Page 67 of The Highlander's Twisted Deal
“Nay, that I didnae.”
“Ye raised me, and ye loved me, and ye loved Duncan. Ye loved Moira in a way, did ye nae?”
“Aye, I did. For all I’ve done, I cannae say there was nay love in me life. Ye and Duncan are the greatest gifts I could have ever had.”
Callum clenched his jaw. “There ye have it. Nay deliberate murder. Ye willnae hang.”
“Just spend me life in a dungeon, then?”
“Justicewillbe served.”
Marcus sighed, closing his eyes. “Ah, lad, ye dinnae understand, do ye? Madness doesnae come from jealous blood, like ye always thought it did. It comes from guilt. Guilt is like a rot, the knowledge that ye have done wrong and werenae punished for it. I am responsible for the death of me braither, and the death of the woman I loved. They cannae forgive me, and living out me life in a dungeon isnae enough punishment. I must die, lad. I’ve kenned it for a long time. I just thought… I just thought it would end differently.”
Callum swallowed again, horrified to realize that a hot tear was trickling down his cheek. “Justice will be served,” he repeated, his voice wobbling.
Marcus lifted his hand awkwardly, as Callum was behind him, and touched his nephew’s cheek. “I’m glad ye stopped me,” he said softly. “Ye are a fine man. For all me flaws, I raised two excellent men—sons to be proud of. If yer ma and da could see ye, they would be bursting with pride, too. I havenae done much good in me life, but I did that. But now, Callum, it’s time to end it. Ye have seen to it that I willnae go to me maker with any greater sins on me conscience, but now, it’s time. It’s time, lad.”
Tears were flowing freely, and Callum knew that his uncle must feel the tears on his cheek under his fingers.
“Nay, Uncle. This isnae how it ends. We can all forgive ye—we will. Ye must see justice, but there’s nay reason—”
“The guilt is eating me alive,” Marcus interrupted, and now, he simply sounded exhausted. His hand flopped limply down to his side. “I often feel that I died alongside Jane and Angus that night. In some ways, perhaps I did. I lived on for ye and Duncan, and I cannae regret that. But nae all endings are sad, Callum. It’s time for mine. I welcome it.”
A movement in the corner of Callum’s eye caught his attention. Knife in hand, Ava was getting unsteadily to her feet, scraps of sawn-through rope still wrapped around her wrists. She seemed to be crying, too.
“She’s a fine lass,” Marcus said softly. “She’ll make ye happy.”
“I love ye, Uncle Marcus,” Callum whispered. “I always have.”
“I ken, lad. I ken.”
Callum tensed his arms around his uncle’s head and neck, twisting with an experienced jerk. There was a nastycrack, and the light faded out of Marcus’s eyes, and his body went limp.
Just like that, in half a second, a living man turned into a corpse.
Callum released him, crawling backwards, his limbs suddenly giving out.
Ava was at his side in a moment, crouching beside him. Callum crawled forward to rest his head on her shoulder. She was crying, too, and he could feel her hot tears dropping onto his cheek and into his hair. He squeezed his eyes shut, wrapping his arms around her waist.
“He would have killed ye,” he murmured when the tears abated enough to speak. “He would have killed me, but he loved us, too. I dinnae understand.”
“I ken, Callum,” Ava responded, smoothing back his hair. “It’s like he said—guilt makes ye mad. He’s lived with it all these years. What a weighty secret.”
“I killed me own uncle.”
“It was a mercy, and ye made it quick. He’d nae have felt pain.”
After another few moments, Callum pulled back, drying his eyes with the back of his hand. “Ye must not think much of me, bawling like a babe.”
Ava lifted her eyebrows. “Who said men dinnae cry? Ye lost yer uncle, the man ye saw as a faither. I’d be more surprised if ye didnae cry or show yer grief. Thank ye, though. For saving me.”
He reached out and took her hand. “It was me fault ye were here at all. Ava, I’m sorry for everything that went between us. I shouldnae have said what I said. Will ye come back to the Keep with me?”
She nodded. “I will, but let’s nae talk about it now.”
He sniffed. “How am I going to tell Aunt Moira? How will I tell Duncan? What will I say?”
She squeezed his hand. “We’ll tell them the truth.”
