This was all his fault. He knew that much. If he had not brought Keira here, or if he had had half a mind to tell her to go back with her parents, she would not have been in this life-threatening situation right now. Once again, his loved ones were paying the price of his sordid past. He couldn’t allow that to happen. Not anymore. This would be the last time. He would make sure of it.
Dallas thought about it for a moment, then he spoke, “He wanted ye to ken that he has taken the lass. Otherwise, he wouldnae have left the message where ye could so easily find it.”
“Aye.” Raphael could agree with that. “But where do we start?”
“Where do we start what?” A voice behind them made them twitch with nervousness. Both men turned around, only to meet Jasper’s good-humored smile. “I’ve seen ye two sneak off into the garden, and I thought to meself, heck, I should do the same. The chatter has become intolerable, lads.”
But neither of the two men offered anything in response. They were stunned by Jasper’s appearance and remained silent until the man spoke again.
“Heavens, did I interrupt somethin’?” Jasper asked, walking over to them. “Ye two look like ye’ve seen a ghost.”
Raphael could not have said it better himself. For that was what Gresham Paddley was. A ghost from the past who had come to haunt Raphael’s present, threatening to destroy everything.
“I have no time to explain,” Raphael spoke quickly, fully aware that time was of the essence. “But Keira is missin’.”
“Missin’?” Jasper gasped, his eyes filled with fury at once. “What do ye mean missin’?”
“She’s been kidnapped by an old enemy of mine,” Raphael explained as he shoved the message into Jasper’s hands.
“Only, we dinnae ken where he might have taken her,” Dallas interjected with a helpless tone. “It could take us hours, days even.”
“Aye.” Raphael nodded. “Will ye help us?” he asked Jasper.
“Of course,” Jasper said without hesitation. “Ye can count on me help for anythin’.” Suddenly, he seemed to pause for a moment.
His eyes quickly locked with Raphael’s again. “Come to think of it, I went out to the terrace for some fresh air about an hour ago, maybe a wee bit longer. I leaned against the railing, lookin’ into the distance, and I noticed a horseman in the distance, ridin’ away from the castle. It looked like there were two people on the horse, but I thought nothin’ of it at the time.”
Raphael’s eyes widened in realization as he listened to Jasper’s account. A sense of urgency coursed through him, and he exclaimed, “It must be them! We need to act quickly.”
“Aye!” Jasper and Dallas exclaimed.
“Do ye remember in which direction they were headin’?” Raphael asked.
“Aye.” Jasper nodded. “I think they were headin’ in the direction of the clearin’.”
Raphael thought about it for a moment. It all made sense. Gresham was done playing hide and seek. He had kidnapped Keira because he needed leverage. He didn’t want to kill her. If he wanted to kill her, he would have done that when he had had the chance, in her chamber, when she had been alone and helpless. He could have done it so easily, and no one at the cèilidh would have been none the wiser.
The thought sent shivers down Raphael’s spine. He was supposed to keep her safe and sound. And yet, she had been kidnapped in his own castle, right under his very nose. It made his blood boil with rage.
But it was Raphael whom Gresham had always been after. He was merely biding his time, hiding in the shadows like the villain that he truly was. And Keira… she was merely bait. At least that’s what Gresham should think of her. For if he knew that she meant anything to Raphael, he’d kill her. And he’d make her suffer first.
Raphael felt horribly guilty. He couldn’t imagine how frightened Keira must be right now, how utterly hopeless. He’d never let her feel like that again. He’d make sure she was safe. Even if it meant she’d be away from him.
“Quickly!” Raphael gave clear orders.
Raphael, Dallas, and Jasper wasted no time. They rushed to the stables, where their loyal steeds awaited. The horses, sensing the urgency of the situation, were ready to gallop through the night.
In the moonlit darkness, the three men mounted their horses, their steely determination etched on their faces. Raphael gripped the reins tightly, his heart heavy with worry and his thoughts consumed by Keira’s safety. He urged his horse forward, the others following suit.
They rode fast, the sound of hooves pounding against the ground echoing through the countryside. The castle and the guests faded into the distance as they raced towards the clearing.
Please, God, let it not be too late.
24
Keira regained consciousness slowly, like water dripping into a well filled with sand. Her head was a blossoming ache of anguish, and her vision was still blurry. Little by little, she was starting to remember what had happened.
The chamber. The stranger. The rag over my mouth. Complete darkness.
