Page 102 of Taken By the Ruthless Highlander
A shrill scream suddenly cut through the air, filling him with a terror he had never felt before. The very warmth of his being was stolen in an instant.
Undeterred, Ryder drove on for the cottage. He pulled the reins hard, causing the horse to skid to a stop. There was no hesitation—he jumped out of the saddle. By the time his boots sank into the mud, he’d pulled his sword from its sheath, ready to fight.
“Ye go around the back—block any escape routes,” he ordered. “Cohen doesnae leave this cottage alive.”
Fueled with fury and rage, Ryder kicked in the door. His eyes widened as chaos greeted him.
“I’ll kill ye, ye lyin’ cheatin’ bastard,” Orella shrieked as she pounded her fists on Cohen’s back. “Ye told me we were savin’ her from her violent marriage, nae this.”
Cohen was pinning Morgana by the neck as if she were a chicken whose feathers he could so easily pluck.
“What the… Ye’ll get yer hands off her this instance,” Ryder barked, charging toward them. Grabbing Orella by the waist, he pulled her off Cohen and shoved her into Nathan’s arms. “Keep her still.”
“Nathan? What are ye—?” Orella started.
But Ryder had no patience left; Cohen had crossed the line.
“Take yer hand off my wife, and I might let ye keep it,” he hissed.
There was no mistaking the threat in his voice. It came from the darkest pit of his being.
“Oh, look who’s come to join us,” Cohen sneered. He spun Morgana around and held her in front of him, pressing a blade to her throat. “Ye see that? Yer husband is a clever man. Too clever and it’ll be what gets him killed.”
He swung his blade, forcing Ryder to back away.
Ryder didn’t dare look at Morgana. If he saw the fear on her face, he’d lose his composure. No, he had to be smart.
“She’s mine,” Cohen said, his free hand sliding down Morgana’s waist.
“Ye’ll lose that hand,” Ryder hissed, pointing the tip of his blade at the man.
“Kill him!” Orella shouted behind him. “He doesnae deserve to live.”
“Nothin’ like a woman scorned. Am I right, my dear?” Cohen drawled, rubbing his cheek against Morgana’s. “But that’s all right. I’ll make sure that the pain goes away… eventually.”
“Let go of my sister!” Ronnie’s voice suddenly boomed through the room as he burst through the boarded window.
Morgana flinched, turning to the right and away from Cohen’s blade.
It was all the distraction Ryder had needed.
Sidestepping, he turned and drove his blade into Cohen’s back.
“Ryder,” Morgana gasped, her knees buckling.
Ryder was at her side in a flash. Anger ripped through him as he noticed the discoloration around her neck. The bruising would look worse come morning.
A red haze fell over his vision. With as much force as he could muster, he swung his blade once again and drove it into Cohen’s shoulder.
“Bastard,” Cohen hissed.
He wailed louder than a banshee as Ryder twisted the blade and pulled it out. He crumpled to the floor, clenching his teeth to stave off the pain.
“Nay,” Ryder growled. “I’m nae.”
“I wasnae talkin’ about ye,” Cohen sniggered, despite the sweat dripping from his forehead. His gaze flicked from Ryder to Nathan. “I laid it all out for ye. All ye had to do was take it. It was all right there for the taking.”
“What is he talkin’ about?” Felix asked as he blocked the only exit.
