Their Own Time Page 9

  Wade nodded. He knew his captain was right and knew that he couldn’t risk Carissa and Gabby’s lives on the off chance she might return once she knew Parker was dead.

  “Thanks, Cap,” he said tightly.

  “You’re welcome.”

  Wade turned and left the office. He was going to find her; he had to know where she was.

  It was dark when Wade pulled into Carissa’s tiny rental house. He took a deep breath and stepped out of his car, the note in his hand. He had been careful picking what he was going to write and would make sure it would be somewhere she would find it.

  He caught movement out of the corner of his eye, and he spun, drawing his weapon.

  “Come out.”

  Mrs. Kinley appeared from the corner, her hands in the air.

  “I’m sorry.” He lowered his weapon but kept it at the ready.

  “It’s okay, I understand you are upset.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You want to find Carissa.”

  “Yes. It’s my job.”

  “But it's more than that.”

  Wade nodded.

  “Are you an only child?” she asked him.

  “Yes.”

  “But you weren’t always.”

  “I don’t understand—” he started, and she put her hand up gently.

  “I do my research, Detective Cahill. You don’t have to share anything with me, I know you are a good man. Which is why I want to tell you that I know where Carissa and Gabby are.”

  “Where?” He took a step toward her, and she put her hand up again.

  “They are safe and happy. Carissa is married now, happily.”

  The jealousy bit at him even though he tried to ignore it. “Where is she? Why did you not tell me before? Withholding information is the same as interfering in an investigation.”

  “I wasn’t sure I could trust you.”

  “Where is she, Mrs. Kinley?”

  “I will send you to her, but I need you to trust me in return.”

  “Okay,” he said cautiously.

  “You have to leave your firearm here. You can hide it anywhere you like in the house, and I don’t need to know its location, but you cannot take it with you.”

  “With all due respect—”

  “This is nonnegotiable. If you want to see her with your own eyes, to know that she is okay, then you must follow my instructions exactly. Leave the gun.”

  Why was he following her instructions? He wondered as she unlocked the door and he followed her into the tiny house.

  He needed to know where Carissa was, even if that meant doing things off of the book. He knew he could handle himself physically if he were assaulted, not that he believed the woman would have attacked him. But if this were a trap, he could figure out his next step as soon as he saw Carissa and Gabby.

  Wade hid his weapon in the very top of the linen closet down the hall.

  “What else?” he asked when he returned. He prayed again that he wasn’t making a huge mistake in trusting her.

  “You must help someone for me when you get there, a woman.”

  “Help her with what?”

  “She is in danger, but she doesn’t know it yet. I need you to keep her safe. Her name is Chloe.”

  “I will do what I can, help her get in contact with local police.”

  “‘Tis not that easy, I’m afraid.”

  “What does that mean?”

  Mrs. Kinley took a step toward him. “What you are about to experience may be hard to believe at first.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You are going to Ireland. When you arrive, the year will be 1216.”

  Wade never got the chance to tell her he thought she was insane. Before he could open his mouth to speak, she pushed him, and he started falling. Much further than he should have since he had well surpassed the floor.

  When he opened his eyes, he was staring at the greenest trees he had ever seen.

  “What the hell?” he muttered softly. He turned around in a circle and gaped at his surroundings. He closed his eyes and opened them again, expecting to be back in the house, and still nothing had changed. He pinched his arm and was surprised when it stung.

  “What the hell?” he repeated again and took a step toward the dirt road in front of him.

  He knelt next to a fresh pile of horse manure. Where in the hell was he?

  Chapter Three

  Chloe stared out at the sea as the waves crashed into the cliff. The ocean had always calmed her. Even after McLaughlin had gotten his hands on her, she had found solace in the sea. Had considered jumping into it to obtain some form of oblivion from the nightmarish memory of his hands on her.

  Just as she had been about to take the leap, a woman cloaked in black had come to her and told her that her future was a bright one if she could only stick around long enough to see it through.

  When the woman had told her of the babe that would grow in her stomach, she had known she had to survive no matter the cost to her own mind. Her baby didn’t deserve to die because she had become another of McLaughlin’s victims.

  She had known his reputation for women, had known that he was a monster, and still she didn’t hide when he was near. She had too much pride for that. When Eleanora had died during childbirth, she had divulged the information about McLaughlin’s plan to Garrett, hoping that he would be able to stop the man. It was then that Carrick McLaughlin had come to her and insisted she be punished.

  Chloe closed her eyes on tears she refused to allow to fall. She was not a victim anymore. He was dead, and she was now the Lady of Castle McLaughlin. She was powerful, even without that title, and would never be a victim again.

  She patted her horse gently on the neck and then turned him back toward the tree line. “Let’s go home.”

  They walked through the trees at a steady pace. She still had some time before dark, and the quiet had surrounded her like a comforting blanket. She closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of the nature that surrounded her as she let the horse guide her home.

  “Excuse me?”

  Chloe’s eyes snapped open at the sound of the strange man’s voice. She found herself staring at the most handsome man she had ever seen. He was tall, and the strange tunic he wore stretched over a tightly muscled chest. His hair was a sandy color and looked as though he had just rolled out of bed, it warmed her, and it shouldn’t have.

  “Are you lost?” she asked him. He wore strange pants, and his accent reminded her of Carissa’s.

  “I think so.”

  She watched as he ran his hand through his messy hair.

  “Where am I?”

  “McLaughlin land.”

  “In America?”

  She shook her head, unsure of what he was talking about.

  “Ireland.”

  Chloe dismounted when she saw all color drain from the man’s face. She felt the weight of her dagger on her hip and knew she could draw it quickly if she needed to, although something was telling her she was in no danger.

  “Are you alright?” she asked him, and his bright blue eyes looked into her own green.

  “I’m not sure, to be quite honest with you.” The color began coming back into his cheeks slowly as he took a deep breath. “What year is it?”

  “1216,” she said slowly as she watched his expression closely.

  “She was telling me the truth.” He laughed unbelievably, and Chloe took a step back. “I’m sorry, it’s just, Mrs. Kinley told me she was sending me here, to find my friend, and I thought she was crazy. Although, I suppose she might still be, and now so am I.”

  Was he dreaming? His mind told him he had to be, but the rest of him wasn’t convinced. The woman standing before him looked and sounded as real as anyone he had ever come across. Her seafoam-colored eyes were the most beautiful he had ever seen, and something about her dark hair had his mouth watering.

  The gown she wore was a soft blue, and the top hugged firm breasts
and a trim waist before spilling down into a long skirt. She was stunning.

  “Who is your friend?” she asked him.

  “What?”

  “You said that woman, Mrs. Kinley, was sending you here to find your friend. Who is it you’re looking for?”

  “Her name is Carissa Stephenson. She has a daughter—”

  “Gabby.”

  “How did you know?”

  “I know Carissa well, I healed her when she took a blade meant for Garrett, her now husband.”

  “She is hurt?” Panic fluttered through his chest.

  “She is fine now, she and Garrett live about a day’s ride from here.”

  Wade took a deep breath. Well, at least he now knew why he hadn’t been able to find her.

  “I’m Wade Cahill.” He held his hand out, and she reluctantly took it.

  “Chloe O’Brian. Lady of Castle McLaughlin.”

  “Chloe,” he said softly. “It’s you.”

  She pulled her hand back. “I do not understand, have we met before?” Surely she would have remembered him.

  “No, you see, Mrs. Kinley, the woman who sent me here, said you were in danger. That you didn’t know it yet, but I was supposed to protect you. I’m a detective.”

  Anger flushed her marble-like complexion. “I am in no danger.”

  “Mrs. Kinley,” damn, why did he not remember her first name? “Told me that you didn’t know you were in danger,” he repeated. “Why would she think that?”

  Chloe’s mind thought about her current situation. Surely there were those who meant her harm now, who wished to take over McLaughlin land, who would kill her son if they thought they could gain it from his death. With him being so young, and she a woman, other laird’s did not think much of them.

  “Have you been attacked?” he asked her and took a step toward her.

  “No.” Not in the last four years anyway, she thought to herself. “My son recently inherited McLaughlin land, ‘tis possible someone looks to take it from him.”

  “How old is your son?” he asked, trying to not pay any attention to the letdown he felt at the thought of her being married.

  “Four.”

  “That’s young to inherit land. What about your husband?”

  “I am not married. The land belonged to my son’s sire, we were not wed.”

  Wade noted the strength in her jaw and the fire in her eyes. He was excellent at reading signs; it’s how he'd advanced to detective from beat cop so quickly. This woman hated the man she was speaking of.

  “Come with me,” she said cautiously to him. “You may come and rest at Castle McLoughlan, and then I can send you on your way to Carissa McKinley.”

  “Thank you,” he said to her, although he had no intention of leaving her until he figured out exactly what danger Mrs. Kinley had believed her to be in.

  They walked in silence, her leading the horse and he studying the scenery and searching for any sign of danger.

  So somehow he had landed in Ireland in the 1200’s. Wade considered himself a fairly open-minded man. As a cop, he had seen both good and evil in people, and some things he hadn’t entirely been able to explain.

  But time travel? That was a big one to swallow. They approached the edge of the trees, and Wade got his first look at Castle McLaughlin.

  It was impressive, and loomed before him. As they stepped through the gate, he got a look at the small village nestled just inside the stonewalls. People bustled and offered Chloe kind smiles and greetings in a language he didn’t understand. He guessed it to be Gaelic, and was grateful his hostess understood English as well.

  He continued to look on as she handed the reins of her horse to a man, and then followed her into the large castle.

  Unlike the exterior, the inside of the castle was quiet and relaxed. Tapestries hung from the walls, giving the room a warm feeling.

  If he was dreaming, he had done a damn good job with the details. She led him up a flight of stairs and down a long hall before they stopped in front of a large wooden door.

  She pushed open the door and turned to him. “Here is your room. I will have the staff draw you a bath and bring you some extra clothing.” She eyed him warily, caution deepening her green eyes.

  “Thank you—” He had no idea what to call her, was he supposed to address her in any certain way? Or just refer to her by her first name?

  “Chloe is fine,” she said softly, reading his expression.

  “Chloe.” He almost whispered her name and watched her as she turned to leave. He couldn’t help himself, he watched the way she moved, and his hands itched to touch her. Keep it together Cahill. “Thank you,” he said again as she left the room.

  Chloe nodded and closed the door softly behind her, even though every alarm in her brain was going off and telling her to run as fast as she could away from the man. If it hadn’t been for his strange accent, clothing, and the fact that he had called Carissa his friend, she would have left him in the woods and prayed he made his way back to wherever it was he had come from.

  She would have ignored the nerves in her body and how they reacted to him. As he had walked next to her, she had stolen a few quick glances at him. He had warrior written all over him, from his muscled body to the way he walked, she knew he would be a force to be reckoned with against any enemy he crossed paths with.

  If she believed his story, why had this woman sent him to her? What danger was she in? Her thoughts pushed back to her son. She would check in on him, make sure he was okay, and then she would send for Carissa and let her know her friend was here.

  She prayed he wasn’t an enemy, but she knew Garrett would protect his wife if it came down to it. She had to focus on her son’s safety, and this man could very well pose a threat to it. But, if he was telling the truth, and a small part of her honestly believed he was, then that meant she and her son were in danger, in which case having the head of the McKinley clan nearby may not be such a bad idea.

  Chapter Four

  Wade took a look around the room Chloe had given him. It was large and lavishly decorated. A massive four-poster bed with intricate Celtic designs carved into the wood sat in the center of the far wall. Drapes hung from the sides of the bed, and Wade imagined that when they were drawn, you wouldn’t be able to see any sunlight, even in the middle of the day.

  Tapestries hung from the walls in varying color and design, and a large rug was centered on the floor. Oddly enough, the room felt more comfortable to him than his own studio apartment had. Then again, after Marissa had left him, it had always felt more temporary than it had before.

  Marissa. That one name could bring the best and worst feelings to the pit of his stomach. They had been so in love once. Dated all through college and had even been engaged for six months. Then his sister disappeared after a weekend trip with her boyfriend, and his world had come to a screeching halt.

  He searched for her constantly. Had believed that maybe they had just eloped, but once her body was found, his heart crumbled. She had been the only family he had left.

  Wade sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the wall. He hadn’t spoken for weeks after, had spent all of his energy trying to track down the boyfriend. His baby sister had been strangled and dumped like yesterday's garbage. He had put every ounce of his soul into tracking the bastard down. Nothing else had mattered.

  They finally found him in a small town in east Texas, and thanks to Wade’s partner for keeping him from killing him, they got a full confession and were able to lock the son of a bitch up for good.

  He had never been the same, though, and Marissa got tired of who he had become. He couldn’t say he blamed her; it wasn’t until the last year that he started to come back around. Nightmares came less frequently to him now, and he believed he was finally picking up the pieces of his heart.

  Marissa was married now, a kid on the way. Part of him wondered if she hadn’t already been messing around on him before Leah’s disappearance. But truthfully, none of tha
t mattered now.

  A knock at the door jarred him from his thoughts. He stood and opened it, but when he looked out, no one was there. He had started to shut it again when he felt the tug on his pants.

  “Well, hi.” He knelt down face to face with the little boy. He had his mother’s dark hair and green eyes, and they made the recognition unmistakable.

  “Hi,” he said softly and then grinned. “Momma said she found you in the woods!” he exclaimed. “What were you doing out there?”

  “Going for a walk.” Wade smiled, he couldn’t help it. The little boy was adorable and so incredibly happy that it lifted his own spirits a bit.

  “I like to go for walks, too.”

  “They are good for you.”

  The little boy nodded and continued to stare at Wade. “I’m Fergus.” The little boy held his hand out, and Wade took it gently. “Laird of Castle McKinley.”

  Wade bit back a laugh at the sturdiness in the four-year-old’s voice. He had not come across many kids, but he couldn’t imagine they were all as spunky as this boy seemed to be.

  “Nice to meet you, Fergus, I am Wade Cahill. I appreciate you taking me in.”

  “You sound funny.”

  Before he could respond, Chloe’s voice sounded from down the hall.

  “Fergus James. You will not be rude.”

  “Sorry, Momma.” The boy’s demeanor instantly changed, and the abruptness of it had Wade biting back another laugh. This was a boy who respected his momma, and it made Wade happy to see.

  “I’m so sorry,” she apologized and placed her hands on Fergus’s shoulders.

  “Not a problem. He’s a handsome young man.”

  “Thank you.” She blushed.

  “He has your eyes.” Wade’s gaze held hers longer than he had planned it to, and before he knew it, he was awkwardly looking away.

  “The staff should be heading up with your bath any minute now. Dinner is at five.”

  “Thank you, Chloe.”