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Ava compresses her lips and snorts a breath out through her nostrils. "If you lot are talking about me, I should be included in the conversation."
"What makes you think we're talking about you?" I ask.
"Because I am not a moron."
She has a point. Ava might be obnoxious, but she clearly has a functional brain.
Thane finally aims his gaze at her. "I need you to stay here and monitor the data on this black box. It's tracking Holden's movements now, but if he should fall off the radar, I'll expect you to alert me."
She flicks her gaze between me and Thane before settling on him. "Where will you be?"
"Outside. I need to check the perimeter and...a few other things." He pushes up off the sofa, gesturing for me to stay put. Then he aims a hard look at Ava. "I will expect you to obey Rebecca. Whatever she says, you will do. Full stop."
Ava wants to complain. It's obvious. But she keeps her trap shut and moves onto the sofa to sit beside me.
Fantastic. I get to babysit the smug Brit.
She wriggles to get a little bit further away from me while still having a good view of the computer screen. She clasps her hands on her lap.
Thane walks out the door.
Ava tilts forward a little, squinting at the screen.
I keep watching it too. No, I don't trust Ava Marston-Baines to keep her eye on the map on the computer screen. I don't trust her, period.
Peripherally, I see Thane marching down the side of the house on his way to wherever he's going. I know he has a good reason for keeping me in the dark right now. Probably because he doesn't want the British snoop to overhear our conversation.
"Bloody hell," Ava whispers as she points at the screen. "Look how fast Holden is moving. He must be violating all the speed laws."
"He's got a serious hard-on for harassing Thane." I lean forward to study the screen too. "Looks like an hour might be an overly generous estimate of when Holden might get here."
"Yes, I'm afraid it is. One of us needs to go out there and warn Thane."
"Why don't you do that? He would want me to watch the screen."
That's true, since he doesn't trust Ava. But it's not the main reason I want to send her outside. I feel slightly guilty about playing a trick on her.
Ava jumps up. "Try not to lose track of Holden while I'm gone. I know you're only a marketing manager who got sacked from her last job. But do try, darling."
Nope, I don't feel guilty anymore.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Thane
I jog through the fenced yard, heading for the pasture gate, where I'll find Odin. Though I dislike using him as my security system in this instance, when a dangerous man is coming for us, he is the best and most reliable alert system I have. He'll know what to do. Once I reach the gate, I whistle for Odin to come inside. He trots through it without hesitation.
I've just shut the gate when I hear the sound of someone approaching. The noises are subtle---soft grunts, wee hissing sounds, shoes sliding across grass. Then I hear a sound no one could miss.
"Ah! Fucking Scottish mud."
Odin's head shoots up. His ears prick up.
Just as Ava rounds the corner of the house, Odin sounds his alarm call. And she jumps backward, shrieking.
Odin rushes toward her.
I shout to him, giving orders in Gaelic. He halts, but keeps his head up and his ears pricked---and his attention squarely on Ava.
