Page 14 of Edinburgh Escape (Brotherhood Protectors International #5)

The officer’s frightening scowl melted into a broad grin. “Always wanted to say that.”

“Not funny,” Callum muttered.

The older policeman clapped a hand on the younger officer’s shoulder. “Stand down, McGregor.” To Callum and Maggie, he said, “Ignore the whelp. He’s still wet behind the ears. We need to look around for a few minutes and dust for prints to document the intrusion for our report.”

Angus had entered the flat and hovered by the door.

Maggie and Callum joined him to stay out of the way.

The officers questioned them, though they didn’t have much to add as they’d been hiding and out of sight while the burglars ransacked the rooms. The young police officer snapped photos of the damage and the writing on the wall.

Maggie shivered and leaned into Callum for warmth. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, holding her there until the police finally left them alone.

“I slipped the tracker into the rubbish bin,” Angus said. “Whoever has been following will now follow the truck through Edinburgh. It might buy you a little peace.”

Maggie and Callum helped Angus clean up what they could and set the furniture to rights. They couldn’t fix the mattress on his bed or wash the paint from the wall, but they did what they could.

“Don’t worry about it,” Angus said. “It’s just paint. I can take care of it.

“But your bed—” Maggie felt so bad about what had happened to the man’s place when all he’d done was offer them refuge.

Angus waved a hand. “I have a friend who sells mattresses and can have a new one here before the end of the day.”

“I’ll pay for it,” Maggie said. “My mother left me a small trust fund when she passed. I can wire the money once I get back to Montana.”

Angus was shaking his head before she finished speaking. “The men who broke in did this. Not you. Besides, that’s what insurance is for.”

Callum laid a hand on Angus’s shoulder. “You’re a good man.”

“We take care of our brothers,” he said, meeting Callum’s gaze.

Callum’s eyes clouded as he nodded solemnly. “Or watch them die.”

Angus’s brow furrowed. “We do the best we can, given the circumstances.”

“Sometimes our best isn’t good enough.”

“And sometimes, there’s nothing you can do to change the outcome,” Angus said. “When that happens, you have to live in the present and leave the past behind.”

Maggie bore witness to the exchange, knowing nothing about what had happened that inspired their words, but she could feel the pain and regret that obviously weighed heavily on Callum’s mind and memories.

Callum broke eye contact and glanced down at his watch. The moment passed.

“If we leave now, we can pick up a rental car at the train station and make your meeting with Ewan Drummond.” He shot a glance toward Maggie. “Can you be ready to go in five minutes?”

“I’m ready now,” she said.

Callum’s gaze went to Angus. “Thank you again. I’m not sure what will happen when we meet with Drummond.”

“When I first planned to come to Scotland, I’d hoped to stay close to where my half-brother lived and spend a little time getting to know him.

” Maggie shrugged and grimaced. “Now, I don’t know.

If it’s all incredibly awkward and...who knows?

...dangerous, I might just move on, see some of Scotland and go back home to Montana.

” She sighed. “When Ewan invited me for a visit, I thought it was no big deal. I was excited to know I had a brother.”

Callum’s gaze softened. “Let’s meet the man, and we can decide what to do from there. If we end up leaving the same day, so be it.”

Callum clasped Angus’s forearm and pulled him in for a hug. “Stay safe, my friend.”

“And you,” Angus responded. “I’m here, if you need backup.”

“Be careful what you offer,” Callum said. “I might take you up on it.”

Angus clapped Callum hard on the back and stepped back. “I’m counting on it.”

Maggie hugged Callum’s big friend. “Thank you, Angus. If you ever come to Montana, you’re welcome to stay with me.”

“Now, you be careful what you offer. I might just take you up on it.” He winked and kissed her cheek.

“I’d be honored.”

Maggie slung her backpack over her shoulder. When she went to collect her roller bag, Callum beat her to it. With his backpack over one shoulder, he lifted her suitcase and led the way out of the flat and down the stairs to the street below.

He stopped at the entrance, blocking her from stepping out until he’d checked both directions. “Stay close to me.”

That’s exactly where she’d be. After the four men had broken into the flat, Maggie didn’t want to go anywhere alone. What would they have done had they found her?

She didn’t know and didn’t want to give them the opportunity to find out.

They walked the few blocks and turned to take a long staircase downward. Had it only been a few hours earlier that they’d climbed up those same stairs? Maggie shook her head. It felt like a lot longer than hours.

At the train station, they found the rental car companies and arranged to rent a mid-sized sedan. Callum refused to let her pay for it, insisting it was part of the protection service provided by Brotherhood Protectors.

Maggie didn’t argue. She’d settle up with Hank and Sadie when she returned to Montana.

Her thoughts and focus were on the meeting with Ewan Drummond.

In her mind, she’d pictured a joyful embrace with a long-lost brother where they’d sit around sharing stories of their childhoods.

He’d tell her about their father and any aunts, uncles or cousins she’d never known about.

Now, a sense of dread had her second-guessing her impulsive rush to meet this half-brother who probably resented her because she was his father’s bastard child, spawned out of an illicit act of adultery, now coming to stake a claim on his inheritance.

Maggie’s stomach roiled as she slipped into the passenger seat, marveling at how strange it felt to be on the left side without a steering wheel in front of her.

So many changes. Too many revelations. She almost wished she didn’t know so much.

Then again, the more she knew, the better prepared she’d be.

Callum slid into the driver’s seat. Before he started the engine, he reached across and took her hand. “We don’t have to go to the Drummond estate if you don’t want to. I can shift into drive and keep going as far as you want to go.”

Her fingers curled into his palm. For all her bravado and insistence that she didn’t need anyone to go with her to meet her half-brother, Maggie was so very glad Callum would accompany her to the estate.

“As tempting as that sounds, I came to meet Ewan,” she lifted her chin.

“Since my presence in Scotland has stirred up some trouble, I want to know why and who has a problem with me.”

“Very well.” His fingers tightened around hers for a moment, and then he released her hand. “Next stop is the Drummond Estate.” He started the engine and pulled out of the train station.

Maggie clasped her hands together in her lap, her gaze on the road ahead, barely taking in the amazing architecture lining the streets of Edinburgh.

During the thirty-minute drive through the city and out into the countryside, a knot formed in the pit of her belly.

Twice, she opened her mouth to tell Callum she’d changed her mind.

Twice, she closed her mouth and remained silent while her mind screamed ahead, imagining dozens of directions this meeting could take.

Unfortunately, none of those directions seemed good.

As they pulled off the main road and paused at an ornate stone and iron gate, Callum glanced across to Maggie and said, “You’ll be grand. I’ll make sure of that.”

Maggie let go of the breath she’d been holding for too long and said, “Don’t forget, we met in Montana.”

His answering smile helped push back the overwhelming sense of doom. With Callum, she could do this.