Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 109368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
I curled my lip in revulsion. “If you need people to believe you ended it, tell them that. I don’t give a damn.”
He grabbed my biceps, yanking me toward him, his grip bruising as I tried to squirm out of his hold. “I put up with your shit because I love you,” Hugh hissed. “You don’t walk away now that you’re finally here looking at me. If I’d known screwing around with Caro would elicit this reaction, I’d have told you sooner!”
“You didn’t tell me—you got caught.” I shoved at him. “Let go of me!”
“I’ve been waiting for this.” His eyes heated as he jerked me against him, and I shuddered at the feel of his arousal. “I’ve missed this. I’ve missed you.”
He’d barely finished the sentence when my knee connected with his hard-on.
Agony blazed across his face as his lips parted on a silent yell.
“I’ll get my stuff later.” I skirted past him, shaking. “But we’re over, Hugh. Over.” I rushed into the living area and out to the elevator. I hit the button frantically.
It seemed to take forever for the doors to open and as I got on, Hugh burst out of the apartment, still clutching himself between the legs. “Tierney, don’t you dare leave.”
I already had my cell out. “Come near me and I will call the police.”
He straightened, rage blazing in his eyes. “This isn’t over, sweetheart.”
“It’s over if I say it’s over.” I bristled with my fury. “Don’t mess with me, Hugh. I’m on the edge and I might do something really crazy in self-defense. Don’t push me.”
He blanched at the innuendo in my threat before the doors closed and the elevator descended.
Trembling with anger and fear, I slumped against the car wall and tried to pull myself together before the doors opened again.
The concern on Harvey’s face told me he knew. He’d have seen Hugh go up to the apartment with Caro. Seen Caro leave.
Yet whatever he read on my face as I stepped out, he asked quietly, “Ms. Silver, are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” I waved a shaky hand. “Thank you, Mr. Collins. I won’t be back, so this is goodbye.”
He opened the exit, holding the door for me. “It’s been a pleasure, Ms. Silver. Good luck to you.”
I gave him a wan smile. “Thank you. You too.”
Walking out of the building, I felt a weight lift from my chest.
Turning to glance back up at the high-rise as life buzzed by me, I realized my relationship, my existence here, was an anchor weighing me down in the wrong place.
Scotland.
The word whispered through my mind.
Yeah, maybe it was time to go back.
“Tierney Silver?”
I spun to find a strange woman peering at me. A man in a suit bumped into her and she huffed and stepped to the side. She had pixie-cut brown hair and wide, curious brown eyes. There was a small, sparkly blue stud in her nose, and she wore a blue knitted vest top over a white T-shirt paired with slouchy brown trousers. Brown loafers completed her casual office outfit. On anyone else, it would look frumpy, but she made it look effortlessly cool.
I’d definitely never met her before.
“Do I know you?” I asked wearily.
I was tired and needed to find a place to stay.
She held out her hand. “Perri Wilcox. I’m an investigative reporter.”
Oh great. “Look, I don’t—”
“My colleague Ben Rierson was killed two days after your parents died in a helicopter crash.”
I froze.
“I’ve been investigating Ben’s death and recently discovered the two were connected.”
Shaking my head, I took a step back, like I could sense what was coming.
“I believe my colleague was murdered because he was helping your parents with an investigation. I believe your parents’ death was not accidental, Ms. Silver. I think someone shut them and Ben up.”
The sidewalk began to spin, and I stumbled against the side of the building.
Perri Wilcox reached out to steady me. “Whoa, you’re okay,” she murmured in her husky voice.
I took a few calming breaths before I met her dark gaze. “Tell me.” My tone was hard. “Tell me everything.”
1. Tierney
Isle of Glenvulin, Scotland
The handsome Scot at my side kept talking as we wandered through the derelict guesthouse, but his voice had become like background music. Mostly because the question What have you done? kept repeating over and over in my mind.
Only a week ago, buying the old guesthouse that had once been a pillar of the community on this part of the island had seemed like a good idea.
“Tierney? Tierney?”
The Scottish accent changed my name from “Teer-Nee” to “Teer-Neh” and pronounced “Teer” so quickly, it took me a second to realize the Scot was calling my name.
I whipped around to find Quinn McQuarrie, my main contractor, standing in the doorway of what had been a dining room, waiting expectantly for me to follow him. His brows drew together. “You all right?”