A Time & Place for Every Laird by Angeline Fortin (ebook reader TXT) 📕

“I’m just scared they’re going to figure outthat it’s a scam and detain you or something.”

“I’m certain Danny will keep a weather eyeon their computers and telephones. I hae every faith in hisabilities tae protect me from exposure.”

Danny nodded, looking speculatively back andforth between Claire and Hugh. “I’ll be watching the surveillancefeed, too.”

“Then I shall feel doubly secure,” Highsaid, clapping a hand on the young man’s shoulder. “For what ye haedone for me, lad, I shall be forever in yer debt.”

Danny shifted uncomfortably, and Hughsuspected, after hearing Sorcha’s description of her brother, thatthe lad was more comfortable praising himself than receiving itfrom others. “Yeah, well, don’t thank me yet. It might not work atall.”

“I hae faith in yer abilities,” Hughrepeated assuredly. “Ye dinnae need tae gae tae such extremes afterye realized the truth of the matter.”

“I did it for Claire.”

“I know.”

Danny looked up at Hugh then with a grin.“Someday, man, someday I’d like to sit down with you and hear yourside of this whole thing, like where you’re from and all that.”

“And someday I’ll be happy tae oblige.”

Hugh looked at his solemn face peering outfrom the computer monitor and thought about all that itrepresented. Safety for himself and Sorcha. Second chances.Freedom. Hugh thought of his homeland, waiting now within reach. Asmuch as Rosebraugh would be missed, it was Scotland itself that hissoul yearned for. The smell of the heather in the Highlands, thesalty winds from the North Sea. In a matter of days it would all behis once more … and Sorcha! How she would love it there!

“Good enough.” Danny lifted another envelopeout of the pile on his desk. “Claire?”

Lost in thought, Claire started and blinkedat her brother, taking the envelope he held out.

“Anticipating that this whole thing isalarmingly bigger than you first implied and since you haven’taccessed your credit cards or bank accounts since last week, Iassume you’ll need this.”

Claire peeked into it, finding a thick stackof twenties. She stared at him, dumbstruck. “Danny …”

“It’s nothing.” He brushed away the thanks.“I’ll also get one of the minions to book an emergency flight outof there when you’re ready. Can’t do it too early or it will looktoo planned for his emergency travel documents.”

“Thank you, Danny.”

“I already said …”

“I know, don’t thank you yet.” Clairenodded, swallowing back the lump in her throat. Brothers werenotoriously pesky things, always teasing and tweaking, but everyonce in a while they did something that forgave it all. She pulledher brother out of the chair and into her arms for an affectionatehug. “Can we at least get a ride back to the ferry?”

“You’re a real nag, you know that?”

“I know.” She blinked back the tears burningat her eyes. Danny really was the most impossible brother but damn,it was nice to know how much he really cared.

Chapter 32

“Just pull over there,” Claire pointed tothe corner of the parking lot away from her car. Danny had insistedon carrying them the entire way, keeping her and Hugh safely hiddenin the back of the van throughout the short ferry ride in case theNSA was monitoring the security feed, now that they knew forcertain that she was in Seattle. Her brother had been full ofadmonishment since learning of her near apprehension at Pike’sMarket that afternoon, washing away any lingering sentiment Clairehad been feeling for him.

She’d been called an idiot more than once inthe past hour. Numbskull. Moron, nitwit, nincompoop—that was a nicethrowback to their childhood, though it was an insult she haddelivered more often than received.

Parking in an empty space, Danny shut offthe van and turned in his seat. “Well, I guess this is it,” hesaid. “Try not to do anything stupid, all right? Or in this case,stupider than you already have. Just stay off the grid. No buses,no public transportation. Be at the dock in Blaine by five in themorning the day after tomorrow.”

“How are we to take the ferry then?”

“Just take Robert’s car.”

Claire rolled her eyes at his casualdirection. “You want me to steal Uncle Robert’s car?”

“Borrow,” Danny emphasized. “It’s not likeyou’re not going to bring it back.”

Claire looked at him expressionlessly whileHugh shook Danny’s hand and thanked him one last time. CommandingClaire to stay put while he scouted the area, Hugh slid open thevan door and disappeared.

Danny leveled a stern look at her the momentHugh was out of sight. “I saw that frown when I said that aboutRobert’s car. Claire …” he paused, running a hand through his hair.“Shit. You do know that you can’t go to Scotland with him, don’tyou?”

Shaking her head, Claire stared at herbrother in disbelief. “What are you talking about? Of course I haveto go with him.”

Danny ran both hands through his hair then.“You cannot be this stupid, Claire. Not if this is going towork.”

“We’ll be fine,” she insistedstubbornly.

“Damn it, Claire! Always, always got to havethings your way, don’t you?”

“You think I always get things my way?” sheasked in disbelief. “I and my personal history beg to differ.Besides, I have to go with him. Hugh isn’t ready to face the modernworld alone yet. He hasn’t even seen an ATM or the inside of a bankyet, much less knowing about anything like utility hookups or taxforms. He’s going to need some help, and I plan to be the one togive it to him.”

Claire started to scootout of the van but Danny caught her arm tightly and pulled her backto face him. “You get on that plane with him and the NSA will teara hole through everyone that was on it,” he told her bluntly. “Whenthey can’t get him on paper, they will start going through theairport and customs surveillance footage. Then they will have hispicture and that will be that. You get him on that plane and getout of Vancouver before they know you were ever there and hemight have a chance ofmaking this thing work.”

The truth of it all resounded in her, butClaire’s heart denied his words. She wouldn’t let Hugh go. Shecouldn’t. “He can’t go alone.”

Danny laughed harshly. “Give him somecredit, will you?