eye out.”
“There’s no one here but us,” Grace said.
“As far as we know,” he said, looking around. “Just keep your eyes open.”
“You’re scaring me,” she said as he returned to digging.
He didn’t like scaring her but there was something… The shovel clunked off something. He was shoulder deep and he cleared the dirt off a small wooden box. He set the shovel on the grass outside the hole he’d made. Prying the box open, he pulled out a book. He handed the book to Grace before levering himself back up and out of the hole. He was relieved they had found the book.
He grabbed the shovel quickly, and raised it as movement from the shadows of the monastery caught his eyes. A gun came into sight first, followed by the man holding it.
“Mark,” Grace said in surprise.
“Grace,” Mark said with a nod.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m here for you and that book you’re holding. I thought that would be obvious.”
“You have a gun,” she said. “Does Dad know?”
“Who do you think made sure I had it? He sent me after you, knowing you were with a Kelly.”
“Kilian isn’t the enemy,” Grace insisted. “None of the Kellys are.”
“I see he’s been contaminating you,” Mark growled. “But we can fix that. Bring the book and come to me. I’ll get you home safely.”
Grace stared at him mutely, not moving. Kilian moved forward to stand between the two of them.
“Grace, come to me now,” Mark said.
“No,” Grace said.
Kilian wouldn’t let the book out of his sight now that he had found it and he didn’t want Grace to leave either.
“Dammit, Grace,” Mark exploded. “I gave you an order.”
“She said no,” Kilian said.
“You don’t speak for her.”
“I’m not speaking for her. I’m just repeating what she said.”
“I’m her brother.” Mark pounded his chest with his empty hand.
“That doesn’t give you the right to tell her what to do.”
