“How did you figure this out?” Collin asked, picking up a jewel-encrusted box that had been among Gwinnie’s things. He’d been told it had perished.
“In one of the paintings that Gwinnie’s mother-in-law had commissioned, the psychic drew the book. This must be how they got the emerald out the first time.”
“Looks like someone has taken to using it again.” He rose and moved to the mouth of the cave. Waves were crashing against the shore ten feet below. There was no easy exit out of the place unless someone had climbing gear.
“Looks like they were using the ropes and that basket for lowering stuff down. It’s kind of impressive. I doubt you’d see a thing from the castle windows.” She picked up a rope lying against the wall.
Moonlight was dancing on the water. It would have been a beautiful place to be stranded, if the reason they were there hadn’t been so wretched.
“How did you find me?” she asked.
“Mavis got hurt when she had a vision. She said you were in trouble and to look for the book that you described to her.”
Quinn’s hand flew to her cover her mouth. “Oh my God. Is she going to be okay?”
“Aye. She’ll be fine, but your pizza dinnae fair so well.”
Quinn’s shoulders deflated as she leaned against his arm. “How long before someone finds us?”
Collin wrapped her in his arms and kissed her lips, the betrayal of the fake emerald replaced with dread. “Quinn, I need to get you out of here. If the person responsible comes back, there’s no telling what they’ll do.”
She stepped out of his embrace. “Great. I don’t suppose you can fly us out of here.”
“Nay, but I can lower you down with the rope.”
“I’m not leaving without you.”
“You have to, luv. When you reach the bottom, you can get help and let me out.”
She glanced down over the ledge and shook her head.
“You can do this, Quinn.”
“I’m in a dress with heels, Collin. I can’t do this.”
“You can.” He bent down to take off his boots and socks. “You can wear my boots for traction, and I’ll lower you down slowly. I won’t drop you. I promise.”
“Collin…”
“Quinn, you’re the strongest person I know. We’ll do this nice and slow and get out of this together.” He picked up the rope and tied it into a harness to ease her worry. He helped her into his boots and tied them as tightly as he could, so they wouldn’t fall off her feet, before he helped her between the ropes. “I’ll ease you down. Slow and steady.”
She sat at the edge of the opening and waited until Collin had the rope around one of the beams to use as a makeshift pulley. He tied the other end around his waist. She would not be dying by his hands.
He pulled the tension from the rope and nodded.
Fear shined in her eyes. It was a look he’d never seen on her face, not even when knowing a killer was out to silence her. She eased over the rock, and he strained against the weight, trying hard to act strong when his insides just wanted to recoil. She let go of the edge and clung to the rope for dear life. Collin slowly loweredher, inch by agonizing inch. He took his time. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” she hollered back. “The quicker I get down, the better. Just rip the Band-Aid already.”
Collin smiled at her newfound resolve. His Quinn wanted to get down faster, so he moved a little quicker but watched for any problems she encountered. He had her about a foot above the ground when he heard the faint sound of a gun cocking.
“Drop the rope,” Ramsey said.
Collin glanced down once more to find Quinn trying to get out of her harness. He threw the rope over. When it landed by her feet, her gaze shot up to the cave at the very second that Ramsey pulled the trigger.
The bullet seared his arm. The impact sent him back against the jagged stone wall and down to the cold floor.
Chapter Sixteen
