Page 1 of Highlander Unraveled
1
Emma
Present Day
Drumnadrochit Village
Scottish Highlands
“Just where the hell have you been?”
I woke to the sound of Steven’s berating voice pounding through my skull.
Wait—Steven?
No, no, no…
Blinking, I look up at the modern day ceiling. At the familiar water stain. Rusty-gray, and if I squinted my eyes, I could make out the shape of a rabbit in its pattern.
“Emma, goddammit, I’m talking to you.”
I blinked again. Disbelieving what I saw, heard.
Modern ceiling. The one I stared at for several nights while on “vacation” with this man—because it wasn’t what one would normally call a vacation. Only a moving of location. A place that was not my home. But the same old shit, the same nasty Steven.
My first husband.
“For fuck’s sake, Emma! Why are you even dressed like that?” Steven shouted, his words sounding as though they came through a megaphone from a mile away.Boom. Boom-boom.His footsteps pounded on the floor, closing the minuscule distance between us and I tried not to flinch.
“Steven?” I asked, rolling my head to look over at him. I hoped by saying his name aloud this nightmare would disappear.
How was this possible?
How was I here?
It had been over two years since I’d left him, racing through a storm when lightning had struck. I’d been transported back in time to 1542, and into the arms of Logan Grant. My soul mate. My true husband.
The lump in my throat grew, but my mouth was dry. I couldn’t swallow, only lay there, feeling my tongue grow thick.
Close enough now to touch me, Steven reached out and plucked none too tenderly at the arm of my gown.
My clothes were soaked through. A plain green gown. The wool scratched against my soggy skin. My linen chemise was tangled around my legs.
Why was I all wet? I closed my eyes listening for the sounds of a storm outside. I could hear the faint splatter of raindrops, not the torrential downpour kind, just a soft rain, one that turned into a mist.
“Are you going to answer me?” he shouted.
“What…?” My eyes popped open. I could barely get the word out. My mind whirled so fast nausea filled my belly. Was this a dream?
Or had my life with Logan been a dream?
Tears pricked my eyes.
Steven’s fist slammed down on the bed beside me. “You have embarrassed me for the last time.”
I flinched, wondering if the next slam of his fist would be on my body.
I couldn’t speak. I didn’t know what to say. How could I answer him? Did he even want to hear what I had to say? Quite frankly, I didn’t give a shit.
