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“Good ‘oh, my,’ or bad ‘oh, my’?” Mark cracked open a bottle of mineral water and took a long drink.
“Not any field. A battlefield.” Tess caught her breath and peered intently at the image. “Culloden Battlefield.”
“Doesn’t sound familiar.”
“The coordinates place the battlefield outside of Inverness, Scotland. I see a monument in the field next to a large visitor center. Here, look.” She pointed to a tall, cylindrical structure built of large, square stones.
“Before getting too excited, are you sure this isn’t a trap?” Mark rolled his shoulders in small circles and stretched out his legs.
A waft of sandalwood caught her attention, but she kept her amorous urges at bay. “Kyle trusted this contact, and he would never endanger me. His last request was for me to deliver this disk to the Raven, and I must honor it.”
“Who?” Mark demanded, raising a single eyebrow.
“The Raven.”
“Come on. Real people don’t speak this way.” He gestured with both hands open, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
“Welcome to the underworld, Doctor. Hackers are often enigmatic. For safety, I told Inspector Willis I’d be out of town a day or two. David shut me out, and the only way I can fight Crimson Hammer is to chase this hacker and find out what he knows.”
“How about we ask the police to follow up, instead? They live for this stuff.” Mark rubbed his palms together.
“Given Kyle’s altered police report, we can’t trust the police. Besides, I doubt the Raven likes cops very much. Will you come with me?” A phone rang somewhere in the next room.
Mark studied her a long time before answering. “Yes, but I have conditions.”
“Which are?” Tess shot him a curious glance.
“First, you agree to follow my medical advice and protect yourself. Second, notify the detective we’re both traveling to Scotland should anything go wrong. Fair?” He extended a hand.
She shook it. “Deal. I’ll book us on tomorrow’s first flight to Inverness.” While accustomed to traveling solo worldwide at a whim, she couldn’t argue his position was unreasonable. And, given her rash flight to London against medical advice, she both literally and metaphorically lacked a healthy leg upon which to stand.
Mark opened his mouth, then closed it without speaking.
She knew he’d protest and held up a palm. “Before you tell me we can’t fly because of my leg, an hour’s flight is less stressful on my body than a nine-hour car trip. Besides, we don’t have time to waste.”
“Only if you promise you’ll rest before meeting the vulture, hawk, or whatever bird of prey awaits us. You techies.” Mark gave her an eye roll.
“The Raven, and we’ll face him together. At least, I hope you will.” Relieved to hear his easygoing humor, she savored the light moment of happiness, knowing stressful, dangerous work remained ahead.
“I was afraid you’d ask. People tell me Scotland is god-awful this time of year.” He stood with his hands stuffed in his pockets.
“True, but we’ll have each other.” She cast a sideways glance to see if the wisecrack amused him, and his broad smile gave her hope. Building on the camaraderie, she invented a reason for him to stay longer and not disappear to his room. “I’ve got lots of difficult things to manage, and I’m grateful you’re here. Care for a scotch? The hotel staff keeps the rooms here stocked to the brim.” She gestured at the minibar tucked underneath a polished wood cabinet.
“Uh, sure. That would be nice.” He sat on the couch.
At this point, she was so grateful he didn’t dash out of the room that the tension in her shoulders released several notches. She opened the minibar, poured scotch into two crystal glasses, and handed him one before settling beside him on the love seat.
“Skål.” He lifted his drink and clinked her glass. “To our safe travel.”
“Cheers.” She took a slow sip, allowing the scotch to trickle over her lips and into her mouth. The smoky peat flavor emboldened her, and she ventured into trickier territory. “By the way, you didn’t need to reserve a separate room.”
“Yes, I did. I had a complete meltdown the last time I slept next to you, and I’m too embarrassed to risk repeating it.”
“Don’t be. You don’t have to avoid me.” Warmth radiated from his body, and she couldn’t ignore the sensual stirrings deep inside her. She placed a hand on his arm.
“I have another reason.”
Fearing rejection, she tensed her spine, and sweat coated the back of her neck. A handsome man like Mark could easily have a love interest in New York, if not several. Or, what if he had contracted a sexually transmitted disease? She cataloged potential complications, none of which were positive. Lungs tight in her chest, she feigned calmness. “Could you please explain?”
