“Oi, you!” I heard Will shout, and I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the throbbing in my cheek. Will grabbed at the man’s hair, distracting him enough so I could tug Eilidh by the waist out of his arms. He slammed an elbow into Will’s nose just as I got Eilidh free, and he lunged at her again. I pushed her away in instinct and put myself between them, trying to focus beyond the discombobulation of a complete stranger attempting to steal my child in front of hundreds of witnesses.
“Back off!” I yelled, shoving him away.
He grabbed my arm, trying to twist it, but Robyn’s lessons kicked in. I slammed the base of my palm in an upward strike into his nose. I wasn’t strong enough to break it, but it stunned him long enough to loosen his hold. Spinning toward Eilidh, now in Lewis’s protective little arms, I found my shoulder jolted back in a painful jarring yank.
“Give her to me!” he roared like an animal as he clawed at my throat from behind. The smell of whisky was overwhelming. “Give me my daughter!”
McClintock?
Oh my God.
Throwing my entire weight behind it, I sank my elbow into his face and stumbled toward the kids as he grunted and released me. I was aware of bodies rushing at us, at him. We were being protected by the other parents, so I pulled Eilidh and Lewis into my belly, covering them as much as I could with my body. Like a cocoon. A fist slammed into my temple, momentarily dazing me as I heard McClintock scream Eilidh’s name again.
Eilidh and Lewis sobbed as they burrowed into me, as my back and head were punched and kicked as he tried to beat his way around me to get her. I ignored the pain, refusing to budge. The cacophony of those around us blurred into white noise.
And then the hitting stopped as abruptly as it had started.
“Regan, you’re okay.” Michelle bent her face into mine.
I glanced up and behind her, shocked to see McClintock flat on the ground, held down by Will and all the thirsty moms.
Kids were crying around us, scared out of their minds.
“Eilidh. Lewis.” I dropped to my knees as they threw their arms around me. My face and body throbbed with pain, but it didn’t matter. They were safe. Relief and adrenaline made me tremble as much as they did. I tried not to cry with rage that McClintock had scared the hell out of them.
“The police are on their way.” Michelle rubbed my shoulder soothingly. “Do you know who he is?”
“Eilidh!” McClintock wailed, glaring at us from the ground where Will and the ladies had him pinned. “My daughter!” He sounded like a wounded animal.
I blanched, feeling everyone stare at us as I lied, “No, I don’t know who he is.”
THANE
It took everything within him not to drive like a maniac all the way from Inverness to Caelmore. Killing himself to get home to the children and Regan wouldn’t do anyone any good. But the adrenaline coursing through him made it very hard to control his foot on the accelerator.
The only thing that reassured him was that Lachlan and Robyn were with them.
Sean McClintock had tried to kidnap Eilidh at the school gates.
Lachlan had called him. His brother had rushed to the school when Jock informed him via Will that McClintock was being held in a citizen’s arrest while they waited for the police. His brother was there to see the bastard arrested, but Thane was waiting for contact from the police. He would see the piece of shit put away for this.
According to Lachlan, if it hadn’t been for Regan’s quick actions and help from the other parents, Sean might have gotten away with Eilidh. The very thought sent a cold shudder down his spine. Thane didn’t know the details yet. He did know he owed Regan more than he could ever pay back.
He skidded to a stop outside his house, his thoughts solely focused on its occupants. Bursting through the door, Thane rushed into the main living space, dizzy with relief as his children jumped from the couch beside Regan and Robyn and rushed him.
He dropped to his knees, taking in every inch of them before they slammed into him. Physically, they were fine, but as they clung to Thane, they cried, the sound unbearable. Tears filled his eyes as he pulled them tighter to him, vowing he would never again take for granted the singular feeling of his children embracing him. Thane pressed quick, desperate kisses to their heads as his tears threatened to fall.
A hand on his shoulder brought his head up, and he looked into Lachlan’s concerned face. “They’ll be all right. They’ve just had a fright,” his brother assured him.
Eilidh and Lewis pulled away from his embrace, Lew wiping at his cheeks while Eilidh’s face turned purple with anger through her tears. “That bad man hit Ree-Ree, Daddy!”
Thane’s heart leapt into his throat. “What?” He stood, glancing from Lachlan’s stormy expression to across the room where Robyn had her arm around Regan on the sofa.
She had an elbow to her knee and a bag of frozen peas pressed to her eye.
“Regan.” He moved toward her, and the children ran across the room before he could get to her. Eilidh scampered onto the couch to press against her while Lewis took the seat next to his sister, his serious focus on Regan.
Thane approached, aware of Robyn at her other side, but unable to take his eyes off Regan. She watched him warily and lifted her head from the frozen peas. Her right cheekbone was swollen. It would bruise.
Renewed rage flooded him. They’d all just returned from the minor injuries unit in nearby Golspie, but Thane had assumed it was routine after something like this to have everyone checked over. Lachlan hadn’t mentioned that McClintock had attacked Regan.
The reminder that Thane couldn’t sweep her into his arms and bury his face in her throat so he could feel and hear her pulse rushing, alive and healthy, was a gut punch. Instead, all he could do was lower to his haunches before her and place a comforting hand on her knee.
“Are you all right?”
She gave him a wry smile. “Eilidh is all right, so I’m all right.”
At the disagreeable sound Robyn made in the back of her throat, and the way her eyes blazed, he could see she didn’t think so. He turned back to Regan as she shot her sister a quelling look, and he noted the bruise at her temple.
“What the—” He cut off his curse just in time as he stretched to push her hair back. Barely able to hear over the blood rushing in his ears, he demanded, “What exactly happened?”
Regan brushed his hand away and gestured subtly with her head toward the children. Her eyes said “later.”
“Ree-Ree’s going to be okay, right, Daddy?” Eilidh stared up at him soulfully. Lewis wore the same expression.
“I’m fine.” She turned, switching the frozen peas to her other hand so she could pull the children into a one-armed hug. They both tried to plaster themselves to her side, and his gut tightened at how shaken up they all were.
He stood abruptly, leashed fury burning his nerve endings.
McClintock was going to fucking die for this.
“Robyn, why don’t you call out for some food?” Lachlan was suddenly at his side, his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I’m going to take Thane outside for a minute.”
“I’m not leaving them,” Thane growled.
“You need a minute. And I need to fill you in on what happened.”