Page 5 of The Highlander Steals a Virgin
She stiffened, her eyes widening and then narrowing. “Ye O’Donnells are the ones who came to our land and slaughtered our people!”
“Only afteryerclan attacked us,” he shot back.
Amara stiffened, which must be pretty uncomfortable with her back pressed against the bark of the tree, he thought. “Me faither dinnae kill Laird O’Donnell,” she said through gritted teeth. “I daenae care what yer kin said. There was nay proof and he wouldnae do somethin’ so dishonorable.”
Rhys stood, feet braced apart and hands on his hips. “The lairds met in private to discuss the truce,” he said, his voice low and powerful. “One was murdered. That leaves the other as the murderer.”
Her chin rose defiantly. “Anyone could have gone in and taken the O’Donnell by surprise,” she argued.
“Is that what yer faither says happened?”
She opened her mouth and then clamped it shut. Her eyes briefly shot with sadness and Rhys wondered where her thoughts had gone. She blinked and looked away, then turned her gaze back on him, stubbornness shining in those brown depths.
“So ye kidnapped me for revenge? Six years later?”
He raised a dark eyebrow. “Would I nae be within me rights?”
She didn’t answer. Just continued to watch him. His gaze dropped to her lap, noticing how she was slowly working at the leather binding her wrists. Her hands stopped, as if she thought he hadn’t noticed her feeble attempts to get free. Rhys knew how to tie a knot so that even the strongest highlander couldn’t breakfree. True, he hadn’t made the knot so tight and strong for her, but he was still confident she wouldn’t get loose.
“Nay clan would condemn me were I to slit yer throat right here and now,” he continued, then felt a pang in his gut at the sudden fear that entered her eyes. He sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose, then looked at her. “Aye, but I’m nae goin’ to hurt ye, lass,” he said quietly.
“Forgive me,Laird,” she sneered, “if I daenae put a lot of faith in that promise, trussed up to this tree as I am.”
He was spared from responding when William and Myles returned. Their gazes darted to the lass, probably making sure she was still there and bound, then to him.
“All is clear,” Myles said.
“They’ve added guards to the gate,” William added. “But other than that, naught looks amiss.”
Rhys nodded. “Good. Ye two keep an eye on ourguest. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Rhys felt Amara’s eyes on his back as he mounted his stallion and left the area without a look back. Now to put the main part of his plan into motion.
When word had come that the Murdochs had captured his cousin Finn, Rhys had started making plans for his return.
The longer he stayed with the murdering Murdochs, the bigger the chance Rhys would end up losing another family member to them. He didn’t doubt they were even now torturing Finn, who was also his man at arms. He wasn’t worried about Finn revealing any sensitive information. For one thing, Finn was loyal and strong, and wouldn’t talk easily. For another, the O’Donnells didn’t have any nefarious plans or secrets to reveal.
But Rhys knew that wouldn’t stop the Murdochs from trying their best to get information and then becoming angry when there’s nothing forthcoming and kill Finn because he was no use to them. That is what inspired his plan to kidnap the laird’s daughter. He would use her as a bargaining chip. As long as he had Amara, then hopefully they wouldn’t kill Finn.
The trees thinned as he got closer to Murdoch Castle. Rhys knew what he was about to do was risky. He could find himself shot full of arrows before he even uttered a word. But it was a risk he had to take. Finn was his family, a part of their clan, and as laird, it was his duty to protect him.
Shouts rang out when Rhys broke through the tree line and rode onto the grass-covered field. It would take him several minutes to cross the open space until he was close enough to talk to the guards at the gate. Every step he took, his body tensed as he expected to feel the bite of an arrow rip through his flesh.
He made it without a single arrow aimed at him, though, and figured the guards were curious about his sudden appearance but also apprehensive about doing anything to the O’Donnell laird that could cause another war to break out.
“Tell yer laird I have his daughter!” Rhys called out, his voice calm but hard. The closest guard started and glanced backward at one of the other guards. Rhys took a breath and delivered the rest of his message. “Return me kin and I’ll return Lady Amara to him,unharmed.”
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Amara worked at the leather strips binding her hands together. If she could just get her hands free, she’d be able to work on the bits that tied her waist to the tree. They were really tight, though. She’d torn one fingernail already trying to loosen the knot.
“’Tis nay use, lass,” the one called William said. “The laird is kent for his knots. Ye willnae be able to escape them.”
“Doesnae mean I will just stand here, tied up like a pig, without tryin’,” she argued.
The other, called Myles, sat on a rock, whittling on a stick with his dagger. He didn’t bother to look up at her while he worked, taking sips from his flask every now and then. William paced in front of her, casting worried looks her way.
“Laird O’Donnell is ruthless, aye,” He said, his tone quiet and pleasant, as if he were discussing the weather. “But he’s honorable. And fair.”
