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She stopped texting Jack and dialled the emergency number. Her thumb sat over the call button as she waited for Callum. She could give him ten minutes. Ten minutes to see if he needed her to call in the cops. Even though she didn’t want them there, she would bring them in—for Callum. All she had to do was make it through the next ten minutes.
CHAPTER 15
THE BASTARDS HAD FILLED THE house with gas. The smell hit Callum full force as soon as he was through the front door. His eyes stung and he had to fight the urge to cough as he made his way along the hall to the kitchen. He wanted to get his prisoner out of there before the place blew. It was a courtesy these guys hadn’t afforded Isobel and her kids. It was obvious they’d intended to get rid of them from the moment they’d set foot on her property.
As he passed, Callum scanned the living room, gun in hand. There was no sign of life, and the gas bottle from the heater was sitting with its valve wide open. Holding his breath, he barely made it to the kitchen. The house was filling up fast. As soon as he opened the kitchen door, he knew trying to get his prisoner out wasn’t going to be possible. Time had run out. Gas from the oven had filled the room, and a small incendiary device sat in the middle of the kitchen table. There was a crude timer attached to the device.
With ten seconds on the clock.
Callum turned and ran for the front door. He propelled himself through the house and hit the night air just as the device went off. Gas ignited. A blast ripped through the building. It hit Callum square in the back, lifted him from his feet and propelled him across the yard. He landed hard beside Isobel’s overgrown bushes.
For a second, Callum lay there, gasping for air. He felt like his whole body had taken a beating, but at least his legs were still in place and seemed to function. With effort, he rolled over to lie on his back. A minute. That was all he needed. A minute to catch his breath, and then he would check on Isobel and the kids. At least they were safe in his house and not in the inferno before him. There was nothing to save from Isobel’s home. The whole structure had been blown to bits, and what little was left was now ablaze.
“Callum!”
His name came at him as though he was hearing it under water. He turned his head to see Isobel fall to her knees beside him. Callum g
roaned. So much for her being safe in his house. The woman really needed to be vaccinated against stupidity.
“Are you okay?” Her hands roamed his chest, presumably looking for injuries. “Of course you aren’t okay. You just got blown up!” Her voice went up an octave at the end, taking it into the realm only dogs could hear.
“I’m fine.” It came out as a croak, which irritated his throat and set off a hacking cough. The gas had done a number on him.
“You’re not fine.” She lifted her phone. “I’m calling an ambulance. And the police. I should have called them in months ago. I’m an idiot. I’m going to get everyone killed, including the only man who’s ever fought for me.”
“No.” Callum took the phone from her hands. “No cops. We need to regroup. We need to know where we stand. I have someone coming to help. We’ll wait until we know more before involving the cops.”
Isobel placed a palm on each of his cheeks and leaned down until her face was above his. “Callum, there’s no keeping this from the police. The whole of Arness will have heard that explosion. The cops will come anyway. We should get in there first. I’ll tell them the dead guy was self-defence. Better yet, let’s not mention him at all. Maybe they’ll think the intruders killed each other.”
Callum felt strength return to his remaining limbs. “There are no intruders. They’re gone. Just like we need to be.” He fought to sit up, scanning the area around the house. No sign of a body, just as he’d expected. “They took the guy I killed with them.”
“Why would they do that?”
“The same reason they took the other guy. They don’t want anyone to know they were here.”
She scowled at him. “Well, they shouldn’t have left him on the beach in the first place. That’s just bloody irresponsible. You can’t wander around leaving dead bodies where you please. And if they wanted to be covert, blowing up a building isn’t the way to do it. Even I know that!” She was shaking, her pupils dilated and her skin pale. She was struggling with shock.
He had to get her somewhere warm and safe. He had to get her to his house. “We need to get out of here.” Callum climbed to his feet, somewhat ungracefully, with Isobel hovering over him.
“You’re bleeding!” She lunged for him, pulling his shirt up to get at the wound.
A strange tenderness unfurled inside Callum. He covered her hands with his. “It’s nothing. We’ll deal with it at the house.” She searched his eyes, desperate for reassurance. For once, Callum didn’t hesitate in giving it. “It’s nothing. It’s going to be okay. I promise.”
Callum couldn’t resist pulling her into his arms. He held her tightly, aware of how right she felt against him. She buried her face in his chest and wrapped her arms around him. They clung to each other, and Callum wasn’t sure who was giving comfort to whom.
“It’s okay,” he said as he stroked her back. “It’s the adrenalin making you shiver. It’ll pass.”
He wanted to stand there forever, revelling in the comfort of her soft body, reassuring himself that she was still alive. Still with him. But he couldn’t. Already he could hear sirens and voices in the distance. He kissed her hair. “We have to go, sweetheart.”
She nodded, and he felt her take a deep breath, pulling herself together. Callum wondered how many times over the years she’d had to do exactly that. How many blows could one woman take before she stopped bouncing back? He really didn’t want to know. The thought of Isobel losing her courage, and drive, was too much to contemplate.
“I’m ready.” She stepped away from him, leaving him cold without her.
Callum took her hand. He told himself she needed the connection, but deep down, he knew he needed it almost as much she did. They headed for the path into the trees between Isobel’s property and his.
“I can’t believe what I saw,” Isobel said as they ran.
“There was a lot of gas in the house,” Callum said.
