“Och, that isn’t true, lassie. Ye have become family.”
“Yet you forbid my return.”
“Ian taught ye a lot about this life. Ye know why ye can’t return. We have no proof of the crimes he’s committed to provide. If ever there is such, we will welcome ye home with open arms,” Ken says.
“Deja is a bright lass. I only mean to make her stronger and capable of keeping herself alive. We have loved her as much as Angus has.
“I’ve known the lass from the time she was a wee bairn. The lassie has stolen our hearts. I’d be willing to lay down my own life for hers. Is she not safest with us?” Ewan says, lifting a brow.
“Dinnae fash yersel. We will take care of the lass. Ye are welcome to check in as often as ye like,” Ken adds.
“If something happens to my daughter, your entire family will be next, and I won’t come asking for permission. You have not seen hell as I will bring it over my child.”
“Aye, we know,” the brothers say in unison.
CHAPTER 8
Here to Collect
Ken
“Da hasto be rolling in his grave,” Ewan grumbles from beside me as we sit in one of the rooms at the property we own next door to Archie’s home, watching from the camera placed in his home just for this view.
I always knew this place would come in handy. It had become necessary to keep an eye on my older brother. Although it pains me that I haven’t kept a closer eye.
As the second oldest, my father had always tasked me with protecting my brothers and sister. Archie’s eejit arse included. The lad needs protecting from himself. It is with a heavy heart I sit here to watch this.
“Aye, no doubt he is. How did I allow this?”
“Och, this isn’t on ye. It was all our mistake. Ian tried to warn us all a long time ago.”
I release a heavy breath through my nose and purse my lips. Ian Black did indeed warn us of our brother’s disloyalty. Ourfather knew … I have been the one in denial and now it has cost us all greatly.
“He’s my older brother. I didn’t want to believe it. I knew he could be an eejit, but I didn’t ken he would harm his own kin.”
“Dinnae fash yersel, ye have been the best brother ye can. Archie has been a bampot since he was a wee lad.”
I grunt and shake my head. A crazy person is an understatement when speaking of the oldest of our siblings. As of late, I have wished that I had allowed him to fall into that well when we were young lads.
“He’s on his way,” I mutter as I get a message that our brother is not that far from home.
Ewan and I agreed we wanted to be here to make sure this is done and couldn’t be traced back to us or Helen. The repercussions of what we are allowing could come back to haunt us someday.
Our people could turn their backs on us, and we’d lose the centuries of power we hold here in Scotland. We’re good to our clan, but their loyalty to the McDougal name wouldn’t allow them to understand what we have done without the evidence we are lacking.
Duncan is on board, but he wanted no part of this. As the second oldest, I couldn’t leave this to rest on Ewan’s shoulders alone. Archie brought this on himself, but it needs to happen.
None of us is safe as long as he remains breathing. He’s power hungry and willing to go to great lengths to get to the power he seeks. At the moment, I’m probably next on his list.
With Da and O’Shea gone and the missing will, there’s no one in his way, but I still challenge him when he gets out of line. It’s only a matter of time. I know in my gut he’s behind our da’s death.
Finlay Black was able to confirm our brother’s involvement. This was all Archie’s doing. His own sister’s child—our baby sister. Angus was a good lad. He did everything asked of him.
“This is it,” Ewan says as he nods his head toward the screen.
I grunt and lock in on the feed. Archie appears, and Helen comes from the shadows. Our brother pulls his gun, but Helen is quick.
She disarms him in the blink of an eye. It happens so fast, I slide to the edge of my seat as if that will allow me to observe more closely.
