Page 104 of Love Bomb

“No,” the woman said as she came around to stand in front of Rona. “This is exactly where we need to be. I’ve been watching you, with Bain.” Her lower lip trembled. “He loves you.” It was an accusation.

Rona’s wet her dry lips as she frantically searched for the right thing to say.

She finally settled on the truth. “You’re mistaken, Bain is just an old friend from when I was a girl. He’s helping me with the folly.”

She tried to keep her eyes on the woman, but they kept straying to the small bundles of explosives dotted around the base of the tower.

What had Bain told her?

She swallowed hard as she tried to remember. He’d said the plastic explosive wasn’t dangerous on its own, it was the thing attached to it that made it explode.

She glanced at the metal tube thingies stuck in each clump of plastic explosive. He must have meant those. What had he called them? Oh, yeah, blasting caps!

“You mishandle a blasting cap,” he’d said, “and you could lose a finger, or a whole lot worse. You’ve got to treat them with respect.”

“Because they’re what makes the bigger blast happen?” she’d asked.

“Yeah.” Bain had smiled at her. “Those little suckers set off all the big ones.”

“I’m not mistaken,” the woman cried as she paced in front of Rona. “I saw you in the pub corridor the night of the cèilidh.” Her face scrunched in anger. “He was supposed to be mine!”

Rona watched as she stalked far too close to the wall, within kicking distance of a blasting cap. All it would take was for her to stumble into one, and the folly would come down on top of them.

“He can still be yours,” Rona said hurriedly. “Come over here and we’ll talk about how we’re going to get you two together.” She scrunched her eyes closed when the woman drew close to the wall again.

Then forced them open again when nothing happened.

Rona’s hands were shaking as she reached toward the woman, gesturing for her to come closer. “Please, let’s talk about how to resolve this. I promise, Bain doesn’t love me, and we aren’t together.”

“You’re lying!” The woman stabbed the knife in Rona’s direction.

“I’m not,” Rona said earnestly. “Bain is free to get back together with you. Please stop pacing so we can talk about this properly. I want to help you.”

It was the absolute truth. Apart from being desperate to help the woman and get them both out of there, she knew Bain didn’t love her and their time together was caused by nothing more than out-of-control attraction. They’d made no commitment, despite Bain’s protests that he wanted a relationship, and one day soon, she’d head back to Edinburgh and her life with Tom Cat.

“He was mine first,” the woman shouted. “We had a wonderful night together.”

“I’m sure you did.” Rona felt sweat pour down her back as her captor continued to pace.

So close to the wall. So, so close.

She swallowed hard. “Please, let’s sit down and talk.” She gestured to the floor. “We’ll sit right here, in the middle of the room, and you can tell me all about your love for Bain. Please.”

This is exactly what she’d always feared would happen. Okay, not this exactly, but she’d worried that dating Bain would mean she’d have to deal with every woman who’d been there before her. She’d just never imagined it would be at knifepoint.

Or in a building set to blow sky high.

“It’s too late,” the woman said, suddenly sad. “He doesn’t want me. I’ve talked to him about it, several times now, and he won’t listen.” Dark, unfocused eyes met Rona’s. “We were meant to be. I knew it when we made love.” She smiled at the memory. “Nobody makes love like Bain.”

What the hell was she supposed to say to that? Was she supposed to compare experiences? Share tales of his glorious lovemaking?

Rona took a slow, deep breath. Calm. Stay calm. One angry woman in a room full of explosives was more than enough.

“I wouldn’t know,” she said earnestly. “Bain and I haven’t made love.”

Technically, it was the truth. They’d had sex. Lovemaking happened when both parties loved each other, right? And Bain didn’t love her.

“Would you like me to talk to him for you?” she said. “I’d be happy to.” She took a step toward the door. Maybe she could get the woman out of the folly. “Why don’t we go find him now. I think he’s in the church. We can tell him you’re the person for him, and he’s insane if he doesn’t see it.”