Page 58 of Miki

Come on! I shouted and banged the palm of my hand into the steering wheel in anger.

As the little dot moved closer to Eilidh’s street, bile rose in my throat as I realised I might not get there until too late.

My agitation grew as the seconds ticked by. All the while, Marko gave me a running commentary on her intruder.

“He’s pouring petrol all over,” he cried.

Fuck, he was going to torch her house!

And Eilidh was almost home. If she ran into the intruder, anything could happen.

God, I felt bloody helpless being unable to warn her. I was going insane sitting there when finally, the line of traffic started moving again.

As soon as I was passed the accident, I overtook the few cars in front and put my foot down.

“She’s just parked outside the house now,” Marko informed me.

Don’t go in, baby! Check your messages first! Please, please check them! I pleaded, as if she might just be able to hear my subliminal messages. Or maybe somehow the universe would step in and help.

Neither happened.

“Shit! The bastard just hit her with something. She’s been knocked out!” Marko shouted.

My heart stuttered, then pounded hard against my ribs and I roared in fury.

“I’ll be there in a few minutes,” I screamed down the phone.

Rage filled my veins. This guy was a dead man. I was going to fucking kill him.

“He’s gone. The fire brigade and an ambulance are on the way,” Marko said as I screeched to a halt outside my woman’s home.

Darting towards the house, I saw that the fire had already taken hold. There were flames in the living room. I pushed open the front door and was immediately hit by the heat.

My eyes stung, and the smoke made me cough as I hurried over to Eilidh’s crumpled form. Luckily, she was lying in the hallway near to the door. A coughing fit took me to my knees, but I managed to lift her up and stagger with her outside.

The first fire engine arrived just as I collapsed with her in my arms. The wind and rain hit us in the face, and she woke up coughing and wheezing.

Relief filled me as I hugged her to my chest. She was alive, but I couldn’t believe how close that had been.

I brushed my lips against the top of her head and murmured.

“You’re safe, baby. I’ve got you!”

Eilidh’s body shivered, but she didn’t seem to notice as she stared at the flames consuming her home.

After a few minutes, she started to cry. As my Little Miss Red sobbed her heart out, I held her close and vowed to find the bastard who’d done this and end his life.

Fury bubbled inside me, and I had to fight hard to keep a lid on it. I needed to be calm right now, for Eilidh’s sake. She needed to know she could rely on me to protect her from now on. And protect her, I would.

CHAPTER 21

EILIDH

THE SAME MORNING – UP IN SMOKE

“You’re safe, baby. I’ve got you,” Miki murmured into the top of my head, brushing his lips against my hair.

His words broke through my daze, and the blood drained from my face.

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