Page 4 of Kilted Abduction
“Aye. I’ll send him right along,” the servant said with a nod.
“Ye make sure ye keep an eye on our little braither,” Domhnall said.
“Afraid somebody will try to kill him?”
“If somebody does, it will likely be the husband of some woman he charms,” he replied with a chuckle. “It’s yer job tae keep the lad out of trouble.”
“I havenae been able tae keep that bleedin’ fool out of trouble since he was a bairn.”
A couple of moments later, Kai swaggered into the yard with a lopsided grin on his face. His blue eyes—a trait shared by all the MacLeod siblings—sparkled mischievously and he ran a hand through his tousled chestnut locks. Where Magnus and Domhnall were large and strong, Kai was smaller in stature. Wiry and athletic, he was agile and quicker than his older brothers—something else he often took advantage of. But his physical and special gifts were what made him perfect in his role as the clan’s chief scout.
The second youngest of the siblings, Kai had a youthful face and a seemingly perpetual sunny disposition. Most regarded him well, though he had a reputation for romancing the lasses and had caused more than a few hard feelings over his affairs. He had a swagger and bravado to him and projected an outward confidence that was attractive to many. Magnus, though, knew his brother Kai hid insecurities deep within and he took great pains to hide them, using that confidence as a mask. However, they never spoke about the touchy subject.
“And where have ye been all morning?” Domhnall demanded.
Kai shrugged. “We’re going tae be gone a while, so I wanted tae say goodbye to Flora. And Aisla. And?—”
Domhnall waved him off. “We get the bleedin’ point. Ye’re popular with the lasses.”
“Indeed I am.”
“Maybe ye should get yer head out of the chambermaid’s bedclothes and focus on the bleedin’ task at hand. We’ve got a job to dae,” Magnus grumbled.
Kai flashed him a wide smile. “Ye really should get yerself a woman, big braither. I bet they’d be linin’ up fer a big, strappin’ lad like yerself. Of course, they’ll all be old, withered, and have the temperament of a donkey with a toothache, but I bet ye’d dae well enough.”
Magnus turned to Domhnall. “Dae I have tae take him?”
“Unfortunately, his gift might prove useful.”
“More useful than him, tae be sure,” Magnus grumbled.
“Now, that’s just hurtful,” Kai teased.
A grin on his face, Magnus grabbed hold of Kai and put him in a headlock, tousling his hair even more as his brother squirmed, unable to break his iron grip.
“Enough. Both of ye,” Domhnall snapped. “We’ve got business. Nae more foolin’ about.”
Magnus let go of their brother and they both straightened up.
“Ye both understand what’s at stake, aye?” Domhnall asked.
“Aye,” Magnus replied.
“Aye, Domhnall,” Kai said.
“Enjoy yerselves, but I dinnae want ye two causin’ any mischief,” Domhnall said. “And above all, I want ye tae find her.”
“If she even exists,” Kai said.
“He’s nae wrong. Ye are sending us on this mission based on nothin’ more than a rumor that’s runnin’ around. We dinnae ken if it’s true,” Magnus added.
“Maybe it’s true and maybe it’s nae,” Domhnall said and held Magnus’ gaze. “But ye of all people ken how devastating it could be for us if it turned out to be true. Especially if we sat back and did nothing.”
Magnus ran a hand over the dark stubble on his face. “Aye. I dae. Catastrophic is the word I would use, I think.”
“There you go,” Domhnall said. “That is why I am sendin’ the two of ye tae ferret out the truth of it.”
“And if we find her?” Kai asked.
