Tense, upset, Ronan walked through the maze.

Ashley was angry with him. Leaving him to go her own way with barely a by-your-leave.

He’d almost followed, but hadn’t wanted to upset her further.

He should never have kissed her. Now he couldn’t seem to stop.

Aye, she’d seemed willing, but then she’d gotten angry at him, so he must have misread the situation.

Easy for someone like him, who knew nothing of females, to do.

Before Ashley, the last girl he’d spoken to was Soni, and before that, it had been hundreds of years before he’d had a conversation with someone of the fairer sex.

And come to think of it, he’d never had many. Just girls from his village upon occasion, his mother, aunt, his cousin, and that was about it.

Even the camp followers had avoided him.

Still, Ashley was different. Unlike any lass he’d ever met, and his feelings for her burned brighter with every passing hour.

She held his hand.

Lay her head upon his shoulder.

Kissed him back.

He remembered his earlier decision to let himself fall in love with her. Perhaps he was being too obvious in his feelings? Driving her away?

He needed to get back to her. Hated being separated.

He made his way through the maze, determined to get through quickly so that he could meet up with Ashley again, but got lost, turned around, and his temper started to flare.

Would that he had his sword to hack through these bushes.

He heard something behind him and turned around to see Lewis, their young bus driver headed his way.

“Do ye think ye can point me in the direction I’m supposed tae follow?”

“Sure. Let me just show you —”

The man lifted something, and plunged it into Ronan’s shoulder.

Ronan stared at the man in disbelief as he withdrew a needle and took three hurried steps back.

Ronan’s temper, already simmering, upped another notch. “What do ye think ye mean by that?”

Lewis, his gaze rapt, just stood and watched him.

“Answer me, man! Before I stab something into your own arm.” Ronan withdrew his dagger and Lewis took three more steps back.

Ronan, still in disbelief that the much smaller man had attacked him, unprovoked, and with such a skimpy weapon, lifted a hand to his shoulder, felt it, and couldn’t even find a wound.

He sheathed his dagger with a noise of disgust, but Lewis just stood watching him, a faint frown now appearing on his brow.

“Ye are a big one, ain’t ye?” Lewis finally said.

“Aye, that I am.” Ronan was simply confused. He couldn’t believe the man was even enough of a threat to flash him into his rage state.

He looked at the needle on the ground, recognized it as something drug users occasionally brought to the moor, and it finally dawned on him that Lewis had injected him with something. A drug to leave him helpless? To leave Ashley without protection?

Now his anger started to burn.

Lewis cautiously moved forward, grabbed hold of Ashley’s pack, and tugged it.

Ronan gaped at the smaller man, tore the pack away, lifted a fist, and clouted Lewis on the side of his head. “This belongs to Ashley, and ye’re not to touch it!”

Before he’d even finished speaking, the man slumped, falling first to his knees, and then to his side.

Perhaps Ronan had hit him too hard? He moved off, leaving Lewis, and then turned back again to search his pockets.

He removed the contents and growled. The thumbs were in his pocket! Lewis had been the one to steal them from the backpack earlier today.

Giving the man a hard slap to the back of his head, Ronan stood and went in search of Ashley.

He saw two people ahead of him who seemed to know where they were going, followed after, and was soon out the other side to find Ashley waiting for him.

“I was getting worried about you,” she said.

He searched her beautiful face, her dark eyes, and relaxed a bit when she didn’t seem angry with him anymore.

“I’ve just battled with Lewis. If ye could call it such.”

“The bus driver?”

“Aye, he stuck a needle in my arm, and then tried to take yer backpack. Look what I found in his pocket.” Ronan held out the thumb drives.

She gasped, her hand going to her chest. “Lewis?”

“Yes.”

“Are you all right?” Her gaze went up and down, searching him, and she suddenly cupped his cheeks, and he was so glad of the contact, he bent his head and rubbed his face against her palms.

“I’m fine, lass.”

She still gaped at him. “Where is he now?”

Suddenly uncomfortable, Ronan straightened, and immediately regretted the loss of her hands on him. He blew out a breath, and then rubbed the back of his neck. “I might have clouted him a bit too hard on the head. He’s slumped on the ground up yonder.”

“He tried to drug you!” Her disbelief was as strong as his own.

“Aye, Lassie. I know it sounds strange, but that’s what happened.”

“You’re sure you’re all right? How do you feel?”

He shrugged. “I’m all right.”

“I think we need to find Logan and let him take care of this.”

He nodded. “That sounds fine.”

And if the other man was in on it too? Well, he’d soon feel the hardness of Ronan’s fists as well.

* * *

They found Logan herding people onto the bus, and Ashley pulled him aside and told him what had happened, leaving out anything to do with her backpack.

Looking alarmed, he drew them a few feet away.

He looked at Ronan, his face pale. “He tried to drug you? Are you sure about this? That just doesn’t sound like Lewis. Can you show me where he is?”

Ashley was suddenly filled with misgivings. If Lewis was trying to steal her app, couldn’t Logan be in on it as well?

Something in her expression must’ve given her away because Logan said, “What?”

Ronan placed a hand around her shoulder and drew her close. To Logan, he said sharply, “Come, I’ll show you.”

They went back the way they’d come, and to the exit of the maze. Ronan led them directly to the fallen man.

She’d half-expected him to be gone, that, like a scene from a nefarious mystery movie, the body would have disappeared, but no, there he was, the needle still beside him.

An older couple stood over him, the man talking into the phone.

“What’s going on?”

The tourists both shook their heads, looking disgusted. “Looks like drugs to me,” said the white-haired man, his accent English.

His wife, short-haired and slightly chubby seemed to agree, “I checked him, and his heart is beating and he’s still breathing. But do you see the syringe?”

The syringe that had been emptied into Ronan’s arm. Ashley put her hand on Ronan’s wrist, gripped him protectively and looked into his eyes for signs of blown pupils, but he looked fine.

“We called,” the man said. “And they’re to send an ambulance from Nairn County.”

Logan looked torn as he explained to the couple that he was in charge of a tour bus, and Lewis was his driver. “I know this is asking a lot, but I’m in charge and it’s almost over. Is there any way you can wait until the ambulance comes, and then I’ll go see him after I drop everyone off?”

The couple agreed, and Logan, looking shaken, waved his arm to indicate they should follow.

As they walked out of the maze, and toward the tour bus, Logan was shaking his head. “Honestly, I just can’t believe this. In all the time I’ve known Lewis, I had no idea he was into drugs.”

He looked and sounded sincere, but a cynical part of her wondered if Logan was acting, and actually his partner in crime. “Maybe it’s a new thing?” Ashley said soothingly. She was just glad Ronan wasn’t in any trouble for hitting the man.

And thank goodness Ronan was with her. If she’d had the pack on in that maze, she might not have fared as well.

They climbed back on the bus, and Logan stood in the front until they were seated and he had everyone’s attention.

“Unfortunately, our bus driver, Lewis, has taken ill, and he’s got to go to the hospital. But never fear, I am a decent driver myself, and licensed to drive this bus. It will only take about 12 minutes until we reach our final destination, after which, it’s just a short drive down the road to drop you all at the two B&Bs you’re staying at tonight. They’re right across the street from each other. Everybody ready?”

“Ready!” Most everyone in the crowd responded.

Logan started up the bus, and after grinding a few gears, managed to get them moving.

She noticed he hadn’t told anyone more than they needed to know, and decided to keep quiet herself. She looked up at Ronan and shook her head, her eyes widening. “Can you believe this?”

Ronan, lips set in a grim line, shook his head. “I think tis for the best that the tour is almost over.”

She nodded. “Actually, I think so too.”

* * *

In their customary position once again, her arms wrapped around Ronan's, and her head lying on his shoulder, they traveled down the road as the sun sank lower in the sky.

She wanted to ask if he was to stay at the B&B tonight, but was worried his answer would be no, so after several moments, decided not to say anything.

She still wanted him to make the first move.

Logan, true to his word, pulled into the next destination a short time later. Which meant the bed-and-breakfast was nearby, which was great, as she had to admit she was getting worn out.

She noticed immediately when Ronan stiffened up.

She lifted her head. “What’s the matter?”

“We are back upon the moor.”

“What? Have we already been here?”

“Nae, lass. Ye have not been here, but I have.”

His voice sounded so empty, that she grew worried. “Are you feeling all right?”

He looked down at her, and his eyes were filled with pain.

“That shot he gave you,” Ashley fumbled for her phone and turned on the flashlight. “Look at me.”

Both her friends turned around in their seats. “What’s going on?” Monica asked.

“Ronan isn’t feeling that well.”

She flashed the light into his eyes, but his pupils retracted naturally, and he didn’t look ill, just upset. She slowly put the light down, and then pressed a hand to his forehead, his cheek, but he felt normal. “What is it?”

“Remember the witch I told you of?”

“Soni?”

He flinched, and shushed her. “She’ll be here. She’ll be here waiting for me. She’d told me I would come to her.”

“Okay.” Nerves had her licking her lips. “You said she was a young girl, and nice?”

"Aye, she is.”

“What’s the problem?” Her stomach suddenly sank. “Are you involved with her?”

He shook his head. “Nae, lassie, not how ye mean.”

With Monica and Garth watching them both, wondering about the conversation, Ashley subsided back in her seat.

The bus came to a stop, turned off, and Logan opened the door and stood. “Here we are, at Culloden Moor. I’ve got to get the bus squared away, so everyone head inside the visitors center and we’ll get together just inside the doors.” He glanced at his watch. “And don’t forget, we meet back here in exactly one hour.”

Logan moved outside as people stood and shuffled forward.

Garth and Monica stopped in the aisle. “Are you guys coming?”

Ashley looked at Ronan again. “We’ll be right there. Give us just a minute.”

Monica threw her a look of concern as they headed off, and she turned to Ronan once again. “What’s wrong?”

He looked upset as he took one of her hands in his. “Lass, we’ve had fun together, have we not?”

“Yes, we’ve had a lot of fun together.” She nodded as dismay rushed through her. This wasn’t goodbye was it?

“I’ve kept ye safe, have I not?”

“Yes. Very safe. After everything that’s happened, thieves, attacks, well … who knows what else might have happened if you hadn’t been at my side. Ronan, you probably saved my life. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

And she didn’t want to find out.

Looking relieved, he took a breath, let it out, and nodded.

Logan called out to them. “Come on, slowpokes. With Lewis gone, I’m going to have to lock the bus.”

Ronan slowly got to his feet, and she could just about see the dread in him. She stood and quickly followed. He was walking steadily, so that was a good sign, but something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

As they went down the steps, Logan gave them a solemn nod, “Everything all right?”

“Yes, fine,” Ashley faked a smile.

Logan shut and locked the door. “Look, I’m truly sorry about what happened.” He sighed. “This is the first tour of its kind, you know, going up the country the way we have. I was hoping to make it into a regular thing, hoping for good reviews and the like. But after what happened …” He shook his head.

“Oh, Logan, it’s been a wonderful tour,” she was quick to assure him. “We don’t blame you for Lewis, and of course we’ll leave good reviews.”

Relief filled his face. “Thank ye. Truly. Again, I’m so sorry about what happened.” Looking happier, he threw his keys in the air and caught them. “I’d better get over to the visitors center as I’m in charge.” He hurried across the parking lot.

Ronan, tense, wary, was looking out onto the grass, and Ashley didn’t know what to do, so she just waited, a sick feeling of dread weighing her down. Was he supposed to meet up with his friend here? Get a ride? Could she talk him into staying with her? Did he even want to? Why wouldn’t he ask?

He took a few steps toward the lawn, and at the last moment changed his mind, took her hand, and headed after Logan.

Again, she thought to question him, but finally decided to just go along with it. Maybe because she didn’t want the answers he might give?

Whatever was going on in his head, surely, he’d tell her soon enough.