Page 59 of The Beast of the Highlands
Flynn stepped sideways and brought the flat of his broadsword down on Laird Dunn’s shoulder. The older man stumbled against the blow, but whirled around with surprising agility, and lunged for Flynn’s stomach with the tip of his sword. Once more, Flynn feinted easily out of the way, slamming the flat of his broadsword down even harder on Laird Dunn’s shoulder.
The old man went flying and careened into the velvet drapes, where he got himself tangled for a moment. Slicing his way out and puce with rage, he lumbered back toward Flynn.
“I should have cut ye down sooner! I should have got rid of ye while I had the chance! And that hermit brother of yers, too!” The Laird leaped forward, his broadsword skimming past the slight dent of Flynn’s waist.
This time, Flynn had not moved. And for good reason.
Laird Dunn, driven forward by the force of his lunge, barreled into Flynn’s sturdy chest. The older man was a heavy, thick set beast, but Flynn barely flinched. He did not need to, for in charging forward, Laird Dunn had impaled himself on Flynn’s broadsword. All Flynn needed to do was hold the man as he took his last, foul breaths upon this Earth.
“This is for me ma and me da,” Flynn rasped, emotion welling up inside him. For so long, he had sought the culprits of his parents’ murder. Yet finally getting revenge would always be a hollow victory, for nothing could bring his mother and father back.
Laird Dunn clung onto Flynn’s arms, as blood bubbled over his greasy lips, just as the meat juices had done. “Yer ma fought to the end, outmaneuverin’… me best lads.” He sneered. “So, I shot her with a musket. She would’ve lived if she’d just stayed down, but she kept… callin’ out for ye and yer brother. She were… fightin’ to get… back to ye. When the musket… dinnae work… I ran her through, just like this.”
Incensed beyond all reason, Flynn wrenched himself away from Laird Dunn’s grasp. With all the strength he possessed, and all the fiery vengeance in his soul, he drew back his broadsword and plunged it straight through Laird Dunn’s absent heart. And as the sword pierced the older man’s chest, Flynn unleashed a monstrous roar that brought the entire dining room to a stunned standstill.
“Ye’re lucky she wasnae the one to end ye, or ye’d have been missin’ all yer favorite parts before she even got around to killin’ ye,” Flynn spat as Laird Dunn breathed his last.
With a sickening gurgle, the wretched man slumped forward.
Flynn removed his broadsword and rounded on Keira, who had used the shocking moment to claw at the soldiers nearest to her. She froze as Flynn approached, pushing his men aside so he could reach the accomplice in all of this.
Panting hard, with tears threatening, he rested the tip of his broadsword against the hollow of Keira’s throat. “Yer da is dead, and nay one is comin’ for ye. Yer family name ended with him, and ye’ll be cast out when a new Laird Dunn is appointed.” He clenched his jaw. “I could run ye through for what ye tried to do to me beloved, and the threats ye made on me brother’s life, but I amnae like ye.”
Keira finally seemed to realize that she had no way out. “What will ye do with me?”
“I’ll keep ye here—”
“Och, thank ye. Ye’re too kind!” she interrupted before he could finish, spiking his anger further.
“I’ll keep ye here, in me dungeons, until Philip Johnson has been apprehended. Once we’ve got him, we’ll send ye both to the Royal Court, where they can decide what to do with ye.” Flynn glowered at her. “Though I daenae think they’ll be as lenient. Last I read, the punishment for incitin’ this kind of trouble is forty lashes at best, a hangin’ at worst.”
Keira’s hands flew to her neck. “Please, Flynn. Spare me. Tell them ye killed me. Send me away.” Her eyes flickered with panic. “Keep me in yer dungeons. Do whatever ye like, but daenae send me to them.”
“Ye should’ve considered that when ye celebrated murderin’ me beloved and standin’ over her grave. Ye should’ve considered that when ye threatened to kill me brother, and me love’s wee sister. And ye should’ve considered that when ye colluded to kill me, too, by bringin’ enemy soldiers through me gates.”
Keira’s brow furrowed. “Are they nae inside the gates anymore?”
“If only they were, ye might’ve stood a chance. They’ll be followin’ a new Laird soon.” Flynn drew his sword away. “Guards, seize her and take her to the dungeons. If she tries to bite ye or scratch ye, ye’ve my permission to bite and scratch her back.”
As the guards moved in to take Keira away, the foolish, wretched woman howled like a banshee, flailing and kicking all the way out into the hall beyond the dining room. The screeching continued until Autumn, who had stood back in the far corner, closed the door and brought peaceful silence back to the room.
Meanwhile, the guards who were not tasked with carrying Keira to the dungeons had collected Laird Dunn’s body. Flynn did not yet know what he would do about burying the wicked old man. Part of him wanted to throw the body into the woods, for the beasties to feed on. The other part wanted to load him onto a pyre, and burn him up, to chase away any lingering evils.
“Is it done?” Autumn came up to him and held his face. “Are we free?”
Flynn encircled her waist with his arms, pulling her flush against him. “I daenae ken about that, but we willnae have to worry about skirmishes from the Dunn Clan.”
“I mean… are we free to marry, my love? It broke my heart to see that beautiful chapel, and not be able to wed you there.” She brushed her thumb across his cheek. “I would still like, very much, to be your wife. If you will have me?”
Flynn dipped his head and caught her lips with his. “There’s nay other lass I’d take to be me wife. Ye’re already me wife, in here.” He pulled away and brought her hand down to his chest. “And I cannae wait ‘til we’re wed in the eyes of God an’ all.”
“I love you,” she whispered tearily. “I love you so much.”
He wiped a tear from her cheek. “I love ye, more than ye could ever ken. But promise me one thing?”
“Anything.”
He smiled. “Swear ye’ll never run away again.”
