Among the Heather (The Highlands, #2) (50)

The other option was that it wasn’t a member. However, my email address wasn’t public. Of course, that meant little. Caitlyn got a hold of it, so clearly anyone could.

But this person knew exactly what buttons to press if they wanted to hurt me.

Why were people so goddamn awful?

My mouse hovered over the delete button, but ultimately I was smart about it and created a new folder in my inbox and filed the email away.

Just like that, the anonymous troll had ruined my amazing morning.

I jolted in my seat as my desk phone rang. The screen told me it was security. Wonderful. What now? “Aria speaking,” I answered tonelessly.

“Ms. Howard.” Walker’s familiar gravelly voice sounded down the line. “Have you seen the news this morning?”

I felt a pang of worry as I brought up my web browser. “No, what’s going on?”

“We may need to prepare for the paps returning to the estate. North Hunter is in the news again.”

I hit the speaker on the desk phone so I could free my hands to type. Sure enough, as soon as I searched North’s name, new headlines appeared on the screen. I scanned them, my pulse racing on his behalf. Someone had leaked the CCTV footage of the night North’s friends attacked the homeless man.

“Does North know?”

“I don’t know. Have you seen the footage?”

I wasn’t sure I wanted to. “No.”

“Be prepared if you do. It’s difficult to watch.”

Sucking in a breath, I clicked play on the video. Someone had digitally circled a young boy as he stood back from the others who beat on Gil MacDonald. I’d heard the story directly from North, but actually seeing it, seeing how small he was, broke my heart. I watched as he dove into the crowd of boys, pushing them off the man and getting into a rough tussle with whom I assumed was Darren Menzies. The other boys joined in, beating North. Gil took that opportunity, just as North had said, to run, but the boys abandoned their fight with North to chase after him. North staggered to his feet, clearly badly beaten, and chased after them. The footage switched to a different CCTV camera where you could see Darren chasing Gil into traffic. I flinched as the van hit him.

“Oh my God,” I whispered, my heart aching for North.

The article focused on exonerating North, but it didn’t matter. They were dredging it up again, making him relive this thing that had scarred him deeply.

“You all right?” Walker asked.

“I hate the tabloids.”

“Aye, me too.” He sighed heavily. “Look, all the articles I’ve read are apologetic and favorable toward North. This might be a good thing for him.”

“For his career,” I corrected Walker. “Not for him. This is just making him relive it all again.” Realizing my tone and words gave too much away, I was a little sharper as I said, “I’ll contact Mr. Hunter and make sure he’s aware. You, Jock, and the team should prepare for visitors at the gate.”

“We’re on it.”

After we hung up, I stared at my cell phone. I didn’t want to call him to explain this. It needed to be face-to-face. They could do without me at the castle for one day. I could answer my emails from home, and anything else Wakefield could deal with. I was five minutes away if they needed me. Decision made, I gathered my stuff and hurried upstairs to North’s room. When he opened the door, he was wearing workout gear.

He seemed surprised to see me so soon. “I was just heading to the gym.”

“We need to talk,” I told him solemnly.





I’d decided North’s well-being was more important than my professional reputation, and I wouldn’t overanalyze that either. Without explaining myself, I told Walker that North would be at my place if they needed us. Sloane’s partner didn’t make a big deal out of it, but I had no doubt he’d tell Sloane later. We wouldn’t have told security, but with the paparazzi most likely on their way, Walker and his team needed to know where North was. I informed Wakefield I’d be working from home today and to call if he needed me.

Then I’d waited in my car for North as he packed an overnight bag. He appeared in the gray morning light, face grim, and my agitation grew. I just wanted to get him to my place to make sure he was okay. The anonymous email I’d received that morning paled in comparison to what he was going through.

A while later, we sat together on my couch, North staring out toward the water with a mug of hot coffee between his hands.

His cell had been ringing nonstop since we left the castle. They had just woken up in the US, so it had taken them a little longer to hear the news. First his publicist, then his agent called, then a lot of friends who had abandoned him these past few months. Cara, apparently, had been trying to get him back before this, and she called so many times, it compelled North to block her. I didn’t overanalyze how satisfied I felt by that.

His inbox, in general, was filled with apologies.

“What are you thinking?” I asked quietly.

His gaze flicked to me, and I hated the weariness I saw there. “That I can’t believe this is being dredged up again.”

“It’s different this time,” I told him gently. “Everyone can see you tried to stop it.”

“You watched?”

I nodded grimly.

“Fuck.” North shook his head, agitated. “You shouldn’t have had to see that. No one should have. Gil’s family shouldn’t have to see it. The fucking tabloids don’t care who they hurt.”