Page 93 of Wedded to the Heartless Highlander
Unfeelingly, he stepped over the threshold and inhaled the evening air, waiting for Calvin and Alaric to join him. Theyemerged from the dungeons moments later, and a brief nod from Calvin confirmed that the captive had been taken care of.
Another letter,the captive had said.
The words echoed in Hunter’s mind, carrying both promise and dread. If the prisoner wasn’t lying, then answers awaited him. Though which answers, he was unsure. What he did know was that every wasted second felt like a betrayal to Erica, to Lily—every step up the spiral staircase a mile too long.
As they ascended toward the main keep, he clenched his jaw tighter. His knuckles were bloodied, the raw skin stinging with every brush of his hand against the stone wall. The pain was a welcome feeling, one he thought he deserved—it kept him focused on his purpose.
What would she think of me now?
He rounded the corner and stepped into his study. The force he used to open the door caused it to slam against the wall with a boom.
The room was dimly lit, but there was enough light to cast shadows over his desk and illuminate the folded letters on his desk.
“Here,” he said over his shoulder to his men as he strode over to the desk and handed them the first letter—Kara’s letter.
Calvin stepped forward and lifted the parchment to his face to read it aloud.
Laird MacKinnon,
I beg your forgiveness, though I know I don’t deserve it. What I have done cannot be undone, but I must tell you the truth if only to lighten the weight of my sins. Mister James Morris took my brother. He threatened to kill him if I did not help him. I never thought he would harm Her Ladyship—he promised he only wanted to scare her and make her see reason and come to him willingly. I was a fool to believe him.
The flowers, the necklace, the dress—they were his gifts to her. He made me deliver them to confuse her, to sow doubt. I thought it would end there. But then he came for her. I did not know he would go so far. Please believe me—I would never harm her. He still has my brother.
I am at your mercy, My Laird. Whatever punishment you see fit, I will accept it. I just ask that you save my brother, and save her.
Kara Knox.
Hunter’s eyes met Calvin’s, and he recalled him saying that Kara might be a party to the disturbances around the lands.
“Kara,” Calvin said.
“Kara, indeed. Ye were right,” Hunter sighed.
“It’s nae really Kara, though. It’s James Morris… Is that Clan O’Farlane’s heir?” Alaric asked.
“Nay, he’s the second son,” Hunter corrected.
“And he lost to the Laird at the McFair games.”
Alaric seemed to connect the dots and nodded his head slowly. “And the second letter, Me Laird? What does it say?”
Hunter didn’t speak. Instead, he lifted the second letter, letting them read its contents. Calvin’s expression darkened as he read the simple, venomous line.
We are at the lake where ye defiled her in the dress I bought for her.
Alaric and Calvin exchanged a look, and then Calvin spoke, “He’s tauntin’ ye.”
Hunter’s eyes flashed with a mix of fury and guilt as he stared at the crumpled letters. “Aye,” he said, his voice raw. “And he’ll regret it.”
He turned on his heel, pulling his riding cape around him as he strode toward the door. “Ready the horses,” he ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument. “We ride for the lake.”
As Calvin and Alaric rushed out, Hunter stalked through the corridors, his thoughts returning to Kara’s letter, each line burning deeper into his mind. He had known her as Erica’s maid—a quiet, unassuming girl who had always seemed fiercely loyal. The betrayal, no matter what the driving force behind it was, was a deep wound. Yet, oddly enough, her fear had cut him deep. He could sense it in her words—the desperation of a woman and sister caught in an impossible situation.
James had taken her braither for Christ kenned how long. Used her, manipulated her… Can I forgive that? Can Erica forgive her?
He already knew that Erica would forgive her maid.
“Where ye defiled her in the dress I bought for her,” he mumbled with each step.
