Page 71 of Taken By the Ruthless Highlander
Regret lanced through her. How could she let her younger brother put himself in harm’s way? It was irresponsible of her, and no matter how much she beat herself up over it, she would never let herself off the hook.
“Ye could have died. Do ye nae understand that?”
“I understand the concept, but as ye can see, I’m fine. We both are. Now, will ye please ease off,” Ronnie grumbled as he shrugged her off him.
“I ken ye’re nae a child, and I’m tryin’ really hard nae to treat ye like one. But I cannae help but worry for ye and when ye go and do things like that. What happened?” Morgana asked.
She then paused, wondering if maybe that was the wrong question to ask. After all, did she really want to know the answer?
Ryder’s words came back to haunt her.
“We had just arrived in Lochcairn and needed a place to stay,” Ronnie started as Tormod shifted in his seat, trying not to look guilty. “Felix and Tormod went to the tavern while I rode to the other side of town, lookin’ for an inn. I found one and was comin’ back when I overheard someone talkin’ about a girl. It piqued my interest, and for a moment, it sounded like they had Feya. Morgana, I couldnae just stand by and nae do anythin’. So, I followed them.”
“If it werenae for Ronnie, we all would have been dead,” Tormod chimed in. “I’m serious on that matter. Felix and I owe Ronnie a great deal.”
Morgana’s heart fluttered wildly as she glanced at her brothers. It was as if they had somehow pushed whatever grievances they had to the side and found a peace that she was stunned to see. They had been at each other’s throats for so long that to finally see them respect and honor each other was enough to bring her to tears.
“It was a smart choice to let ye go, then,” Morgana said, schooling her features in a bid to mask her emotions. “I just wish none of this happened in the first place.”
“Aye, well…” Tormod dropped his arms to his sides. “I cannae help but think that we were so close to findin’ Feya. It was as if she were right there and just slipped through our fingers.”
“We will find her,” Morgana assured him.
At that moment, Orella walked into the room, bearing cloth and a bowl of warm water. She set them down next to Ronnie and gently took his bruised arm.
“Aye,” she said with a half-hearted smile. “Unless, of course, yer sister is bein’ held by someone loyal to the late Laird McKenzie.”
“What was that?” Morgana asked.
Orella’s words rattled her to her core. Where had she even come up with such a wild, random idea?
Orella shrank as all eyes in the room fell on her. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and dipped the cloth in the water.
“I’ve heard that ye’ve been lookin’ everywhere for yer sister. Has it nae crossed yer mind that maybe the reason ye havenae found her is because she’s bein’ held captive?” she asked.
The revelation per se wasn’t a shock to Morgana. It was more like Orella was giving voice to the fear she had been trying—and failing—to ignore.
“And if that was the case, the only ones darin’ enough to do it would be those loyal to the late Laird. I mean, if I was someone with a bone to pick, I might do that.”
Hope sprang up within Morgana like a stubborn weed. “Orella, ye’re brilliant! Maybe all this time we’ve been lookin’ in the wrong places. What if she is in a house or trapped against her will someplace close? We should clear the town. Search every building and house.”
“Is that really the best thing, though?” Ronnie asked.
His words shattered Morgana’s illusion like a stone to stained glass.
“It’s Feya,” Morgana insisted. “She’d do the same for ye, and ye ken it.”
24
Ryder paced the length of his chambers as he tried to figure out if he would rather rip Nathan’s head off or have Cohen stand before the archers. Treachery pricked him and stirred his ire.
“What!” he barked over his shoulder at the pounding on his chamber door. “This better be life and death. I’m in nay mood for company.”
He turned to find Morgana standing on the threshold, her bright, innocent gaze fixed on him. Like a deer standing before him in a glen, frightened yet unaware of the true danger.
He rolled his shoulders back. “I’m in nay mood for company tonight. So, either ye say what’s on yer mind, or leave me be.”
Morgana stood in silence for a moment. It was clear there was a great deal she was sorting through, and Ryder’s harsh response was unwarranted. Her lip quivered as tears pooled in her eyes. Guilt and regret jabbed him like a hot poker.
