Page 38 of In My Heart
“I’m hurt you don’t recognise my voice, wild girl.”
“Hilt?” I gasped quietly, glancing behind me to ensure Arran and Cal weren’t hanging around. None of the guys were happy about me seeking Hilt out when we were in Chicago. They were sure hewas bad news, and maybe he was in general, but I was confident he wouldn’t hurt me.
“We need to meet. You’re in danger,” he warned me.
“A little late with that warning,” I scoffed.
“Cara, fucking listen to me. It’s about to get worse. That’s why I need you to meet me. Now. This cannot wait. I’m risking my life even contacting you,” he growled, the impatient tone I knew so well from training with him sounding strangely comforting.
“Jesus! Then why are you calling me?”
“Because for some insane reason you made me care about your crazy ass. Just meet me. Kensington tube station. Westbound. Platform three. I’m here now, but I can’t stay here for long. Move your ass, kid.”
The call ended then, and I couldn’t even call him back because the number didn’t show on the caller ID.
“Fuck!” I hissed, locking my phone and shoving it back into my pocket. I needed to meet Hilt because I needed to find out what he knew, but I was fully aware that if I turned up with Rafe’s required security contingent, Hilt would be gone.
But I also wasn’t fool enough to slip out of the house alone and unprotected. Not when we didn’t know who had tried to break into the house the week before, or who else was out there, just waiting to get hands on me, in order to get to Rafe.
Mikhail Kozlov had to be a very desperate man by now, since Rafe had put every resource he had into tracking the prick down. He was on the run, according to all sources who knew anything. I was pretty sure he’d take any chance he could to get hold of me as leverage to save his skin.
“Arran!” I yelled through the house as I rushed to the bottom of the stairs. “Arran!”
“What’s wrong?” Arran was yelling before he even came into sight. He landed on the landing above me, then leapt down the last flight of stairs in three huge jumps, landing at my side and instantly pulling me against him as he looked all around us. “What is it, lass?”
“Hilt just called me. He’s waiting at the tube station. We have to go now. Just you and me. Any more security will scare him off!” I explained in a rush.
“Hilt? The guy from Chicago? What’s he doing here?”
“I don’t know, but he said I’m about to be in a lot more danger. He needs to tell me something. He said he’s risking his life. We have to go now.” I tried to pull from the arm he had around me, but he held firm.
“Just slow down a second, Cara. How do we ken this isnae a trap?”
“I just know. I trust him, Arran. Please, you have to let me go with my gut on this. We need to know whatever Hilt knows, and he said he couldn’t stick around there for long.”
“Rafe’ll kill me on the spot if anythin’ happens to ye. Ye realise that?” Arran groaned.
“Nothing’s going to happen. We can take security to the station if it makes you feel better, but they have to stay outside. I’m not convinced Hilt won’t split if I walk up with just you.”
“Jesus fuckin’ Christ!” he growled as he released me and moved to the picture on the wall in the entrance way. I watched on in shock as he pulled it from the wall and set it on the ground, thenpushed one of the white panels that made up the wall. It opened like a hidden cupboard, and from it Arran pulled a handgun. He seemed to check it was loaded, then tucked it into the back of his jeans, before returning everything to where it had been before.
“How many hidden gun compartments does this house have?” I asked once I reached his side.
“More than we’ll ever need, wi’ any luck.”
He took my hand in his and held it tightly as he opened the door and pulled me out behind him, keeping himself placed strategically in front of me. He unlocked the black SUV, which was parked out front and I headed in the direction of it.
“Dom, yer driving. Joey, in the front,” Arran commanded as he tossed the keys to Dom.
“What’s going on?” Dom asked once we were all in the car, Arran fussing with my seat belt before I could even reach for it myself.
“Take us to the tube station. We need to meet an unknown. I’ll go in wi’ Cara. Which platform, wee one?” Arran asked.
“Three Westbound, he said,” I replied.
“Dom, keep the car running an’ close. Joey, I want ye to tail us to the platform, but dinnae step on it. Just stay close, in case. If anythin’ kicks off, ye grab Cara an’ get her the fuck out. Clear?”
Both men agreed, but I didn’t. If anything went wrong there was no way I was leaving Arran to deal with it alone. But nothing would go wrong. I trusted Hilt. I believed him when he told me he’d come to care for me in his own way.
