Page 101 of A Scottish Highland Hideaway

I sprang onto the carpet, my heels dangling half off my feet and my hair escaping out of its up-do.

“Anastasia!”

Marcus called out again from outside the room.

“Marcus! Help!”

Corrie was sprawled on the teal carpet, still clutching at her upper arm and trying to right herself in her spikey, crimson heels.

There was another heavy-footed bang against the door, before it splintered away from its hinges with a giant crack.

I watched open-mouthed as Zach and Marcus bundled in. My big brother swooped me into his arms. “Christ! Are you all right? Are you hurt?”

I let out a grateful sob and managed to shake my head as I clung to him. “What are you doing here?”

Zach hoisted one arm under Corrie and yanked her roughly to her feet.

He gestured out to the corridor and two of the burly security guards, who had been recruited by Ezra’s management team, entered the room and hauled Corrie away. “Can you keep an eye on her please?” asked Zach.

One of the towering guards, who was sporting a hipster-style beard, glowered down at Corrie, who jutted her chin out in defiance. “We’ll take her down to the service entrance, sir.”

The two security guards hoisted her away, and I could hear her protesting all the way down the hall.

Zach smoothed back his sweep of dark hair. His white shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows.

Bewildered, I stared from Zach to Marcus, who was still holding me in his arms. I felt as though I was dreaming underwater. “Will someone please tell me what the hell’s going on?”

Zach glanced at my brother, before focusing on me. “So, you know about Corrie then, Bailey?”

I suddenly felt very vulnerable, standing there with my messy hair and crumpled dress.

“Yes,” I faltered, “but only because I found two threatening notes in her coat pocket.” I pointed to the coat still lying on top of the rumpled covers. “And details about Caroline and Laura.” My head was swimming. “How did you find out what she was up to?”

“I’m a journalist, remember?” Zach said, smirking at me across the room.

Marcus gave my arm a comforting squeeze.

Zach thrust both hands into his trouser pockets. “This was the development I hinted at before. I got a tip-off from one of Corrie’s colleagues at Sublime Entertainment, who I know from when I worked with him on one of the London papers. He told me she seemed very interested in Caroline and Laura – unhealthily so. He also started to notice her splashing cash she always claimed she never had.”

Zach eyed Marcus and me. “This colleague of Corrie’s began feeding me information and kept watching her. He said she started working late when she never used to before, and was forever disappearing from her desk with her mobile, taking a variety of frequent calls.” He went on to explain that Corrie had been acting suspiciously around her PC at work, looking up information on Ezra’s former partners, as well as trying to find out about his general movements, the hotel accommodation for his book tour, and looking into his inner circle of close friends.

“She’d seemed unnaturally interested in him,” explained Zach. “They’ve got other clients at the agency of course, but anything to do with Ezra and she was always volunteering to deal with it. I suppose she was hoping to stumble across something juicy from his past and wanted to be in a position where she was able to use it on behalf of the shady individuals who were paying her.”

My breath quickened again. Thank goodness Zach and Marcus showed up when they did. Lord knows what Corrie was capable of.

“So, when did you find out about Corrie and what she was up to?”

Zach shot me a charged look. “I got confirmation just after … I last saw you in Heather Moore and that was when I returned to Glasgow. It seems Corrie has a tendency to hang around with the wrong sort of company; people you wouldn’t want to upset.” Zach gave his brow a wipe with the back of his hand. “Corrie and her boyfriend are rumoured to have been involved in a number of unpleasant online blackmailing scams.”

My mouth dropped open. “But why didn’t you tell me as soon as you found out about her?”

He took a few steps towards me and caressed the top of my arm. Marcus was observing both of us. “I’ll speak to you in a minute.” He offered Zach a small, grateful smile and vanished out into the corridor.

Zach’s expression was etched with concern. “I wanted to take as few risks as possible. I thought the less you knew, the safer you’d be.”

“And that’s the only reason? Why you disappeared?”

Zach dropped his gaze. “No, it wasn’t the only reason.”