Page 42 of Taming the Highland Misfits

“That should keep them fae botherin’ us for a wee while,” he said, and gave her a grim smile. “I have plenty o’ experience in tyin’ knots!” He stood up. “Show me the barrels.”

Isla led him to the small barrels, and he shook each one. They heard nothing but the splashing of liquid in the first three, but in the fourth they could discern the clatter of coins hitting the wood. “There isnae much in here,” Finley observed, frowning as he shook the little vessel. “It sounds as if it’s nae more than a quarter full.”

Isla nodded in agreement.

“The rest o’ it must be hidden somewhere else.” He was rubbing his still-throbbing knuckles as he spoke, and glared furiously at the trussed-up figures of the Crawfords. “Never mind. I will soon get them tae tell me where.”

Isla was immediately alarmed, and she grabbed Finley by the arm to stop him from advancing towards them. “No more violence, Finley, please,” she begged.

He looked down at her, saw the desperation in her eyes, and realised that all this brutality was new to her, and probably as frightening as it had been to him the first time he had seen it all those years ago. He had become inured to it—after all, it was just another part of his job, but Isla had never seen this ugliness before.

He nodded slowly. “We cannae day anythin’ till they wake up, anyway, Isla,” he told her. “But I dinnae use force unless I have tae, an’ I think these two are the worst kind o’ cowards.”

They sat on the floor, their backs against some of the barrels of ale, and Finley put his arm around Isla’s shoulders. She laid her head against him, she was stiff and trembling, at first, then, cuddled next to the hard warmth of his body, she slowly relaxed.

Finley moved her so that her head was on his lap and smiled down at her. Isla smiled back and gave a deep sigh of satisfaction. If it had not been for the events of the evening, he would have been happy to sit this way forever, but now he had other things to worry about. Where was the rest of the tavern’s money, and how was he going to get any information out of the father and son without hurting them?

He had no time to think about it any more, however, since Alec had begun to groan and roll his head against the pillar behind him. He opened his eyes and quickly shut them again, and Finley watched him beginning to panic as he realised he could not move.

Isla had sat bolt upright, and was watching, wide eyed, dreading what would come next.

Finley moved over to squat in front of Alec, and watched his eyes widen in horror as he saw him. “Welcome back, Alec,” he said, grinning. “Did ye sleep well?”

Alec closed his eyes again. “Let me go!” he cried, terrified as he shrank back from Finley. He had always regarded him as a soft touch, but not any more. Now he looked more and more like the devil himself.

“Make me,” Finley replied silkily. “Ye will no’ be freed until ye answer my questions, Alec Crawford.”

Alec nodded. He was nauseous, and his head was throbbing with pain. At that moment he would have done anything to get away from Finley McGill, who was looking more and more dangerous by the moment. He screamed, but Finley did not bother to bother to stop him. He merely laughed heartily. “Scream away, Alec,” he invited. “We are in the bowels o’ the earth here. Naebody is goin’ tae hear ye.”

Isla had heard, however, and now she moved over to the two men, looking as though she was about to unleash a few scathing remarks.

Finley looked up and saw the furious expression on her face. “Let me handle this, Isla,” he insisted. “Just listen.”

Isla nodded and gave Alec a contemptuous look. She felt as if she would like to spit on him, but restrained herself. She would not sink to his level.

“Now,” Finley began. His voice was soft, but it was all the more frightening for that, since it had an undertone of menace threaded through it. “Ye will tell me what happened tae my mother, an’ where ye are hidin’ the rest o’ your money, or I will have tae use these -” He held up his large fists—“tae make ye tell me. Understand?”

Alec nodded frantically. His head was still thumping, but the pain and discomfort was nothing compared to the sheer terror he felt as gazed fixedly at Finley’s hands. He could not take his eyes off them. He sighed with resignation and nodded, then winced. Every movement of his head was agony.

“Aye, a’ right, Finley,” he said wearily. “I will tell ye.”

18

Alec looked around to see Iain slumped against another pillar, trussed up just as he was. “What have ye done tae my son?” he asked fearfully. “Ye havenae killed him, have ye?” He looked up at Finley, who was surprised to see tears in the tavern owner’s eyes. He had not thought the man capable of love, even for Iain, and now he realised he could use the younger man as another weapon against his father, although he dismissed the idea straight away. He would never stoop as low as using a father’s love against him.

“Do ye think I would have bothered tae tie him up if he was deid?” he asked scornfully. “I punched him, that’s a’. He is that flabby nothin’ could get through a’ that fat. He will have a sore heid, but that’s a’.”

Alec slumped back against the pillar and closed his eyes in relief.

“Now, dae ye have somethin’ tae tell me?” Finley asked, raising his eyebrows in enquiry. He stood in front of the tavern owner, legs apart, hands on his hips, looking down at him. His eyes were dark with fury and Alec Crawford had to tilt his head back to a painful degree to look at him.

Eventually, Alec gave up and began to talk in the direction of Finley’s knees. It was painfully embarrassing for him, and he was boiling with hate, fury and frustration, but helpless to express himself. He decided to end the nightmare as fast as he could.

“It is under the Black Hog,” he said at last. “There is a chamber under the cellar there that naebody knows about, no’ even Iain.”

Finley was puzzled. “Why dae ye keep that wee bit gold here, then?”

“I keep it here till I can put it in the other place,” Alec explained. “I cannae carry big sacks o’ coins about wi’ me, so I put wee bits in an’ take them tae the Black Hog whenever I can.”