Page 2 of Saved By the Cruel Highlander
“A lass from the marketplace,” the man who Holly assumed was the leader said, his voice full of disbelief and frustration. “Nay, eejits. This lass is none other than Holly Taylor!”
The two men looked at each other in confusion.
The leader let out an exasperated sigh. “She belongs to the Taylors, a very well-to-do family.”
The bald man’s expression cleared, and he grinned, showing a missing front tooth. “Then she will fetch a fine price at the brothels!”
Holly paled, and her heart started beating so hard beneath her breast that she was certain it was going to explode from sheer fear.
A brothel?
A chill ran through her body.
I’m nae even sure what a brothel is, just enough to understand that it is very bad and somethin’ I want to avoid at all costs.
“We cannae sell her to a brothel,” the leader growled. “Someone will surely recognize her, and then they’ll come after us. She’s too much of a risk.”
The taller man rubbed his dirty beard with an equally dirty hand. “We could return her.”
The leader’s eyes went so wide that Holly could see the red lines in the whites. “Are ye daft? She’s seen our faces. Her family, and likely the whole of Scotland, will descend on us like hounds on a rabbit!”
The men were quiet for a moment as they considered their options. Holly wanted to speak up and promise not to reveal who kidnapped her, but somehow she knew her promises would make no difference. It was mortifying and terrifying to sit there, though, and listen to these strangers contemplate what to do with her.
“I guess there’s nay other choice but to kill her,” the leader said, his tone firm but laced with a good amount of regret and irritation.
Holly opened her mouth to try and reason with them, but suddenly the door burst open and crashed against the wall. It slammed against the wall so hard that dust broke loose and floated down around them.
“Where’s me daughter?”
Suddenly, Holly felt hope fill her.
That’s Faither’s voice! He’s come to rescue me!
“Holly? Are ye all right, child?”
Holly turned her head and craned her neck as far as she could to try and see her father. At the same time, he rushed toward her, then dropped to his knees next to her.
“Och, Papa! I’m so glad to see ye! Can we go home now, please?” she cried, struggling against her bonds with renewed effort now that her father was with her.
“In a minute,” he said, then stood and faced the three men. “Peter Mitchell,” he seethed at the one Holly assumed was the leader. “I should have kenned ye had somethin’ to do with this. How dare ye abduct me daughter!”
While Patrick Taylor talked, the other two men tried to sneak away, but he shot them a glare, and they stopped in their tracks.
“Now, see here, Taylor. This has all been a misunderstandin’,” Peter tried to cajole.
“So ye meant to kidnap another poor lass instead of me daughter?” Patrick demanded, but he kept his voice low and steady.
Peter Mitchell glanced at Holly and then turned his gaze back to her father. His eyes narrowed. There was no acceptable answer, and he knew it. Slowly, he stretched his hand down his side and unsheathed a dirk.
“Papa, watch out!” Holly cried, a split second before Peter lunged at her father.
Patrick dodged the blade but suddenly found himself being attacked on all sides. The other two men came at him, their fists flying. Holly wanted to close her eyes, but she couldn’t look away. She watched in horror as her father fought against the three men.
The bald man threw a punch at her father’s stomach. It connected, and Patrick doubled over, the air whooshing out of his lungs. The taller man clamped his hands together to make one large fist, then slammed it on the back of Patrick’s head while he was still bent over.
Patrick grunted and fell to his knees, but then quickly rose to his feet. Holly was amazed at how quick her father was. He threw punch after punch and even used his legs and feet to fight back. He snapped the neck of the bald man, and the sickening sound made Holly grimace.
The taller man charged at Patrick next but met his fate when his foot caught the man in the gut and he went flying backward, his head crashing against the stone wall. Blood pooled beneath him, his surprised gaze frozen in death.
