Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 98697 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98697 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
“Mum would be devastated if something happened to her. She’s already broken up about her grandson,” he says.
“What are you suggesting?”
“Leave Deja with Mum. We will keep the lass safe. I can teach her just like Ian Black taught ye—”
“That’s the problem. I never wanted this for her. I don’t want her to become what I was,” I say.
“Och, but do ye have that choice now?”
I ball my fists. Ian Black warned me I should have started training Deja years ago. I refused. I didn’t want this for her.
“Once ye handle the Russians, ye can send for her. We will verify it’s ye and hand her over,” Ewan coaxes.
I swallow hard. I have no fear of the Krupin family. At least not when it concerns my life.
It is my daughter I fear for. Deja is in the path of danger every second she spends with me. I cannot return to her until I settle this.
This is why I came to ask permission first before my next move. I refuse to place another target on her back. Not killing everyone connected to the Krupin name before I retired was my mistake, not my daughter’s.
They may be dangerous, but so am I. Once I handle Archie, they will still remain a danger I can no longer ignore.
“How do I know you won’t take her life for Archie’s? He is your blood after all. Deja and I are nothing to you.”
“Och, that isn’t true, lassie. Ye have become family.”
“Yet you forbid my return.”
“Ian taught ye a lot about this life. Ye know why ye can’t return. We have no proof of the crimes he’s committed to provide. If ever there is such, we will welcome ye home with open arms,” Ken says.
“Deja is a bright lass. I only mean to make her stronger and capable of keeping herself alive. We have loved her as much as Angus has.
“I’ve known the lass from the time she was a wee bairn. The lassie has stolen our hearts. I’d be willing to lay down my own life for hers. Is she not safest with us?” Ewan says, lifting a brow.
“Dinnae fash yersel. We will take care of the lass. Ye are welcome to check in as often as ye like,” Ken adds.
“If something happens to my daughter, your entire family will be next, and I won’t come asking for permission. You have not seen hell as I will bring it over my child.”
“Aye, we know,” the brothers say in unison.
CHAPTER 8
Here to Collect
Ken
“Da has to be rolling in his grave,” Ewan grumbles from beside me as we sit in one of the rooms at the property we own next door to Archie’s home, watching from the camera placed in his home just for this view.
I always knew this place would come in handy. It had become necessary to keep an eye on my older brother. Although it pains me that I haven’t kept a closer eye.
As the second oldest, my father had always tasked me with protecting my brothers and sister. Archie’s eejit arse included. The lad needs protecting from himself. It is with a heavy heart I sit here to watch this.
“Aye, no doubt he is. How did I allow this?”
“Och, this isn’t on ye. It was all our mistake. Ian tried to warn us all a long time ago.”
I release a heavy breath through my nose and purse my lips. Ian Black did indeed warn us of our brother’s disloyalty. Our father knew … I have been the one in denial and now it has cost us all greatly.
“He’s my older brother. I didn’t want to believe it. I knew he could be an eejit, but I didn’t ken he would harm his own kin.”
“Dinnae fash yersel, ye have been the best brother ye can. Archie has been a bampot since he was a wee lad.”
I grunt and shake my head. A crazy person is an understatement when speaking of the oldest of our siblings. As of late, I have wished that I had allowed him to fall into that well when we were young lads.
“He’s on his way,” I mutter as I get a message that our brother is not that far from home.
Ewan and I agreed we wanted to be here to make sure this is done and couldn’t be traced back to us or Helen. The repercussions of what we are allowing could come back to haunt us someday.
Our people could turn their backs on us, and we’d lose the centuries of power we hold here in Scotland. We’re good to our clan, but their loyalty to the McDougal name wouldn’t allow them to understand what we have done without the evidence we are lacking.
Duncan is on board, but he wanted no part of this. As the second oldest, I couldn’t leave this to rest on Ewan’s shoulders alone. Archie brought this on himself, but it needs to happen.