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“So much for trust.”
“Hey, trust will come in time. Nothing happens overnight.”
Despite his irritation at all the negotiating, Bram liked the Scottish leader more as time went on. Finn was far more open-minded and forward-looking than sixty-year-old Dougal Munro had been. “Say I agree to the fostering, then what about the details? How long? How many? What role should they play in the clan? I won’t send one of my clan members to sit and twiddle their thumbs for months on end, nor will I allow them to be shunned and mistreated.”
“I can respect that as I feel the same way. You don’t have to send someone today. Let’s say, in a month or two? That gives us each time to prepare our clans and hash out the finer points.” Finn leaned forward. “I can promise you no harm will come to your clan members as long as no harm comes to mine.”
Bram nodded. “I can promise that too, but with one caveat—if any of your fostered clan members try to undermine the well-being of Stonefire, they will be dealt with accordingly.”
Finn leaned back in his chair. “I could threaten back the same thing, but I think you’re clever enough to expect the same out of me.”
“Right, then that’s the last of the negotiations for today.” Bram stood up. “I’ll see you tonight for dinner at the great hall.”
The Scottish leader stood and amusement glinted in his eye. “Are we going to see your spirited, delectable female tonight too?”
“She will be sitting as far away from you as possible.”
Finn laughed. “No worries, Bram, I’m not about to fight you and throw away these past few hours of boring, tedious negotiations. Life’s too short to live through that twice.”
Bram wondered if Finn had two personalities. One minute he was stern and calculating, and the next he was jolly and teasing. Bram was definitely going to keep him far away from Evie. He could see the two of them flirting back and forth, which made his inner dragon growl.
Shushing his beast, he pushed on. “You can meet my technology security expert tonight at dinner and discuss your requirements then.”
“Why don’t I meet with this individual now?”
He wasn’t about to detail Arabella’s past to Finn and tell him how she still had trouble with one-on-one private meetings with strangers, especially with a stranger who could overpower her. The dragonman was barely an ally. “The dragonwoman is busy until tonight.”
“A female, eh? Well, then that makes everything better.”
Bram was about to warn the other leader to leave Arabella alone when there was a knock on the door. Since the cottage was soundproofed, he moved to the door and opened it. Nikki and Evie stood in front of him.
Before he could say anything, Evie blurted out, “Bram, I really need to talk to you.”
“It’s not quite lunch time, lass.”
The female glanced to Nikki and then back to Bram. “It’s important.”
Given her tone and expression, he believed her.
Bram looked over his shoulder. “Finn, is there anything else that absolutely must be discussed before dinner?”
“No, take care of your clan.” Finn moved to stand next to him and put out a hand. Once Bram shook and dropped it, the Scottish leader looked to Evie and Nikki. “And I look forward to talking with you bonny lasses tonight.”
Both females smiled at the other clan leader and Bram growled. Finn laughed at the sound before saying, “Right, I’m going.” He gave each of the females a smile and was gone.
Since Bram had various clan members keeping an eye on Finn—much as Finn said earlier, trust still needed to be earned—he stepped aside to allow Evie and Nikki into his cottage. Once he shut and locked the door, he said, “So what’s the emergency, Evie?”
The human female unzipped his huge coat surrounding her and then bit her bottom lip. It took everything he had to focus on her words and not her mouth when she released her lip and said, “I think Caitriona Belmont was murdered.”
He looked back up into her eyes. “Come again? Caitriona died in childbirth.”
Nikki took a step forward. “Listen to her, Bram. I think she’s on to something.”
Glancing back at Evie, he said, “Okay, then, explain how you reached that conclusion.”
Standing this close to the lass, he could hear her heartbeat thumping hard inside her chest. Yet level-headed human she was, she took a deep breath and carried on. “Well, part of the reason I was sent here by the DDA was to investigate Caitriona’s death since her autopsy was off.”
He nodded. “Melanie mentioned that to me. Go on.”
