Page 11 of Desiring the Highland Laird
She gave her a nod as Evie rose from her seat and headed away from the event, leaving behind the hum of voices.
All four stalls in the restroom were empty. Thankfully, she was alone. She placed her handbag on the countertop by the sink and opened it, staring down at the blue velvet bag inside with her pulse drumming a fierce tempo.
She had left the business card Moira gave her in her luggage in Chloe’s flat. She didn’t know why she had even kept it, but she hid it away in case she needed it again.
Why was she so nervous?
“Geeze, Eve, it’s a funky littlerock. Not drugs,” she muttered to herself.
She pulled the blue velvet bag from her purse and opened the drawstring, dropping the stone into the palm of her hand. As soon as it hit her skin, it hummed.
Odd.
She placed the velvet bag on the counter next to her purse and stared down at the marking that was worn smooth. She ran the tip of her finger around the jagged edge. She had no doubt that it was part of a bigger piece and that it would fit snugly against it.
But what was the bigger piece? Where and how would she find it?
Evie glanced up at herself in the mirror. She had bags under her eyes and fatigue lining her face. No amount of makeup would hide the exhaustion pounding through her since the moment she had landed in Scotland.
“You look awful,” she told her reflection.
Then she leaned closer to inspect her face. Flecks of mascara dotted her skin under her eyes. She brushed them away. Stepping back, she smoothed her free hand over her dress.
The stone continued to hum.
“This is ridiculous,” she said.
She was about to replace the stone into its velvet bag when she heard what sounded like gunfire. She spun toward the door, her eyes wide and her heart pounding like mad. What the hell was that?
She kicked off her four-inch heels in case she needed to make a dash for it and tiptoed to the bathroom door. She cracked it and peered out. Though she couldn’t see anything, she heard the commotion in the main gallery. Shouts. Screams. More gunfire.
She clutched the humming stone in her hand and slipped out the door, pressing her back against it and listening. The bathrooms were under the staircase, hidden from the main gallery. She crept toward the corner. She had to find her sister and make sure she was all right. She had to get her and get the hell out of the museum.
Six masked men roamed through the tables. All of them held guns. They forced the partygoers onto the floor, face down.
Where was her sister?
There was no way she would be able to sneak out into the gallery. Not with everyone on the ground except for the intruders. What was she going to do?
She had to think. Perhaps she could run around the corner and sprint up the stairs before they caught sight of her. She had no idea what was upstairs. She hadn’t explored the museum because she’d stuck by her sister’s side the entire night.
With her heart beating a wicked beat, she peered around the corner. The two men closest to her had their backs turned. Now was her chance.
Clutching the stone tight in her hand, she ran around the corner and started up the stairs as fast as her legs would take her. Her thigh muscles burned as she ran. But her tight skirt was keeping her from going as fast as she wanted.
“Stop her!” one of the men shouted.
The thump of boots on the ground alerted her to the fact they were running after her. How many men, she didn’t know. She didn’t dare turn around. Hope that she made it up the stairs to find a place to hide pressed through her. But then what? Like an idiot, she left her purse and cell phone behind in the bathroom. She wouldn’t be able to call for help.
“Evie!” Chloe shouted.
She stumbled, stubbing her big toe on the step, making her fall forward. Unwilling to release the stone, she threw out her right hand to break her fall. Her shins bashed against the edge of the stairs, sending shooting pain through her.
“Run, Evie!”
“I saidshut up.”
Evie glanced over her shoulder in time to see the masked man shove her sister to the floor, then pointed the gun at her. She sucked in a sharp breath and climbed back to her feet,turning on the step. Sweat trickled down the side of her face. Behind her, two men were coming up the stairs.
