Page 12 of Wild Scottish Gold (The Enchanted Highlands #7)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Thane

K aia had worked from home on Monday, and though I wanted to text her to check in, I couldn’t quite come up with a reason that would justify my intrusion into her life in such a manner. There were no rules about when she should or shouldn’t be in the shop, as she simply leased her space from me, and she was capable of managing her own hours.

Was she working on her designs from home so I wouldn’t see them? From what I’d seen of her open sketchbook, she’d had great ideas, and frankly, I’d be happy to implement them at Common Gin so long as my team got to work on the project as well.

Still, I craned my neck to look out of my open office door every time I heard a car pull up and a door slam.

“You’ve got the phone call at half ten with Grange Farms,” Ian reminded me, and I glanced at the clock on my computer and reached for my desk phone. Business must go on, and I really needed to push all thoughts of Kaia from my mind. My sister was dropping Audrey off at lunch, a rare half day of school for her due to teacher conferences or something like that, and I needed to wrap up my work so I could be present for my niece when she arrived.

An hour and a half later, I’d worked through most of the day’s admins, signed off on accounts, looked over stock orders, and arranged site visits for three potential clients. Pleased, I looked up as Ian hovered at my desk, an odd expression on his face.

“What’s up?” I’d known him long enough to know something was bothering him.

Ian glanced around, then crossed to close the door. Worry had me sitting up straighter. I dearly hoped he wasn’t about to quit. Ian was an integral part of my business running smoothly, and I’d be hard-pressed to find someone as knowledgeable as him to help me.

“You’re worrying me,” I said, when Ian dropped into the chair on the other side of my desk.

“It’s just …” Ian glanced over his shoulder and lowered his voice. “It’s not my business. Or anyone’s really. But …”

“Just spit it out, mate.”

Ian pressed his lips together and then met my eyes. “Kaia’s here.”

“Oh.” Excitement immediately bloomed, but I shifted in my seat, keeping my expression blank. “And? Did something happen?”

“Not to me. Or the forge or anything. It’s just…” Ian pursed his lips and then tapped a finger to his eye. “She’s bruised.”

“What?” I straightened, leaning closer over the desk.

“Her face. She’s got some cuts on her forehead, and half of it’s quite bruised.”

I was already rising.

“Wait, Thane. You can’t just go barreling in there. You’ll embarrass her. Pause for just a second.”

Rage, hot and sharp, sliced through me as a multitude of potential scenarios raced through my mind. Had she had an accident? Had someone hit her? It wasn’t all that easy to get bruises to the face. Not really. I needed to know what had happened. And I needed to know, now .

“Tell me everything you know,” I bit out.

“She said she had an accident. Tripped and fell, hit her face against a fence. But she wouldn’t look me in the eye when I asked. She promised me it’s fine, that it looks worse than it is.”

That was all I needed to know before I was flinging the door open so hard it slammed against the wall. A few of my men in the shop glanced over at me, watching as I stormed across the room to where Kaia sat at her workbench, headphones on, working on small rings of metal.

“Kaia.”

When she didn’t look up at me, I took a second to study her face. Bloody hell . Ian was right. This was bad. Bruises stood out against her cheekbone in sharp red and deep blue, the edges a murky yellow and green. A few scratches on her forehead had scabbed over, and it looked like she hadn’t bothered to cover anything with makeup. Maybe it had been an accident, if she wasn’t trying to hide it, but seeing her beautiful face bruised and battered did something to me that I didn’t want to examine too closely. Barely coherent, I pulled the headphones off her head and lightly lifted her chin, angling her face toward mine.

Her mouth dropped open on a gasp, and she whirled with her tool in hand.

That was odd.

“Who did this to you?” The words came out, sharp, furious, as I held her face still so I could see the extent of the damage.

“Thane, it’s not…” Kaia’s eyes shifted, and she looked up and away, refusing to meet my eyes. Reaching up, she gently removed my hand from her jaw, while I scrambled for control of my emotions. I didn’t want to scare her, but I was going to murder whoever put hands on her.

“Don’t lie. Not to me.” My voice was gruff, my fury barely contained, and Kaia’s lashes fluttered furiously at her cheeks.

“It was an accident.”

“Hell of an accident,” I bit out. “Try again, Kaia. Who did this? I want a name.” For the second time in our brief time of knowing each other, I wanted the name of who had hurt her. I wasn’t going to examine that too closely either. What the hell had she gotten herself into in the time since I’d seen her? Was this why she wasn’t at work yesterday?

“I did it. Me. I tripped and fell.” Again her eyes shifted, and she glanced around at the shop. I looked up to see my men watching me, with equal looks of interest and caution. I know they respected Kaia, and I gave them a reassuring nod to let them know I’d take care of this. Whatever it was, I’d seek justice on her behalf. If only she’d tell me what really happened.

“I find that really hard to believe, darling.” I lowered my voice. “I’m well aware that you’re fairly agile. Seems pretty odd you’d fall and not catch yourself with your hands.”

“I was carrying something?” This time it came out as a question and I squeezed my eyes shut and counted to ten.

“Try again.”

“Thane, seriously. It’s not a big deal. Bruises happen sometimes. You know that well enough in our line of work.” Kaia shrugged and turned, as though she was going to go back to work and dismiss me.

“Uncle Thane!” I looked up as Audrey burst into the workshop and made a beeline for me. My sister waved from the door and turned, heading back toward her car, and I moved to intercept Audrey before she saw Kaia and asked too many questions. But my niece was fast and in a second she was hugging my leg, looking up at Kaia’s bruised face, tears already brimming.

“What happened?” Audrey whispered, the tears spilling over, and instantly Kaia was out of her chair and crouching by Audrey.

“Shhh, it’s okay, Audrey. I promise it was just an accident.”

“No, it wasn’t.” Audrey turned and buried her face into my thigh, and I bent and picked her up, hugging her to me. I knew the last time she’d seen bruises like that had been on her mother’s face— something I hadn’t bloody protected Lauren from… though Kaia would have no idea why Audrey was so upset

“It was. I’m just really clumsy.”

“Why don’t we go to my office?” I suggested, and Kaia stood, her eyes sad as she followed me to my office while I cradled Audrey close. Once there, Ian took one look at the situation and made himself scarce, closing the door behind him.

“Come on then, poppet. Everything’s just fine now.” I pulled back so I could see Audrey’s face. The tears had stopped but her lower lip was still wobbly. I didn’t blame her. I was equally as upset, and one way or another, I’d get answers.

“Audrey.” Kaia came to my side and my niece twisted to look at Kaia. “I promise you that nobody hurt me. I hit my head on the stone wall by the water. You know the one that lines the walk down by the loch?”

Audrey nodded.

“I wasn’t paying attention. It happened fast and it caught me by surprise. But I’m okay. These are just bruises, and I’m tough. See?” Kaia pretended to flex her muscles and Audrey gave her a shaky smile.

“You’re really not hurt?”

“My face is sore. The bruises hurt a little, but I’m just fine, Audrey. I promise you. In fact, speaking of being tough, I also have a present for you.”

“You do?” Audrey straightened in my arms, bouncing against me, and I let her slide to the floor. I knew there was more to Kaia’s story, but I wasn’t going to interrogate her in front of my niece, particularly now that Audrey had calmed down. But if Kaia thought she was getting out of telling me the full story, she was one hundred percent wrong.

“Yes, just let me go get it. It’s in my bag.” Kaia disappeared from my office, and I looked down at my niece.

“You all right?” I asked, tugging on one of her plaits.

“It was just scary,” Audrey admitted. She went over to the table and dropped her backpack onto the floor.

“I know. I’ll look after Kaia.”

“Just like you did for Mum?”

“Aye.” I looked up to see Kaia in the doorway, her eyes darting between me and Audrey, an unreadable look on her face.

“Here we go,” Kaia said, her tone cheerful, and held out a small tissue-wrapped package.

“Is it more nail polish?” Audrey’s voice went up an octave as she grabbed the gift from Kaia. I moved closer so I could see what Kaia had found for Audrey, pleased she’d even considered getting something for my sweet niece.

“Ohhhh, is it a necklace?” Audrey held up a small pendant on a silver chain. “This is really pretty.”

“It is. It’s an extra special necklace. Do you want to know why?” Kaia helped Audrey slip the necklace over her head.

“Why?” Audrey bounced on her heels, holding the pendant up in front of her face.

“It has magick.” Kaia lowered her voice, as though she was telling a secret. “It’s going to protect you from those nasty bullies at school and give you the courage when you need it.”

“Really?” Audrey’s eyes rounded.

“Really. Promise.” Kaia crossed her finger over her heart.

“I’m a magickal princess.” Audrey twirled, the tartan skirt of her school uniform flaring out, and Kaia grinned.

“Exactly that. You’re going to be so powerful now with this necklace. Nothing anybody says will hurt you anymore.”

My throat suddenly felt tight, as I thought about the kids at school bullying Audrey, and how Kaia had instinctively found a way to help my niece in a manner that I hadn’t. And as much as I wanted to pretend that Kaia and I were just colleagues, my reasons for keeping it strictly professional with her were beginning to blur.

Ian knocked at the door, poking his head inside.

“Permission to enter? I just need to work on a few invoices.”

“All good.” I reached in a drawer of my desk and handed Audrey a new coloring book I’d picked up for her. “Have a go at this, poppet, while I have a quick word with Kaia. She needs to get back to work.”

“Thank you for my gift,” Audrey said, launching herself at Kaia and wrapping her arms around her waist. Kaia squeezed her close.

“You’re welcome, sweet girl.” She then followed me out of my office and into the car park where we’d be out of the hearing of everyone in the shop.

“Thane—”

“I’m not going to ask you again, Kaia.” I held my hand up. “If you’re not ready to tell me what happened, that’s fine, but please don’t lie to me.”

“I …” Kaia looked away and toed her boot into the gravel of the lot. “It’s complicated, okay?”

“Who is he?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. I couldn’t keep the menace out of it, and the fury that I had previously tamped down rose again.

“It’s not a he .” Kaia hiccuped out a half-laugh. “It’s … I just … listen . Can I explain it to you later? Not here? I really want to make headway on these chain-mail designs for Willow and finalize the drawings for Orla.”

I didn’t want to let her off the hook. I wanted to push until I got all the answers I needed, until I could subdue the rage that simmered just below the surface, so I could take action to fix this for her. But I also had my niece inside waiting for me, and neatly drawn boundaries on my relationship with Kaia. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place and I didn’t like it.

I hated not being able to fix a problem.

And Kaia’s bruised face? Well, it was one hell of a problem.

Whether she liked it or not, she was going to get some formal protection. From me. At least until she could reassure me that her safety wasn’t in jeopardy.

“I’m coming over after work is done tonight,” I said, my tone brooking no argument. “And if you need me to bring locks or anything else to make your cottage more secure, tell me now. I have a wide range of security options for you.” Like knives or a cricket bat.

Kaia pressed her lips together, started to speak, and then paused again. Her soulful eyes locked on mine and apparently whatever she read there made her back down.

“Fine. Come over after work and we can talk.”

“I will. It wasn’t an option.”

“I should find this domineering side of you annoying,” Kaia grumbled, pushing past me to go inside. Despite my anger, a corner of my mouth lifted. So she liked when I went full protective mode? Flashes of the other night filled my mind—holding her down while I ravaged her, her taking everything I had to give. A different heat flooded my veins and when Kaia glanced back at me just before she went inside, she must have seen it in my expression. Her eyes widened, and damn it, she licked her lips.

I stepped forward, needing to touch her, and panic flitted across her gaze. Turning, she raced back to her workstation and I dug my fingers into my palms, taking a deep breath to gain control of my roiling emotions.

Pasting a smile on my face, I went to find my niece and was determined to color until I could think clearly again. Audrey deserved the best of me, and if that meant rage-drawing princesses and fairies for the next two hours, then it looked like art therapy was on my agenda.