Page 88 of Irish Betrayal

“I’ve just sent the footage from the parking garage. Blair was abducted there. The man was wearing a hoodie, but during the scuffle, the hood slid back enough that I was able to run a face-detection scan. It was Samson.”

“Were you able to follow his vehicle?” Coll knew that Thomas would have immediately asked the police for CCTV footage leaving the airport.

“Gold Toyota Camry. License plate was covered with black tape. Samson must not understand that covering the tag didn’t make his car invisible. I sent two of our people from the Texas team to the police station hours ago. Now that they know where to start, I hope to have at least his direction soon.”

“And the science teacher that Samson was involved with?”

“Dead. The police found her body in Samson’s flat. The woman’s been deceased at least one week. Suicide. There were several empty bottles of pills next to her.”

Another victim of Peter Samson. No question. He took the phone off speaker, so that only Daniel and Thomas would hear.

“I see. Daniel found some of Blair’s journals. Samson has been,” Coll hesitated, not wanting to say the words out loud, “grooming my daughter since she was eleven.”

“Christ, brother.” Thomas paused, and then, “You can break down later, but you sure as hell don’t have the luxury of doing it now. Do you understand?”

Coll swallowed, feeling the burn of unshed tears, but refusing to let them fall. Thomas was correct. Now wasn’t the time. “I understand.”

forty-two

DANIEL

Daniel hated that he’d accused Barr of being a shit parent. He was angry and had lashed out. Coll and Catriona were amazing parents who loved their children the way his parents loved him. He’d tried to apologize, but Barr was so far gone in his guilt it hadn’t mattered.

Reading those journals had flagellated Barr’s already bleeding guilt. Daniel felt numb and was thankful for it. He felt woefully ill-equipped to handle so many shocks: kidnapping, pregnancy, abuse.

Blair was incredibly intelligent, and Daniel understood that because of her seeming maturity, her parents would naturally trust Blair to make good decisions.

But Samson hadn’t come right out and assaulted Blair. It appeared from Blair's journals that the sexual part of the abuse started slowly. He was a sleazy bastard who had enough patience to play a long game with his student.

Two weeks out of the year for seven years…

Who fucking did that?

The “teacher” spent months texting a child, winning her trust and gaining a strong foothold into her life.

Blair had trusted him.

What had he done that last day to finally make her see—to open her eyes to the monster that had been lurking beneath the benevolent teacher’s skin?

After he and Barr spoke with MacGregor, Barr went to his wife, where they spoke quietly. Daniel’s dad, mom, Ulf, and Rowan asked what information they’d discovered.

“I found some of Blair’s childhood journals and brought them. I won’t tell you all of it, but Samson has been…” he hesitated, not wanting to say too much and betray Blair’s confidence, but needing to say enough that his family understood the gravity.

“It seems as though Samson has been grooming Blair since she was eleven.” Gasps and denial greeted that announcement. “I’ve believed that Samson did or said something to Blair the day after we got together. Whatever it was, it hurt her. She realized that she’d been used and manipulated for years. She had planned on working for you, Ulf, but Wales was too close to Peter Samson.

“Blair needed the time to come to terms with…things. MacGregor called. The woman who worked at Trinity that your PI, Ulf, had seen occasionally with Samson was found dead in his flat. Suicide.

“He also sent the video of Samson abducting Blair in the car garage. As soon as Coll is done telling his family, we’ll watch it.”

“Damn it, son, I’m sorry,” his dad said, pulling him into a hug, which he returned fully, needing the comfort. His mom and Rowan added their embrace.

Dread and worry ricocheted inside his entire body, while he forced a calmness over himself that he didn’t feel. Blair was with a man that had hurt her in so many ways, ways she apparently only discovered.

And she was pregnant with their child. He closed his eyes so he wouldn’t cry. She must be so scared.

Barr, Catriona, Laith, and Lochlann joined them as Ulf said, “Blair is brilliant. Her mother may have passed on her passion for plants, but you,” he nodded his head toward Coll, “taught her how to think and assess problems. Blair will know we’re coming for her. She won’t panic.”

Barr nodded once, not speaking. Lachlann MacGregor squeezed Laith’s shoulder. Catriona silently cried. His mom and aunt moved to her sides and followed the men over to the table where the laptop was set up.