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“Easy, lass,” Leith says, reaching for my knee and giving it a little squeeze. “My God, you’re shaking. I take it that’s him, then,” he says grimly, pointing a finger out the car window to my brother, standing half a yard away from us with his back to our car. Another man comes up to him and claps him on the shoulder in greeting. I close my eyes, both relieved and mortified that I reacted the way I did.
Leith’s eyes narrow. “Fucking look at her,” he says to Mac and Tate. “She’s shaking and terrified.” His voice drops. “I’ll fucking kill him.”
Tears prick my eyes from the intensity of my feelings, the fear from seeing my brother and the hope that I won’t ever have to go back.
“This is the plan,” Leith says, still looking out the window with so much hatred in his eyes, I actually find it a bit encouraging. He won’t let my brother hurt me. I know he won’t.
Will he?
“Got the plan down solid, Cap’n,” Mac says, saluting Leith. “I’ll go in and ask questions, see if he gives anything up.”
The snow’s nearly completely let up, and Leith drives carefully, but a few turns have him slowing down quite a bit.
Will people recognize them? I don’t ask questions, though. Do the people of Inverness know who they are? I’d never heard of them myself.
“You let me worry about the road,” Leith says. “You worry about the plan. After we ask Dougal some questions, you’ll nick his keys,” Leith says, drawing on a pair of gloves. “And you leave him to me.”
I’ve spent enough time with Father MacGowen to know that his plan is wrong. It isn’t right to want retribution and vengeance. It isn’t right to want to rough someone up or hurt them. But God, if a part of me doesn’t want him to do that.
Sometimes, we don’t do what’s right. And maybe sometimes, certain principles outweigh others.
What would happen if Leith were to go in there and demand payment for me, like they did in the times of old? If he told my brother I was a long-lost princess, and he’s come to give me my inheritance, leaving my brother and mother penniless and destitute, if only they apologize for the wrong they did and give allegiance to the king?
I imagine for a moment I’m Ariel, mute princess from the ocean’s depths, escaping King Titan to wed my handsome prince. I’ve traded my voice for my freedom.
The car door slams with a bang, tearing me out of my reverie. My God, I have to stop that.
Do I escape to my mind when I’m afraid, then? I haven’t done it since I’ve been with Leith. Not until now.
“Come, lass.” He stands on the other side of my door, reaching for my hand.
I smile to myself.
Yes, Prince Eric.
I’m such a silly girl.
The petrol station Dougal works in is one of the few in Inverness with a large snack and drink bar, so while patrons mill about, we enter the store and blend in.
“Snag me a packet of crisps, Lou,” Mac says with a grin, clearly enjoying his ability to boss Leith around.
“I’ll shove the packet of crisps up yer arse,” Leith mutters with an eye roll, but he grabs a few flavors nonetheless. “You want anything, lass?”
Oh aye. I give him a small smile, and point to a bar of chocolate.
He gives me one of his rare smiles back. “That’s my girl. Likes her sweets and chocolate, eh?”
I nod, then feel my eyes go wide as he grabs a large fistful of sweets.
“Fizzy drink for me, Lou,” Tate says, giving me a wink when he meets my eyes. The door shuts, and I realize with a jolt of fear that we’re currently the only ones in here.
Leith goes to the front of the store, snacks in hand, and plunks them down on the counter. I’m way at the back, between Mac and Tate, surreptitiously shopping, but watching.
“Y’alright?” Leith asks, taking out his wallet.
“Och, aye,” my brother says in his sullen way. “You?”
Mac walks away from me and sneaks behind me. I look away, since I don’t want to bring attention to him.
“Eh, am pure done in,” Leith says, scrubbing a hand across his face. “Been drivin’ damn near a day. Supposed to meet me mum up at the Cathedral, but can’t find it on the GPS. You know where it is?”
My brother scowls, still ringing up the food. I pretend to be thoroughly occupied rearranging the packets of sweets.
“Up the road,” Dougal says, but he gives him no more further information, the prick. “Not sure how you can bloody miss it.”
“Quiet church, is it? She said not a lot of visitors these days?” Leith asks. It may be my imagination, but I swear I can feel his anger emanating even from here.
