long have you been in Scotland?”
“Three years.”
“What brought you up here?”
She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “I wasn’t getting along with my family, I wanted a fresh start.”
“Do you come from a big family?”
“Nope. Just me, my older brother and my parents. I have an aunt and uncle in Canada and that’s it.”
“Was it your brother you weren’t getting along with?”
She cleared her throat and looked down at the table.
“I’m sorry, I’m prying,” he said, recognising how uncomfortable she was with the conversation.
“It’s alright, it’s just a sensitive subject. You see…I was attacked when I was a teenager by one of my brother’s friends. It was my word against his and my brother took his friend’s side. It’s always rankled between us. It didn’t help when my parents didn’t believe me either.”
“That’s terrible,” he said, shocked. “Did his friend hurt you badly?”
She nodded. “His family was wealthy and powerful and my family were too afraid of getting on their wrong side to support me. After that my relationship with them went downhill until I couldn’t stand it any longer and I had to get away. Sorry, do you mind if we change the subject?”
“Of course not.”
Cass looked down at her hands and took in a deep breath. That attack had changed her life. It had been the reason why she’d begun training in karate and kickboxing. She’d determined never to be a victim again a long time ago. Very few people knew about that trauma in her life. Apart from her family and the residents of the small village she came from, only Brodie knew. He was the only one she’d ever trusted enough to tell about it, not even Ross and Christian knew but this man had drawn it from her so easily. She looked up at him and smiled. There was something special about him.
“So, what’s your favourite cartoon?” he asked with a grin, making her laugh out loud.
“I’m bored,” muttered Ross. “Do you really need us here for this boss?”
“Shut it ya dick,” Brodie said, straining to hear Cass’s exchange with Lucas.
“What’s this guy done anyway?” said Christian.
“He might have cut off a lot of people’s faces and stuck them in a museum,” replied Brodie.
“What?” exclaimed Christian and Ross in unison.
“You know you look gormless with your mouths hanging open.”
Now they knew they were onto something exciting they perked right up and eagerly listened in on the conversation going on between Lucas and Cass.
“I didn’t know Cass had been attacked,” said Christian. “Did he…rape her?”
“He tried,” replied Brodie, voice strangled with anger. “But she managed to fight him off. She took a bit of a beating though.”
“Shall we track down the bastard who did it and give him a good kicking?”
“I offered a while ago but she turned me down,” said Brodie. “Don’t mention it to her, she doesn’t like to talk about it.”
“We won’t, will we Ross?” said Christian.
“Course not,” he replied, looking furious. They were all very fond of Cass.
Brodie knew all too well how painful that memory was for Cass and it troubled him that she’d told Lucas about it so easily.
“Don’t fall for him Cass,” he muttered. “Don’t you dare fall for him.”
“So, what about your family?” said Cass, determined to get something of use out of Lucas to keep Brodie happy. So far they’d discussed trivial things like films and books and they’d just finished dessert. The meal was almost over. God help her if she went away from this empty-handed.
To her surprise, Lucas looked as tense as she’d felt when he’d asked her the same question.
“Have I said something wrong?” she said.
“No, sorry,” he said, unwinding slightly, smile sheepish. “I get on as well with my family as you do yours.”
“Oh no. Did something traumatic happen to you?”
“No, not as such, not like it did to you. My parents and I have never
“Three years.”
“What brought you up here?”
She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “I wasn’t getting along with my family, I wanted a fresh start.”
“Do you come from a big family?”
“Nope. Just me, my older brother and my parents. I have an aunt and uncle in Canada and that’s it.”
“Was it your brother you weren’t getting along with?”
She cleared her throat and looked down at the table.
“I’m sorry, I’m prying,” he said, recognising how uncomfortable she was with the conversation.
“It’s alright, it’s just a sensitive subject. You see…I was attacked when I was a teenager by one of my brother’s friends. It was my word against his and my brother took his friend’s side. It’s always rankled between us. It didn’t help when my parents didn’t believe me either.”
“That’s terrible,” he said, shocked. “Did his friend hurt you badly?”
She nodded. “His family was wealthy and powerful and my family were too afraid of getting on their wrong side to support me. After that my relationship with them went downhill until I couldn’t stand it any longer and I had to get away. Sorry, do you mind if we change the subject?”
“Of course not.”
Cass looked down at her hands and took in a deep breath. That attack had changed her life. It had been the reason why she’d begun training in karate and kickboxing. She’d determined never to be a victim again a long time ago. Very few people knew about that trauma in her life. Apart from her family and the residents of the small village she came from, only Brodie knew. He was the only one she’d ever trusted enough to tell about it, not even Ross and Christian knew but this man had drawn it from her so easily. She looked up at him and smiled. There was something special about him.
“So, what’s your favourite cartoon?” he asked with a grin, making her laugh out loud.
“I’m bored,” muttered Ross. “Do you really need us here for this boss?”
“Shut it ya dick,” Brodie said, straining to hear Cass’s exchange with Lucas.
“What’s this guy done anyway?” said Christian.
“He might have cut off a lot of people’s faces and stuck them in a museum,” replied Brodie.
“What?” exclaimed Christian and Ross in unison.
“You know you look gormless with your mouths hanging open.”
Now they knew they were onto something exciting they perked right up and eagerly listened in on the conversation going on between Lucas and Cass.
“I didn’t know Cass had been attacked,” said Christian. “Did he…rape her?”
“He tried,” replied Brodie, voice strangled with anger. “But she managed to fight him off. She took a bit of a beating though.”
“Shall we track down the bastard who did it and give him a good kicking?”
“I offered a while ago but she turned me down,” said Brodie. “Don’t mention it to her, she doesn’t like to talk about it.”
“We won’t, will we Ross?” said Christian.
“Course not,” he replied, looking furious. They were all very fond of Cass.
Brodie knew all too well how painful that memory was for Cass and it troubled him that she’d told Lucas about it so easily.
“Don’t fall for him Cass,” he muttered. “Don’t you dare fall for him.”
“So, what about your family?” said Cass, determined to get something of use out of Lucas to keep Brodie happy. So far they’d discussed trivial things like films and books and they’d just finished dessert. The meal was almost over. God help her if she went away from this empty-handed.
To her surprise, Lucas looked as tense as she’d felt when he’d asked her the same question.
“Have I said something wrong?” she said.
“No, sorry,” he said, unwinding slightly, smile sheepish. “I get on as well with my family as you do yours.”
“Oh no. Did something traumatic happen to you?”
“No, not as such, not like it did to you. My parents and I have never
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