Chapter Fourteen
Everything happened so fast,Catriona wondered if it was the same feeling someone had when standing in the eye of a storm. From the moment Liam had put her in the car, she’d had no control over the situation.
However, as people talked around her, she gathered some useful bits of information, while allowing herself to thaw with each passing minute. Lucas Somersby was Zoe Blackwood’s younger brother. The same Zoe that was married to Archer. It now made sense why the young man had launched himself into Archer’s arms. Lucas had been at a hockey camp for a week and been snatched by that madwoman at a gas station in the middle of the night while on his way home. Somehow, his sudden disappearance hadn’t been noticed either by the coach, who thought Lucas had already gone home, or by Zoe, who believed her younger brother had stayed on at camp.
From what she’d heard, it hadn’t been the only attack on the group. Someone had tried to force their way inside Lazarus’ hospital room, and Kai and Sam had their hands full, keeping the area secure. Kai’s girlfriend, Isabel, had been followed from her office home. Only her quick thinking and Kai’s intensive evasive courses allowed her to escape and seek refuge with Archer and Zoe.
The brothers were in an uproar, and Catriona was fascinated seeing Liam transform from stoic to ruthless, Chewy on one side, and Cary on the other.
The only time Liam had spoken to her since they’d returned was to tell her to pack her things. He’d snapped out the order before disappearing again.
It took only a minute to gather her belongings, but what mattered more than filling a simple bag of clothing for her was to take care of young Cary. The boy had gripped her hand, never leaving her side, but when Liam came back to tell her that they were moving, going undercover with his other brothers and their families in a secret place set up by Archer, Catriona made a request: to have Cary and his family come with them.
The exasperation she saw in the man’s eyes, and how he clenched his jaw was a sure sign that he was about to deny her demand, however, after one look at Cary followed by a sigh, he agreed. Soon, Catriona realized that Cary Paylor’s family comprised of only his younger brother, Ted.
It broke her heart to see the two brothers, how they only had each other. The young brother Ted had big soulful eyes and only looked at his brother, and he wouldn’t say a word or acknowledge her. The only one who seemed to get through was Chewy. The scraggly animal had attached himself to the young boy the moment they had entered the car and hadn’t left either boys’ side since.
The entire cohort fled through the night in a convoy of cars until they got on a big boat. There were talks of Canada or something, but she couldn’t be sure. The brothers didn’t share information with anybody.
Familiar faces and several new ones surrounded Catriona, but there wasn’t time for introductions and instead focused on taking care of Cary and Ted while keeping an eye on Chewy. Fear weighed heavily on the group until they stepped off the boat and hopped into a new fleet of unmarked cars, driving them to what looked like an immense mansion, deep in the forest. Beyond the striking sight of this location, it was the armed men all around that reminded her that they were on the run.
How she found herself in this situation was beyond reason. From the calm serenity of the convent, she’d traveled the world, helped people decipher numbers and caught criminals, but she’d never been in the line of fire. Or more accurately, she’d never allowed herself even to do work where there might a risk to her existence, but when the friend who’d saved her life a long time ago asked her to risk her life for a family of men who were far from knights in shining armor, Catriona didn't question it.
Now, in a strange room, in the dead of night in the middle of nowhere, she watched two lonely kids huddled under the covers, sleeping like it was the first time they’d felt safe enough to close their eyes together and rest in a long moment. Maybe they were the reason for her going through what she had—saving them and Lucas.
Silently, she retreated, making sure the boys weren’t going to wake up any time soon. They had been installed in a separate bedroom, which led to a living room, much like a hotel suite. The living room led to two more rooms; one she knew was hers. Archer had told her that her stuff was in there, but even if she were in dire need of sleep, Catriona knew it would be impossible to close her eyes.
Prepared to venture into the insanely big house, it was a faint sound coming from the other room situated by the door that redirected her. Could it be Liam? Her hand was knocking before she could finish asking that question in her head.
As if on cue, the door opened to Liam’s exhausted but worried expression. “Are you all right? The boys?”
Her heart softened at seeing him and she shook her head. “They’re fine, we all are. I’m more worried about you. I haven’t had a chance to talk to you since you rescued me. Well, me and Lucas.” Squaring her shoulders, she soldiered through. “I have to explain why I left...”
Liam sighed and retreated inside to sit on his bed, rubbing his leg. “Don’t. Archer, Aleksei, and I found what you’d discovered. You don’t know us, any of us, and you were thinking about your safety. I can’t hold it against you, even if Aleksei is pretty pissed at you for putting yourself in danger, even unknowingly. We were just lucky that you turned on your cell phone when you did. We were in the car, driving around, trying to retrace your steps as soon as we realized you were gone. We learned you got in a car with a woman, Cary told us that much. But when we discovered who it was, I thought I’d die from worry.”
“What? You knew I was with Hazel?”
“If only, angel. The name she gave you may have been Hazel, but that’s not who she is. Her real name is Helen Harrington, and she’s deceived us before. Well, deceived Archer. Once we got her picture from a street camera, he confirmed it.”
Catriona didn’t know what to think. “Why would this random woman have an interest in me? What did she do to Archer? I’m not sure I understand.”
With a deep exhale, Liam shook his head. “It’s because you’re missing a bit of information, the same we’d missed too. Helen Harrington is Jamieson Finch’s sister, and she’s helping her brother in his nefarious dealings, including his desire to wipe us from the face of the earth. She’d tried modifying her appearance, and if Aleksei had got a better look at her, he would’ve arrested the woman. She attempted to kill Zoe, and I don’t want to know what would’ve happened if she’d accomplished whatever her task was with you. I wish you’d trusted me, Catriona.”
All she wanted was to take his hand and try to erase the tiredness she saw there. How hard it was to restrain herself. She would abide by his wishes. “I trust people. It’s who I am. And on our way here, I thought about it all, and even if I was afraid and in danger, everything happened for a reason, if only to save Lucas. You must see that.”
This time, Catriona swallowed hard. “It was a mix of your rejection and what I discovered in those papers. You know, there was no need to try any seduce me to convince me to help you. That was a given from the start. I’d rather you stay yourself and not force yourself to be someone you aren’t. As for what I saw in the documents... I should’ve known better than get caught up in the storm of doubts and emotions I felt after you left. Even an idiot wouldn’t have believed that you or your brothers were dumb enough to give me papers that could incriminate you from the start. There has to be another layer to it, and if you want to offer me one more chance, I’ll take another, calmer, look at it.”
He planted his stormy eyes on hers for what seemed to be an eternity before he finally spoke. “I never played you, in any way, Catriona. I’ve never liked deception. When I kissed you, it was because I couldn’t help myself. If Deva hadn’t barged in, things would’ve gone further than a kiss. I only stopped because I think you’re making a mistake.”
The words made her freeze, repeating them in her head as if to better understand them. “If you wanted to kiss me, if you wanted... to take it further, why are you taking the decision out of my hands? It’s my decision to make that mistake as you call it.”
It was clear that Liam was battling with himself, so Catriona offered him a smile. “We’re on this earth to make mistakes. Do you think that’s the first time I’ve ever thought about being with a man, sleeping with one? When you choose a path, you have to relinquish several more. No one goes into a religious life without considering that, otherwise, the weight of the commitment would break you in two. I haven’t slept with anyone because each time I was convinced it was the wrong decision, until you.”
When he shook his head, she pushed even more. “I heard about your mother, what happened to her.”
The revelation shocked him. “If you know about her, you’re aware of the reasons we should steer clear of each other. What if making you mine shatters something inside you, like it did my mother? I’ve already destroyed a woman who deserved better, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself knowing I’d done it again.”
For the second time since she’d met him, Catriona dropped in front of him, taking his hands, and praying to find the appropriate words to soothe his sufferings. “Your mother was raped, which is a tragedy. Maybe she could’ve been healed, maybe not. That is out of your control. What’s important is doing what you feel is right. Should I act on the attraction I have for you? Maybe, maybe not. The one thing I know for sure is you can’t carry the rights and wrongs of the world on your back. Do your best, be good, follow your heart, the rest is in the hands of God.”
