CHAPTER 4
A sort of numbness pressed through her when she took the blue bag. It was like the one Evie had had with her that was retrieved from the museum bathroom. The same one Bruce had stuffed in his glove box.
Bruce had taken the blue velvet bag from her flat.
Chloe stood a moment at the counter across from the woman trying to make sense of it all. Then she asked, “How did you know my last name was Sinclair?”
Moira gave her a little smile. “I know your sister.”
Hope exploded through her as her chest tightened. “Evie. Did you give one of these to Evie?”
“You must be Chloe,” she said, ignoring her question. She walked around the counter. “You’ll want to be careful with that. It’s a powerful thing.”
Chloe gripped the bag tighter in her hand. “Someone else wants it?”
Moira’s face turned serious then. “There are those who would kill for it. Never let it out of your sight.” Then she changed the subject and motioned her toward the door. “I must be closing for the night now.”
“Oh,” she breathed. “Yes, of course. I’m sorry to keep you.”
Chloe followed her to the front of the shop. As the woman reached for the door, she turned back to her. She looked her over, as though she was memorizing her face.
“Good luck to you, Sinclair.”
Then she opened the door and stepped aside. Chloe’s only response was to nod as she stepped out into the crisp evening. Moira closed the door after her and flipped the lock.
She stood on the sidewalk, gripping the bag with that eerie sensation still piercing through her. It was the oddest conversation she had ever had with anyone.
Chloe put the bag in her pocket as she headed for her car.
***
Three hours later, she perched on the edge of her sofa staring at the bag sitting next to Evie’s handbag. The stone rested on top of the bag as it continued to quietly hum.
Her mind was so befuddled she hadn’t thought to ask Moira what the stone was. All she knew was that it was part of something larger. Another piece perhaps. But the way it was broken indicated to her that it must be part of two larger pieces.
Did Evie have one of the pieces? She must have. She must still have it, wherever she was, because her bag was empty.
Which made her wonder why Bruce was so interested in it.
Exhaustion pounded through her. She lay on the couch, tucking her legs up. Her eyes became heavy as she stared at the humming stone, the bag, and her sister’s purse. The strange vision she had had in the shop came back to her. The one of the castle and the man she had never seen before.
It was the last thing she thought of when she drifted off to sleep.
The dream started immediately. The man had chiseled features with the most incredible sea- green eyes she had ever seen. Firelight flickered over his face as he sat with his massive forearms crossed over his chest. The expression on his handsome face was pensive. His gaze flickered to hers and his expression softened as he looked at her. He held his arms out to her in invitation.
She slid into his arms as he wrapped them around her, surrounding her in his warmth.
“Och, lass, I cannae resist ye.”
His words were sweet as they rumbled through his broad chest. She tilted her head back and looked up at him. As his lips met hers, she startled awake. She sat up, her mind foggy, as shepeered into the shadowy darkness of her flat, feeling a bit off kilter.
Who was the man she dreamed of? He was the same one in the vision she had had in the antique store.
She pressed cold shaking fingertips to her lips but the kiss wasn’t real. It was merely a dream.
The humming of the stone had grown louder, drawing her attention. She reached for it, picking it up and saw the lines on the stone faintly glowed. Her brows drew together as she peered down at it.
As she was about to run her finger over the stone, there was a pounding on her front door, startling her. She clasped the stone in her hand as a gasp escaped her and she shot to her feet. A quick glance at her watch told her it was nearly one in the morning.
