Page 85 of Captured By the Cruel Highlander
What the hell is goin’ on?
Theo led them to Adam’s study, his eyes sharp and intense as he closed the door behind them. He walked to the center of the room, and that was when Adam saw the box on his desk.
“It arrived a few moments ago, M’Laird. Stay back, M’Lady.”
Adam’s stomach dropped at those words. He glanced at Emily, who looked pale and frightened. All of the beauty and perfection of their night together erased in a matter of seconds.
Adam walked to the desk.
The little box was wrapped in brown paper, as though it was a gift. On the top, a note had been delivered with it.
A gift for your bride on her wedding day.
JS.
Adam’s stomach turned. With grim certainty, he reached down and opened the box. The wail of despair that came out of Emily was all he needed to hear.
Inside was a severed finger. At the end of it was the signet ring of Laird Wilkinson. He knew without asking his wife that it was her father’s finger.
He stepped back, looking at Theo grimly.
“Nay, nay, nay.” Emily crumpled to the floor, her arms hugging her stomach as she rocked back and forth. “This cannae be happenin’!”
Adam looked back at the finger, examining it as clinically as he could, trying to work out how long ago it had been cut. The blood was dry on the base, clotted and black against the box.
Had Laird Wilkinson been alive when it was cut off?
He felt sick.
“I have to go.”
Adam spun around in shock at Emily’s voice. In the second he had looked away, her inherent strength had returned to her, and now she was standing on her feet, a look of furious determination on her face.
“I have to leave immediately!” she repeated.
Adam watched her walk to the door.
“Emily. Emily!” he cried, gripping her wrist and pulling her back. “Just think about this for a moment.”
“That is me faither’s finger!” she shouted, tears of despair rolling down her cheeks. “James has attacked me family because I ignored his warnings. I have to go—I have to make this right.”
“And how do ye plan to do that?” Adam asked, hearing the dark threat in his own voice.
“Our marriage wasnae consummated,” Emily said. “That means it isnae legal! He said if I didnae marry him, he would kill me family. And now he has maimed me faither because of what I have done. I have to help them.”
“Ye will do nay such thing!” Adam shouted.
Theo retreated from the room. “I shall stand guard outside, M’Laird,” he muttered, closing the door behind him.
Emily was more furious than Adam had ever seen her. The tears on her face did little to detract from the fact that she looked ready to kill.
“He has injured me faither because of me!”
“He has done that because he is a bitter man who has nay morals and nay honor! That isnae because of ye.”
“Of course, it is!” It was close to midnight, and they were screaming at one another for all the castle to hear. “He told me this would happen, and I was foolish enough to believe that ye could protect me, that ye could protectthem!Well, where are we now? For all I ken, me faither is d-dead!”
Her shoulders started shaking as sobs wracked her body, the grief overwhelming her. He took one stride toward her and pulled her into his arms, holding her against him.
