But it was hard to enjoy the view with the continued buzzing in her pocket. She removed the blue velvet bag from her pocket and then dropped the stone in her palm. The faint lines across the stone were glowing, the buzzing continuing. When the stone hit her palm, a dizziness swept through her. She staggered a bit as her hand closed around it. Then she felt a strong hand on the middle of her back.
“Woah, there, lassie.” John’s voice was strong and sure behind her.
She glanced up to see him holding a paper cup in one hand. His other was still on the center of her back.
“Thanks,” she muttered as she took the cup from him. It didn’t escape her notice he had nothing for himself. “No tea for you?”
“Och, no. I was glad to buy ye one, though.”
A tentative sniff determined the scent was a heady bergamot. She allowed the steam to warm her nose and cheeks.In her other hand, she clutched the buzzing stone that refused to be silent.
“You’re right. The viewsarestunning,” she said.
“Aye,” he said slowly.
He turned to her, his arm wrapping around her as he eyed her in a way that sent a shiver up her spine. His demeanor suddenly shifted, his gaze predatory. His arm tightened around her.
Her breath caught as her pulse pounded a rapid beat. He’d trapped her in his embrace, this stranger who leered at her.
“Now, lass, ye’ll be handing over that buzzing stone in yer hand.”
Confusion flickered through her as her heart drummed a wild beat against her chest. How did he know about the stone?
“What?”
“The stone.” He nodded to her clenched fist. “It calls to me. Give it to me.”
She tried to pull from his embrace but he turned toward her, his other hand wrapping around the wrist of her fisted hand. She still held the scalding paper cup in her other hand.
“Let me go.” Her tone was one of warning.
“Open your hand and give me the stone and I will.” There was an evil, determined glint in his eye.
Moira’s warning burst through her mind.
Never let it out of your sight. You are its guardian now.
Brianna did the only thing she could think to do. She flung the scalding tea in his face. He screamed, releasing her and putting his hands up as it splashed over him. He was an idiot to give her the cup so he deserved that. It also gave her enough time to stumble away from him.
Her heart was in her throat, the panic mounting as she made for the elevator. Her gaze flickered over the terrace looking for stairs—a quicker way out. But she saw none. The elevator would take too long. Once he regained his composure, his anger would drive him to her. His determination to get the humming stone out of her hand waswritten in those glittering blue eyes.
Footsteps pounded the ground behind her. A quick glance back to see he was closing the gap between them. He would get to her in seconds.
She opened her hand a bit to see the lines on the stone pulsing a bright white. It was mesmerizing as she peered down at it. Seeing it sent a pang through her and something told her to swipe her finger over the lines. Intuition maybe? She wasn’t sure.
Brianna halted and spun to face him. He came to a halt, his face red and blistered from the tea she’d flung in his face.
“Hand it over and I won’t hurt you,” he said through clenched teeth, holding out his hand.
She backed away, the pulsing light growing brighter and brighter.
“I don’t know who you are or why you want this stone, but I’m not giving it to you.”
“Fool,” he spat.
Then he lunged toward her as she swiped her fingertip over the glowing lines.
In a breath, the world dissolved around her. Tiny bright white pinpricks exploded against her eyes and her head throbbed with a sudden pain. As John lunged toward her, his hands trying to grab her, the ground fell away from beneath her feet and then she was tumbling through space. Instinctively, her hand clenched around the stone, clutching it tight in her grip as a cold wind sucked the breath out of her lungs. For a moment, she felt as though she were drowning. She no longer saw the terrible face of John MacDonald and she fell into a free fall.
