Page 10 of Trapped with the Vicious Highlander
Ava tensed. He was raising his voice, and a wave of anxiety washed over her. Her eyes grew larger with each word, but then the next words that came out of his lips were much softer for some reason.
“I’ve searched for me daughter for too long. Ye dinnae want to ken how many forests I’ve scoured, how many villages I’ve ransacked. She is me daughter, and I am nae leavin’ without her.”
A brief silence fell over them, punctuated by only sharp breaths. Ava studied the Highlander again. His hazel eyes screamed utter determination. She could tell even from the way he stared her down that he was not leaving without his daughter today—or without some confirmation.
She swallowed. “Maybe there is a solution to this, after all. Maybe I can have a talk with Margaret, and we can decide together if we want to come with you.”
Brodrick nodded. “Are ye pullin’ a fast one on me, lass?”
“What?”
“I dinnae ken. Maybe ye’re tryin’ to send me away?”
“Absolutely nothing of the sort,” Ava affirmed. “I shall have a talk with Margaret. And if she agrees, we shall go with you in the morning.”
“I’ll do ye one better,” Brodrick murmured.
He took another step closer to Ava, who had taken several steps back earlier. He was closing the gap between them, and for some reason, she wasn’t sure she would be able to handle it. She wasn’t sure she would be able to keep her eyes off his bruised chest, off his chiseled abdomen, off the belt around his waist, off his?—
“I shall be here tomorrow, just as ye said. But ye will be comin’ with me, nonetheless.”
“But I just said?—”
“I dinnae care what ye just said. I shall be here tomorrow to get ye and me daughter. I shall give ye the rest of the day to prepare Margaret and bid the rest of yer family farewell.”
Ava bit her tongue.
“I believe that is quite the reasonable compromise, is it nae?”
She didn’t reply.
“I shall take yer silence as consent.”
Brodrick stepped back and turned around. “I assume ye’ve heard of me one way or another, lass. The last thing ye want is to make an enemy of me.”
Ava watched him make his way to the door, leaving the way he had come. He had spoken to her with such finality that she knew all her objections were just delaying the inevitable. He was adamant, and she knew for now that there was nothing she could do to dispel his determination.
Hell hath no fury like a father with a missing daughter.
Brodrick stopped in the doorway, turned around, and gave her one last look, his eyes even more piercing in the distance.
“I shall be here by sunrise tomorrow, with a carriage ready to transport ye. Dinnae give me any reason to search for ye or me daughter. As I said, I’ve torn through tens of villages. I wouldnae hesitate to tear through hundreds more.”
Ava swallowed again and nodded.
Brodrick executed a slight bow, his grip tight on the hilt of his sword, before leaving the kitchen.
Ava remained frozen near the cabinet, her mouth hanging open in disbelief.
Laird MacDunn.
The bloodied Highlander.
He wasn’t jesting. As much as it did not please her, she knew she only had little time to prepare. She headed towards the door as well, wondering how she was going to break this news to Margaret.
Her mind tried to recant what had just happened now. It was insane that this had happened in broad daylight. Had anyone not seen him walk in?
Suddenly, she paused, the hem of her gown brushing quite abruptly against her shins.
