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“ H oly Mother of God. Look up there!” Robert pointed toward the roof of the house as Jesse slammed on his brakes.

No. It couldn’t be. Jesse’s breath caught in his throat.

But it was. Destiny and her sister on the widow’s walk of MacIntosh Hall.

Robert was out the door the second they stopped, banging his fist on the back of the car. “Open the damned trunk.”

Jesse met him at the back, in time to have a Glock shoved into his hands. The weapon was old and not the model he preferred, but it would have to do. Peter had done a thorough job in having weapons waiting for Robbie when he arrived.

He slapped the bullet cartridge into place and grabbed a spare before he started forward.

“You’ll cover them from here,” he barked, knowing the order was unnecessary. Even with a strange rifle, Robbie was their best chance of protecting the women on the roof until he could reach them.

He jumped the fence without breaking his stride, staying low, using the trees for cover. Halfway to the house, he felt the wind pick up, along with the noise level, as a helicopter flew in low over the property, sounding like it landed somewhere behind.

He took advantage of the distraction and sprinted for the front door, waiting only for a count of one before kicking it open.

Weapon at the ready, he headed straight for the stairs, his back to the wall as he climbed.

He wasn’t even going to think about how she’d managed to end up on the goddamned roof when she was supposed to be safe and sound at Devlin’s home in Wyddecol.

A bloody handprint splayed on the doorsill of the second door he reached stopped him cold. Droplets that had splashed on the tile at his feet led to a bedroom beyond and a dark red puddle on the floor. The metallic smell would have identified it as blood even to a blind man.

He raced from the room, to the end of the hallway. Starting up the stairs, he found another, larger handprint on the wall, assurance he headed in the right direction if nothing else.

His mind raced ahead, his nerves strung tight.

Whose blood? Please, not hers.

Why hadn’t she stayed put as she’d promised?

Because she hadn’t promised, he realized with a start. She’d only agreed to stay behind. And she’d only done that for him.

Goddammit!

A third, fainter print marked the corner up to another set of stairs, narrower and darker, ending at the top with a small doorway.

When he caught up with her, he was going to wring her silly neck. Shake her until her teeth rattled. Hold her in his arms and never let her away from his side again.

And if they’d harmed her in any way, he’d kill every single one of them with his bare hands if it took the rest of his life to hunt them down.