Highland Sanctuary (The MacDaniels Book 1) Read online

  “You’re welcome, but there was another reason for my call today…Is your husband’s full name Matthew Daemon Killigan?”

  Amy’s throat went dry and her stomach clenched in fear. “Yes, why?” Scenarios flew through her mind about why the Sheriff would be asking, none of them ending happily for her. His name alone brought back all of the fears she had spent years trying to quell. He was still hunting her, coming out of the woodwork to scare her yet again.

  “I just wanted to give you a heads up; he murdered an officer in San Diego, California. A DEA Agent. It’s believed that he might be coming this way.”

  “Uh… Thank you for letting me know. I appreciate it.” Taken aback at the Sheriff’s cautious tone it was hard for her to get the words out. Was the Sheriff actually trying to do her job? Was she going to try to protect her? It was unexpected to her for someone to care enough to warn her of his presence. So many different reasons for her warning came to mind. Some good, but some were self-serving on the part of the Sheriff. Maybe she just wanted to prove that her deputies were able to obey the law, that they could be trusted. Well, Amy was not about to help them with that. It was too late for that. She had other plans.

  “If I were you I would take off for a while until we can track him down.”

  It was too late for that too. He would find her no matter where she went, she knew that better than anyone. No one would protect her. They could not stand up to him. “There’s no point. He was a SWC, that’s like Special Forces for the Navy; he’ll find me no matter where I am.” Maybe it was time, time for her to save herself. Could she be brave enough to do it, to do what needed to be done?

  “I can arrange for a Deputy to drive past your place every once in a while if you would like.” The tone of the Sheriff’s voice was hopeful. It was almost as if she was extending an olive branch, trying to make up for the past.

  “No, that’s okay. I’ll be fine, but thank you for the offer.” The fewer people that knew where she lived the better and safer for her it would be. It would also give her time to put her plan into action. So many years now. So many years of planning and plotting. It was finally time.

  No heroes were coming to save her. They were all gone.

  It was time for her to be her own hero. It was time for her to try to save herself. At least, then maybe she would be able to live with herself, even if Matthew succeeded in killing her.

  “Okay, then have a good day Mrs. Killigan. Please stay safe.”

  “You too, Sheriff.” Amy hung up the phone with a mind numbing terror gripping her. Fleeting thoughts went through her brain as she began to hyperventilate.

  So much to do. So little time. He was coming for her. She had to find him first. She grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. It was time, time to put a stop to it, time to be her own savior, time to right what was wrong.

  “Amy?”

  Ignoring him, she didn’t say anything as she ran for the door. Fear caused her to run on autopilot, striving for safety. Safety was paramount, but running on auto-pilot put her at odds with reason. She could not focus long enough to retain any of the thoughts running through her mind, much less explain her fear to anyone.

  It was easier to run, run to safety, hide from the danger coming for her. No one could save her from him. Yet, there came a time in everyone’s life when running did no good. It only put off the inevitable. The time for running and hiding was over. It was time for her to take charge and do what no one else would. Maybe then she could live with herself. Maybe then she could live with the damage she had caused.

  Chapter 6

  Alec looked up from the cash wrap to see Amy running out of the store next door to a black Jeep Wrangler in the parking lot Blazing Outdoors and Lilly’s Books shared. Something was wrong. He watched as she threw her bag in before she hopped in. She started it and drove off before checking to see if anyone was coming. It was possible that she was just a really bad driver, but the look on her face… He recognized it and wondered about it. It was a look of pure unadulterated fear. It was a look that should never be upon a woman’s face.

  He was not sure why, but for some reason it made him angry to see that look on hers. It struck him deep within, his long dormant heart beating a tiny cadence of beats. Maybe it was his Scottish ancestry. Maybe it was the way he was raised. Maybe it was the job he held too long. He could’t take the thought of that look would remaining on her face. Alec vowed to find out who put that look upon her face. When he found them he would make them rue the day they ever met her, much less hurt her.

  “Lilly,” he added an extra lilt to his voice, “who is the lass ye spoke to earlier?”

  “You mean Amy?”

  Amy, thinking of the meaning of her name he smiled. It fit her well. “Please tell me about her?”

  “Amy?” Lilly’s nose scrunched up. The look of confusion was only momentary. Her eyes went round. “Amy!?! Really?”

  Alec gulped. The look she gave him was one of a warrior planning a dangerous conquest, one where there was no other choice, but to succeed.

  “Oh, you’ll love her!”

  He could see the wheels turning in her head. The plans she was making were plans of a woman on a mission, a mission of matchmaking — the Devil’s Ninth Hell… “Woah! No, no, no! I am just curious. Tis all.”

  Alec gulped as she grinned. “You may be curious now, but you will be something else before long. She is awfully pretty isn’t she?”

  “Um…” He slowly backed up until he hit something. Several paperback books rained down upon him.

  Nancy’s laugh brought him up short. Turning towards her, he saw that she was immersed in a book by her favorite author. “Oh, Alec knows she’s pretty. He’s Scottish after all. The man knows finery when he sees it. He just might need some background information, you know,” she made a shooing motion, “to help him along.”

  Lilly grinned. Alec hung his head. The conspiracy was afoot and there was nothing that he could do about it now.

  “Oh, of course. Well, she’s single. At least I think she is. Never really seen her with anyone.”

  “Wait…” This was going too far. It had to be stopped.

  “Oh, she loves tulips!”

  Tulips? What did tulips have to do with it?

  Nancy looked up from the book she was reading, “You could take her some tulips and ask her out! That would be so romantic!”

  Sure, just like when she was hanging upside down and fell on him. Thank goodness they did not know about that. He would never hear the end of it until they had him marching down the aisle if they knew about that.

  Chapter 7

  Amy swiped roughly at the tears falling. “Stupid… Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!” She clenched the wheel harder. “How on Earth could you be so stupid! Of course they were going to find out that you knew, you freaking moron!”

  She punched the wheel with her right hand. The slight pain made her feel a bit better, but she was still mad. Hell, she was pissed. Seven months and she had managed to keep quiet about who killed her brother. Even if she had been plotting revenge the whole time, she had still kept quiet about it. Then he found out where she was living now. How on Earth he found out was beyond her, but it wasn’t hard with her staying in the same county. She had her landline under a different name, her house was under a different name, and she wasn’t officially employed at her work. The problem was that now he knew exactly where she was. He was going to find her eventually, but she assumed that she had more time. He knew and now the stakes were higher. He was coming for her and her plan was not ready yet.

  If she could lead him away from town then maybe it would not be so bad. Maybe Lilly and her boss would be safe. They were the only ones that she cared about. Maybe she could keep anyone else from getting hurt. It was time that she put a stop to this. Unfortunately, he had sworn to kill her. Not like she had much of a choice in what was going to happen. She might as well meet him out on the battlefield, at least that would show she had some honor. Honor had always been important to her. Honor, Courage, and Commitment — the Navy way. In fact, the Navy had trained her for this. Well, not this exactly, but they had trained her for how to deal with battles. There were different types of battles: some internal and some external, some involved violence, and some involved decisions. In her time she had dealt with many, this was just the most important one of her life. Taking a deep breath she resolved to do what was right and to do it with honor. It was time to fight back, time to take her life in her own hands and go after the bastard with everything she had.

  With her decision made she realized that it was extremely quiet… Too quiet. She took a slow breath as she realized that her radio was off. It was never off. It never played music this far out in the boonies, but the static noise calmed her while she drove. It reminded her that she was safe…

  A cold knot settled in her stomach. Risking a glance at the radio confirmed that it had indeed been turned off. Keeping her left hand on the wheel, she slowly placed her right hand in her lap. Reaching it slowly down, she pretended to drop something in the floorboard. “Oh, crap,” she muttered and reached up under her seat. Expecting her hand to meet the cold trusty metal of her throwing knife, her breath caught when it wasn’t there. Slowly, trying to keep her fear from showing, she sat up straight.

  A voice came from behind her, “Looking for this?” Cold metal grazed along the side of her neck. “Why don’t you be a lamb and pull over for a second? We should chat, don’t you think?”

  She pulled over to the side of the road and came to a stop, hands stayed on the wheel. It was important for him to view her as innocent and non-threatening. “What do you want?”

  “I was sent to make sure you were calm when you saw him.”

  Risking a glance in the mirror she recognized him. He helped Matthew… He was responsible for killing her brother, just as much as Matthew was. “You’re Jerry aren’t you?”

  “Of course I am. Did you think he would just kill me?”

  “Guess not.” She shrugged slowly. “You changed a bit since the last time we met. Guess you have to when you pretend to be dead though.” Being dead probably made breaking the law a little easier. It was pretty handy when no one was looking for you. “So, what’s the deal?”

  “Matthew didn’t say. Just said that I was to make sure you stayed calm.”

  Still looking at him through the rearview mirror, she sighed, “You already said that.” Jerry grabbed her hair and pulled her head back. A snarl graced his face. He was angry now. The calm demeanor gone.

  Think fast. “I’m just saying that I don’t know what’s going on. Sort of in the dark here. Not fighting back. Just trying to understand.” He wouldn’t hurt her too much. Matthew would want her alive. The bastard always promised that he would be the one to kill her. There was no way he would let his partner have the satisfaction of being the one to kill her. That would take all of the fun out of it.

  His eyes squinted, but the anger seemed to slip away a bit. Survive. That was all she needed to do. Survive him and handle Matthew. “So where are we going, Jerry?”

  “He’s waiting for you.”

  “Look, I can’t drive until you tell me where I’m going. So either we sit here for the next few hours and talk about random things, or you tell me where I’m going.”

  Snarling, he released her hair. “Just drive.”

  She smirked. If he wouldn’t tell her where to go that was fine. She’d find Matthew on her own when she was ready, just had to deal with Jerry first. From the looks of things, that would not be too difficult either. “Ok, Jerry, let’s go.” She threw it in drive and slammed on the gas. The jeep spun out as it took off, gravel slinging up behind her. Watching in the mirror, she laughed as Jerry slid around on the seats grasping rapidly for anything to hold on to. The expression on his face was hilarious! Fear and shock made his eyes and his mouth open wide. Maybe this would be fun. It sure as hell beat being scared.

  “Crazy bitch! You’re going to kill us both!”

  “Yeah? You think so? Well, don’t worry. There’s a fun little curve up ahead.” If she timed it just right then he would be sorry he ever got into her jeep. He would be sorry that he listened to Matthew. He would be sorry that he ever messed with her and her family.

  “What are you doing!?!”

  “Taking you for a drive. That is what you wanted, right?” Swerving on the small backroad, the jeep crunched over the gravel. The back end swung to the right as she drove around the sharp curve.

  There it was! The curve that she needed. Jerking the wheel again she felt the knife barely miss nicking her throat.

  “Stop the car! Stop the car!” His screams fell on deaf ears. There was no way that she was going to stop and give him the upper hand.

  Her response was to jerk the wheel again. He couldn’t be allowed to gain purchase in the back seat. If he did then there was nothing she could do. At least now while he could not keep his footing she had a chance. A small chance, but a chance.

  “Why are you not listening!?! That asshole swore you would be complacent! That this would be an easy five grand!”

  Her eyes flashed to the mirror. “He’s paying you!?!”

  “What did you think? That I was doing this for kicks?”

  Some-how the knowledge that he would pay someone to hurt her hurt worse. The man that refused to buy a flashlight when his military issued one died because it cost ten cents more than the cost of a box of matches, had paid a man five grand to hurt her… Five grand! The next time it would be more. “How much did he give you to kill my brother?”

  “That was just for fun.”

  “For fun!?! For fun!?! You son of a bitch,” the words were gravely, laced with hatred. “Where is he?” Jerry did not answer her. “I’m only going to ask once more. Where. Is. He?”

  “I swear I don’t know! I was just supposed to get you to the bluff and knock you out! He’s going to call me soon to tell me where to go from there!”

  The fear on his face told her that he was telling the truth. She was amazed that he had not pissed himself. Fear did strange things to people. It seemed to make Jerry more honest.

  “Then that means that I don’t need you. I just need your phone…” Slamming on the brakes he flew forward and slammed against the dashboard. Keeping one hand on the wheel, she punched him in the face with her right hand. Over and over she punched him. Blood spurted from his nose and mouth. On the sixth punch he was out.

  “Well, Jerry, you’re not that good at fighting off a mad woman are you.” He hadn’t tried very hard to block at all. It seemed strange, but it was not something she wanted to take the time to consider.

  Undoing her seatbelt, she reached over him and opened the passenger door. A quick search of his pockets left his cellphone in her possession. No keys though. A few tries later she had him out of the car and on to the hard round. “Guess I’ll be nice and pull you to the side, so you don’t get run over. I may be ex-military but I’m sort of a pushover.” Once the goal was accomplished she pocketed her knife and climbed back into the jeep. Matthew would call soon. Maybe her plan would still work. The DEA may have failed, but there were still other places she could turn to, other things that she could do.

  As Amy drove up to her house she was still shaking. “Focus on the plan. Just focus on the plan.” Taking her hands off the wheel she shook them. She left her jeep running as she hopped out and ran to the house to get a few things that she would need. She also needed to grab Rocky from his kennel.

  It never occurred to her that he was not barking like he usually did when she drove up.

  She ran up the steps and threw open the door. As she stepped in she heard a noise behind her. She swung around to see what it was as something heavy hit her in the head. Pain blossomed throughout her head and her vision went wavy as she fell to the ground in a heap. A hazy figure stood over her laughing, “My dear wife, I would have thought you would have learned after the last time…” The voice drifted further away as Amy slipped into unconsciousness.

  Chapter 8

  Alec had managed to flee from the matchmakers and get directions to Amy’s house from Lilly. He had a bad feeling from deep within. Something was wrong. Call it intuition, fate, or overprotective maleness. Whatever it was, it was usually right. It was a calling deep in his soul. It had served him well over the years, especially with chasing drug runners and murderers on a daily basis. Now it was screaming for him to go after the elfin waif of a woman, screaming to the Heavens for him to find her immediately. For some reason he felt a deeply ingrained need to protect Amy from whatever it was that she was afraid of. He had no idea where this protective streak for her came from, but his father had raised him to protect a woman in trouble and that was what he was going to do. The last time he had not heeded the warning in his soul he had lost someone very important. This time he would heed it.

  As he pulled into the driveway he saw Amy’s jeep. The engine was still running and the door to it was open. He looked up toward the small cabin and saw a window curtain fall back into place. He took his time walking up to the front door thinking Amy would come to open it before he got there. Steeling himself for the acrid words that he knew would come from her mouth he realized that he had no excuse for being there.

  Why had he not thought up an excuse on his way there? It would have been so much easier to have an excuse. Slowing his steps he waited for her. He wanted to give her a sense of control. However, when he reached the door and it remained unopened he grew concerned. “Lass, open the door. I mean ye no harm that I swear,” he called out.