Revenge.
The need for revenge had fueled him for so long, it had become part of his personality.
Tossing the folder from DP Investigations on his desk, Callum MacGreggor contemplated his next move. Turning in the leather chair, he gazed out at the skyline beyond but he didn’t see the buildings he owned. He didn’t calculate the next property he might acquire or the construction needed on his current properties to bring them to the point where he could sell them for a profit. At this moment, his mind was focused on only one thing.
Revenge.
After years, decades, of planning and plotting, researching and waiting…soon, he’d gain his revenge. His eyes dropped to the folder. The information he’d just read would give him that revenge. It would take a bit of charm, but Callum had learned to charm early and well. A brutal life had taught him when to be charming and when to be tough. He’d figured out how to weigh a person’s priorities and how to use their weaknesses against them. He’d learned how to tell when someone was lying and when they were telling the truth, even if they didn’t mean to. And an even more powerful tool, Callum had learned how to use the system to his advantage.
And he’d learned all of that in the tough, unforgiving streets, fighting for his next meal, barely sleeping for fear that someone would sneak up on him and steal what was his, or worse.
He wasn’t angry with the person who had shoved him into that life. That lying, cheating bastard had forced Callum to learn how to survive. Looking around his office, he knew that he’d never have gotten so far, accumulated so much wealth and power, if he hadn’t been forced to survive on the filthy, brutal streets.
No, his revenge wasn’t because of the loss of his home and the lessons in survival that had been forced upon him. His plans weren’t to avenge the loss of his childhood. He was going to punish the person he considered responsible for his parents’ death.
Chapter 1
Surprises were few. After years of working twenty hour days, Callum MacGreggor was rarely, if ever, surprised.
But the view in front of him was…surprising.
Flowers in full bloom surrounded lush trees, bushes that complemented the landscape and various textures from unusual plants increased the visual interest. Colors, textures, and scents enveloped him. As he paused, even the sounds were surprising. Birds sang, crickets chirped, and the wind whispered softly through the leaves of the towering trees.
And yet, none of that was nearly as impressive as the woman standing in this magical oasis. As he watched, she reached forward, straining to pull something out of the ground, then leaning back to toss the offending weed into a wheelbarrow. Then she said something. He wasn’t sure who the woman was talking to, but nor did he really care. She was lovely!
No, lovely was too tame of a word for her. Reddish blond hair shimmered in the sunshine, her skin turning a soft pink from the abusive rays. She should be wearing a hat, he thought. That skin…it was beautiful and his fingers itched to touch that softness, discover the texture and temperature, know if she had freckles or just alabaster beauty.
Again, she spoke and he looked around, his eyes narrowing behind his sunglasses as he tried to locate who she was talking to. But he didn’t see anyone.
His eyes returned to her as she laughed. Laughed? Once again, he looked around. She was gardening. What was funny about gardening?
Nothing! Gardening was mucking around in the dirt. Callum hated gardening and paid a significant amount of money to his expensive gardeners just so that he never had to see dirt under his fingernails again.
Who the hell was this woman talking to? Who was making her laugh?
Jealousy unexpectedly surged inside of him but Callum tamped it down. Jealousy? That was ridiculous! What the hell could he be jealous of? This woman, was she his enemy? She would become the tool he would use to extract his revenge! She was the one obstacle in the way of his plan to crush the man who had killed his parents!
Stepping forward, he heard the pea gravel crunch under his foot. The noise caught the woman’s attention. He froze as she looked up, the weight of her gaze like a gut-punch, stopping his breath for a moment.
How the hell could she do this to him? He was tough and hardened by life! He’d grown up in the streets, fighting for his next meal, scratching and saving, living in an abandoned warehouse until he had enough money to find decent shelter. And even after he’d saved enough, he’d remained hidden in that warehouse, saving more of his hard-earned money.
Saving it for this moment!
“Can ah help ye?” the soft voice asked, her Scottish accent brushing over his skin like a sensuous whisper.
Callum stood there, staring as the woman blinked, her long, dark lashes fluttering in the sunshine.
Hat. The damn woman needed a hat!
He spotted a hat on one of the benches. He wondered why it was pointlessly resting on the bench instead of protecting all of that glorious, pale skin.
With a fury he hadn’t known he was capable of, Callum stalked over to the bench, grabbed the hat, and stormed over to the woman. Hiding his anger at her callous treatment of her lovely skin, he handed her the hat, bowing slightly as if presenting a coronation crown. “The sun is extraordinarily hot today,” he said by way of an explanation.
The woman blinked up at him, but she accepted the hat. Unfortunately, she didn’t put it on.
Grinding his teeth, he snatched the hat back and plunked it on her head, then adjusted the angle of the brim so that it covered more of her delicate skin. With a nod of approval, he stood up and backed up a step.
“I’m Callum MacGreggor,” he announced.
The woman stood as well and he was struck by how short she was. The information he’d been given had put her height at five feet, five inches. That wasn’t necessarily short for a woman, but for some reason, this lady seemed smaller.
“MacGreggor?” she parroted, her soft, pink lips forming a soft O in surprise. “As in, Castle MacGreggor?”
Callum nodded sharply. He glanced behind him and, for the first time, noticed the ancient, stone castle rising proud and strong. The gardens around the castle had blinded him to the building, which was startling. Castles were built to intimidate, to show grandeur and strength, power and the financial acumen of the laird and lady.
However, it was the gardens surrounding the castle that caught one’s attention. The colors and splendor of these gardens were more astounding and eye-catching than the magnificence of the castle.
He realized that the woman was still waiting for an explanation. “I was born here, actually.”
Those full, pink lips curled into a smile of welcome. “Aye?” she gasped, stepping forward and pulling off the hat. Several curls danced at the gesture, but Callum ignored them, focusing on her exposed skin.
“Yes. I was just–”
“Come inside!” she replied, interrupting his explanation. “Oh, it’s so wonderful to finally meet someone who lived here before! Ah canna tell you how many questions ah have!”
Callum was startled. He hadn’t expected friendliness. Didn’t she realize that he was the enemy? That he was about to steal her home from her?
The woman needed a keeper!
And she needed to put the damn hat back on!
When she registered his hesitation, she smiled up at him, her sky blue eyes sparkling, clasping his hand with both of hers. “Please? Won’t ye come inside and have some tea?”
He listened, enjoying her soft brogue. It wasn’t the harsh accents of some who had lived in the highlands all their lives. Instead, it was just a soft, occasional rolling of her vowels that captured his attention.
She’d already taken several steps, then turned to look over her shoulder. “Please?”
He couldn’t deny her request. A cup of tea wouldn’t be a violation of his vow, would it? Revenge could be had over a cup of tea!
“I would enjoy that,” he finally replied, causing that lovely smile to brighten. And that, in turn, caused his body to tighten as lust, unexpected and unappreciated, surged through him. “Who were you talking to a moment ago?” he asked as he stepped forward.
The woman paused and looked up at him, those pink lips parting slightly. She glanced back over her shoulder at the weed filled wheelbarrow. “Oh! Well…” she stopped and shrugged. “I wasna…I just…the plants.” She stopped and looked around, then up at him. “I just give them a bit of encouragement.”
Then she walked on, her pace a bit faster now. As she reached a side entrance to the castle the penny dropped for him. The woman spoke to her plants? No, that wasn’t exactly what she’d said. The daft woman encouraged them!
Had he entered into Bedlam?
